Stopping the Starboard Door While Closing

Later in the procedures, both the Auto and Manual steps have the step "When STBD DOOR as close as possible to PORT DOOR before contacting, perform PLBD fit check". The crew should stop the starboard door from driving and perform the Extended Guide Roller Go/No-Go check found on the next page in the procedures. ("As close as possible" is difficult to define, according to those who have worked this procedure; a good rule of thumb is about a 3-4 feet gap [~1 m] between the doors). See following pictures for approximate views of where to stop the doors.

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STS-109 (OV-102) fit check bounce, from minicam in window W9

Single frame from a digital video, cropped. Orbiter is OV-105, in OPF-1 on 3/13/00, taken from the Flight Deck via Window W9. Centerline latch #1 is visible at the center top of the picture, to the left of the shear roller. Note that the striker plate for latch #1 does not have the stripes on it, as needed for the centerline latch extended guide roller go/no-go diagram. On OV-105, latch #3 is the first striker plate that has the stripes.

From window W9 of OV-105 during the STS-49 mission (first flight of OV-105, 3/92). Centerline latch #1 and the shear roller are visible at the top of the photo.

From STS-113 (OV-105), photo sts113-338-018 (from W9). Click to enlarge.

From STS-113 (OV-105), photo sts113-338-016 (from W10). The door is in the same location as the above photo. Click to enlarge.

Video from STS-102 (OV-103, 3/21/01) via minicam installed in window W10. Not as useful to see the gap between doors, but shows the "bounce" after the door is stopped. On this mission, the crew stopped the door but the gap was too wide, so they bumped the door closed a bit a second time.

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