|
KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER
SHUTTLE & PAYLOAD PROCESSING STATUS REPORTMonday, Nov. 18, 2002 (11:30 a.m.) For the latest Shuttle status on the web visit http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/stsstat/current.htm.
Visit http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm
for the latest schedule of future Shuttle missions. KSC press releases can be found at http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/release/release.htm. The KSC home page can be found at http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/. MISSION: STS-113 – 16th ISS Flight
(11A) – P1 Truss Segment VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105 TARGET LAUNCH DATE: Nov. 22, 2002 NET TARGET LAUNCH TIME: 7 – 11 p.m. TARGET LANDING DATE: Dec.
3, 2002 NET MISSION DURATION: 11 days SHUTTLE CREW: Wetherbee,
Lockhart, Lopez-Alegria, Herrington ORBITAL ALTITUDE AND INCLINATION: 122 nautical miles/51.6
degrees Shuttle Processing Note: Shuttle
managers are gaining some confidence that open technical issues for Endeavour
may be resolved this week and allow launch of STS-113 no earlier than Nov. 22.
However, an evaluation and analysis of both issues is continuing as well as
planning for alternate options that could require additional time. Managers plan to meet late
Wednesday to review the ongoing work and assess Endeavour's status while
maintaining preparations for a Friday launch. Ultrasound inspections of
Endeavour's Remote Manipulator System robotic arm have found a roughly
two-inch-square area of delamination of the arm's carbon composite structure.
Engineers are optimistic the delamination, which resulted from a bump by a work
platform being installed in the shuttle cargo bay last week, may not affect the
arm's operation. Tests are planned with a robotic arm boom in Toronto, Canada,
to gauge the structural effects of the damage on Endeavour. Those tests are
expected to be completed by mid-week. Engineers also are evaluating
alternate options for resolution of the RMS issue in the event testing shows
the arm cannot be used for STS-113 in its current condition. Those alternate
options include a potential repair of the delamination area while the arm is
installed on Endeavour or removing the arm from Endeavour at the launch pad and
accomplishing the STS-113 mission solely using the International Space
Station's robotic arm. Initiating either alternate option would likely move
Endeavour's launch to at least early December. This weekend, work has progressed
on removing and replacing a nitrogen flex hose from Endeavour. The nitrogen
flex hose is adjacent to an oxygen flex hose that was found leaking during
Endeavour's last launch attempt and was replaced last week. An analysis has
indicated line fatigue from normal use and a weak configuration that allowed
excessive flexing of the two lines likely caused the leak. Engineers are
evaluating other flex hoses throughout the Space Shuttle to determine if any
similar situations in other systems may need to be addressed. The evaluation
has included removing some flex hoses from other Shuttle orbiters. --end-- |
