May 13, 2005 Allard Beutel Headquarters, Washington (Phone: 202/358-4769) Jessica Rye Kennedy Space Center, Fla. (Phone: 321/867-2468) STATUS REPORT: S-051305 NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT NASA's Space Shuttle fleet is housed and processed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla. Mission: STS-114 - 17th ISS Flight (LF1) - Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103) Location: Launch Pad 39B Launch Date: Launch Planning Window July 13 - 31, 2005 Launch Pad: 39B Crew: Collins, Kelly, Noguchi, Robinson, Thomas, Lawrence and Camarda Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles Work continues at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for an External Tank (ET) tanking test scheduled for no earlier than May 19 for the STS-114 mission to the International Space Station. Engineers and technicians are adding instrumentation to the tank to help troubleshoot two issues that arose during a tanking test on April 14. The instrumentation will provide data to analyze the liquid hydrogen sensors that gave intermittent readings and the liquid hydrogen pressurization relief valve that cycled more times than standard during last month's test. The tanking test involves the ground operations team at Kennedy Space Center filling the ET with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel. The team evaluates how the tank, orbiter, Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and ground systems perform under "cryo-load," when the tank is filled with the two ultra-low temperature fuels. The tank filling and draining portion of the test will take about 11 hours and includes a simulated countdown through the T minus 31 second hold. However, the total length of the test operations at KSC will take approximately 48 hours. Following the tanking test, technicians will begin preparations for rolling back Space Shuttle Discovery to the Vehicle Assembly Building by the end of the month. Once there, orbiter Discovery will be destacked (removed) from its ET and lowered into the transfer aisle. In the Vehicle Assembly Building, preparations of ET-121 are currently taking place in the checkout cell. Final checkout of the vent valve assembly is complete. The change-out of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen diffusers is complete. Following the ET/SRB mate review next week, the tank will be moved from the checkout cell and attached to the SRBs in the integration cell. Once in the integration cell, a new heater will be added to the feedline bellows to minimize the potential for ice and frost buildup. It will take about 24 days to perform the modification. Mission: STS-121 - 18th ISS Flight (ULF1) - Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104) Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 Launch Date: Lighted Launch Planning Window September 9 - 24, 2005 Launch Pad: 39B Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak and Wilson Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles Processing continues on Atlantis in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 for its mission, designated STS-121, to the International Space Station. The vehicle is currently powered down in support of orbiter electrical wiring and connector work. Forward-, midbody- and aft-area closeouts continue. Camera verification is complete on the Remote Manipulator System, or Shuttle arm, in the payload bay. Payload bay door clearance checks were successfully completed on the Orbiter Boom Sensor System on the starboard side of the payload bay. Nose and main landing gear cycles continue in preparation for the landing gear functional test, scheduled for today. Thermal Protection System tile installation is complete on the payload bay door hinge area and technicians are performing tile bond verification. Endeavour (OV-105) Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification period, which began in December 2003. Previous Space Shuttle processing status reports are available on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight -end- To subscribe to the list, send a message to: ksc-subscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov To remove your address from the list, send a message to: ksc-unsubscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov
