12.15.05 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington Phone: (202) 358-3749 Jessica Rye Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Phone: (321) 867-2468 STATUS REPORT: S-121505 NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT Note: NASA's Kennedy Space Center issues Space Shuttle Processing Status Reports each week, and is the source for information regarding processing activities associated with the vehicles and payloads. This report does not necessarily reflect the chronological order of future Space Shuttle missions. If you are a member of the media and would like further information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/index.html. Discovery (OV-103) Mission: STS-121 - 18th International Space Station Flight (ULF1.1) Payload: Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 Launch Date: No earlier than May 2006 Launch Pad: 39B Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak, Wilson and Reiter Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles Work continues for Discovery's second mission in the Return to Flight sequence, STS-121. The orbiter boom sensor system, the 50-foot device used to inspect the shuttle's heat shield, was installed in Discovery's payload bay on Wednesday. Adjustments of the mechanical release latches will follow in the next few weeks. Inspections of windows 9 and 10 are complete, with no anomalies reported. Wire inspections and chafe protection installation continue on the vehicle's steering jets used in space. The pull tests on the external fuel tank door latch were completed Tuesday. Technicians continue to replace daily approximately 100 gap fillers in a main-priority area. New installation procedures are being used to ensure the gap fillers stay in place and do not pose a hazard during the shuttle's re-entry to the atmosphere. Atlantis (OV-104) Mission: STS-115 - 19th International Space Station Flight (12A) Payload: P3/P4 Solar Arrays Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 Launch Date: TBD Launch Pad: 39B Crew: Jett, Ferguson, Tanner, Burbank, MacLean and Stefanyshyn-Piper Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles Atlantis processing continues on schedule for its mission to the International Space Station. Freon coolant loop no. 1 was drained from the orbiter to allow a cold plate removal and replacement. The forward reaction control system, used for on orbit maneuvers, was installed last week and connections are complete. The mechanical release latches for the shuttle arm are being installed. Thermal protection system gap-filler inspections and measurements continue in the forward and mid-body areas. Four reaction control system thrusters on the orbiter maneuvering system were replaced. Endeavour (OV-105) Technicians continue to process Endeavour in Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2. Work on the modification of the elevon lightning protection is complete. The modification stabilized the flexible metal casing on the elevon wire harness. Endeavour was powered up on Monday after being down for about two months for wiring modifications. Installation of the reinforced carbon carbon panels on wing leading edges continues. Technicians installed 15 panels on the left wing and 13 panels on the right wing. Preparation is under way for body flap installation next week. Testing of the vehicle's Global Positioning System took place this week, and hydraulic leak checks began. External Tank Engineers continue evaluating the causes of foam loss during Discovery's launch in July. Data has been gathered about the cracks in the protuberance air load (PAL) ramp of external tank 120. Engineers are focusing on flying the next shuttle mission without the PAL ramp. The removal could affect the ice frost ramp. It is another solid piece of foam like the PAL ramp. It supports the pre-pressurization lines running down the side of the tank adjacent to the PAL ramp. To ensure flight integrity, more testing, including wind-tunnel tests, will be done to identify an engineering solution. While work continues to target a May launch window, engineers will have more information on scheduling once the engineering fix is selected. Previous Space Shuttle processing status reports are available on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle For information about NASA and agency programs on the Internet, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ -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
