Status Report

Spacecraft and Expendable and Expendable Vehicles 1 May 2002

By SpaceRef Editor
May 1, 2002
Filed under , ,

MISSION: Aqua EOS-PM (Earth Observing System Aqua Observatory)

LAUNCH VEHICLE: DELTA II 7920-10L

LAUNCH PAD: Space Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg Air Force Base

LAUNCH DATE: May 4, 2002

LAUNCH WINDOW: 2:54:58 – 3:04:58 a.m. PDT

.

Preparations are on schedule for the launch of Delta/Aqua on
Saturday, May 4 at 2:55 a.m. PDT. The liftoff will occur from NASA’s Space
Launch Complex 2 West located on North Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Fueling is underway today of the Delta second stage with Aerozine
50 and Nitrogen Tetroxide. The Flight Program Verification was successfully
completed on Thursday, Apr. 25. This is a combined composite electrical
test and flight sequence test, the final major test prior to launch. The
vehicle’s mechanical and electrical systems were actuated during the
simulated plus count.

The launch vehicle and spacecraft ordnance were installed and
connected on Apr. 26. Aqua spacecraft closeouts were performed the
following day. The payload fairing installation was completed this week on
Monday, Apr. 29. Battery cooling lines were then connected and a battery
trickle charge initiated.

The Flight Readiness Review was also held on Monday with no
significant issues or concerns remaining. A final Launch Readiness Review
will be held tomorrow, Thursday, May 2.

MISSION: NOAA-M Polar Orbiter

LAUNCH VEHICLE: USAF Titan II

LAUNCH PAD: Space Launch Complex 4 West, Vandenberg Air Force Base

LAUNCH DATE: June 24, 2002

LAUNCH WINDOW: 11:22 – 11:32 a.m. PDT

At SLC-4W, the Titan II/G-14 launch vehicle’s prelaunch
preparations continue and work is progressing on schedule. An issue with
the vehicle’s Inertial Measurement Unit is currently under evaluation. What
impact to the schedule there could be, if any, is under assessment.

The NOAA-M spacecraft arrived at VAFB as planned on Apr. 25 and
was taken to NASA Spacecraft Hangar 1610 on North Vandenberg. The
spacecraft’s apogee kick motor was installed on Apr. 30. Today spacecraft
battery charging and other preparations are underway for the upcoming
Spacecraft Electrical Performance and Evaluation Test (SEPET).

The payload fairing is scheduled to arrive for processing
tomorrow, Thursday, May 2.

MISSION: CONTOUR (Comet Nucleus Tour)

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Delta II 7425

LAUNCH PAD: 17-A Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

LAUNCH DATE: July 1, 2002

LAUNCH WINDOW: 2:56:14 – 2:56:26 a.m. EDT

The Contour spacecraft arrived at KSC late on April 24. The
following morning it was taken to NASA Spacecraft Assembly & Encapsulation
Facility-2 (SAEF-2) in the KSC Industrial Area to begin preparations for
launch. The flight batteries were installed and charged. Software was
installed for four days of spacecraft performance testing which is currently
underway. Some solar cells that were damaged during shipping of the
spacecraft have been removed and replaced.

The Boeing Delta II launch vehicle second stage arrived at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station on Monday, Apr. 1 and is undergoing checkout at
Delta launch vehicle Hangar AO. The Delta first stage arrived at Cape
Canaveral on Apr. 15 and is at Hangar M.

The Contour Mission Readiness Review will be held at the Applied
Physics Laboratory in Baltimore on May 15.

At Space Launch Complex 17, erection of the Delta booster will
begin on May 28. A pre-vehicle-on-stand (Pre-VOS) review is scheduled for
May 21 at the Boeing facility in Huntington Beach, CA.

SpaceRef staff editor.