NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 6 January 2006

MISSION: New Horizons
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Lockheed Martin Atlas V 551 (AV-010)
LAUNCH PAD: Complex 41
LAUNCH SITE: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
LAUNCH DATE: No earlier than Jan. 17, 2006
LAUNCH WINDOW: Jan. 11 to Feb. 14, 2006

The borescope inspection of the Atlas V RP-1 propellant tank was successfully completed this week and no defects were observed. The results of the inspection serve to increase confidence in launch success, but further testing and modeling of the vehicle continues in order to provide confidence in proceeding to launch.

Launch vehicle ordnance installation will be completed today. Third stage closeouts are scheduled for Jan. 9. The safe and arm devices will be installed on the solid rocket boosters Jan. 10.

New Horizons spacecraft closeouts and final documentation are scheduled for Jan. 11 to 13. The final power-on integrated test is set for Jan. 12. The fairing doors will be installed for flight Jan. 14.

MISSION: Space Technology 5 (ST5)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL
LAUNCH SITE: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
LAUNCH DATE: Feb. 28, 2006
LAUNCH WINDOW: 5:57:21 a.m. – 7:19:21 a.m. PST

The wings and aft skirt of the Pegasus launch vehicle have been installed.

Launch vehicle flight software has been installed.

Flight Simulation No. 1 is under way today. Flight Simulation No. 2 is scheduled for Jan. 25 to 26.

Spacecraft software loading with associated testing took place Wednesday, Jan. 4.

A spacecraft functional test was successfully conducted Thursday, Jan. 5.

A 12-hour ST5 spacecraft operations test is under way today.

MISSION: Cloud-Aerosol Lidar & Infrared Pathfinder Satellite
Observation/CloudSat (CALIPSO/CloudSat)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Boeing Delta 7420 with Dual Payload Attach Fitting
LAUNCH PAD: Space Launch Complex 2
LAUNCH SITE: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
LAUNCH DATE: No earlier than February 2006
LAUNCH WINDOW: TBD

CALIPSO and CloudSat are installed in the Dual Payload Attach Fitting at the Astrotech payload processing facilities on north Vandenberg. They will remain there until a new launch date is determined and then be prepared for transportation to NASA’s Space Launch Complex 2.

Further Delta II preparations at the launch pad are on hold until the CALIPSO/CloudSat payloads arrive for installation atop the second stage.