NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 12 January 2007

Mission: THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions During Substorms)
Launch Pad: 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Delta II
Launch Date: Feb. 15, 2007
Launch Time: 6:07:37 – 6:26:37 p.m. EST

At the Astrotech payload processing facility near Kennedy Space Center, engineers finished installing the five THEMIS probes onto the spacecraft’s probe carrier on Wednesday. The spacecraft was hoisted onto the spin table today and two days of spin-balance testing have begun. Mating to the upper stage booster is scheduled for Jan. 26. THEMIS will be transported to Pad 17-B for mating with the Delta II on Feb. 2.

At Pad 17-B, the first stage of the Delta II rocket was installed into the launcher on Jan. 6. The nine solid rocket boosters are being placed around the base of the first stage this week and attached in sets of three. The final set of three boosters is being hoisted into position today and will be attached on Saturday. The second stage is to be hoisted atop the first stage on Jan. 17. The following day, the payload fairing will be lifted inside the clean-room facility located within the mobile service tower.

There are no significant issues or concerns at this time.

Previous status reports are available on the Web at:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/2007