Space Shuttle Status Report 6 Mar 2000

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3
• OFFICIAL KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: no earlier than April 13, 2000 at 8:41 p.m. EST
• KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: April 23, 2000
• LAUNCH WINDOW: up to 10 minutes
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 20 hours
• CREW: Halsell, Horowitz, Weber, Williams, Voss, Helms, Usachev
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 190 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Last night while workers were stowing Atlantis’ Ku band antenna into the payload bay, the graphite epoxy dish contacted an unmanned bridge bucket and damaged the edge of the 3-feet-diameter dish. Engineers are evaluating the damage to determine whether repair or replacement work is required. Once a work plan is developed managers will assess what impact, if any, the unplanned work will have on the processing schedule. Managers had planned to close Atlantis’ payload bay today, but that effort is contingent upon the engineering evaluation.

Today, workers continue to process Atlantis for its intended March 13 OPF rollout date. A decision to proceed with vertical processing will be made at the standard Orbiter Rollout Review on March 10. Workers have completed integrated hydraulic and flight control testing and functional tests of the orbiter’s landing gear. Orbiter wiring inspections are complete and workers are closing out wiring maintenance efforts. After replacing a temperature transducer and controller on the orbiter’s ammonia boiler system, technicians are scheduled to retest the system today.

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: OPF bay 1
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: TBD
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: TBD
• MISSION DURATION: 11 days
• CREW: Duffy, Melroy, Wakata, Chiao, Wisoff, Lopez-Alegria, McArthur
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Leak checks are under way following the replacement of Discovery’s auxiliary power unit No. 1. Radiator functional tests are scheduled this week. Workers have also completed optical measurements in Discovery’s payload bay in support of the downstream Multipurpose Logistics Module (MPLM) mission. Servicing of Discovery’s life support and environmental control system continues.

• VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
• LOCATION: OPF bay 2
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: TBD
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: TBD
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days
• CREW: Jett, Bloomfield, Tanner, Noriega, Garneau
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Removal of Endeavour’s three main engines is complete. Checks on the forward reaction control system are ongoing. Preparations are in work to drain the orbiter maneuvering system line valves of residual reactants.