NASA KSC ELV status 19 June 2001
NOTE: This expendable vehicle and deployable payload status will be issued
weekly. It will provide status of each NASA mission scheduled for launch
aboard an expendable launch vehicle. For additional information on NASA ELV
launches visit: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/mixfleet.htm
Kennedy Space Center contact: George H. Diller
MISSION: High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL
Current Location: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip
Launch Date: TBD
The launch of NASA’s HESSI spacecraft aboard an Orbital Sciences
air-launched Pegasus XL vehicle has been postponed.
NASA’s Expendable Vehicle Program Office at the Kennedy Space
Center has concluded that it would be prudent to wait until the X-43 failure
board has released preliminary results and findings. This decision was
reached in consultation with the Explorer Project at Goddard Space Flight
Center, Greenbelt, MD.
Once the failure review board has completed its analysis, the
conclusions can be evaluated to determine if any aspects are relevant to the
Pegasus/HESSI vehicle. A final engineering review will begin at that time
after which a launch date can be established.
The Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft carrying the Pegasus/HESSI
vehicle will return to Vandenberg Air Force Base at 10 a.m. on Thursday,
June 21.
MISSION: MAP (Microwave Anistropy Probe)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Boeing Delta II 7425 -10
LAUNCH PAD: 17-B
LAUNCH DATE: June 30 3:46 p.m. EDT
At the Spacecraft and Encapsulation Facility (SAEF-2), the MAP
Spacecraft was installed into its transportation canister yesterday. Today
it was moved to Pad B at Space Launch Complex 17and erected atop the
vehicle. A charging of the spacecraft batteries will begin later today. On
Wednesday, June 20, the first of two spacecraft functional checks planned to
occur at the launch pad will be performed. On June 26, the payload fairing
will be installed around the spacecraft. This will be followed on June 27 by
spacecraft functional test No. 2. The Delta rocket will then be loaded with
its storable hypergolic propellant on June 28.
MISSION: GOES-M (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Lockheed Martin ATLAS IIA
LAUNCH PAD: 36-A
LAUNCH DATE: JULY 15
At the Astrotech commercial payload processing facility in
Titusville, GOES-M has completed processing and been fueled with hypergolic
propellant. The spacecraft is in “dwell” until the encapsulation into the
Atlas payload fairing scheduled to occur at Astrotech on July 2. GOES-M is
scheduled to be moved to Pad A at Launch Complex 36 on Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station on July 6. The Atlas IIA vehicle was erected on the pad
during the last week of May.
MISSION: Genesis
LAUNCH VEHICLE: DELTA II 7326
LAUNCH PAD: 17-A
LAUNCH DATE: July 30
On Friday, June 15, the spacecraft solar arrays were folded and
stowed for flight and the associated retention and release mechanism was
installed. The spacecraft was rotated to the vertical position on Monday.
Closeouts on the spacecraft return capsule are beginning and a second
spacecraft functional test is scheduled for this week. Loading of
hypergolic fuel is tentatively scheduled for Friday.
At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at Space Launch Complex 17,
the Delta II launch vehicle was erected on Pad A last week. The payload
fairing will be hoisted into the pad’s spacecraft clean room facility on
Wednesday.
MISSION: Kodiak Star
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Athena I
LAUNCH PAD: Kodiak Launch Complex, Alaska
LAUNCH DATE: August 31
At the Kodiak Launch Complex, prelaunch preparations are on
schedule. The Athena first stage was erected on the pad May 29. The second
stage was erected on June 12. The Orbit Adjust Module, the stage that trims
the orbit after the burn of the second stage, was erected on June 19.
The Starshine spacecraft is currently scheduled to arrive in
Kodiak on July 25. The three Department of Defense payloads are expected to
arrive in late July and early August.
Launch remains targeted for August 31 at 5 p.m. Alaska time.
