NASA Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 11 November 2005
Mission: STS-121 – 18th ISS Flight (ULF1.1) – Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103)
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3
Launch Date: TBD – No earlier than May 2006
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak, Wilson and Reiter
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 work continues to progress for Discovery’s second space shuttle return-to-flight test mission, STS-121. Post-flight window inspections were performed on flight deck windows No. 2 and 3 on Monday.
The remote manipulator system, or space shuttle arm, that was removed from orbiter Atlantis was transferred to the processing facility Tuesday. Preparations are under way for installation of the arm scheduled for today. The arms were switched because the arm that was installed on Atlantis has special instrumentation to gather loads data from the STS-121 mission.
Mission: STS-115 – 19th ISS Flight (12A) – P3/P4 Solar Arrays
Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104)
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1
Launch Date: TBD
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Jett, Ferguson, Tanner, Burbank, MacLean and Stefanyshyn-Piper
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Atlantis processing continues on schedule in Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 for its mission to the International Space Station. Technicians are continuing wire inspections and adding chafe protection to the reaction jet driver. The remote manipulator system was removed from the vehicle on Tuesday.
Thermal protection system gap filler inspections and measurements continue in the forward and mid-body areas of the vehicle. Currently, all zones are identified and mapping is complete in nine of the 10 zones. This work is being performed due to two gap fillers that were protruding from the underside of Discovery on the first return to flight mission, STS-114.
Endeavour (OV-105)
Technicians continue to process Endeavour in Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2, following a nearly two-year orbiter major modification period. Preparations are under way for painting in the mid-body scheduled to begin tomorrow. The bay will be cleared during the painting operations.
In preparation for reinstallation of the body flap, the inboard and outboard actuators were installed and the fit check completed. Thermal protection system blanket work is being done in the area of the reinforced carbon-carbon nose cap.
