NASA Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 17 June 2005
Mission: STS-114 – 17th ISS Flight (LF1) – Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103)
Location: Launch Pad 39B
Launch Date: Launch Planning Window July 13 – 31, 2005
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Collins, Kelly, Noguchi, Robinson, Thomas, Lawrence and Camarda
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
On Wednesday, Discovery was rolled out to Launch Pad 39B by a giant Crawler Transporter. The four-mile journey began at 1:58 a.m., and the Space Shuttle arrived more than 10 hours later at 12:17 p.m. The Crawler Transporter, which has a top speed of about one mph, traveled even slower than normal. It stopped frequently so engineers could address overheating bearings.
The payload canister, including NASA’s Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, was transferred to the launch pad on June 13. The payload bay doors were opened yesterday in preparation for payload installation in the payload bay today. Following installation, payload connections are scheduled for this weekend, and payload/orbiter interface testing will begin early next week.
Preparations have begun for loading of hypergolic propellants, currently scheduled for June 22. This process includes loading the propellants, monomethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, into the Orbiter Maneuvering System and the Forward Reaction Control System.
Mission: STS-121 – 18th ISS Flight (ULF1) – Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104)
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1
Launch Date: Lighted Launch Planning Window September 9 – 24, 2005
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak and Wilson
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Power-up system testing is nearly complete on Atlantis in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 for its mission to the International Space Station.
The payload bay has been cleaned for flight and the doors closed. Around the hinge line of the doors, technicians have completed installing the tile which makes up the Shuttle’s heat shield, or Thermal Protection System. The doors were opened one more time to perform checks of those tiles, and the payload bay doors were closed for the final time in the Orbiter Processing Facility prior to flight.
Technicians continue performing nose and main landing gear cycles to check out compression of the new thermal barrier seals that were added. The landing gear functional test is now scheduled for as early as the middle of next week.
In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the External Tank (ET-120) and Solid Rocket Boosters originally scheduled to fly with Space Shuttle Discovery are located in high bay 1. This stack will now fly with Atlantis. The liquid oxygen feedline bellows heater has been added to this tank and final foam closeouts are progressing.
Endeavour (OV-105)
Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification period which began in December 2003.
External Tank/Solid Rocket Boosters
The third redesigned External Tank (ET-119) arrived at Kennedy Space Center today. It will be offloaded Monday and transferred to the Vehicle Assembly Building. ET-119 is currently scheduled to fly with Atlantis on mission STS-115.
