Status Report

Space Shuttle Status Report 21 August 2000

By SpaceRef Editor
August 21, 2000
Filed under

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE
SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2000 (4:30 p.m. EDT)


NOTE: This is an orbiter processing report and does not reflect the chronological order of upcoming Space Shuttle flights. Visit http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm on the KSC Home Page for the latest schedule of future Shuttle missions.

MISSION: STS-106 — 4th ISS Flight (2A.2b) – SPACEHAB

  • VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
  • LOCATION: Launch Pad 39B
  • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 8, 2000 at 8:45 a.m. EDT (preferred launch time)
  • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Sept. 19, 2000 at 4:59 a.m.
  • LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 1/2 minutes
  • MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 20 hours and 14 minutes
  • CREW: Wilcutt, Altman, Lu, Malenchenko, Morukov, Mastracchio, Burbank
  • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 177 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Over the weekend, engineers calibrated Shuttle Atlantis’ inertial measurement units. Workers also replaced bolts on the pump for auxiliary power unit (APU) No. 1 to ensure proper bolt length. A hot fire test of APU No. 1 is required following that effort and will occur Friday with no impact to the launch date. The Helium Signature Test is ongoing. Preparations are in work for prelaunch propellant loading set to begin Wednesday.

Milestones:
Prelaunch propellant loading of orbiter storage tanks – Aug. 23
Orbiter aft compartment close-outs begin – Aug. 28
Orbiter payload bay doors closed for flight – Aug. 30
Space suit functional testing – Aug. 30


MISSION: STS-92 — 5th ISS Flight (3A) — Z-1 Truss, PMA-3

  • VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
  • LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) bay 3
  • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 5, 2000 at 9:30 p.m. EDT
  • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 16, 2000 at about 5 p.m.
  • MISSION DURATION: 11 days
  • CREW: Duffy, Melroy, Wakata, Chiao, Wisoff, Lopez-Alegria, McArthur
  • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 177 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Orbiter Discovery moved from OPF bay 1 to OPF bay 3 today, allowing workers to begin planned open bay modifications inside bay 1. Discovery will likely remain in OPF bay 3 until midweek, when NASA managers are expected to complete ongoing payload and ground processing assessments. KSC managers will closely monitor weather developments in the tropics as Discovery’s vertical processing flow continues. Pending completion of these assessments, Discovery is expected to roll to the VAB this week to be mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters.

International Space Station engineers are evaluating the best methods to resolve a concern with the control moment gyro assembly on the Z-1 truss. The gyros are components of the attitude control system for the space station. The issue deals with assuring reliable and proper operation of the gyros at extremely cold temperatures. It is likely that correcting the concern will mean a delay in delivery of the payload to the pad from the end of August to approximately the second week of September. However, at this time there is no known impact to the Oct. 5 launch date of Space Shuttle Discovery.


MISSION: STS-97 — 6th ISS Flight (4A) — PV Module P6

  • VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
  • LOCATION: OPF bay 2
  • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Nov. 30, 2000 at 10:48 p.m.
  • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 10, 2000 at time TBD
  • MISSION DURATION: 10 days
  • CREW: Jett, Bloomfield, Tanner, Noriega, Garneau
  • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 177 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Workers are installing Endeavour’s thermal protective “chin panel” beneath the orbiter’s nose. Technicians replaced the brake assembly on the orbiter docking system (ODS) over the weekend, and ODS pyrotechnic installation is in work.

–end–

SpaceRef staff editor.