Status Report

Spacecraft and Expendable Vehicles Status Report 15 May 2002

By SpaceRef Editor
May 15, 2002
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MISSION: NOAA-M Polar Orbiter

LAUNCH VEHICLE: USAF Titan II

LAUNCH PAD: Space Launch Complex 4 West, Vandenberg Air Force Base

LAUNCH DATE: June 24, 2002

LAUNCH WINDOW: 11:22 – 11:32 a.m. PDT

At SLC-4W, the Titan II/G-14 prelaunch preparations continue to
progress on schedule. This week the Combined Systems Engine Leak Checks are
in work on the first stage and gas generator servicing and verification
testing is under way on the second stage. The technical concern with the
vehicle’s Inertial Measurement Unit has been resolved and work on the
vehicle will continue as planned.

The NOAA-M spacecraft arrived at VAFB on April 25 and is at NASA
Spacecraft Hangar 1610 on North Vandenberg. The spacecraft’s apogee kick
motor was installed on April 30. The Spacecraft Electrical Performance and
Evaluation Test (SEPET) successfully completed on Wednesday, May 8.
Spacecraft processing will be completed this Friday, May 17 and the
satellite will be installed into its payload canister on Monday in
preparation for being moved to Space Launch Complex 4 West. The spacecraft
will be erected top the Titan II on May 30.

The fairing for NOAA-M arrived on May 9 to begin processing at an
Air Force facility also located on North Vandenberg.

The Center Director Launch Vehicle Launch Readiness Review is
being held today with KSC Center Director Roy Bridges.

MISSION: CONTOUR (Comet Nucleus Tour)

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Delta II 7425

LAUNCH PAD: 17-A Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

LAUNCH DATE: July 1, 2002

LAUNCH WINDOW: 2:56:14 – 2:56:26 a.m. EDT

At SAEF-2, a five-day Contour Mission Simulation is
under way using ground station facilities at the MILA tracking station at
KSC to connect the spacecraft with the CONTOUR mission operations control
center located at the Applied Physics Laboratory in Baltimore, Md. The
mission operations team is following a compressed timeline that simulates
the flight of CONTOUR, remotely commanding all of the spacecraft’s systems
and instruments.

The Deep Space Network compatibility test was completed on Friday,
May 10 also using facilities located at the MILA tracking station at KSC.
This test verifies CONTOUR’s ability to communicate with the worldwide
system of deep space tracking stations operated by the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory.

The spacecraft has also successfully completed the System
Performance Test to verify that all spacecraft systems are functioning to
their design capabilities.

The CONTOUR Mission Readiness Review is being held today at the
Applied Physics Laboratory in Baltimore.

The Boeing Delta II launch vehicle second stage arrived at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station on Monday, April 1. It continues to undergo
checkout at Delta launch vehicle Hangar AO without any issues or concerns.
The Delta first stage arrived at Cape Canaveral on April 15 and is at Hangar
M.

At Space Launch Complex 17, erection of the Delta booster will
begin on Tuesday, May 28. A pre-vehicle-on-stand (Pre-VOS) review is
scheduled for May 21 at the Boeing facility in Huntington Beach, Calif.

The science window available to launch CONTOUR is July 1 – July
25.

MISSION: Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Pegasus XL

LAUNCH SITE: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

LAUNCH DATE: July 30, 2002

LAUNCH WINDOW: 07:50 – 09:50 a.m. EDT

The Galex spacecraft is at the Orbital Space Systems Group
spacecraft facility in Dulles, Virginia. Environmental testing is complete
and preparations continue for a mid-June delivery to KSC.

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Pegasus launch
vehicle’s fin activation system is being installed this week. The
installation of the avionics battery is also being performed. Fairing
preparations are also in work. Testing of the Pegasus vehicle continues in
preparation for delivery to KSC in late June.

SpaceRef staff editor.