Spacecraft and Expendable Vehicles Status Report 20 Feb 2002
MISSION: TDRS-I (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-I)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Lockheed Martin ATLAS IIA (AC-143)
LAUNCH PAD: 36-A Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
LAUNCH DATE: March 8, 2002
LAUNCH WINDOW: 5:39 – 6:19 p.m. EST
SPACECRAFT LOCATION: SAEF-2
At SAEF-2, prelaunch processing of TDRS-I continues. Loading of the spacecraft with propellants was rescheduled to this week to allow time for RF shielding to be installed around one of the spacecraft’s components. This work was performed on Feb. 18-19 and there is no schedule impact to the launch date of March 8.
Loading of the fuel and oxidizer aboard the spacecraft began on Tuesday and is scheduled to conclude today. Spacecraft closeouts will be performed on Thursday and mating to the Atlas payload adapter is scheduled for Friday. Over the upcoming weekend, Feb. 23-24, TDRS-I is scheduled for encapsulation into the Atlas nose fairing. On Monday, Feb. 25, the payload will be placed onto the transportation trailer in preparation for moving from SAEF-2 to Space Launch Complex 36. This will occur during the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, Feb. 26. The TDRS-I satellite will then be hoisted for mating atop the Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA launch vehicle.
At Pad 36-A, the Atlas processing is complete to date and the vehicle is awaiting the arrival of the TDRS-I spacecraft.
MISSION: Aqua EOS-PM (Earth Observing System Aqua Observatory)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: DELTA II 7920-10L
LAUNCH PAD: Space Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg Air Force Base
LAUNCH DATE: April 18, 2002
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1:54:50 – 2:04:50 a.m. PST
Aqua spacecraft testing is complete at the TRW plant in Redondo Beach, Calif. and the satellite has been scheduled for shipment to Vandenberg Air Force Base on Feb. 25. The associated spacecraft ground support equipment arrived at Vandenberg on Friday, Feb. 15 as planned.
The Boeing and NASA review to assess readiness of the Delta II and SLC-2W to begin vehicle erection was completed on Tuesday, Feb. 19, in Huntington Beach, Calif. Erection will begin on Feb. 25 pending resolution of actions to be taken associated with modifications to the upgraded vehicle Automatic Destruct System.
MISSION: NOAA-M Polar Orbiter
LAUNCH VEHICLE: USAF Titan II
LAUNCH PAD: Space Launch Complex 4 West
LAUNCH DATE: June 25, 2002 NET
LAUNCH WINDOW: 11:22 – 11:32 a.m. PST
The NOAA-M spacecraft is at the Lockheed Martin plant in Sunnyvale, Calif. A shipping date for the satellite and the erection of the Titan II launch vehicle on SLC-4W at Vandenberg Air Force Base will be determined after the launch of the U.S. Air Force DMSP weather satellite that is pending.
The spacecraft will be processed at NASA spacecraft hangar 1610 on North Vandenberg Air Force Base.
