Spacecraft and Expendable Vehicles Status Report 20 Mar 2002

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: 2:54:58 – 3:04:58 a.m. PDT

The Aqua spacecraft is at the Spaceport Systems International
(SSI) payload processing facility located on South Vandenberg Air Force
Base. The Comprehensive Performance Test was successfully completed last
Friday, Mar. 15. The spacecraft was powered-on and top-off of the battery
charge was completed on Monday, Mar. 18. The Aqua project is evaluating a
battery cell concern that has delayed the planned fueling of the spacecraft
from Mar. 23 to no earlier than Mar. 26. The amount of launch schedule
slippage, if any, is currently under review.

At Space Launch Complex 2, the first half section of the payload
fairing was erected on Monday, Mar. 18. The second half is anticipated to
occur today, weather permitting. Fairing erection was rescheduled to this
week due to high wind at Vandenberg last week. After the second fairing
half is in place, interface checks will be performed through the fairing
between SLC-2 and spacecraft ground support equipment. This is currently
planned for Thursday, Mar. 21.

The Center Director Launch Vehicle Launch Readiness Review
(CDLVLRR) was held on Friday, Mar. 15 at KSC. At the conclusion, there were
three open items remaining for further action. It will be necessary to
resolve one of these items before Aqua spacecraft fueling activities occur.
Further engineering analysis is needed to evaluate the environment that the
Aqua spacecraft may encounter following Delta first stage main engine cutoff
(MECO).

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

No change in status this week. The NOAA-M spacecraft is at the
Lockheed Martin plant in Sunnyvale, Calif., and is tentatively planned for
shipment to Vandenberg on Apr. 25. The spacecraft will be processed at NASA
spacecraft hangar 1610 on North Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Erection of the Titan II/G-14 booster for NOAA-M will take place
on Apr. 1 after routine corrosion control and maintenance is completed at
the launch pad during March.

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: 3:50:00 – 3:50:12 a.m. EDT

The CONTOUR Ground Operations review was held at KSC on Mar. 13 to
assess the readiness of the SAEF-2 spacecraft checkout facility and the
ability to meet all associated support requirements.

The spacecraft’s solid propellant motor will arrive at KSC on Apr.
1 and be processed prior to the arrival of CONTOUR. The spacecraft is
currently at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD and will
arrive at KSC on Apr. 25 to begin final checkout and preparations for
launch.

At Space Launch Complex 17, erection of the Delta booster is
planned to begin on May 29.