Telecon Notes: 22 May is New NASA Shuttle Launch Target
Notes from a NASA telecon With Wayne Hale and Bill Parsons
3:53 pm EDT: Waiting 20+ minutes for telecon to start. PAO is having a problem rounding up the participants.
Bill Parsons: The DCR (Design Certification Review) was held yesterday. DCR went well. Bill Readdy, Mike Kostelnik, Mike Griffin and four Space Operation Center Directors attended.There was still some analysis that remained to be done prior to FRR (Flight Readiness Review). We also have some remaining debris work to do. After DCR, we decided to pick another launch date. 22 May is the new target launch date. Launch time is 1:03 PM EDT – with a 5 minute window.
After DCR, we decided to pick another launch date. 22 May is the new target launch date. The FRR will be on 10/11 May. Stafford/Covey RTF Task Force will hold now be able to their plenary session a bit later. On 4-6 May NASA will be ready to present to Stafford/Covey. The Debris Verification Delta Review has been moved to Tues/Wednesday of next week. On 28 April the STS-114 payload goes to pad. On 11 May NASA will hold terminal countdown test.
Wayne Hale: The DCR is the result of 2 years of work. We reviewed 20 major changes to the Shuttle system – plus 37-40 minor changes to ET, orbiter, SSME, SRM. All certifcation of new design elements is complete – except for the orbiter boom sensor system that will be closed out middle of May. There have been 170 possible debris sources we have been concerned about during ascent. Only 3 have not been closed out – and we will be dealing with those next week. After that meeting we fell that we will be ready for the FRR.
Parsons: we were not ready to do FRR next week. Slipping the launch to 22 May allows us 2 more weeks to do work – and some breathing room to do things with the same vigor we have been doing other things. Atlantis (STS-121) is ready to roll out on 23 May. There is still a lot of paperwork to close out. So far Atlantis is on schedule. We have plenty of time to turn Discovery around to be the rescue vehicle for STS-121.
Hale: we have three potential debris sources on ET – we are still doing analysis and test work. We want to make sure that we understand the treat that they pose and whether there is more that we need to do about them. This has been an engineering process all along – one backed up by testing and engineering analysis. What we are doing is to follow a rigorous engineering process to ensure that we are thorough.
Hale: we are not under any real pressure to launch. Obviously we have a desire to launch when we are ready – but we have a launch window in September if we need it. We are going to launch when we are ready to launch and not before.
Parsons: We are always working towards the best we can do with regard to repair techniques. As part of DTO on first two misisons we will continue to do that. I am very comfortable and I am confident with the engineering tests that we will have no need to have repair technigues. The fact that we still continue to work on them is a testament to the techncial excellence that NASA has. We have come such a long way.
