|
NASA News Briefs and Releases BBSNews 2006 Compiled by Kandy Ringer |
|
NASA via BBSNews - 2006-03-03 -- On Thursday, Space Shuttle Program management set a launch date of no earlier than May 10 for Discovery's launch to the International Space Station. Technicians continue preparing Discovery for its roll over from Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Work is under way to close out various areas of the vehicle for flight.
|
|
Discovery is towed into the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3.
Image Credit: NASA/KSC |
|
For the image shown above in a larger size, see Discovery Bay 3.
More NASA images are available in BBSNews NASA Photos. |
- Mission: STS-121 - 18th International Space Station Flight (ULF1.1) - Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
- Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103)
- Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3
- Launch Date: No earlier than May 10, 2006
- Launch Pad: 39B
- Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak, Wilson and Reiter
- Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Following the installation of the space shuttle main engines, technicians added a dome-mounted heat shield around each engine. The heat shields are composed of two, semi-circle shaped sections of thermal protection system tiles that surround the engines.
The external fuel tank for the STS-121 mission arrived by barge at Kennedy Wednesday, five days after leaving the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The tank, designated ET-119, was towed into the Vehicle Assembly Building. On Thursday it was lifted into a checkout area for final processing before being attached to the solid rocket boosters.
- Mission: STS-115 - 19th International Space Station Flight (12A) - P3/P4 Solar Arrays
- Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104)
- Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1
- Launch Date: No earlier than Aug. 28, 2006
- Launch Pad: 39B
- Crew: Jett, Ferguson, Tanner, Burbank, MacLean and Stefanyshyn-Piper
- Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Technicians continue processing Atlantis for its mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for no earlier than Aug. 28. The vehicle is in a scheduled powered-down period, with the next power-up as early as next week.
Leak checks of water coolant loop No. 1 were successfully completed. Servicing of that loop is scheduled for the middle of next week. Work on the shuttle's thermal protection system (heat shield) continues with gap filler removal and replacements.
Endeavour (OV-105)
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, work continues on Endeavour following an extensive modification period. The vehicle remains powered-down, and technicians continue to implement the new Return to Flight modifications.
Rigging of both the elbow and shoulder for the remote manipulator system (shuttle arm) continues. Final work continues on the reinforced carbon-carbon nose cap. It is scheduled to be installed into the vehicle next week.
For previous space shuttle processing status reports on the Web, visit: Previous Space Shuttle Reports. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: NASA Home.