STS-133: Final Space Shuttle flight baselined into FDRD by NASA

After nearly thirty years of Space Shuttle operations - with only eight flights remaining on the Space Shuttle Program manifest - NASA’s Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) has officially baselined the STS-133 mission into the Flight Definition and Requirements Document (FDRD) - a mission that, at this time, is expected to be the final flight [...]

ET-131 Tanking Test success - STS-127 now officially tracking launch on July 11

STS-127’s External Tank (ET-131) has completed a tanking test on the realigned Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) and a two-part seal, with no leaks detected. As a result, NASA is officially a go for a launch attempt of Endeavour on July 11.

Knob removed, Atlantis window inspection begins - longerons in cart accident

Engineers have successfully removed the work light knob - embedded between the pressure pane on Atlantis’ pilot window and the dashboard panel - late on Monday night, after pressurizing the orbiter to aid its liberation. Meanwhile, a cart full of payload bay equipment has fallen off a truck, leading to evaluations on the state of [...]

STS-134: PRCB Baselines Penultimate Shuttle Flight to Take AMS to Station

NASA mission planners have officially baselined the final two scheduled missions of the Space Shuttle Program, STS-133 and STS-134 - of which STS-134 is expected to fly first, in July 2010, based on an expected Change Request (CR) to move the flight that will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the International Space Station [...]

ET-131 repair proceeding to plan - confidence root cause has been found

Preparations for next Wednesday’s tanking test are proceeding well, with the flight seal now replaced ahead of weekend work to reinstall the Quick Disconnect (QD) on the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP). A successful tanking test is expected, due to “high confidence” a misalignment was responsible for at least STS-127’s scrub.

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STS-133: Final Space Shuttle flight baselined into FDRD by NASA

After nearly thirty years of Space Shuttle operations - with only eight flights remaining on the Space Shuttle Program manifest - NASA’s Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) has officially baselined the STS-133 mission into the Flight Definition and Requirements Document (FDRD) - a mission that, at this time, is expected to be the final flight [...]

02 Jul 2009 | Read more... »
Ariane 5 ECA launches with the giant TerreStar-1 satellite

Arianespace were back in action on Wednesday, with the launch of their Ariane 5 ECA and a single passenger, the TerreStar-1 communications satellite. Launch from the European Spaceport in French Guiana was delayed by a storm that passed over the center, and several technical issues, before launching at 17:52 GMT.

01 Jul 2009 | Read more... »
ET-131 Tanking Test success - STS-127 now officially tracking launch on July 11

STS-127’s External Tank (ET-131) has completed a tanking test on the realigned Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) and a two-part seal, with no leaks detected. As a result, NASA is officially a go for a launch attempt of Endeavour on July 11.

01 Jul 2009 | Read more... »
ILS Proton-M launches with SIRIUS FM-5

International Launch Services (ILS) have launched the SIRIUS FM-5 communication satellite on its way to a geostationary transfer orbit via their Proton-M launch vehicle, following lift off from Launch Pad 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Launch occurred on time at 20:10 UTC, starting a launch phase that lasted a total of nine hours.

30 Jun 2009 | Read more... »
Knob removed, Atlantis window inspection begins - longerons in cart accident

Engineers have successfully removed the work light knob - embedded between the pressure pane on Atlantis’ pilot window and the dashboard panel - late on Monday night, after pressurizing the orbiter to aid its liberation. Meanwhile, a cart full of payload bay equipment has fallen off a truck, leading to evaluations on the state of [...]

29 Jun 2009 | Read more... »