China has launched the sixth satellite in their growing navigation system on Sunday, via the launch of their Long March 3C (Chang Zheng-3C) launch vehicle, carrying the BeiDou-2 Compass-G4 satellite. The launch of took place from the Xi Chang Satellite Launch Center, in Sichuan Province at 16:26UTC on October 31.
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Following the changeout of leaky couplings and successful repressurization of Discovery’s Right OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System), STS-133 has entered the launch countdown for Wednesday’s launch. Discovery will be launching on her final mission, with her crew excited and honored to be riding on the veteran orbiter.
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Engineers have completed S0071 tasks to pressurize Discovery’s Right OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System), following the changeout of related couplings/seals which delayed the start of the launch countdown (S0007). The repress of the OMS tank was lengthy process, with managers deciding on Saturday to move the launch date to Wednesday to avoid constricting S0007 tasks. Those tasks are complete [...]
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Arianespace were back in action on Thursday evening with the dual launch via their Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle. The European workhorse lofted the Eutelsat W3B and BSAT-3b telecommunication satellites into their transfer orbits, with lift-off on time at 21:51 GMT – launching from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. However, W3B failed early [...]
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A Russian Progress resupply vehicle has launched en-route to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, bringing with it fresh supplies for the Expedition 25 crew ahead of STS-133/ULF-5 next week. Meanwhile, space station managers have been presenting the status of the ISS’ regenerative ECLSS (Environmental Control & Life Support Systems) at the Agency Flight [...]
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Members of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) have echoed Shuttle workforce concerns from Space Shuttle Program (SSP) manager John Shannon about prolonging the current uncertainty about the status of the proposed STS-135 mission. Lawmakers authorized NASA to fly Atlantis’ mission, though it continues to lack the appropriation of funding.
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The Agency Flight Readiness Review (FRR) has concluded by approving November 1 as the launch date for STS-133. The decision came after a smooth review process, aided by the resolution of the OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System) crossfeed flange leak and the clearance of one “action item” from the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) FRR, relating to [...]
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The changes to Endeavour’s final mission have been outlined at a Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) meeting, which approved the addition of two docked days and a fourth EVA for STS-134. The additional work will focus on the installation of the FGB Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF), which was deferred from ISS US EVA-15, due [...]
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Engineers have completed the removal and replacement of the two seals on Discovery’s Right OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System) crossfeed flange on Saturday, after the eduction of the plumbing beat the schedule by over a day. Fuel reloading began at 6:30am local on Sunday, with Interim Problem Report (IPR-47) set to be removed in time to allow managers [...]
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All three orbiters are set to donate their Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) to the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV) program, following their final flights. A Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) meeting recommended the orbiters should instead gain Replica Shuttle Main Engines (RSMEs) – previously scrapped nozzles installed via an adaptor – for when the [...]
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The ISS Program is gearing up for what will be a very busy upcoming year of logistics operations, with a total of eleven Visiting Vehicles (VVs) scheduled to visit the orbital outpost in 2011. Manifested arrivals consist of five Russian Progresses, three SpaceX Dragons, one Orbital Cygnus, one Japanese HTV, and one European ATV. At [...]
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Engineers are continuing to work on IPR-47 (Interim Problem Report) – a leaky flange on Discovery’s crossfeed line plumbing – after a decision was taken to replace the two internal seals on the hardware. Earlier, torque checks found no issues with the system’s bolts, prior to the leak inadvertently ceasing via a pressure change in [...]
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An Arianespace Soyuz 2-1A launch vehicle has lofted six Globalstar 2 mobile phone and data satellites into orbit on Tuesday. The Starsem affiliate of Arianespace were targeting the launch to take place at 17:10 GMT from Pad 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in in Kazakhstan. Launch was on time, ahead of 100 minutes of flight, ending [...]
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Discovery’s IPR-47 (Interim Problem Report) has become a potential schedule concern, after the replacement of a flight cap failed to stop a vapor leak in the orbiter’s aft. The leak is now believed to be in the crossfeed flange area, with the forward plan requiring the draining of the left and right Orbiter Maneuvering System [...]
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Endeavour’s final mission will be officially extended next week, when mission managers approve a Change Request (CR) to add a fourth EVA and a subsequent increase of the mission duration by two days. Originally a 12+1 mission, Endeavour is being tasked with the delivery of the AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02) to the International Space Station [...]
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Another milestone was passed on Friday, after Discovery, along with her astronauts and controllers, successfully completed the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT). With the dress rehearsal completed, engineers are pushing forward with troubleshooting on a Air Half Coupling (AHC) flight cap, a Quick Disconnect (QD) which is leaking small amounts of hypergolic vapors.
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International Launch Services (ILS) have launched the SIRIUS XM-5 telecommunications satellite via their veteran Proton-M launch vehicle and Breeze-M upper stage on Thursday. Lift-off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan was on schedule at 18:53 GMT, ahead of over nine hours of flight until the spacecraft was successfully placed into orbit.
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The Direct movement – a group of professionals and non-professional engineers that created an architecture alternative to Constellation’s Ares vehicles – are ready to transition their movement, following the redirection of NASA’s future by lawmakers, which calls for a Space Launch System (SLS) based around a Shuttle Derived (SD) Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV), which [...]
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Despite the President signing the Bill which calls for NASA to fly STS-135, Space Shuttle Program (SSP) manager John Shannon has spoken to his teams about the battle that remains, one which requires retaining the required capability – whilst still being in the right position fiscally – to push forward with the summer 2011 mission.
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With the MOD FRR (Mission Operations Directorate Flight Readiness Review) and the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) FRR complete, NASA is quickly approaching the final stretch of Discovery’s pad processing for her capstone mission. Among the various items to receive attention at these two FRRs were the various mission timelines that might play out during the [...]
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