As the Constellation Program (CxP) splutters along, ahead of its “proposed” cancellation, managers have successfully concluded its Preliminary Design Review (PDR), although several major elements – such as cost and schedule – were omitted from the review due to the “new direction”. Meanwhile, NASA managers preparing a draft document to prospective commercial crew providers, listing [...]

An Engineering Review Board (ERB) meeting has taken place on Monday to discuss options relating to the leak on Discovery’s Right Reaction Control System (RRCS). Five troubleshooting procedures have failed to correct the issue with a helium isolation valve – with additional troubleshooting set to take place. Should those efforts also fail, flight rationale would be [...]

A team of engineers have completed evaluations into the condition of the test orbiter Enterprise, in preparation for a potential ferry flight to a new home - should the Smithsonian’s National Aeronautics Space Museum receive one of the current orbiter fleet as a replacement after they are retired. Those evaluations found no show stoppers for Enterprise’s [...]

A leak relating to Discovery’s RCS (Reaction Control System) Helium Isolation Value – on the Right Hand (RH) OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System) fuel system – is undergoing troubleshooting at Pad 39A. Due to redundancy, flight rationale may be accepted to fly STS-131 “as-is” – should blowdown procedures fail to correct the issue – otherwise rollback and [...]

As pre-launch processing continues for Discovery’s STS-131 mission, pre-flight planning continues for what is – at this time – the final manifested flight of the Shuttle Program, STS-133. Discovery will be flying with ELC-4 (ExPRESS Logistics Carrier -4) and the PMM (Permanent Multi-purpose Module), as outlined in the latest Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) mission baseline [...]

As expected, STS-131 has passed its latest milestone, with the approval to push forward to the Agency level Flight Readiness Review on March 26 – following the conclusion of the SSP (Space Shuttle Program) FRR this week. No issues of note are being worked on Discovery out at Pad 39A, as engineers work through hypergolic [...]

NASA managers are pushing through the shutdown of the Constellation Program (CxP) at a pace, with a series of memos showing all the Ares test flights have already been cancelled, along Orion ‘defunded’ and returned to the sole control of contractor Lockheed Martin. Meanwhile, MOD director Paul Hill has written to NASA administrator Charlie Bolden, [...]

Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) managers have been busy discussing the launch dates for what are currently the final flights of the manifest, although STS-131 remains on track for April 5. With STS-134’s Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) issue now confirmed to be a thermal leak observed during ongoing testing in Holland, STS-132 and STS-133 have [...]

Despite new concerns about the readiness of the AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer -02) payload to meet the currently targeted July 29, 2010 launch of the STS-134 mission, Space Shuttle Program mangers and flight planners are continuing their efforts to prepare all necessary components for flight on the 133rd Space Shuttle mission. No launch date decision [...]

No major topics are expected at next week’s Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Flight Readiness Review (FRR), as Discovery continues to push towards her April 5 launch date. Processing is also proceeding well for May’s STS-132 flight with Atlantis, although Endeavour’s STS-134 mission is subject to program level meetings – starting next Monday – due a [...]

Senator Kay Hutchison – in conjunction with Representatives Suzanne Kosmas and Bill Posey – has produced a 37 page Bill that proposes major refinements to NASA’s FY2011 proposal, and NASA’s forward plan. The Bill is centered around a shuttle extension to 2015, in support of fully utilizing the International Space Station (ISS), along with saving [...]

Discovery has rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) just after midnight on Wednesday morning in preparation for her April 5 STS-131 launch date. With rollover to Pad 39A is completed, further repairs will take place on the stack’s External Tank (ET-135), following “avian induced damage” to the tank’s TPS (Thermal Protection System) foam.

Following initially positive opening investigations into the possibility of allowing a Space Shuttle orbiter to be present (i.e. docked) to the International Space Station (ISS) during Russian Progress and/or Soyuz dockings and undockings, Space Shuttle Program and ISS Program officials have decided that more investigation and information is necessary before allowing this scenario to unfold.

A redesign to the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Thrust Vector Control (TVC) Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) fuel pump will be implemented on STS-134 and STS-133 – currently the final two “scheduled” shuttle flights. The redesign will eliminate the highest – although extremely unlikely to occur – “critical 1″ failure scenario, which holds the potential of [...]

Discovery and External Tank ET-135 have completed mating operations with no issues reported, as STS-131 continues to enjoy a smooth flow towards rollout next week. Meanwhile, STS-132’s ET-136 is due to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) early next week, as managers discuss the “schedule crunch” of the final three “scheduled” shuttle missions.

As the Heavy Lift Launch Team (HLV) transition from the Shuttle Derived vehicle to a Technology Development Activity (TDA) effort, led by engineers associated with the Space Shuttle Program (SSP), a passionate call to extend the shuttle manifest was made by an Orbiter Project manager a Senate hearing into NASA’s FY2011 budget proposal.

Endeavour enjoyed an extremely clean flight, following a post-landing TPS (Thermal Protection System) report, which noted only a few dings and a breached thermal barrier on her Nose Landing Gear Doors (NLGD). The protruding ceramic insert on Window 2 also remained in place, which had become the main focus of the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) [...]

Endeavour has safely returned to her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-2), following the highly successful STS-130 mission – which concluded on Sunday night with a safe landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Only hours after all three orbiters were reunited in the OPFs, Discovery bid her farewells and rolled over to the Vehicle Assembly Building [...]

With the weather at both the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Edwards Air Force Base (Dryden Flight Research Facility) originally looking less than hopeful for all Sunday landing opportunities, improving conditions in Florida allowed Endeavour and her STS-130 crew can return home. Meanwhile, a third MMOD strike has been cleared, while engineers evaluated a liberation [...]