In what is a sobering reality of the Space Shuttle Program’s end, the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) is now being filled with the sound of clapperboards, as opposed to the noise of space hardware being constructed. Numerous major movie studios are taking advantage of what are now large empty expanses inside the New Orleans facility.
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While the political side of the Space Launch System (SLS) continues to be bogged down by delays and arguments, the engineering side of the vehicle is picking up, most notably on the core stage. With Boeing’s “Pathfinder” tank completed ahead of schedule, External Tank tooling is being unwrapped for checks, ironically as ET operations officially [...]
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Providing stunning images of the grand finale of the Shuttle Program, the External Tank (ET) camera on ET-138 concluded a 22-flight legacy - beaming back images of the tank’s performance through ascent. However, a camera modification was ultimately unsuccessful in transmitting much more than static footage of the tank as it tumbled into Earth’s atmosphere for its [...]
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Following its replacement on Atlantis’ SSME-3 (Space Shuttle Main Engine), the new Main Fuel Valve (MFV) underwent testing at Pad 39A - with a slight delay to its completion due to a hydraulic leak - aimed at providing confidence the hardware will perform as required during the launch countdown. Meanwhile, inspections on ET-138′s stringers have been completed [...]
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With her team ably dealing with the usual pad flow hiccups, Atlantis is heading towards her July 8 launch date with no major issues, with the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) completed on Thursday. While inspections continue on the numerous stringers on Atlantis’ External Tank (ET-138), work on the camera modification – designed to film [...]
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Atlantis’ External Tank (ET-138) was put through a Tanking Test on Wednesday, slightly delayed due to a lightning storm which passed over the the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The test – which is checking the health of the tank’s LO2 stringers – is showing positive signs, although a Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME-3) Main Fuel [...]
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Interrupting a nominal pad flow, engineers are set to begin S0037 operations – otherwise known as a tanking test – on Monday, ahead of tanking of External Tank ET-138 on Wednesday. The test will check the health of the tank’s intertank stringers, following the issue of cracks being found in the related ET-137, after STS-133′s [...]
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Schedules are showing the External Tank camera – which will ride with Atlantis’ ET-138 – is to be modified – allowing it to beam back video of the tank’s disintegration after parting ways with the orbiter at MECO (Main Engine Cut Off). Meanwhile, STS-135′s pad flow now includes the replacement of the left outboard Window [...]
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A decision on the configuration of the Space Launch System (SLS) Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV) is just weeks away, as final evaluations take place into a “staged evolution of a single heavy launcher”, after NASA’s leadership rejected the two-phase approach, which would have resulted in an open competition for the Beyond Earth Orbit (BEO) [...]
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Shuttle Endeavour – the youngest orbiter in the fleet – was preparing for her final hours prior to launch, after the Mission Management Team (MMT) met to approve the tanking of ET-122. However, several issues popped up in the count, most notably with an OMS tank issue, which was then resolved, prior to a heater issue on Auxiliary Power [...]
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Managers at the Agency Flight Readiness Review (FRR) have – as expected – approved April 29 as the launch date for STS-134. The meeting also discussed the health of Endeavour’s External Tank (ET-122), following a bout of severe storm weather at Pad 39A at the end of March – resulting in high wind loads on [...]
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Atlantis is continuing to enjoy a smooth processing flow inside her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-2) for the late June STS-135 mission, while her External Tank (ET-138) undergoes radius block modifications to avoid the potential of cracks forming in the intertank stringers. Former SSP manager Wayne Hale also noted the observation of such cracks is a [...]
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Discovery has completed her final ascent into space, following a 16:53 Eastern launch from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Controllers managed to launch the veteran orbiter with just seconds to spare, as the count was held at T-5 minutes to fix a range issue. A foam liberation impact on the orbiter late in ascent is highly [...]
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Space Shuttle Program (SSP) managers have completed their Delta Flight Readiness Review (FRR) with a decision to press on to the primary Agency FRR next Friday. The expected decision came after managers reviewed the current flight rationale for External Tank (ET-137) following its modifications, although Discovery’s pad rats are having to work through numerous issues [...]
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With just over two weeks to launch, engineers will disassemble the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) at the pad, after it was noted the troublesome hardware failed a leak check. Several contingency days exist in the STS-133 pad flow, as engineers press on with S0024 hyper loading tasks on the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs).
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Discovery remains on track for an opening launch attempt on February 24, as the stack is put through S0009 Launch Pad Validation task out at Complex 39A. No issues have been reported, as preparations pick up for the Delta Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs) – which continue to show a clear path towards the required flight [...]
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Discovery has completed her journey back out to Pad 39A with her modified External Tank (ET-137), with first motion at 8pm local on Monday evening, following an issue-free installation of radius blocks on most of its intertank stringers. With a high-level of confidence in the mitigation of further cracks on the stringers during loading and [...]
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Endeavour is set to depart from her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-2) on February 28, as milestones begin to align for her April 19 (No Earlier Than) launch to the International Space Station (ISS). With her External Tank (ET-122) and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) mated, borescope inspections of ET-122′s stringers have been completed.
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Discovery’s final mission to the International Space Station (ISS) remains on track for February 24, despite a late change to the crew. With Mission Specialist – and lead spacewalker – Tim Kopra injured in a biking accident, managers have decided to assign Steve Bowen as part of the crew as his replacement, with Kopra’s MS2 [...]
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Shuttle Discovery is aiming to roll back out to Pad 39A on February 1, following what will be the completion of numerous “radius block” modifications to the circumferance of her External Tank (ET-137). NASA managers are also evaluating impacts to crew training – and potentially the launch date – following the injury sustained by STS-133′s [...]
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