For NASA, 2009 proved to be a stellar year, one filled with five extremely successful Space Shuttle missions (one of which repaired the Hubble Space Telescope), the test flight of the Ares I-X rocket, the launch of the Kepler Space Telescope, the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and companion spacecraft the Lunar CRater [...]
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The DAT (Damage Assessment Team) have completed the review of Atlantis’ Flight Day 9 Thermal Protection System (TPS), with no concerns noted, as the STS-125 crew close in on three landing opportunities at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday – weather permitting. Meanwhile, Pad 39A repairs are continuing, ahead of expected rollover of Endeavour for [...]
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While STS-125 continues to enjoy a successful Hubble servicing mission – marked by a hugely successful third spacewalk - Endeavour has progressed to a standby point for her STS-400 LON (Launch On Need) role, which is expected to be stood down after the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) evaluation of Late Inspection data near the end of Atlantis’ mission.
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With Space Shuttle Atlantis officially set for an opening launch attempt on May 11, confirmed after today’s Agency Flight Readiness Review (FRR), NASA managers are continuing their review of a host of ’special topics’ for the mission’s rescue flight, STS-400, which is enjoying a smooth processing flow on Launch Pad 39B.
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Shuttle Endeavour has completed her rollout to 39B, where she will be put through a part flow as the STS-400 LON (Launch On Need) support for Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. During this flow, engineers will test the alignment procedures with the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) – following the leak during STS-119’s opening launch attempt.
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As part of the dual flow for STS-125, Endeavour has rolled over from her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-2) to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), where she will be mated with External Tank ET-131 over the Easter weekend. Endeavour is tasked with supporting Atlantis as the LON (Launch On Need) shuttle, ahead of her primary STS-127 [...]
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Atlantis has rolled back out to Pad 39A for her re-aligned STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. First motion for the stack was registered at 3:54am local time, for a 11am arrival at the pad, after which the vehicle will undergo a hotfire of all three of her Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) tonight. Meanwhile [...]
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The Constellation Program (CxP) test flight, Ares I-X, has slipped three weeks to a NET (No Earlier Than) July 31 – with the potential for more delays – on the latest planning documents, as the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) prepare to announce the dual use of Pads 39A and 39B for their STS-125 and STS-400 [...]
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External Tank (ET-131) is being safely housed in the Vehicle Assembly Building (High Bay 2E), following its arrival from New Orleans this weekend. Manufactured by the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), the team earned praise from managers and astronauts alike, following their successful fight back from schedule issues, and the phenomenal performance of ET-129.
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While the majority of engineering concentration on the Flow Control Valve (FCV) flight rationale for Discovery and her STS-119 flight, Atlantis – and Endeavour as her rescue support – currently remain on track for their May date surrounding STS-125.
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With Space Shuttle Endeavour now well into her OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility) flow for her triple duty requirements as LON (Launch On Need) vehicle for STS-119 and STS-125 and her primary mission on STS-127, the Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) has completed the Delta Launch Site Requirements Review (DLSRR) for STS-127, a critical step toward [...]
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Managers are closing in on facilitating a July launch date for Ares I-X, via a Single Pad option for STS-125’s mission to service Hubble and the supporting STS-400 LON (Launch On Need) shuttle. The plan would free up Pad 39B for transition to Constellation, but likely delay STS-125 by a few weeks as a result.
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Shuttle Discovery as the STS-119 stack will undergo the Shuttle Interface Test (S0008) on Sunday, although engineers had to work through issues with the mating of the orbiter/ET umbilicals – which have since been resolved.
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Atlantis’ trip to service the Hubble Space Telescope remains on track for May, although another key milestone meeting is due in early January to discuss the status of the replacement Hubble hardware – which is still undergoing testing. An alternative launch date in November remains an option.
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While the status of STS-125’s Hubble Servicing Mission remains fluid, managers at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) are creating plans to move Endeavour and her stack to Pad 39A in around two weeks time.
This plan would result in Endeavour launching as STS-126 for the final mission of the year, around November 14.
Hubble Fallout – STS-126 Gaining [...]
A problem during the preparation of Atlantis’ Hubble Servicing payload has delayed its arrival at Pad 39A until Saturday. As a result, STS-125’s launch date is in real danger of slipping – with a re-evaluation of the flow timelines on Monday.
Meanwhile, Endeavour has begun to rollout to Pad 39B shortly, following a 24 [...]
As preparations continue on Atlantis and Endeavour for their respective roles on STS-125 and STS-400, Boeing – at the direction of NASA – has identified three unique safety issues for the flagship mission and two unique safety issues for STS-400.
These issues will make up the bulk of the upcoming Flight Readiness Reviews (FRR) – starting [...]
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