NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report

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03.10.06

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
Phone: (202) 358-3749

Jessica Rye
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Phone: (321) 867-2468

STATUS REPORT: S-031006

NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT

Note: NASA's Kennedy Space Center issues Space Shuttle Processing 
Status Reports each week, and is the source for information regarding 
processing activities associated with the vehicles and payloads. This 
report does not necessarily reflect the chronological order of future 
Space Shuttle missions. If you are a member of the media and would 
like further information, visit 
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/index.html. 

Discovery (OV-103)

Mission: STS-121 - 18th International Space Station Flight (ULF1.1) 
Payload: Multi-Purpose Logistics Module 
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 
Launch Date: No earlier than May 10, 2006 
Launch Pad: 39B 
Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak, Wilson and Reiter 
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles 

Final closeouts continue on orbiter Discovery in preparation for its 
rollover from Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 to the Vehicle 
Assembly Building. Leak checks of the liquid oxygen system on space 
shuttle main engines No. 2 and 3 were successfully completed.

On March 4, space shuttle technicians inside a work platform device, 
called a bridge bucket, accidentally bumped into Discovery's remote 
manipulator system, or shuttle arm. The bridge bucket was being used 
in the payload bay to clean up pieces of glass, following the 
accidental breaking of a heat lamp. That accident caused pieces of 
glass to fall into the payload bay. The initial inspections showed 
two indentations in the arm's outer bumper, a honeycombed structure 
made of epoxy and designed to protect the arm. One of the 
indentations is 0.115 inches deep and 1 inch long. The second 
indentation is 0.035 inches deep and half-an-inch long. Inspections 
of the forward indentation were completed Thursday night, and no 
issues were found. The second indentation will be inspected today. 

Atlantis (OV-104)

Mission: STS-115 - 19th International Space Station Flight (12A) 
Payload: P3/P4 Solar Arrays 
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 
Launch Date: No earlier than Aug. 28, 2006 
Launch Pad: 39B 
Crew: Jett, Ferguson, Tanner, Burbank, MacLean and Stefanyshyn-Piper 
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles 

Technicians continue processing Atlantis for its mission to the 
International Space Station. The vehicle remains in a scheduled 
powered-down period, with the next power-up to occur as early as 
today. Power up will follow the servicing of the water coolant loop. 
On Thursday, liquid oxygen leak checks began on the space shuttle 
main engines. 

Endeavour (OV-105)

In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, work continues on Endeavour 
following an extensive modification period. The vehicle was powered 
up on Wednesday following a planned powered-down period. Power-up 
system testing is resuming.

On Tuesday, an X-ray technician preparing to perform X-rays on the 
rudder speed brake dropped a film processor on the left-hand side of 
the body flap, causing minimal tile damage. One tile was removed and 
will be replaced. Ultrasound inspections were performed and there is 
no structural damage to the body flap. 

External Tank

Final closeouts continue in the checkout cell of the Vehicle Assembly 
Building on the external tank that will fly with Discovery, 
designated ET-119.

An "all systems" electrical checkout was conducted on the external 
tank approximately one week prior to shipment from NASA's Michoud 
Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the Kennedy Space Center. 
Technicians noted a minimal difference from the expected reading on 
liquid hydrogen engine cutoff sensor No. 3. The cutoff sensors 
indicate whether the external tank still has fuel during liftoff. 

While the reading was within acceptable limits, additional data 
evaluation is needed before the Space Shuttle Program makes any 
decisions regarding flight rationale. The sensor switch could be 
performed at Kennedy in the checkout cell, which offers better 
access.

A series of external tank wind tunnel tests began this week and will 
continue for several weeks. Analysis of the testing will be ongoing. 

For previous space shuttle processing status reports on the Web, 
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/home

	
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