Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report

[KSC News Center <ksc@mediaservices.nasa.gov>]

Jan. 22, 2010

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george.h.diller@nasa.gov

STATUS REPORT: ELV-012210

EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT

Spacecraft: Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V-401
Launch Pad: Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Date:  Feb. 9, 2010
Launch Window: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. EST 

At Launch Complex 41, integrated testing of the Atlas and Centaur 
stages of the Atlas V is continuing. On the morning of Jan. 20, the 
launch vehicle was transported from the Vertical Integration Facility 
to the launch pad in preparation for the wet countdown dress 
rehearsal. The test began during the afternoon and came to a 
successful conclusion at 6:50 p.m. This was a full launch vehicle 
countdown test exercise with the entire launch team participating. 
The rocket was fully fueled with liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, and 
RP-1. The payload does not participate in this test.

At the Astrotech payload processing facility, spacecraft fueling 
operations are finished. Oxidizer was loaded into the spacecraft on 
Jan. 5, and fuel was loaded aboard Jan. 8. The Atlas V fairing was 
installed around the SDO spacecraft on Jan. 21. It is currently 
scheduled to be transported to Launch Complex 41 for hoisting atop 
the Atlas V on Jan. 26. 


Spacecraft: Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-P)
Launch Vehicle: Delta IV
Launch Pad:  Complex 37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Date:  March 1, 2010
Launch Window: 6:19 - 7:19 p.m. EST 

GOES-P processing is going well. Spacecraft electrical performance 
testing is complete. Cleaning and inspection of the instruments are 
finished. GOES-P was moved to the fueling stand on Jan. 18.

The satellite currently is planned to be fueled next week with the 
propellant necessary for orbit maneuvers and the attitude control 
system. Once this is completed, the spacecraft will be encapsulated 
in the Delta IV payload fairing in preparation for transport to the 
launch pad.

On Jan. 12, the Delta IV rocket was transported to the launch pad. It 
was installed into the launcher on Jan. 13. The first of two solid 
rocket boosters was attached on Jan. 14, and the second booster the 
following day on Jan. 15. The wet countdown dress rehearsal with the 
rocket fully fueled is currently scheduled to be conducted on Feb. 8.

GOES-P, to be launched for NASA and NOAA, is a United Launch Alliance 
commercial launch for Boeing Launch Services under a Federal Aviation 
Administration license. 


Previous status reports are available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/index.html 
 

	
-end-



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