Allard Beutel

Headquarters, Washington February 19, 2004

(Phone: 202/358-4769)



James Hartsfield

Johnson Space Center, Houston

(Phone: 281/483-5111)



RELEASE: 04-065



NASA UPDATES SPACE SHUTTLE RETURN TO FLIGHT PLANS



Members of NASA's Space Flight Leadership Council, which

is charged with the oversight of the agency's Return to Flight

efforts, today moved the target window for the next flight of

the Space Shuttle to March 2005.



The decision was made at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston

after an extensive review of activities surrounding plans to

return the orbiter fleet to safe flight.



The council also decided that the Space Shuttle Discovery will

carry Commander Eileen Collins and a six-person crew into orbit

for the Return to Flight mission, which is designated as STS-

114.



Media will be able to ask questions about the latest Space

Shuttle decisions during a telephone conference Friday, Feb.

20, at 10 a.m. EST. William Readdy, Associate Administrator for

Space Flight and Michael Kostelnik, Deputy Associate

Administrator for International Space Station and Space Shuttle

Programs, will be available to brief reporters.



The teleconference phone number is 888/810-6755. The passcode

for access to the conference is the word "Shuttle." Reporters

should dial into the teleconference no later than 9:45 a.m.

Media representatives who do not want to ask questions but

would like to listen to the conference can use the following

"monitor only" phone lines: 321/867-1220, 321/867-1240 or

321/867-1260.



Several issues factored into the decision to adjust the

planning window for the mission.



More time is needed to:

? assess the condition of the Rudder Speed Brake Actuators

on the Shuttle orbiters;

? research, analyze and test a larger area of the Space

Shuttle's external fuel tank for potential foam

insulation loss;

? and design and build a new camera/laser boom that would

be used by the Space Shuttle's robotic arm to help

inspect for possible damage while in orbit.



The new STS-114 launch-planning window, which extends from

March 6 to April 18, is designed to focus the efforts of Space

Shuttle employees working toward Return to Flight.



"We've said for months that we'd be driven by milestones, not a

calendar. When we successfully reach those milestones, that's

when the Space Shuttle will return to safe flight," Readdy

said. "The reports we got from the Space Shuttle Program today

indicate to us we need to change the launch planning window for

STS-114. This decision reflects our commitment to taking the

time we need to make the Space Shuttle safer."



NASA is working with its international partners to assess the

possible impact of the launch window change on the

International Space Station. The Station program plans to

continue safe two-person crewed operations while preparing for

and supporting Space Shuttle Return to Flight. NASA also will

discuss plans for an April 2005 Soyuz launch with its Russian

Space Station partners, Rosaviakosmos.



The Space Flight Leadership Council is co-chaired by Readdy and

Dr. Michael Greenfield, Associate Deputy Administrator for

Technical Programs. It also includes the directors for NASA's

four space flight centers, the Associate Administrator for

Safety and Mission Assurance, Bryan O'Connor and Kostelnik.



Today's changes will be incorporated in the next update to

NASA's Implementation Plan for Space Shuttle Return to Flight

and Beyond.



For more information about NASA's Return to Flight efforts,

including the current version of the Implementation Plan visit:



http://www.nasa.gov/news/highlights/returntoflight.html



-end-

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Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info