Space Shuttle Processing Status Report, 20-05-2005

Melissa Mathews
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-1272)

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

STATUS REPORT: S05-019

NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT

NASA's Space Shuttle fleet is housed and processed at Kennedy Space
Center (KSC), Fla.

Mission: STS-114 - 17th ISS Flight (LF1) - Multi-Purpose Logistics
Module
Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103)
Location: Launch Pad 39B
Launch Date: Launch Planning Window July 13 - 31, 2005
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Collins, Kelly, Noguchi, Robinson, Thomas, Lawrence and Camarda
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

At Launch Pad 39B, an External Tank (ET) tanking test is being
performed today for the Return to Flight (STS-114) mission to the
International Space Station. The test involves the ground operations
team at Kennedy Space Center filling the ET with liquid oxygen and
liquid hydrogen propellants. The team evaluates how the tank,
Orbiter, Solid Rocket Boosters and ground systems perform under
"cryo-load," when the tank is filled with the two
ultra-low-temperature propellants. The tank filling and draining
portion of the test is about 11 hours and includes a simulated
countdown through the T minus 31 second hold.

Prior to the test, engineers and technicians added new instrumentation
to the tank to help troubleshoot two issues that arose during a
tanking test on April 14. The instrumentation will provide data to
analyze the liquid hydrogen sensors that gave intermittent readings
and the liquid hydrogen pressurization relief valve that cycled more
times than standard during last month's test.

On Monday, Discovery will undergo hot-fire tests of its Auxiliary
Power Units.

Technicians are preparing to roll Space Shuttle Discovery to the
Vehicle Assembly Building on May 24. Once there, orbiter Discovery
will be detached from its ET and lowered into the transfer aisle. On
or about June 7, Discovery will be lifted and attached to its new ET
and Solid Rocket Boosters, and finally, rolled back out to the pad in
mid-June.

In the Vehicle Assembly Building, ET-121 was moved on Thursday from
the checkout cell and attached to its Solid Rocket Boosters in high
bay 3. The move was postponed one day to troubleshoot an issue with
the crane. While the sling was being attached on Wednesday, the crane
moved and caused a minor foam scrape (3/4-inch) on the intertank
area. The small area will be repaired in the integration cell. A new
heater will be added to the feedline bellows to minimize the
potential for ice and frost buildup.

Mission: STS-121 - 18th ISS Flight (ULF1) - Multi-Purpose Logistics
Module
Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104)
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1
Launch Date: Launch Planning Window September 9 - 24, 2005
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak and Wilson
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Technicians continue power-up testing on Atlantis in Orbiter
Processing Facility bay 1 for its mission, designated STS-121, to the
International Space Station. The vehicle is currently powered down in
support of orbiter electrical wiring and connector work. Forward-,
midbody- and aft-area closeouts continue.

Earlier this week, a small crack was found in a retract link assembly
on the right-hand main landing gear. There is a spare, and the
assembly will be removed and replaced. The left-hand main landing
gear Thermal Protection System (TPS) step and gap measurements are
complete. The new TPS seal is installed for flight, and the
compression checks were successfully completed.

In the Space Station Processing Facility, the Minus-Eighty-Degree
Laboratory Freezer for the International Space Station science rack
is being installed into the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo.
Leonardo will fly on Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-121. The
science rack, known as MELFI, will provide cooling and storage for
scientific experiment samples and perishable materials in four
insulated containers known as "dewars" with independently selectable
temperatures of -80 degrees Celsius, -26 degrees Celsius, and +4
degrees Celsius. MELFI will also be used to transport samples to and
from the International Space Station. MELFI is provided as laboratory
support equipment by the European Space Agency.

Endeavour (OV-105)

Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification period, which began in
December 2003.

Previous Space Shuttle processing status reports are available on the
Internet. Visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info