NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report, 27-05-2005

May 27, 2005

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-4769)

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

STATUS REPORT: S05-020

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: Vehicle Assembly Building
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

Space Shuttle Discovery is back in the Vehicle Assembly Building
(VAB). It was rolled back from Launch Pad 39B yesterday. First motion
occurred at 6:44 a.m. Discovery, carried by a Crawler Transporter,
entered the VAB at 4:30 p.m. following a 10-hour trip. The rollback
was briefly interrupted due to a bearing issue on the Crawler
Transporter when it was a third of a mile from the VAB. The 4.2-mile
journey was the 15th rollback in Space Shuttle Program history.

Rollback had been postponed two days to allow technicians to perform
borescope inspections of the retract link assembly in Discovery's
landing gear door. The inspection took place on the left-hand
assembly and did not identify any cracks. The closeout photos of the
right-hand assembly were reviewed and showed no cracks. Following the
inspections, Discovery underwent tests of its Auxiliary Power Units
on Wednesday.

Preparations are under way to demate, or remove, Discovery from its
External Tank (ET-120) and Solid Rocket Boosters on May 31. Once
Discovery has been lowered onto the Orbiter Transporter System in the
VAB transfer aisle, it will be moved in front of high bay 3 in
preparation for being lifted and attached to ET-121 on June 7.

ET-121 was originally scheduled to fly with Atlantis on the second
Return to Flight mission, STS-121. In the VAB, a new heater was added
to ET-121 on the feedline bellows, part of the pipeline that carries
the liquid oxygen to the orbiter's main engines. The heater is
designed to minimize the potential for ice and frost buildup. Final
work is ongoing, including pull tests to ensure the heater is bonded
properly and Thermal Protection System foam spray closeouts. The
heater work is set to be completed in time for the orbiter to be
attached on June 7. Discovery will roll back out to Launch Pad 39B in
mid-June.

The Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello was transferred back to
the Space Station Processing Facility to allow the mission processing
team access to address concerns with fasteners inside the module that
do not have an adequate running torque to act as a secondary locking
feature. The assessment and additional work is being conducted to
ensure that the fasteners do not disengage during ascent. Raffaello's
hatch is scheduled to be opened on May 31. The additional tasks will
not impact the STS-114 launch planning window.

Mission: STS-121 - 18th ISS Flight (ULF1) - Multi-Purpose Logistics
Module
Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104)
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1
Launch Date: Lighted 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. Forward-, midbody- and aft-area
closeouts continue.

Following the discovery of a small crack in a retract link assembly on
the right-hand main landing gear, the assembly was removed from the
vehicle and sent for analysis. A spare assembly was installed in the
vehicle Thursday. To lower the main landing gear, a mechanical
linkage released by each gear actuates the doors to the open
position. The landing gear reach the full-down and extended position
within 10 seconds and are locked in the down position by
spring-loaded down-lock bungees.

Space Shuttle Main Engine leak checks and hydraulics leak checks are
complete. Final flight controls cycling is finished. Orbiter KU-Band
antenna testing and flight controls aerosurface checkout also are
complete.

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

http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info