NASA's Plans for Shuttles Call for Fall '04 Launching

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/04/na...al/04SHUT.html

NASA's Plans for Shuttles Call for Fall '04 Launching
Published: October 4, 2003

ASHINGTON, Oct. 3 — Setting a new timetable for resuming human
spaceflight, NASA officials announced on Friday that they would try to
launch the next shuttle mission to the International Space Station next
September or October.

As recently as last month, the agency hoped to fly again by next spring.
But on Friday, William Readdy, associate administrator for spaceflight
for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said the new
target date was more realistic, given the amount of testing and
modifications that still needed to be done.

Moreover, the officials said, both the first flight and a second mission
to the space station in late fall or in winter 2004 will be considered
test flights. Their main purpose will be to confirm that all the
modifications work properly before getting back to the shuttles' primary
mission, completing construction of the station.

Although station construction will not be a focus of the first missions,
both will carry large cargo modules in the shuttle payload bays to help
replenish supplies aboard the orbiting outpost and deliver other needed
equipment.

"This is going to be a long, uphill climb back to `return to flight,' "
Mr. Readdy said in a telephone news conference from the Johnson Space
Center in Houston, where senior spaceflight managers had been meeting.
"But I'll also guarantee you that we're getting an awful lot smarter
about this and we're going to come back stronger and safer as a result."

"We're going to be very much driven by milestones and by the content
that we have to accomplish here," he said.

The shuttle fleet — now down to just three orbiters, the Atlantis, the
Discovery and the Endeavour — has been grounded since the Feb. 1
re-entry accident that destroyed the Columbia and killed its crew of
seven. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board, an independent panel
that issued a report on the disaster in August, said NASA had to comply
with 15 recommendations to modify shuttles and mission procedures before
flying again.

Mr. Readdy said the goal now was to launch the Atlantis on a test flight
to the space station during a window that lasts from Sept. 12 to Oct.
10, 2004. If the first flight is successful, the second mission to
certify that the shuttle system is back in business could come in
November, William Parsons, the shuttle program manager, said.

But as fall turns into winter, opportunities to fly also narrow because
of new constraints, like the requirement that the launching take place
in daylight so liftoffs can be photographed in detail. The September
launching window is the last substantial one until after March 2005,
agency officials said recently. Flight opportunities in November 2004
and January of 2005 last only a few days, they said.

"We have some small opportunities in November and maybe January," Mr.
Parsons said optimistically.

Mr. Readdy said the shuttle test flights would demonstrate methods to
repair damaged heat-protection tiles and the crafts' leading wing edges,
as well as testing an extension boom for the shuttles' robot arm that
can be used to inspect the ship in space with cameras and laser sensors.

Other tasks to be completed before flights resume include redesigning
the external fuel tank to prevent insulating foam from breaking off.
Columbia was damaged when a piece of foam debris from the tank bashed a
hole in the leading edge of its left wing shortly after liftoff,
allowing the superhot gases of re-entry to penetrate the wing at the end
of the mission.

Mr. Parsons said that the Atlantis was still scheduled to fly the first
return-to-flight mission, but that a final decision would be made after
resolving an issue with its nose cap. Engineers recently discovered
discrepencies in records concerning the shuttle's last major overhaul in
1997-98 that raised questions about how thoroughly the cap had been
inspected.

Corrosion was found on the metal framework under the nose cap of another
shuttle, a problem that has been inspected or repaired on the orbiters
Discovery and Endeavour, officials said. But Mr. Parsons said the issue
of the Atlantis's nose had not been resolved yet and he did not know if
an extensive inspection that would pull the shuttle from the flight line
would be required.

This raises the possibility that another shuttle might make the first
flight, Mr. Parsons said. "The mission is not orbiter-dependent right
now," he said.

As recently as last month, the agency hoped to fly again by next spring.
But on Friday, William Readdy, associate administrator for spaceflight
for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said the new
target date was more realistic, given the amount of testing and
modifications that still needed to be done.

Procrastination time is here again! Delay, Delay, Delay, and Delay.

Moreover, the officials said, both the first flight and a second mission
to the space station in late fall or in winter 2004 will be considered
test flights. Their main purpose will be to confirm that all the
modifications work properly before getting back to the shuttles' primary
mission, completing construction of the station.


Yeah what's the hurry! With 3 flights a year, NASA is going to waist 2 of them
on test flights. This is a terrible Joke! By the time NASA finishes its space
station with the stupid shuttle. China will have launched two. NASA seems to
think that finishing an antique space station in 3 or 4 decades is the same as
finishing the station in 1. Some projects after so many delays just aren't
worth continuing. Seems worthwhile to look at developing alternative vehicles
rather than fixing the shuttle and putting a "Chuck Yeager" in the cockpit to
test it, so he'll have the "Right Stuff"

Tom

Procrastination time is here again! Delay, Delay, Delay, and Delay.


Better to delayt now then bury astronauts and retire the remaining shuttles by
pushing the date.

We cant afford another lost vehicle and crew. That will be the end of the
program.

Better look for the next launch in Spring of 2005....


Daniel

On or about 6 Oct 2003 14:20:44 -0700, Daniel made the sensational claim that:
Better look for the next launch in Spring of 2005....


Daniel

*plonk* Go away.
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Better look for the next launch in Spring of 2005....


Daniel


My feeling too, there are always problems found that must be fixed. Like the
latest nose cone inspection.

Besides theres a long time of no launch possible if they miss the fall 2004
target date due to new flight constraints. like a just 3 day window in january.

Find just a few problems with any orbiter during inspection and theres going to
be anoth schedule slip.

Hallerb wrote:
Besides theres a long time of no launch possible if they miss the fall 2004
target date due to new flight constraints. like a just 3 day window in january.

When you consider the scrubs due to weather, I really wonder how many launches
they will be able to make during one year. Miss your window and you have to
wait months before you're allowed to launch again.

Will they want to leave an orbiter on the pad for months ? Or will they bring
the orbiter back in the VAB ? For a few months, would they de-stack and leave
it all ready on the MLP ? What impact would this have on the
processing/preparation of the other orbiters ?

Is the VAB big enough to assemble shuttle #2 while shuttle #1 is parked on an
MLP, all stacked and ready to go ?


The daytime launch criteria may be the shuttle's downfall and may render the
shuttle useless if it means it can only fly a couple times a year.

Once they have tested the on-orbit inspections and tile repair, is there any
chance that they would then allow shuttles to launch in dark since launch film
won't be so important anymore ?

"Catherine Janeway" wrote in message
...
Hallerb wrote:
Besides theres a long time of no launch possible if they miss the fall
2004
target date due to new flight constraints. like a just 3 day window in
january.

When you consider the scrubs due to weather, I really wonder how many
launches
they will be able to make during one year. Miss your window and you have
to
wait months before you're allowed to launch again.

Will they want to leave an orbiter on the pad for months ? Or will they
bring
the orbiter back in the VAB ? For a few months, would they de-stack and
leave
it all ready on the MLP ? What impact would this have on the
processing/preparation of the other orbiters ?

Is the VAB big enough to assemble shuttle #2 while shuttle #1 is parked on
an
MLP, all stacked and ready to go ?

Yes. The VAB is now capable of having 3 fully assembled shuttle stacks.
And we just happen to have three MLPs, so it works out.




The daytime launch criteria may be the shuttle's downfall and may render
the
shuttle useless if it means it can only fly a couple times a year.

Once they have tested the on-orbit inspections and tile repair, is there
any
chance that they would then allow shuttles to launch in dark since launch
film
won't be so important anymore ?

Scott M. Kozel wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/04/na...al/04SHUT.html

NASA's Plans for Shuttles Call for Fall '04 Launching
Published: October 4, 2003

ASHINGTON, Oct. 3 — Setting a new timetable for resuming human
spaceflight, NASA officials announced on Friday that they would try to
launch the next shuttle mission to the International Space Station next
September or October.

As recently as last month, the agency hoped to fly again by next spring.
But on Friday, William Readdy, associate administrator for spaceflight
for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said the new
target date was more realistic, given the amount of testing and
modifications that still needed to be done.

Moreover, the officials said, both the first flight and a second mission
to the space station in late fall or in winter 2004 will be considered
test flights. Their main purpose will be to confirm that all the
modifications work properly before getting back to the shuttles' primary
mission, completing construction of the station.

Although station construction will not be a focus of the first missions,
both will carry large cargo modules in the shuttle payload bays to help
replenish supplies aboard the orbiting outpost and deliver other needed
equipment.

"This is going to be a long, uphill climb back to `return to flight,' "
Mr. Readdy said in a telephone news conference from the Johnson Space
Center in Houston, where senior spaceflight managers had been meeting.
"But I'll also guarantee you that we're getting an awful lot smarter
about this and we're going to come back stronger and safer as a result."

"We're going to be very much driven by milestones and by the content
that we have to accomplish here," he said.

The shuttle fleet — now down to just three orbiters, the Atlantis, the
Discovery and the Endeavour — has been grounded since the Feb. 1
re-entry accident that destroyed the Columbia and killed its crew of
seven. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board, an independent panel
that issued a report on the disaster in August, said NASA had to comply
with 15 recommendations to modify shuttles and mission procedures before
flying again.

Mr. Readdy said the goal now was to launch the Atlantis on a test flight
to the space station during a window that lasts from Sept. 12 to Oct.
10, 2004. If the first flight is successful, the second mission to
certify that the shuttle system is back in business could come in
November, William Parsons, the shuttle program manager, said.

But as fall turns into winter, opportunities to fly also narrow because
of new constraints, like the requirement that the launching take place
in daylight so liftoffs can be photographed in detail. The September
launching window is the last substantial one until after March 2005,
agency officials said recently. Flight opportunities in November 2004
and January of 2005 last only a few days, they said.

"We have some small opportunities in November and maybe January," Mr.
Parsons said optimistically.

Mr. Readdy said the shuttle test flights would demonstrate methods to
repair damaged heat-protection tiles and the crafts' leading wing edges,
as well as testing an extension boom for the shuttles' robot arm that
can be used to inspect the ship in space with cameras and laser sensors.

Other tasks to be completed before flights resume include redesigning
the external fuel tank to prevent insulating foam from breaking off.
Columbia was damaged when a piece of foam debris from the tank bashed a
hole in the leading edge of its left wing shortly after liftoff,
allowing the superhot gases of re-entry to penetrate the wing at the end
of the mission.

Mr. Parsons said that the Atlantis was still scheduled to fly the first
return-to-flight mission, but that a final decision would be made after
resolving an issue with its nose cap. Engineers recently discovered
discrepencies in records concerning the shuttle's last major overhaul in
1997-98 that raised questions about how thoroughly the cap had been
inspected.

Corrosion was found on the metal framework under the nose cap of another
shuttle, a problem that has been inspected or repaired on the orbiters
Discovery and Endeavour, officials said. But Mr. Parsons said the issue
of the Atlantis's nose had not been resolved yet and he did not know if
an extensive inspection that would pull the shuttle from the flight line
would be required.

This raises the possibility that another shuttle might make the first
flight, Mr. Parsons said. "The mission is not orbiter-dependent right
now," he said.

I wonder if some of the reason is to avoid the "appearance of eagerness"
with a March '04 launch. I recall there being some grumblings in
Congress when NASA proposed their spring launch date and a delay, even
if NASA were 100% ready, might quell speculative musings.

How much of the delay is due to Atlantis? None, if the mission is not
orbiter dependent. Therefore, if the nose corrosion issues have been
addressed with Discovery and Endeavour, what is the real reason for the
delay?

On 06 Oct 2003 02:03:41 GMT, (TKalbfus) wrote:

As recently as last month, the agency hoped to fly again by next spring.
But on Friday, William Readdy, associate administrator for spaceflight
for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said the new
target date was more realistic, given the amount of testing and
modifications that still needed to be done.

Procrastination time is here again! Delay, Delay, Delay, and Delay.

I have to admit, I don't understand why inspecting Atlantis' nose cap
is going to take 11 months.

Yeah what's the hurry! With 3 flights a year, NASA is going to waist 2 of them
on test flights. This is a terrible Joke! By the time NASA finishes its space
station with the stupid shuttle.

The first flight will deliver over 10,000 lbs of desperately needed
cargo to the Space Station, plus a replacement CMG. That's hardly a
waste. The second flight will most likely be similar, adding the crew
exchange as well.

China will have launched two. NASA seems to
think that finishing an antique space station in 3 or 4 decades is the same as
finishing the station in 1. Some projects after so many delays just aren't
worth continuing. Seems worthwhile to look at developing alternative vehicles
rather than fixing the shuttle

They're doing both.

Brian