Jacques van Oene
April 7th 05, 10:43 PM
George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(321) 867-2493
STATUS REPORT: ELV-040705
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
MISSION: Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences Corporation)
LAUNCH DATE: April 15, 2005
LAUNCH WINDOW: 10:25 a.m. PDT
In the Orbital Sciences Corporation hangar at Vandenberg Air Force
Base in California, DART has been re-mated to the Pegasus launch
vehicle and fairing reinstallation will be completed today.
Flight Simulation 4A was completed on April 1 as scheduled with a
nominal outcome. The Flight Readiness Review will occur later this
week. The Launch Readiness Review, the final review to be held, is
set to occur one day before launch.
All Pegasus launch vehicle and DART spacecraft issues have been
resolved. The Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft arrives at Vandenberg
Air Force Base today. The Pegasus will be integrated with the Orbital
Sciences L-1011 carrier aircraft late this week. A Combined Systems
Test of the Pegasus/DART/L-1011 combination will be conducted over
the weekend. A launch countdown and mission dress rehearsal is
scheduled for early next week.
At this time, there are no issues or concerns and launch is on
schedule for April 15.
DART was designed and built for NASA by Orbital Sciences Corporation
as an advanced flight demonstrator to locate and maneuver near an
orbiting satellite. The DART spacecraft weighs about 800 pounds, and
is 6 feet long and 3 feet in diameter. The Orbital Sciences Pegasus
XL vehicle will launch DART into a circular polar orbit of 475 miles.
DART project management is the responsibility of NASA's Marshall
Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and the NASA launch
management is the responsibility of the Kennedy Space Center's Launch
Services Program.
MISSION: NOAA-N (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Boeing Delta II 7320
LAUNCH PAD: SLC-2, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
LAUNCH DATE: May 11, 2005
LAUNCH WINDOW: 3:21:01 - 3:31:01 a.m. PDT
At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, replacement of a faulty
S-band transmitter on NOAA-N has been completed and the satellite was
successfully retested. The spacecraft batteries have been discharged
in preparation for its two-day installation into the transportation
canister during the third week of April, followed by the trip to
nearby Space Launch Complex 2.
At the pad, preparations for launch of the Boeing Delta II are going
well and there are no issues or concerns. The next major milestone,
which occurs next week, is the loading of the first stage with liquid
oxygen to check for leaks. The launch team will also conduct a
countdown and recycle exercise as part of crew certification required
for launch. To follow, a Simulated Flight will be conducted. This is
an electrical test that ensures all flight systems of the Delta II
are operational and that the vehicle is ready for NOAA-N to be mated
to the rocket.
The final milestone is the Flight Program Verification at the end of
April, an integrated test to verify the capability of the Delta II
and NOAA-N to operate in unison during launch. Upon successful
completion of this test, the fairing can be installed around the
spacecraft. This is scheduled to occur the first week of May.
At this time, there are no issues or concerns and launch is on
schedule for May 11.
After launch, NOAA-N will be renamed NOAA-18 and will provide
measurements of the Earth's surface and atmosphere that will be
entered into NOAA's weather forecasting models and used for other
environmental studies. Each day, the satellite will send data to
NOAA's Command and Data Acquisition station computers, adding vital
information to forecasting models, especially over the oceans, where
conventional data is lacking.
The spacecraft will be turned over from NASA to NOAA after on-orbit
checkout is complete. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland
is responsible for NOAA-N project management. The spacecraft was
built for NASA by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. The Delta II
launch service is provided by the Boeing Expendable Launch Systems
Company. Launch management is the responsibility of the NASA Kennedy
Space Center Launch Services Program office.
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(321) 867-2493
STATUS REPORT: ELV-040705
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
MISSION: Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences Corporation)
LAUNCH DATE: April 15, 2005
LAUNCH WINDOW: 10:25 a.m. PDT
In the Orbital Sciences Corporation hangar at Vandenberg Air Force
Base in California, DART has been re-mated to the Pegasus launch
vehicle and fairing reinstallation will be completed today.
Flight Simulation 4A was completed on April 1 as scheduled with a
nominal outcome. The Flight Readiness Review will occur later this
week. The Launch Readiness Review, the final review to be held, is
set to occur one day before launch.
All Pegasus launch vehicle and DART spacecraft issues have been
resolved. The Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft arrives at Vandenberg
Air Force Base today. The Pegasus will be integrated with the Orbital
Sciences L-1011 carrier aircraft late this week. A Combined Systems
Test of the Pegasus/DART/L-1011 combination will be conducted over
the weekend. A launch countdown and mission dress rehearsal is
scheduled for early next week.
At this time, there are no issues or concerns and launch is on
schedule for April 15.
DART was designed and built for NASA by Orbital Sciences Corporation
as an advanced flight demonstrator to locate and maneuver near an
orbiting satellite. The DART spacecraft weighs about 800 pounds, and
is 6 feet long and 3 feet in diameter. The Orbital Sciences Pegasus
XL vehicle will launch DART into a circular polar orbit of 475 miles.
DART project management is the responsibility of NASA's Marshall
Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and the NASA launch
management is the responsibility of the Kennedy Space Center's Launch
Services Program.
MISSION: NOAA-N (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Boeing Delta II 7320
LAUNCH PAD: SLC-2, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
LAUNCH DATE: May 11, 2005
LAUNCH WINDOW: 3:21:01 - 3:31:01 a.m. PDT
At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, replacement of a faulty
S-band transmitter on NOAA-N has been completed and the satellite was
successfully retested. The spacecraft batteries have been discharged
in preparation for its two-day installation into the transportation
canister during the third week of April, followed by the trip to
nearby Space Launch Complex 2.
At the pad, preparations for launch of the Boeing Delta II are going
well and there are no issues or concerns. The next major milestone,
which occurs next week, is the loading of the first stage with liquid
oxygen to check for leaks. The launch team will also conduct a
countdown and recycle exercise as part of crew certification required
for launch. To follow, a Simulated Flight will be conducted. This is
an electrical test that ensures all flight systems of the Delta II
are operational and that the vehicle is ready for NOAA-N to be mated
to the rocket.
The final milestone is the Flight Program Verification at the end of
April, an integrated test to verify the capability of the Delta II
and NOAA-N to operate in unison during launch. Upon successful
completion of this test, the fairing can be installed around the
spacecraft. This is scheduled to occur the first week of May.
At this time, there are no issues or concerns and launch is on
schedule for May 11.
After launch, NOAA-N will be renamed NOAA-18 and will provide
measurements of the Earth's surface and atmosphere that will be
entered into NOAA's weather forecasting models and used for other
environmental studies. Each day, the satellite will send data to
NOAA's Command and Data Acquisition station computers, adding vital
information to forecasting models, especially over the oceans, where
conventional data is lacking.
The spacecraft will be turned over from NASA to NOAA after on-orbit
checkout is complete. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland
is responsible for NOAA-N project management. The spacecraft was
built for NASA by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. The Delta II
launch service is provided by the Boeing Expendable Launch Systems
Company. Launch management is the responsibility of the NASA Kennedy
Space Center Launch Services Program office.
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info