Jacques van Oene
August 18th 05, 07:51 PM
Space Shuttle Status Report
Thursday, August 18
Departure of the Space Shuttle Discovery on its ferry flight from NASA's
Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern
California to its home at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is still on
schedule for early Friday morning. As of the time of this report, Discovery
will depart Edwards on the first leg of its ferry flight atop a modified
Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) about sunrise Friday, or about
6:00 - 6:15 a.m.
Difficulties with alignment of the aerodynamic tailcone with the aft end of
the Space Shuttle Discovery were resolved and the installation was completed
Wednesday afternoon. Technicians then performed several operations requiring
hydraulic power, including positioning the orbiter's body flap against the
bottom of the tailcone, raising and locking the landing gear, and
repositioning the elevons and rudder for the ferry flight.
A sling on the Mate-DeMate Device began hoisting Discovery about 60 feet
into the air at mid-morning today. NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle
Carrier Aircraft will be towed underneath beginning about noon, and
Discovery will then be gently and precisely lowered onto the ball joint
fittings that attach it to the 747. The mating of the two craft is expected
to be completed this evening, and the pair will be ready to fly.
The cross-country journey is expected to take two days, with stops at
several intermediate points for refueling. The first leg of the flight
Friday morning is expected to take the piggyback pair over portions of
southeast California, Arizona and New Mexico before landing at a military
installation in Texas. A final determination of the first intermediate
destination will be made at the pre-flight weather briefing that is
scheduled about 2 1/2 hours prior to takeoff.
After an overnight stop, the 747 - Shuttle combination is scheduled to
continue its journey across the south to the Kennedy Space Center near
Orlando, Florida, with arrival tentatively set for late Saturday afternoon.
Two additional refueling stops are expected en route.
For more on the Space Shuttle's Return to Flight, visit:
www.nasa.gov/returntoflight on the Internet.
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Thursday, August 18
Departure of the Space Shuttle Discovery on its ferry flight from NASA's
Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern
California to its home at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is still on
schedule for early Friday morning. As of the time of this report, Discovery
will depart Edwards on the first leg of its ferry flight atop a modified
Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) about sunrise Friday, or about
6:00 - 6:15 a.m.
Difficulties with alignment of the aerodynamic tailcone with the aft end of
the Space Shuttle Discovery were resolved and the installation was completed
Wednesday afternoon. Technicians then performed several operations requiring
hydraulic power, including positioning the orbiter's body flap against the
bottom of the tailcone, raising and locking the landing gear, and
repositioning the elevons and rudder for the ferry flight.
A sling on the Mate-DeMate Device began hoisting Discovery about 60 feet
into the air at mid-morning today. NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle
Carrier Aircraft will be towed underneath beginning about noon, and
Discovery will then be gently and precisely lowered onto the ball joint
fittings that attach it to the 747. The mating of the two craft is expected
to be completed this evening, and the pair will be ready to fly.
The cross-country journey is expected to take two days, with stops at
several intermediate points for refueling. The first leg of the flight
Friday morning is expected to take the piggyback pair over portions of
southeast California, Arizona and New Mexico before landing at a military
installation in Texas. A final determination of the first intermediate
destination will be made at the pre-flight weather briefing that is
scheduled about 2 1/2 hours prior to takeoff.
After an overnight stop, the 747 - Shuttle combination is scheduled to
continue its journey across the south to the Kennedy Space Center near
Orlando, Florida, with arrival tentatively set for late Saturday afternoon.
Two additional refueling stops are expected en route.
For more on the Space Shuttle's Return to Flight, visit:
www.nasa.gov/returntoflight on the Internet.
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info