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KSC Public Affairs Contact:
George Diller (fax 407-867-2692)
E-mail: George.Diller-1@ksc.nasa.gov
GOES-J/AC-77
May 19 1:42 a.m. EDT
The
AC-77 Centaur stage was successfully mated to the Atlas today. Atlas 1
launch vehicle arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Station by C-5 air cargo
plane on April 7. The following day it was offloaded and taken to Hangar
J for receiving inspections. The Atlas first stage was erected on Pad
36-B on Monday. Pad crews yesterday were unable to hoist the Centaur
stage atop the Atlas due to wind exceeding the 11 knot limit and because
of a problem with ground support equipment.
Due to a shipping mishap during ground
transportation, the arrival of the AC-77 fairing is expected to be
delayed by several days so that the fairing can be removed from its
shipping container and inspected.
The GOES-J weather satellite continues to
undergo final processing at Astrotech and remains on schedule. Battery
charging and reconditioning for launch has been completed and
preparations are underway for installing them on the spacecraft.
Thruster system cleaning and checkout has also been completed. A helium
signature leak check of the spacecraft propulsion system has also been
performed. A pressurization test of the propulsion system is currently
underway. Spacecraft mechanical closeouts will begin later this week and
are expected to be complete Apr. 20.
Spacelab-MIR/STS-71
Atlantis/June
The tunnel connecting the Spacelab-MIR
laboratory module with the crew compartment was installed last Thursday.
During leak checks the following day it was found the tunnel would not
hold pressure. Over the weekend the tunnel was demated and a piece of
thermal blanket exterior insulation was found caught in the flange. It
was removed, new seals were installed, and the tunnel was reconnected.
The leak check was successful.
On Saturday the STS-71 astronauts
inspected the Spacelab-MIR laboratory modue as part of the Crew
Equipment Interface Test. Changes or suggestions recommended by the crew
are being implemented this week.
Today the Spacelab module and the crew
compartment are fully pressurized for a leak check. Final closeouts will
begin tomorrow. This includes a final cleaning, documentation
photography and removal of access platforms. Outside the module the
mission flags and emblems will be installed. Payload bay door closure is
scheduled for Thursday night.
TDRS-G/STS-70
Discovery/June
At the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF),
work on the TDRS-G Tracking and Data Relay Satellite has been running
ahead of schedule. Standalone checkout of the spacecraft was completed
yesterday. Mechanical mating of TDRS-G to the IUS upper stage booster
was performed today, one day ahead of planning. The electrical
connections will be established next week and will be followed by an
Interface Verification Test (IVT) on Apr. 19.
The STS-70 astronauts will conduct an
inspection of the satellite on Saturday. Next Monday, April 17, the
White Sands Compatibility Test will be performed. Data will flow from
the TDRS-G satellite at the VPF through the associated TDRS-G ground
station to a TDRS uplink antenna located at KSC’s MILA tracking
station. Then, via an orbiting TDRS satellite, it will be relayed to the
White Sands Ground Terminal in New Mexico for analysis.
Also next week, CITE testing using the
Cargo Integrated Test Equipment will be performed to assure the
payload’s compatibility with the orbiter and readiness to be installed
into Discovery’s payload bay.
Wake Shield Facility/STS-69
Endeavour/July 20
At the NASA Hangar AE spacecraft checkout
facility, the Wake Shield Facility was unpacked and inspected last week
and test equipment was set up. The initial electrical systems testing is
now complete and experiment integration is beginning.
USML-2/STS-73
Columbia/Sept. 21
Retest of the Geophysical Fluids Flow
Cell (GFFC) experiment after repair has been successful. Closeouts of
the experiment racks continue. Seven out of ten racks are closed out and
the remaining three should be closed out by the end of Friday.
Preparations will then begin for installing the racks into the Spacelab
module. A system test of the module was completed this week in
preparation for the rack installation which is scheduled for April 19. |
