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KSC Public Affairs Contact:
George Diller (fax 407-867-2692)
E-mail: George.Diller-1@ksc.nasa.gov
STS-67/ASTRO-2
(Endeavour)
The removal of the mid-deck experiments from Endeavour was performed
on Runway 22 and was completed 3 hours 47 minutes after landing.
Endeavour was later towed to NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Facility at
Edwards Air Force Base. The film removal from the Ultraviolet Imaging
Telescope (UIT) will occur tonight.
STS-71/SPACELAB-MIR
Atlantis/May-June
In the Operations and Checkout (O&C) building last Thursday, the
Spacelab MIR laboratory was unable to be hoisted from its test stand to
be installed into the payload canister due to the unusual center of
gravity associated with the STS-71 module. The ground support equipment
is being modified and another attempt will be made today to install the
Spacelab-MIR laboratory into the payload canister. It will be
transported to OPF Bay 3 on Wednesday for installation into the payload
bay of Atlantis. The two-day Interface Verification Test is scheduled
for March 27-28. After testing is complete the Spacelab tunnel will be
installed connecting the laboratory with the crew cabin.
STS-73/USML-2
(Columbia/Sept. 21)
With the exception of one element, integration of the USML-2 flight
hardware into the experiment racks are complete at an O&C off-line
laboratory. Integrated tests are being performed this week. In parallel,
Spacelab subsystem testing is also being performed. The Mission Sequence
Test (MST) is scheduled to occur next week on March 28-30 and the
astronauts will be participating. The experiment racks are currently
scheduled to be installed into the laboratory module on Apr. 19.
GOES-J
Atlas 1/May 19
Work on GOES-J continues on schedule. The fit check with the payload
adapter was successfully completed. A deployment test of the solar sail
and of the magnetometer boom has also been completed, and a solar array
extension was performed. The primary, secondary and scan mirrors for
both the imager and sounder instruments have been cleaned.
Based on experience with GOES-8, the attitude and orbit control
electronics were removed from GOES-J so that additional shielding could
be installed. This will provide additional protection from high energy
electron charging which can occasionally occur from the space
environment.
An end-to-end communications test is scheduled for Wednesday and a
network compatibility test is planned for Thursday. The end-to-end test
will be primarily between the NOAA satellite control center in Suitland,
Md., and the GOES-J satellite to verify the control software by testing
commanding and telemetry of the satellite. The network test will also
include the ground stations necessary to support launch including the
MILA tracking station at KSC, the Air Force, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
tracking stations, and the Goddard Space Flight Center satellite control
facilities.
A complete spacecraft electrical functional test is planned to be
performed on Friday and Saturday.
STS-75/Tethered Satellite (TSS-1R)
Columbia/Feb. 1996
Tethered Satellite, which will have a reflight opportunity next year,
is scheduled to arrive from Italy aboard a 747 airplane at the Shuttle
Landing Facility on Wednesday between 7-7:30 p.m. It will be taken to
the Operations and Checkout Building to begin testing. |
