John F. Kennedy Space Center - Expendable Launch Vehicle and Payload Processing Status Reports

August 7, 2002

Note

This expendable launch vehicle and payload processing status will be issued weekly. It will provide the status of upcoming NASA missions scheduled for launch aboard expendable launch vehicles. For additional information on NASA ELV launches, visit: http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elvnew/elv.htm.

TDRS-J

Mission	Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-J
Launch Vehicle	Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA (AC-144)
Launch Pad	Launch Complex 36-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Date	November 20, 2002
Launch Window	9:00 p.m. EST

Status (processing notes)

The Atlas II launch vehicle is at the Lockheed Martin factory in Denver, Colorado undergoing final assembly. NASA and Lockheed Martin have agreed on a three-week postponement of the launch to accommodate final AC-144 launch vehicle assembly work. Launch is now scheduled for Nov. 20.

The TDRS-J spacecraft is currently planned to arrive at Kennedy Space Center from the Boeing Satellite Systems plant in El Segundo, California no earlier than October 17.

GALEX

Mission	Galaxy Evolution Explorer
Launch Vehicle	Pegasus XL
Launch Pad	Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Date	Under Review
Launch Time	TBD

Status (processing notes)

The GALEX spacecraft is at the Orbital Space Systems Group facility in Dulles, Virginia. The planned hardware and software changes to the spacecraft's logic unit were implemented. The necessary testing and data analysis have been underway.

Meanwhile, in California at Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Pegasus XL launch vehicle has completed processing and is ready for ferry to KSC on the Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft. This is currently planned for Sept. 13 but is predicated on the date of arrival of the spacecraft at KSC.

SORCE

Mission	Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment
Launch Vehicle	Pegasus XL
Launch Pad	Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Date	December 1, 2002
Launch Window	TBD

Status (processing notes)

SORCE is at the Orbital Space Systems Group spacecraft facility in Dulles, Virginia undergoing environmental testing. The spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at Kennedy Space Center to begin final processing on October 25.

The Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL launch vehicle is undergoing buildup and testing at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Two Flight Simulation tests are scheduled while the vehicle is in California. Flight Simulation No. 1 is scheduled for October 1 and will be followed by Flight Simulation No. 2 on October 9.

The Pegasus is scheduled for ferry to Cape Canaveral using the Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft on October 28.

Three Flight Simulation tests are also planned at KSC prior to launch and are scheduled to occur on November 1, November 8 and November 18.

There are no significant issues or concerns at this time.

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