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| Note |
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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.
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| |
| Mission |
Earth
Observing System Aqua Observatory |
| Launch
Vehicle |
Delta
II 7920-10L |
| Launch
Pad |
Space
Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg Air Force Base |
| Launch
Date |
April
18, 2002 U/R |
| Launch
Time |
2:54:58
- 3:04:58
a.m. PDT |
| |
|
Status
|
| The
Aqua spacecraft is at the Spaceport Systems International
(SSI) payload processing facility located on South Vandenberg
Air Force Base. The Comprehensive Performance Test was successfully
completed last Friday, Mar. 15. The spacecraft was powered-on
and top-off of the battery charge was completed on Monday,
Mar. 18. The Aqua project is evaluating a battery cell concern
that has delayed the planned fueling of the spacecraft from
Mar. 23 to no earlier than Mar. 26. The amount of launch schedule
slippage, if any, is currently under review.
At Space Launch Complex 2,
the first half section of the payload fairing was erected
on Monday, Mar. 18. The second half is anticipated to occur
today, weather permitting. Fairing erection was rescheduled
to this week due to high wind at Vandenberg last week. After
the second fairing half is in place, interface checks will
be performed through the fairing between SLC-2 and spacecraft
ground support equipment. This is currently planned for
Thursday, Mar. 21.
The Center Director Launch
Vehicle Launch Readiness Review (CDLVLRR) was held on Friday,
Mar. 15 at KSC. At the conclusion, there were three open
items remaining for further action. It will be necessary
to resolve one of these items before Aqua spacecraft fueling
activities occur. Further engineering analysis is needed
to evaluate the environment that the Aqua spacecraft may
encounter following Delta first stage main engine cutoff
(MECO).
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|
| |
| Mission |
NOAA-M Polar
Orbiter |
| Launch Vehicle |
USAF Titan
II |
| Launch Pad |
Space Launch
Complex 4 West, Vandenberg Air Force Base |
| Launch Date |
June 24, 2002
NET |
| Launch Window |
11:22
- 11:32
a.m. PDT |
| |
|
Status
|
| No
change in status this week. The NOAA-M spacecraft is
at the Lockheed Martin plant in Sunnyvale, Calif., and
is tentatively planned for shipment to Vandenberg on
April 25. The spacecraft will be processed at NASA spacecraft
hangar 1610 on North Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Erection of the Titan
II/G-14 booster for NOAA-M will take place on April
1 after routine corrosion control and maintenance
is completed at the launch pad during March.
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|
CONTOUR
|
| Mission |
CONTOUR (Comet Nucleus
Tour) |
| Launch Vehicle |
Delta II 7425 |
| Launch Pad |
17-A Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station |
| Launch Date |
July 1, 2002 |
| Launch Window |
2:57:12
- 2:57:24
a.m. EDT |
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|
Status
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| The CONTOUR Ground
Operations review was held at KSC on Mar. 13 to assess the readiness
of the SAEF-2 spacecraft checkout facility and the ability to meet
all associated support requirements.
The spacecraft's solid propellant
motor will arrive at KSC on April 1 and be processed prior to
the arrival of CONTOUR. The spacecraft is currently at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and will arrive
at KSC on April 25 to begin final checkout and preparations for
launch.
At Space Launch Complex 17, erection
of the Delta booster is planned to begin on May 29.
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The Kennedy Space Center
(KSC) Newsroom offers an electronic subscription service for status
reports, news releases and other notices issued from KSC. There
are two possible ways to subscribe. You may send a blank
e-mail message to ksc-news_release-subscribe@kscnews.ksc.nasa.gov
or follow the instructions on the Web site at http://kscnews.ksc.nasa.gov.
The system will confirm the request via e-mail.
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