| |
| 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-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| Launch
Date |
December
4, 2002 NET |
| Launch
Window |
9:42
p.m. - 11:22
p.m. EST |
|
| |
|
Status
(processing
notes)
|
 The
TDRS-J spacecraft is undergoing final checkout at the
Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 in the
KSC Industrial Area. Encapsulation of the spacecraft into
the Atlas payload fairing is scheduled for Nov. 20 and
the spacecraft will go to the pad on Nov. 22.
At Pad A on Launch Complex 36, the final test will be
the Composite Electrical Readiness Test (CERT) on Nov.
25 which occurs after TDRS-J has been mated to the launch
vehicle. This will verify that the vehicle and spacecraft
are operating on an integrated basis.
NASA and Lockheed Martin continue to assess the failure
of an upper stage turbo pump that occurred during testing
at the vendor. While the pump in question is not from
an Atlas launch vehicle, it is similar to what is on AC-144.
More time is still necessary to complete the analysis,
so the launch is now targeted for Dec. 4. NASA and Lockheed
Martin remain optimistic that AC-144 will be cleared for
launch in the next several days. |
| |
|
ICESAT
/ CHIPSAT
|
| Mission |
Ice,
Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite / Cosmic Hot
Interstellar Spectrometer |
| Launch
Vehicle |
Boeing
Delta II with Reduced Height Dual Payload Attach
Fitting (DPAF) |
| Launch
Pad |
SLC-2W,
Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) |
| Launch
Date |
December 19, 2002 |
| Launch
Window |
4:45
- 5:30
p.m. PST |
|
| |
|
Status
(processing
notes)
|
At
the Astrotech Space Operations Payload Processing Facility,
ICESAT battery conditioning started Nov. 8 and will last
12 days. The two-day spacecraft fueling operation begins
Nov. 18. The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System functional
test and a solar array illumination test have been successfully
completed. The instruments on ICESAT have been developed
by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
under a contract with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Also at Astrotech, CHIPSAT has successfully completed
spacecraft functional testing. The Payload Adapter Assembly
and Payload Adapter Fitting were installed onto the spacecraft
Nov. 8. CHIPSAT mating to the Reduced-Height Dual Payload
Attach Fitting (RH DPAF) was completed on November 12
and mating of the upper cone/cylinder to the lower cone
of the RH DPAF is underway today.
Meanwhile, at Space Launch Complex 2, the power-on testing
of the Boeing Delta II was completed successfully. The
main propulsion system leak checks are underway and will
be completed on Friday. On November 14, a Boeing Crew
Certification (Crew Cert) and liquid oxygen loading will
be held. This is a countdown to exercise the launch team
and the first stage will be loaded with liquid oxygen.
A Simulated Flight (Sim Flight) which is a flight test
of the vehicle's electrical and mechanical systems will
follow on November 18.
There are no issues or concerns with the two spacecraft
or the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle and launch is on
schedule for Thursday, Dec. 19 at 4:45 p.m. PST.
|
| |
| Mission |
Solar
Radiation and Climate Experiment |
| Launch
Vehicle |
Pegasus
XL |
| Launch
Pad |
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| Launch
Date |
January
25, 2003 |
| Launch
Time |
3:09
p.m. - 4:09
p.m. EST T-0: 3:14
p.m. EST |
| |
|
Status
(processing
notes)
|
On
the Pegasus launch vehicle, the three stages
of the vehicle have been de-mated. The electrical
boxes containing the fasteners associated
with the fin actuators and the thrust vector
control system have been removed and returned
to the vendor. The fasteners will be re-torqued.
They will be returned to Orbital for reinstallation
on the vehicle next week. The stages are to
be re-mated the first week of December and
will be followed by a set of flight simulations.
The Combined Systems Test is currently scheduled
to occur on December 15. The ferry to KSC
using the Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft
is anticipated for the third week of December,
expected to occur not later than December
21. Three Flight Simulation tests are also
planned at KSC prior to launch.
Processing of SORCE, built by the Orbital
Sciences Space Systems Group, has been going
well since its arrival at the Kennedy Space
Center on Oct. 26 in the Multi-purpose Payload
Processing Facility (MPPF). Due to launch
delay, no work has been conducted over the
past week but will resume on a limited basis
next week. There are no spacecraft issues
or concerns.
The SORCE project is managed by NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center. The instruments on the
SORCE spacecraft are built by the Laboratory
for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP).
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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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