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| 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.
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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 |
November
20, 2002 |
| Launch
Window |
10:36
p.m. - 11:16
p.m. EST |
|
| |
|
Status
(processing
notes)
|
 The
TDRS-J spacecraft arrived at the Kennedy Space Center
at 6:10 a.m. last Thursday, Oct. 17, and was taken to
the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility -2
in the KSC Industrial Area. Testing of the satellite is
now underway. Loading of the fuel and oxidizer is scheduled
to begin next week on Oct. 28. The operation to encapsulate
the spacecraft into the payload fairing begins Nov. 7.
At Pad A on Launch Complex 36, the next major milestone
is the Simulated Flight test (SimFlight) on Oct. 25, an
electrical test of the vehicle systems during simulated
powered flight from launch through spacecraft separation.
To follow will be the vehicle's Wet Dress Rehearsal on
Nov. 6, a countdown with the vehicle fully fueled with
liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 propellants. The
TDRS-J satellite will be mated with the launch vehicle
at the pad on Nov. 12 and followed on Nov. 13 with the
Composite Electrical Readiness Test (CERT). This will
verify that the vehicle and spacecraft are operating on
an integrated basis.
The Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA launch vehicle arrived at
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station from Denver, Colo., on
Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 8:20 a.m. aboard an Antonov 124 aircraft.
The Atlas stage with its Rocketdyne MA-5A two-chamber
booster engine and sustainer engine was erected on Pad
36-A on Oct. 9. The Centaur stage with its pair of Pratt
and Whitney RL-10 engines was hoisted atop the Atlas on
Oct. 11. The initial power application to the vehicle
occurred on Monday, Oct. 14.
This is the 24th and final Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA model
launch vehicle (no solid rocket boosters) and has a 100%
success rate. |
| |
| Mission |
Solar
Radiation and Climate Experiment |
| Launch
Vehicle |
Pegasus
XL |
| Launch
Pad |
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| Launch
Date |
mid-December
2002 |
| Launch
Time |
3:09
p.m. - 4:09
p.m. EST T-0: 3:14
p.m. EST |
| |
|
Status
(processing
notes)
|
SORCE,
built by the Orbital Sciences Space Systems
Group, is at their spacecraft manufacturing
facility in Dulles, Va. SORCE has satisfactorily
completed space environment tests and is undergoing
final preparation for shipment to Florida.
The spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at Kennedy
Space Center to begin final processing this
Saturday, Oct. 26. 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).
The Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL launch vehicle
completed its buildup and testing on Oct.
11 at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The mating
of the three stages was completed Oct. 15.
Two Flight Simulation tests were scheduled
while the vehicle is in California. Flight
Simulation No. 1 was successfully completed
on Oct. 11 and Flight Simulation No. 2 was
completed on Oct. 17.
Additional time will be required to re-work
a silicon seal associated with the interface
between the Pegasus rocket and its wing area.
Due to Western Range and operational support
requirements, the ferry to KSC is now anticipated
to occur during the second week of November
with a launch occurring in mid-December. The
Pegasus will ferry to Cape Canaveral using
the Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft. Three
Flight Simulation tests are also planned at
KSC prior to launch. |
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|
|
ICESAT
/ CHIPSAT
|
| Mission |
Ice,
Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite / Cosmic Hot
Interstellar Spectrometer |
| Launch
Vehicle |
Delta
II with Dual Payload Attach Fixture (DPAF) |
| Launch
Pad |
SLC-2W,
Vandenberg Air Force Base |
| Launch
Date |
December 19, 2002 (tentative) |
| Launch
Window |
4:09:32
- 5:32:00
p.m. PST |
|
| |
|
Status
(processing
notes)
|
The
ICESAT spacecraft was shipped to Vandenberg Air Force
Base on Oct. 23 from the manufacturer Ball Aerospace manufacturing
facility in Boulder, Colo. Upon arrival, ICESAT joined
CHIPSAT at the Astrotech Space Operations Payload Processing
Facility. The instruments on ICESAT were also developed
by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
under a contract with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
The CHIPSAT spacecraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force
Base on Oct. 15, and was taken to the Astrotech Space
Operations Payload Processing Facility and has began powered-on
operational testing and flight simulation.
The CHIPSAT spacecraft is functioning well and processing
is going smoothly with no issues or concerns. The tests
are scheduled for completion on Oct. 26.
The Delta II first stage was erected on Space Launch Complex
2 on North Vandenberg Air Force Base on Oct. 22. The solid
rocket motor erection is scheduled for today, Oct. 24,
and will be followed by erection of the second stage on
Friday, Oct. 25. The first power-on testing is scheduled
to begin next week on Oct. 30. |
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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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