| The
SIRTF observatory is in NASA’s class 10,000 laminar
flow clean room at spacecraft Hangar AE awaiting its return
to the launch pad on August 10. Observatory power-on testing
was successfully completed last week. Installation of
the flight battery followed by electrical testing is scheduled
for July 22-23. Final electrical closeouts are scheduled
for July 24-25.
The erection
of the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle on Pad 17-B will
begin tomorrow, July 18, with the erection of the first
stage. Erection of the nine solid rocket boosters is currently
scheduled to occur in sets of three on July 19, 22 and
24. The second stage is planned for hoisting atop the
first stage on July 28. The fairing will be hoisted into
the launch pad clean room area on July 29.
SIRTF is the fourth and final element in NASA’s
family of orbiting “Great Observatories.”
All objects in the universe with temperatures above absolute
zero (-460 F) emit some infrared radiation, or heat. Infrared
wavelengths lie beyond the red portion of the visible
spectrum, and are invisible to the human eye.
Most infrared
light emitted by celestial objects is absorbed by Earth’s
atmosphere. Scientists rely on orbiting telescopes such
as SIRTF to capture data on celestial objects and phenomena
that are too dim, distant or cool to study using ground-based
telescopes or by other astronomical techniques.
Project management
of SIRTF for NASA is by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The observatory was built for NASA by Lockheed Martin
and Ball Aerospace.
The launch
period extends to September 17. |
