June 4, 2003

MER-A

Status   (processing notes)

The Flight Readiness Review for MER-A was held today in the Mission Briefing Room at KSC. At its conclusion, NASA managers affirmed Sunday, June 8 as the launch date for MER-A. The next major activity is the fueling of the Delta second stage on Thursday, June 5 with its complement of storable hypergolic propellants. The payload fairing was installed around the spacecraft last weekend on Saturday, May 31.

MER-A was hoisted atop the Delta II rocket at Pad 17-A on May 27. A state of health check was successfully completed on May 28. The Flight Program Verification, an integrated vehicle/spacecraft test and the final major test before the launch, was completed on May 29.

The Delta first stage for MER-A was erected on Pad 17-A on April 23. The second stage erection was completed on April 28, and the fairing was installed in the white room on April 30. The solid rocket booster erection began on May 13 with the first set of three motors being attached to the first stage. The second set of three was erected on May 14, and the final set was hoisted into position on May 15. The Simulated Flight Test, an electrical test of the vehicle’s systems used during powered flight, was successfully completed on May 21.

MER-1

Status   (processing notes)

Fueling of MER-1 was completed on May 28. Spin balance testing began the next day on May 29 and was completed May 30. Mating to the Delta third stage (upper stage booster) took place on June 12. Transportation to the launch pad is scheduled for June 16. 

The MER-B vehicle’s first stage is on Pad 17-B. Erection of the nine solid rocket boosters was completed May 22. The second stage was hoisted atop the first stage on May 29. 

There are no issues or concerns at this time.

SCISAT-1/ACE

Status   (processing notes)

The SCISAT spacecraft is completing final testing at the Canadian Space Agency’s David Florida Laboratories. Arrival of the spacecraft at Vandenberg Air Force Base is currently scheduled for June 18.

SCISAT-1 weighs approximately 330 pounds and will be placed in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. 

Meanwhile, the Pegasus XL rocket is undergoing prelaunch preparations at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California by Orbital Sciences Corporation.

The scientific mission of SCISAT-1/ACE (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment) mission is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policy makers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further zone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

SIRTF

Status   (processing notes)

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 in early August.

The launch date has been moved forward four days to August 23. 

Project management of SIRTF for NASA is by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The observatory was built for NASA by Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace.

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