
Note: Last Wednesday, Shuttle workers closed Discovery's payload bay doors and completed planned main engine testing. Repair efforts on Discovery's umbilical wiring are complete and validation tests begin tonight. Following the Thanksgiving holiday, workers resumed orbiter electrical wiring inspections in Discovery's aft compartment.
Today, engineers will conduct the helium signature leak test. Ordnance installation is slated to occur midweek and replacement of a leaky quick disconnect on auxiliary power unit No. 2 is planned for Wednesday evening. Aft engine compartment close-outs are expected to conclude late Sunday. Workers are replacing Discovery's mass memory unit No. 1 today.
Wednesday afternoon, Shuttle managers will reconvene a follow-up Flight Readiness Review to obtain a final status on prelaunch preparations. The flight crew is scheduled to arrive at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility Saturday night, and the launch countdown begins Monday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 a.m.
Major Processing Milestones (targets only):
Ordnance installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Dec. 1)
Flight crew arrival at KSC . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Dec. 4 at about 8 p.m.)
Orbiter aft compartment close-outs complete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Dec. 5)
Launch countdown begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Dec. 6 at 5:30 a.m.)
Work in progress: Workers began minor repair efforts on Endeavour's umbilical wiring harness on Sunday, and wiring inspections continue in the orbiter's aft engine compartment. Orbiter Endeavour's midbody close-outs are ongoing as workers prepare to close the orbiter's payload bay doors for flight later tonight. Managers plan to transfer Endeavour to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Thursday to be mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters located in VAB high bay 1. Endeavour's Orbiter Rollout Review is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Major Processing Milestones (targets only):
Payload bay doors closed for flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Nov. 28)
Orbiter transferred to VAB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Dec. 2)
Shuttle rolls to Launch Pad 39A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Dec. 7)
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