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December 16, 2002
2002 Year at a Glance

Status Reports

 December Status Reports
 
Note

For the latest Shuttle status on the web, visit http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/stsstat/current.htm.
For the latest launch or landing weather forecast, visit http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/weatstat/forecast.htm.
Visit http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm for the latest schedule of future Shuttle missions.
 

ORBITER MAJOR MODIFICATION PERIOD
Vehicle Discovery/OV-103
 

Shuttle Processing Note  (previous notes)
An engineering evaluation continues following the discovery of a surface crack found during standard Orbiter Maintenance and Modification (OMM) inspections. The crack, located on a 2.25-inch diameter metal ball, is associated with the Ball Strut Tie Rod Assembly (BSTRA) inside Discovery's 17-inch liquid oxygen line. Further inspections of Discovery’s 17-inch and 12-inch lines have found no cracks, although the inspections of Discovery have not been completed.
 

MISSION: STS-107 -- SPACEHAB/FREESTAR Microgravity Research Mission
Vehicle Columbia/OV-102
Target Launch Date January 16, 2003
Target Landing Date February 1, 2003
Mission Duration 16 days
Crew Husband, McCool, Anderson, Chawla, Brown, Clark, Ramon 
Orbital Insertion Altitude/ Inclination 150 nautical miles/39 degrees
 

Shuttle Processing Note  (previous notes)
Prelaunch preparations continue at Pad 39-A for Shuttle Columbia’s Jan. 16 launch on the Spacehab microgravity research mission. Preparations are complete for loading hypergolic reactants on the Shuttle, with loading scheduled to begin today. The Helium Signature Test is complete. The crew will arrive to participate for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test scheduled for late this week. No inspections are planned on Columbia related to the BSTRA ball crack evaluation.
 

MISSION: STS-114 -- 17th ISS Flight (ULF1) - Crew Rotation/
Multi-Purpose Logistics Module 
Vehicle Atlantis/OV-104
Official Launch Date and Time March 1, 2003
Target Landing Date and Time March 13, 2003
Mission Duration 12 days
Crew Collins, Kelly, Noguchi, Robinson
ISS Expedition Crew 7 Malenchenko, Kaleri, Lu
Orbital Insertion Altitude/Inclination 122 nautical miles/51.6 degrees
 

Shuttle Processing Note  (previous notes)
Atlantis continues to be processed for its March launch to the International Space Station. Preparations for the Payload Premate Test are in work. As part of the analysis under way of the crack found in the BSTRA ball on Discovery, technicians completed an inspection of Atlantis’ lines and found no cracks. With those inspections complete, technicians installed Atlantis’ three Space Shuttle Main Engines on Saturday.
 

MISSION: STS-115 -- 18th ISS Flight (12A) -- P3/P4 Solar Arrays
Vehicle Endeavour/OV-105
Target Launch Date May 23, 2003
Target Landing Date June 3, 2003
Mission Duration 10 days
Crew Jett, Ferguson, Tanner, Burbank, MacLean, Stefanyshyn-Piper 
Orbital Insertion Altitude/ Inclination 122 nautical miles/51.6 degrees
 

Shuttle Processing Note  (previous notes)
Deservicing and processing continues for the STS-115 mission to the International Space Station scheduled in May 2003. Heat shield removal is complete and technicians have begun removing Endeavour’s three Space Shuttle Main Engines.
 
Inspections are underway of the BSTRAs on Endeavour to gather data to be used in the analysis of a crack found in an assembly on Discovery. The inspections of Endeavour have found no cracks so far. Inspection of the 17-inch liquid oxygen line has been completed. Inspections will continue of the 17-inch liquid hydrogen line and two 12-inch propellant lines. Results of the inspections are expected later this week.
 

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12/19/2002

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