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January 6, 2003
2003 Year at a Glance

Status Reports

 January 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 late last year of a surface crack in a ball associated with a tie rod assembly inside of a 17-inch liquid oxygen line aboard Discovery. The crack was found during standard Orbiter Maintenance and Modification (OMM) inspections. The crack is located on a 2.25-inch diameter metal ball associated with the Ball Strut Tie Rod Assembly (BSTRA) inside Discovery's 17-inch liquid oxygen line. Further inspections of similar assemblies in Discovery's 17-inch and 12-inch lines have found no cracks. Inspections of Atlantis and Endeavour also have found no cracks.

Tests using spare BSTRA ball assemblies are under way as part of the engineering evaluation and are not expected to be completed until later this week at the earliest. The ongoing evaluation has had no impact on shuttle launch preparations.
 

MISSION: STS-107 -- SPACEHAB/FREESTAR Microgravity Research Mission
Vehicle Columbia/OV-102
Target Launch Date January 16, 2003
Target Launch Period 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. EST
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)
S0007 Launch Preparations began today at Pad 39-A for Shuttle Columbia’s Jan. 16 launch on the Spacehab microgravity research mission. The astronauts and pad workers successfully completed the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. Today orbiter aft closeouts are in work along with preparations for the Extravehicular Maneuvering Unit installation, Module Vertical Access Kit storage operations, Mass Memory Unit flight load and Orbiter Midbody Umbilical Unit mate and leak checks. Ordnance is scheduled later 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. Today, heat shield installation continues in work as does preparations to install the Forward Reaction Control System. As part of the analysis under way regarding the crack found in the BSTRA ball on Discovery, technicians completed an inspection of Atlantis’ lines and found no cracks. With those inspections complete, all three Space Shuttle Main Engines were installed and leak checks are complete. The Crew Equipment Interface Test is also complete.
 

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. Throughout the holidays, work continued with waterproofing operations, structural inspections of the orbiter's leading edge and the Forward Reaction Control System. Removal of the Forward Reaction Control System was also completed. Checkout on the Orbiter Maneuvering System Pod is in work as is MEC/PIC verification. Preparations for fuel cell single cell voltage test are also in work. Inspections of the BSTRAs continue 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.
 

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