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NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report: S05-013

Posted on: Friday, 1 April 2005, 18:00 CST

WASHINGTON, April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's Space Shuttle fleet is housed and processed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla.

Discovery (OV-103)

Mission: STS-114 - 17th ISS Flight (LF1) - Multi-Purpose Logistics Module

Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103)

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building

Launch Date: Launch Planning Window, May 15 - June 3, 2005

Launch Pad: 39B

Crew: Collins, Kelly, Noguchi, Robinson, Thomas, Lawrence and Camarda

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Discovery was rolled from the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) bay 3 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Tuesday. In the VAB, a sling lifted and lowered the vehicle between its twin Solid Rocket Boosters, and Discovery was attached to its External Tank.

Mating operations were completed yesterday, and the sling was removed from the vehicle. Technicians are working final closeouts on the fully assembled Space Shuttle stack. The liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen electrical mates continue. The installation of a new digital camera in the orbiter was scheduled for today. The Shuttle will be powered up tomorrow for the interface verification test.

Discovery could begin its four-mile journey to Launch Pad 39B, atop a Crawler Transporter, as early as 12 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, April 5.

In the Space Station Processing Facility, cargo stowage in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module continues in preparation for hatch closure scheduled for mid-April. Raffaello will carry food, clothing and spare parts to the International Space Station.

Mission: STS-121 - 18th ISS Flight (ULF1) - Multi-Purpose Logistics

Module

Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104)

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1

Launch Date: Launch Planning Window, July 12 - July 31, 2005

Launch Pad: 39B

Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak and Wilson

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

In OPF bay 1, technicians continue processing Atlantis for its mission to the International Space Station. The commander's and pilot's seat installation on the flight deck is underway. Installation of the three Space Shuttle Main Engines began today.

Atlantis' new Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) is in the Remote Manipulator System lab in the VAB for checkout and final testing before installation. The boom is scheduled to arrive in the bay on Monday for installation on April 6. The 50-foot-long OBSS will attach to the Remote Manipulator System, or Shuttle robotic arm. It is one of the new safety measures, equipping the orbiter with cameras and laser systems, to inspect the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System in space.

Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) stacking for Atlantis' launch began when the left aft booster was moved from the Rotation Processing and Surge Facility to the VAB yesterday. It will be lifted onto the Mobile Launch Platform early next week. The External Tank remains in the checkout cell for final testing. Following the completion of SRB stacking, the tank will be moved and attached to the SRBs in late April.

Endeavour (OV-105) Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification period, which began in December 2003.

Previous Space Shuttle processing status reports are available

on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight

NASA

CONTACT: Allard Beutel, Headquarters, Washington, +1-202-358-4769, orJessica Rye, Kennedy Space Center, Fla., +1-321-867-2468, both of NASA

Web site: http://www.nasa.gov/

Source: PRNewswire

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