An ambitious week is wrapping up at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Preparations for the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station remain on target.
The orbiter transport system will be rolled under space shuttle Atlantis for its move, or rollover, into Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building scheduled for Oct. 6.
Meanwhile, final work on the solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank stacked on the mobile launcher platform in the VAB continue in anticipation of Tuesday’s rollover.
Rollout of shuttle Atlantis to Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39A is scheduled for Oct. 13.
The week ends for the STS-129 mission astronauts at Johnson with simulated docking procedures in the fixed based simulator.
The STS-129 crew members are scheduled to fly to Kennedy on Oct. 19 to participate in the three-day Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Typically held prior to launch, TCDT gives the crew an opportunity to check the fit of their spacesuits, practice emergency evacuation procedures at the launch pad, review firefighting methods, and participate in briefings on security and range safety.