The Space Shuttle fleet is housed and processed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla. The order the Space Shuttles are listed does not necessarily reflect chronological order of future missions.
Discovery (OV-103)
Mission: STS-114 – 17th ISS Flight (LF1) – Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103)
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3
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
Technicians continue to process orbiter Discovery in preparation for the rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) later this month. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, orbiter system testing is nearly complete on Discovery for its mission (STS-114) to the International Space Station.
In preparation for payload bay door closure, processing continues with work on the Boom Manipulator Positioning Mechanism assembly fasteners, installation and verification of the Remote Manipulator System camera, and inspections of the airlock wiring. Thermal Protection System blanket bonding continues on the Rudder Speed Brake. Main landing gear thermal barrier installations are complete. On Monday, the External Tank was mated to its twin Solid Rocket Boosters in the VAB.
Prior to orbiter Discovery joining the stack, final closeouts on the External Tank will include attaching the new bolt catcher and electrical cable connections, as well as installing an aerodynamic fairing and the bi-pod struts, which are the attach points for the nose of the orbiter to the tank.
Rack installation into the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello began today and is scheduled to continue through mid-March. Raffaello will deliver a variety of supplies, to include clothing, food and spare parts. The Human Research Facility-2 (HRF-2) science rack will be installed at the beginning of next week. HRF-2 will deliver additional biomedical instrumentation and research capability to the Station. HRF-1 contains an ultrasound unit and gas analyzer system and has been operational in the U.S. Lab since May 2001. Both racks provide structural, power, thermal, command and data handling, and communication and tracking interfaces between the HRF biomedical instrumentation and the U.S. Lab, Destiny.
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
Processing continues on Atlantis in Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) bay 1 for its mission, (STS-121) to the Station. Water coolant loop No. 2 was de-serviced in support of flex hose work. Initial leak checks of the crew module were completed and determined to be good. Rudder Speed Brake work continues with seal installations, and panel rigging is in work. On Atlantis’ wing leading edge, all Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels and components have been installed for flight. Left-hand lower Leading Edge Sub System (LESS) panels 1 through 22 have been installed, and left-hand upper LESS panel installation is in work.
Endeavour (OV-105)
Orbiter Endeavour remains in the Florida Space Authority’s Reusable Launch Vehicle hangar at Kennedy Space Center. While in the hangar, Endeavour is undergoing testing to see how orbiters respond to a new radar system that will be used to detect debris during launch. In the OPF, work includes modifications to the bay and platform validation. Endeavour will remain in the hangar for approximately 30 days, then return to the OPF.
Previous Space Shuttle processing status reports are available on the Internet at:
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight