[sarex] SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT SO4-03

[Arthur Z Rowe <n1orc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Submitted by Arthur - N1ORC - Amsat #31468

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington                    March 18, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-4769)

Jessica Rye
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 321/867-2468)

SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT: S04-03

     The Space Shuttle fleet is housed and processed at NASA's 
Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla. The order Shuttles are listed 
in the weekly status report does not necessarily reflect the 
chronological order of future missions.

Discovery (OV-103)

Discovery processing milestones continue to be achieved in 
preparation for the first Return to Flight mission, designated 
STS-114. The No. 2 Rudder Speed Brake actuator was sent back to 
the vendor for refurbishment and to have the gears placed into 
the proper orientation. It will be returned to KSC in about six 
weeks for reinstallation on the vehicle.

Following a successful fit check; the Body Flap was installed 
on March 12. The first Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panel was 
installed on the left-hand leading edge of the wing on Monday. 
On Sunday, Discovery began a two-week power-down period to 
perform orbiter electrical wiring inspections and hi-potential 
voltage testing.

Atlantis (OV-104)

In the processing facility, technicians continue to prepare 
Atlantis for a mission to the International Space Station. 
Preparations continue to remove the Rudder Speed Brake 
actuators.

Thirteen T-seals, the C-shaped seals that fit between each RCC 
panel, have been installed on the left-hand wing leading edge. 
Build-up of the right-hand RCC panels and associated fittings 
is ongoing.

Endeavour (OV-105)

Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification (OMM) period, 
which began in December 2003. Structural and wire inspections 
associated with OMM continue in the midbody and aft.

Nineteen left-hand and all 22 right-hand RCC panels have been 
removed from the vehicle and returned to the vendor for 
inspection. Of the 44 RCC panels on Endeavour, technicians have 
completed the thermography and engineering analysis of 20 
panels.

Previous Space Shuttle processing status reports are archived 
on the Internet at:

http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/status.htm

For more information about the NASA's Return to Flight efforts, 
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/news/highlights/returntoflight.html


-end-

                         



----
Via the sarex mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe sarex" to Majordomo@amsat.org