[sarex] SPACE SHUTTLE REPORT #S04-06

[Arthur Z Rowe <n1orc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

    Submitted by Arthur - N1ORC - Amsat #31468


Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington                       April 9, 2004
(Phone: 202/358-4769)

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

SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT: S04-06 

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

Discovery (OV-103)

Technicians continue to prepare Discovery for its Return to 
Flight mission to the International Space Station. The left-
hand Orbiter Maneuvering System pod was moved from the 
Hypergolic Maintenance Facility (HMF) to the Orbiter 
Processing Facility (OPF) on Monday for installation on the 
vehicle. 

Build-up of left-hand Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels 
and associated fittings is ongoing with 16 left-hand spar 
fittings installed on the vehicle. Thermal Protection System 
blanket installation is in work inside of Discovery's nose 
cap in the low bay area outside of the Orbiter Processing 
Facility. Thermography has been performed on 43 of the 44 
panels, with nose cap thermography scheduled for next week.

Atlantis (OV-104)

Processing work continues in the OPF as technicians prepare 
Atlantis for its future flight to the International Space 
Station. Technicians continue steps toward removal of the 
rudder speed brake actuators. 

All of Atlantis' 44 RCC panels have been received at KSC, and 
all 22 panels have been hung on the left-hand wing. Sixteen 
left-hand T-seals, the C-shaped seals that fit between each 
panel, have been installed. Build-up of right-hand RCC panels 
and associated fittings is ongoing. Nose cap thermography is 
complete. 

Endeavour (OV-105)

Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification period, which 
began in December 2003. The Orbiter Maneuvering System left-
hand pod was transferred from the OPF to the HMF, where it 
will undergo routine inspections and maintenance. 

Rudder Speed Brake panel removal began yesterday. Actuators 
scheduled for removal as early as Monday. RCC thermography 
continues with only eight of the 44 panels remaining. 


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

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

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

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

For information about NASA and agency programs on the 
Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov



-end-


                            * * *




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