[sarex] SPACE SHUTTLE REPORT #S05-018

["ARTHUR Z. ROWE" <N1ORC@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Submitted by Arthur - AMSAT A/C #31468

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington                             May 13, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-4769)

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

NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT: S05-018

     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: Launch Pad 39B
Launch Date: Launch Planning Window July 13 - 31, 2005
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Collins, Kelly, Noguchi, Robinson, Thomas, Lawrence and Camarda
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Work continues at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for an External Tank 
(ET) tanking test scheduled for no earlier than May 19. Engineers and 
technicians are adding instrumentation to the tank to help troubleshoot 
two issues that arose during a tanking test on April 14.

The instrumentation will provide data to analyze the liquid hydrogen 
sensors that gave intermittent readings and the liquid hydrogen 
pressurization relief valve that cycled more times than standard during 
last month's test.

The tanking test involves the ground operations team at KSC filling the 
ET with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel. The team evaluates how 
the tank, orbiter, Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and ground systems 
perform under when the tank is filled with the two ultra-low temperature 
fuels. The tank filling and draining portion of the test will take about 
11 hours and includes a simulated countdown through the T minus 31 
second hold. The test operations at KSC will take approximately 48 hours.

Following the tanking test, technicians will begin preparations for 
rolling back Discovery to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) by the end 
of the month. In the VAB Discovery will be removed from its ET and 
lowered into the transfer aisle.
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