Space Forum / Shuttle / August 2005

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

STATUS REPORT: S05-035

NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT

Discovery (OV-103)

Mission: STS-121 - 18th ISS Flight (ULF1)
Payload: Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3
Launch Date: NET March 2006
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak, Wilson and Reiter
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Following Discovery's return from Edwards Air Force Base in California
atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on Sunday, the vehicle was rolled
into Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 to begin its processing for
the second Space Shuttle Return to Flight test mission, STS-121.

The orbiter was placed on its jacks and work stands were installed
around the vehicle. Obiter window inspections are complete and
protective covers installed. The payload bay doors were opened on
Wednesday.

Atlantis (OV-104)

Mission: STS-115 - 19th ISS Flight (12A)
Payload: P3/P4 Solar Arrays
Location: Vehicle Assembly Building
Launch Date: TBD
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Jett, Ferguson, Tanner, Burbank, MacLean, Stefanyshyn-Piper
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Orbiter Atlantis remains in the Vehicle Assembly Building attached to
its External Tank (ET-120) and Solid Rocket Boosters. Preparations
are under way to demate, or remove, Atlantis from its ET. Atlantis
will be lowered next week into the transfer aisle and be rolled back
to Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 in early September. ET-120, the
first redesigned ET to arrive at KSC, will eventually be sent back to
the Michoud Assembly Facility for further testing.

In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Solid Rocket Boosters will be
destacked and sent back to ATK Thiokol in Utah for refurbishment. In
December, the booster segments will have reached the end of the time
allowable for segments to be stacked prior to a launch. A new booster
stack will be built for Atlantis' launch.

Endeavour (OV-105)

Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification period, which began in
December 2003.

External Tank

External Tank 119, the third redesigned tank to arrive at Kennedy
Space Center, was moved from the checkout cell in the Vehicle
Assembly Building and loaded onto Pegasus, NASA's specially designed
barge, on Tuesday for transport to the Michoud Assembly Facility in
New Orleans. The tank will be returned for further evaluation,
inspection and redesign prior to the next Return to Flight mission,
designated STS-121.

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

http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight

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

http://www.nasa.gov/

-end-