yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (05/07/91)
KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT - MONDAY, MAY 6, 1991 - 11 AM STS-39/DoD - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - FLIGHT DAY 9 Discovery is scheduled to land today at approximately 2:48 p.m. EDT at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on concrete runway 22. Discovery will be towed to the Mate Demate Device at Dryden Flight Research Facility about three and a half hours after land- ing. The flight crew will depart Edwards about five to six hours after landing. KSC's turnaround team will prepare the vehicle for the ferry flight back to Florida. These activities typically take about five days. STS-40/SPACELAB LIFE SCIENCES 1 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - PAD 39-B LAUNCH - MAY WORK IN PROGRESS: - Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test began on time at 8 a.m. this morning. - STS-40 flight crew emergency egress training exercises. - Launch pad validations. - Preparations to load hypergolic propellants onboard the or- biter. WORK COMPLETED: - Helium signature leak test of the three main engines and main propulsion system. - Main engine flight readiness test. WORK SCHEDULED: - Mock launch countdown with simulated main engine cutoff at about 11 a.m. EDT tomorrow. - Loading hypergolic propellants into the orbiter's orbital maneuvering system and reaction control system storage tanks. Auxiliary power units and solid rocket booster hydraulic power units will be serviced with hydrazine as part of this operation on Thursday. - Flight Readiness Review planned May 13-14. STS-43 - ATLANTIS (OV 104) - OPF BAY 2 WORK IN PROGRESS: - Checks of the main propulsion system helium system. - Thermal protection system operations. WORK COMPLETED: - Residuals drained from auxiliary power unit catch bottles. - Installation of window no. 1. - Installation of the gaseous oxygen flow control valves. WORK SCHEDULED: - Auxiliary power unit leak and functional tests. - Power reactant storage and distribution systems tests. - Tests of the Tacan system and S-band antenna. ENDEAVOUR (OV 105) - FERRY FLIGHT IN PROGRESS Endeavour departed Kelly Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas at about 10:03 a.m. EDT today and landed at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas an hour later. A ceremony will be held in Houston for the new shuttle during its planned four-hour stay. Weather conditions will be evaluated to determine the next leg of the ferry flight to Florida. Last Friday, Endeavour flew from Palmdale, Calif. to Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas where the vehicle remained for two nights. Sunday, Endeavour flew from El Paso to Kelly Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas for an overnight stay. Once here at KSC and demated from the 747, Endeavour will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where the tail cone, ferry flight kit items, the two simulated orbital maneuvering system pods, and mock forward reaction control system will be removed. The new orbiter's initial stay in the OPF is planned for about one week. Endeavour will be towed to the Vehicle Assembly Building for several months of powered down work.