yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (04/18/91)
KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT - WEDNESDAY, APR. 17, 1991 - 10 a.m.
STS-37 - ATLANTIS (OV 104) - AIRBORNE
Atlantis and the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft departed
Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. around 11 a.m. today on the final
leg of the two-day ferry flight. The estimated time of arrival at
KSC is 1:20 p.m. EDT.
Atlantis left Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. yesterday at
1:07 p.m. EDT and made a refueling stop at Kelly Air Force Base,
San Antonio, Tex. Atlantis and the 747 continued east to Columbus
Air Force Base, Miss. where the aircraft and crew remained over-
night.
Once at KSC, Atlantis will be demated from the 747 in the
Mate Demate Device and towed to Orbiter Processing Facility
bay 2.
STS-39/DoD - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - PAD 39-A
LAUNCH - APRIL
WORK IN PROGRESS:
- Final ordnance operations. The pad is cleared for this ac-
tivity.
- Preparations for pressurizing the hypergolic propellant system
for flight.
WORK COMPLETED:
- Aft compartment was closed out for flight. One of the flight
doors was installed and the other will be installed once the pad
reopens.
WORK SCHEDULED:
- Pressurization, later today, of the hypergolic system for
flight.
- Purges of the fuel cell storage tanks tomorrow.
- Final payload preparations.
- Launch countdown begins at 8:45 a.m. EDT Saturday, April 20.
- Closing the payload bay doors for flight Sunday.
- STS-39 flight crew arrival at 6:30 p.m. EDT Saturday.
- Launch at 7:05 a.m. EDT Tuesday, April 23.
STS-40/SPACELAB LIFE SCIENCES 1 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - OPF BAY 1
LAUNCH - MAY
WORK IN PROGRESS:
- Stow the Ku-band antenna for flight.
- Thermal protection system operations.
- Closing the aft compartment for transfer to the VAB.
- Preparations to close the payload bay doors.
- Landing gear functional tests.
WORK SCHEDULED:
- Leak tests of the crew module and the Spacelab payload.
- Final payload bay door closure tomorrow.
- Tow to the Vehicle Assembly Building targeted for April 24.
WORK COMPLETED:
- Resistance checks of firing circuits of pyrotechnic devices on-
board the orbiter.
- Functional tests of the external tank umbilical doors.
STS-40 SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS - VAB
WORK IN PROGRESS:
- Preparations to mate the external tank to the solid rocket
boosters.
- Closing out the field joints for flight.
WORK SCHEDULED:
- Mating the Shuttle Columbia to the external tank next week.