[sci.space.shuttle] Shuttle Status for 03/04/91

yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (03/05/91)

            KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT - MONDAY, MAR. 4, 1991 - 9:30 a.m.


            STS-37/GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY - ATLANTIS (OV 104) - OPF BAY 2
                                   LAUNCH - APRIL


          WORK IN PROGRESS:
          - Preparations for roll over to the VAB on March 7.
          - Thermal protection system operations.
          - Closeouts of the midbody in preparation  for  rollover  to  the
          VAB.
          - Positive pressure tests of the vehicle.

          WORK SCHEDULED:
          - Cleaning of the payload bay.
          - Payload bay door closure tomorrow morning.
          - Closeout of the aft compartment.
          - Transfer of the vehicle to the Vehicle Assembly Building on
          March 7.


                       STS-39/DoD - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - PAD A
                           LAUNCH - LATE APRIL, EARLY MAY


          WORK IN PROGRESS:
          -  Preparations for rolling back to the Vehicle Assembly Building
          at 12:01 a.m. March 7.
          - Transferring the STS-39 Air  Force  Program  675  payload  from
          Discovery's payload bay to the Payload Changeout Room.
          - Preparations to offload hypergolic propellants from the orbital
          maneuvering system and reaction control system.

          WORK COMPLETED:
          - Disconnection of ordnance devices on the vehicle.
          - Removed the two spacesuits from the airlock.
          - Demated the orbiter midbody umbilical unit.

          WORK SCHEDULED:
          - Offloading oxidizer and fuel from the orbiter's onboard storage
          tanks tomorrow.  The pad will be closed to all non-essential per-
          sonnel during this operation.


           STS-40/SPACELAB LIFE SCIENCES 1 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - OPF BAY 1
                                    LAUNCH - MAY

          WORK IN PROGRESS:
          - Filling and bleeding the orbiter's hydraulic system.
          - Tests of the power reactant storage and distribution system.
          -  Offloading  residual  hypergolic  propellant  from the orbital
          maneuvering system and reaction control system.
          - Checks of the main propulsion system helium system.
          - Installation of the environmental control system dump nozzle.

          WORK COMPLETED:
          - Brazed the gaseous oxygen  flow  control  valves  in  the  main
          propulsion system.

          WORK SCHEDULED:
          -  Orbiter hydraulic operations this week including a brake anti-
          skid test, checks of the flight controls,  and checks of the nose
          wheel steering system.


                  STS-37 SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS/EXTERNAL TANK - VAB


          WORK SCHEDULED:
          -  Transfer  of  the  STS-37  stack from high bay 1 to high bay 3
          today.
          - Preparations to mate the orbiter Atlantis to the stack.