yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (01/15/91)
This KSC Status Report was prepared at 10:30 a.m. Monday, January 14th.
Work continues to go smoothly on the Orbiter Discovery toward
preparing it for a rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building by the
end of January. Over the weekend, the astronauts completed the crew
equipment interface test, the traditional sharp edge inspection of
the payload bay and the flight deck.
Work to install the crew sleep station has been finished.
Testing of the ammonia boiler system was completed over the weekend.
Checks of the power reactant storage and distribution system have
also been largely completed, with the exception of one remaining
check. In the aft, main propulsion system low pressure testing is in
work. A number of hydraulic tests are scheduled and will be underway
most of the week. Brake anti-skid tests will be underway through
Wednesday. Cross feed connections and associated testing of the
orbital maneuvering system pods have been completed and a final
pressure decay test is underway. Potable water servicing is
complete, and the routine contamination sampling is occurring.
On Atlantis, main propulsion system leak checks continue. A new
Ku-band antenna has been installed on the forward starboard bulkhead
of the payload bay and is now undergoing electrical connections.
This is used for transmitting high speed data and television pictures
to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.
Testing of the power reactant storage and distribution system is
complete. Water spray boiler #2 has been installed. Installation of
the remaining six of eleven auxiliary power unit water valves is
underway. APU testing is scheduled for this afternoon and tonight.
Three hours of the testing is considered hazardous and involves
clearing the high bay of personnel, so this portion will be done
overnight on third shift.
The orbiter's bathroom has been in installed, and a functional
check is scheduled for Tuesday. Four of the five new general purpose
computers are now in place and have been connected. The software is
now being installed. Re-installation of window #1 is complete and
work to remove window #6 is now underway.
In the Vehicle Assembly Building on STS-37, the stacking of
propellant segments on the left-hand booster is complete and the nose
cone assembly containing the parachutes and instrumentation frustrum
is being hoisted and mated today. Stacking the right-hand solid
rocket booster will follow, beginning tomorrow.
On Columbia in the Vehicle Assembly Building, work on the tiles
is underway, and a post flight bench check of one of the reaction
control system thrusters is scheduled.
From the NASA Kennedy Space Center, this is George Diller.