yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (12/22/90)
Friday December 21, 1990 11:00 a.m. EST
KSC SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT
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STS-35 -- Columbia (OV 102) - Shuttle Landing Facility
The orbiter Columbia, riding atop of 747 shuttle carrier
aircraft, arrived yesterday at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility at
1:00 p.m. from Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, La., Thus, Columbia
ends the year's final mission successfully.
The vehicle was demated from the 747 last night and the
protective window covers have been installed. Earlier, crews
planned to remove the protective tail cone from the orbiter at
the SLF. However, this work will now be done in the confines of
high bay 2 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Columbia was towed
to the VAB this morning.
In the VAB, crews will begin to install OMS/RCS access
platforms. Purges on the vehicle should be initiated Sunday
night. Columbia will remain in the VAB for about a month.
STS-39 -- Discovery (OV 103) - OPF Bay 1
The payload bay doors on Discovery were closed earlier this
morning. Hydraulic operations to reconfigure the aerosurfaces and
landing gear have been completed. Electrical checks of the right
hand orbital maneuvering system pod will continue today.
Installation operations of the forward reaction control system on
the nose of the vehicle will continue today. Power down of the
vehicle for the holidays remains scheduled for end of first shift
today.
STS-37 -- Atlantis (OV-104) - OPF Bay 2
Work to install the new carbon brakes on the orbiter's
wheels will continue today. Brakes on the right hand wheel were
competed yesterday. Work on the left hand wheel will pickup this
morning. The payload bay doors were closed on time yesterday.
Modifications to upgrade the general purpose computers will
continue today through the end of first shift. Operations will
again pick up after the first of the year.
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For more information on KSC's shuttle processing status call
Bruce Buckingham at (407) 867-2468.
(NOTE: This is the final shuttle status report until after the
first of the year. If anything of significance occurs before then
an interim report will be issued.)
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE FOLKS AT KSC PUBLIC AFFAIRSheskett@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu (Donald Heskett) (12/22/90)
Thanks for all the status reports; they are much appreciated. Merry Christmas!