yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (09/25/90)
Monday September 24, 1990 11:00 a.m. EDT KSC SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT ----------------------------------------------------------------- STS-41 -- Discovery (OV 103) - Pad 39-B Mission managers are meeting this morning at Kennedy Space Center for the Flight Readiness Review. The meeting is scheduled to conclude tomorrow and be followed by an announcement establishing the target launch date for Discovery and the spacecraft Ulysses. Over the weekend at Pad B, the flight readiness test was completed successfully. An igniter on main engine number 1 failed during the test and was replaced. The new part was tested and checked out successfully. Following the FRT, a delta helium signature test was performed on the main propulsion system. No leaks in the system were identified. Today, work has begun to close out the aft compartment with final main propulsion system checks. The spacecraft Ulysses and its attached upper stage booster are undergoing final launch preparations. Today, the spacecraft is scheduled for flight readiness checks and the Inertial Upper Stage is having its computer memory loaded. The installation of the PAM-S flight batteries is scheduled for this afternoon. Installation of the remaining 20 percent of the IUS flight batteries is targeted for tomorrow. STS-35 -- Columbia (OV 102) - Pad 39-A The orbiter Columbia's Power Reactant and Storage Distribution System tanks have been drained of their liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants and the mid-body umbilical is scheduled to be retracted this afternoon. Hydraulic circulation and sample tests are also scheduled for this afternoon. Main propulsion system leak checks will continue throughout the week. Defoaming of the fuel lines and leak checks in the orbiter's aft compartment are continuing today. Dry ice will be used to assist in chilling down the liquid hydrogen lines to assist in the detection of leak sources. No tanking test is scheduled for Columbia at pad A. It is more likely one will be planned for the orbiter once it is transferred to pad B following the launch of STS-41. APU number 1 will be removed from the orbiter this afternoon and transported to the OPF for installation into the orbiter Atlantis. Ordnance disconnect operations are scheduled for later this week. STS-38 -- Atlantis (OV-104) - OPF Bay 2 SCAPE operations over the weekend took longer than expected when thruster thermal barrier damage was noticed and repaired. The bay was opened for normal work this morning with continued leak checks in the main propulsion system and freon servicing on tap for today. The flash evaporator retest is scheduled for tomorrow. The orbiter is scheduled to be transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building early next month. The external tank, attached to the solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform in the Vehicle Assembly Building, is undergoing final closeouts this week.