yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (02/13/90)
Monday February 12, 1990
KSC Space Shuttle Processing Status Report
(as of 11:00 a.m.)
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STS-36 -- Atlantis (OV 104) - Pad 39-A
On Saturday, mission managers at KSC concluded their Flight
Readiness Review and announced the target date of February 22 for
the launch of Atlantis on Space Shuttle mission STS-36. Launch of
the Department of Defense dedicated mission will occur during a
four hour period from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. EST.
Over the weekend at pad 39-A, workers finished the
connection of the high pressure fuel turbo pump on Atlantis'
number 3 main engine. Leak checks on the pump continues today.
Also, today the main engine Flight Readiness Test (FRT) is
in work and is expected to be concluded by midnight tonight.
Helium signature test preparations are underway today for
the helium signature test scheduled for Wednesday.
Heat shields on the main engines are being installed and aft
closeouts are expected to continue throughout the week.
Atlantis' five member crew for mission STS-36 are: Commander
John Creighton, Pilot John Casper, and Mission Specialists David
Hilmers, Richard Mullane and Pierre Thuot.
STS-31 -- Discovery (OV 103) - OPF Bay 2
In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, power on testing
of the vehicle continues. Work on the orbiter Discovery's main
landing gear wheels is proceeding and operations to install
brakes and wheels are continuing.
Discovery is scheduled for Space Shuttle mission STS-31 to
be launched April 1990. On this flight, the Hubble Space
Telescope will be deployed.
STS-35 -- Columbia (OV 102) - OPF Bay 1
In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, the hypergolic off
load has been completed on the orbiter Columbia. The radiator
deploy function test is underway and the helium tank venting is
also continuing. The lubrication oil reservicing operation is
complete and work on the external tank door disconnect is
finished. In the payload bay, a very small amount of LDEF debris
is being cleaned as preparations are underway to reconfigure the
bay for the Astro 1 payload scheduled for Columbia's next mission
in May 1990.