yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (08/27/88)
Payload Status Report Kennedy Space Center Friday, August 26, 1988 George Diller TDRS-C (Discovery OV-103) PAST MILESTONES: The spacecraft arrived at the Vertical Processing Facility on May 16. The associated Inertial Upper Stage arrived on May 24. The TDRS/IUS mechanical mating was ac- complished on May 31. The TDRS/White Sands Compatability Test was completed on June 8. TDRS-C/IUS-7 electrical mate was ac- complished on June 9. The Interface Verification Test was com- pleted on June 14. End to end testing was successfully performed on June 21. The Mission Sequence Test was completed on June 24. Installation in the payload canister for a dwell period was per- formed July 8. The payload was removed and placed in a test cell on July 28 for a modification to the IUS airborne support equip- ment, and to replace bolt cutter ordnance cartridges associated with deployment of the solar panels and antennas. Changeout of the ordnance cartridges was completed July 31. The payload was transported to the launch pad and placed in the payload changeout room on August 15. THIS WEEK: State of Health checks for TDRS-C and IUS stand-alone test- ing were performed on Aug. 19, successfully concluded by mid- night. These tests affirmed that the payload test team should proceeed with further prelaunch preparations. The loading of Hydrazine--the station keeping and attitude control propellant aboard the spacecraft--was performed on Tues- day, August 23. The operation, including initial pressurization of the satellite's two fuel tanks with gaseous nitrogen, was com- plete at 10:40 p.m. The final pressurization was performed on Wednesday, Aug. 24. On Saturday, the first set of ordnance is scheduled to be installed on the Inertial Upper Stage. The ordnance is part of the mechanism which allows the springs of the airborne support equipment to release the payload from Discovery. Safe-and-arm ordnance will also be installed on the first stage, to assure that the IUS cannot ignite until planned for ignition. Other IUS ordnance will be installed later after the spacecraft is placed in the payload bay. KSC payload and launch vehicle management have given a "go" for IUS/TDRS installation, scheduled tenta- tively for Monday, Aug. 29. TDRS-C/IUS-7 con't FORECAST: The Interface Verification Test (IVT) is scheduled for Sep. 2, to check the payload electrical connections with the or- biter. The fimajor test, the "End-to-End" test, is scheduled for Sep. 6. This test assures that ground control stations can send basic commands via the orbiter to the IUS and TDRS and receive data back about their states of health. Final payload ordnance operations are scheduled for Sep. 23. TDRS-D (Discovery OV-103) TDRS-D is at the TRW plant in Redondo Beach, California. Spacecraft assembly and checkout continues on schedule. Shipment from Redondo Beach to KSC is scheduled for November. MAGELLAN (Atlantis OV-104) The spacecraft is at the Martin Marietta factory in Denver, Colorado. On Wednesday, Aug. 17, the spacecraft began nine days of In- tegrated Systems Testing which is scheduled to be complete today. These tests check most of Magellan's systems in parallel. The high gain antenna dish has been undergoing pattern testing at Martin Marietta's "near field antenna facility" which will con- tinue for another week. The Magellan radar element was returned to its manufacturer, Hughes Aircraft in El Segundo, Ca., where its X-band transmitter is being replaced. The radar will then be shipped directly to KSC. An engineering radar which has not been flight qualified is presently installed in the spacecraft. The last major test, the pre-ship acceptance test, will begin on Sep. 7. Magellan is scheduled to arrive on dock at KSC on or about Oct. 7. At the Kennedy Space Center, on Sep. 1, the full NASA-JPL- Martin Marietta-McDonnell Douglas test team will meet at the SAEF-2 spacecraft checkout facility where Magellan will receive final preparations. The Ground Operations Review for Magellan's SAEF-2 arrival and subsequent spacecraft operations will be held at KSC on Sep. 2.