yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (07/05/88)
KSC SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING REPORT FOR - Saturday, July 2, 1988
STS-26 - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - VAB
Preparations for rolling the Space Shuttle Discovery to
Launch Pad 39-B are proceeding on schedule for a first motion
12:01 a.m. Monday, July 4. In the VAB, workers are conducting
the last pieces of the of Shuttle Interface Test (SIT) which
began Tuesday night. Underway now are leak checks of the main
fuel and oxidizer lines between the external tank and Discovery.
In addition leak checks of the T-0 fuel and oxidizer quick
disconnects are underway.
After the leak checks, workers will verify the function of
the liquid hydrogen recirculation pump and then disconnect the
ground hydraulics system from the solid rocket boosters.
Later tonight, the orbiter's main engine service platforms
will be lowered to allow access for aligning the firex nozzles on
the mobile launcher platform. Deluge water to extinguish a fire
would get to the orbiter through the firex nozzles.
Closeouts of the all elements of the vehicle are active in
preparation for retracting the work platforms away from the
stack. The platforms will be retracted tomorrow in preparation
for the move.
Weather conditions look favorable for a roll to the pad at
the planned time. Shuttle managers will be keeping abreast of
weather patterns today and tomorrow.
The trip to the pad will take about six to seven hours and
the shuttle vehicle will be "harddown" by about 8 a.m. Monday.
Only the necessary amount of work will be conducted once the
shuttle arrives at the pad to give as many employees as possible
the fourth to July holiday off.
That work includes hooking up some of the orbiter's
environmental control systems such as purge air to maintain the
proper environment for the orbiter's onboard systems. The orbiter
access arm will be extended in place up to Discovery's crew
hatch. It is by way of this extendable walkway that the flight
crew and workers gain access to Discovery's crew module. The
external tank intertank access arm will also be extended. The
Rotating Service Structure is schedueld to be rotated around the
shuttle about eight hours after the shuttle arrives at the pad.
Power up pad validation testing will begin Tuesday morning.
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