khayo@sonia.math.ucla.edu (Eric Behr) (04/28/88)
Hi; there's not much traffic - I'm posting recent news from
NASA's SpaceLink BBS (205 895 0028). I hope they and you don't
mind; it may be of some interest to the shuttle maniacs among
us. Latest (for mortals, that is) manifest in the next article.
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NASA SPACELINK
Operated by the Marshall Space Flight Center
On a Data General ECLIPSE MV7800 Minicomputer
Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Processing Reports
Monday, April 25, 1988
STS-26 - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - OPF BAY 1
Over the weekend technicians performed an interface
verification check of the right hand orbital maneuvering system
(OMS) pod, and an OMS gimbal profile check was conducted on
Friday.
The Ku-band antenna is scheduled to be deployed today in
preparation for pre-flight checkout. Checks of the closed circuit
televisions are continuing this week. Later this week technicians
are scheduled to install heat shields for Discovery's main
engines.
Orbiter midbody closeouts and installation of the nose
landing gear thermal barriers are ongoing in preparation for
rolling the orbiter over to the Vehicle Assembly Building next
month.
STS-27 - ATLANTIS (OV 104) - OPF BAY 2
Powered down operations are scheduled today due to the
periodic launch simulation being conducted today. The use of
Firing Room three is required for the launch simulation which
precludes using it for power up orbiter testing.
Preparations to install the oxidizer tanks for the power
reactant storage and distribution system are scheduled today.
Checkout of the brake anti-skid system is planned this week along
with tests of the orbiter's flight controls. Orbiter modifications
are continuing as scheduled this week.
STS-28 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - OMRF
Orbiter power down modifications scheduled this week include
crew escape, structural inspections in the midbody and the
17-inch external tank disconnect valve modification.
STS-26 SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS - VAB/RPSF
Operations to mate the left forward center segment to the
left aft stack on the mobile launcher are underway in the VAB.
Over the weekend technicians greased the left forward center
segment's tang and clevis and installed the o-rings and j-seal
adhesive. The field joint assembly fixture (FJAF) required to
connect the redesigned segments was also installed.
In the RPSF, repairs were made to unbonded areas on the right
aft booster, right aft center segment and the segment used
for the Assembly Test Article. Today technicians are scheduled to
offload the right forward center segment from the railcar and
begin receiving inspections.
Tuesday, April 26, 1988
STS-26 - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - OPF BAY 1
Leak checks of the main propulsion system are scheduled this
week in preparation for the helium signature test of the main
engines planned for next week. Preparations are also underway
today for the main engine frequency response test scheduled for
later in the week. This test verifies that various components in
the main engines perform as commanded.
Installation of the orbiter's galley is planned for today in
support of the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) planned for
this weekend. The CEIT test is a routine pre-flight opportunity
for members of the flight crew to become familiar with the
orbiter, the middeck lockers and any mission peculiar equipment.
The nose landing gear wheels have been installed for flight
and operations to install the thermal barrier are ongoing.
Testing of the Ku-band antenna is another operation scheduled
today.
STS-27 - ATLANTIS (OV 104) - OPF BAY 2
Operations to install the modified 17-inch external tank
disconnects are underway today. Preparations are continuing to
install the oxidizer tanks for the power reactant storage and
distribution system. Orbiter modifications are continuing as
scheduled.
STS-28 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - OMRF
Powered down orbiter modifications scheduled this week
include crew escape, structural inspections and operations for
the modified 17-inch external tank disconnect.
STS-26 SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS - VAB/RPSF
Yesterday, technicians connected the left forward center
segment to the left aft stack and today will repair one unbond
area on the left aft center clevis. Inspecting the j-seal
bondline is planned for midnight. This involves lowering a
technician down the center of the segment to visually inspect the
bondline.
The left forward segment is scheduled to be moved from a
RPSF storage building to the Vehicle Assembly Building this
morning in preparation for mating on the left stack.
In the RPSF, the right forward center segment was offloaded
from the railcar yesterday and was placed in a test stand for
initial inspections. Pre-stacking operations are continuing on
the right hand solid rocket booster segments in the RPSF.
Ericeder@ssc-vax.UUCP (Dani Eder) (05/08/88)
Reading all those gory details of what is happening with the Shuttle parts reminds me of how shuttle 'processing' resembles nothing so much as 'final assembly' of a commercial airplane. In other words, the Space Shuttle is re-manufactured from used parts for each flight. It is dismantled, cleaned, checked, and reassembled, not unlike a used IBM selectric. No wonder it takes so long. It takes Boeing on the order of a month to take an airplane through final assembly. When you consider that the Shuttle has to be disassembled before it can be reassembled, then a three month cycle between launches isn't that bad. Dani Eder/Space Station Program