Space Shuttle Status Report

[Astronuc]

Discovery launched yesterday morning on the 23rd mission to ISS.
 
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html
 
Most subsequent missions are under review -
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_manifest.html

[Astronuc]

NASA approves Atlantis launch
Multi-national crew will deliver the European Columbus science module to the space station
BY MARK CARREAU
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

NASA on Friday authorized the launching of the shuttle Atlantis next week with a multi-national crew of seven astronauts trained to deliver the European Columbus science module to the international space station. The launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., is scheduled for Thursday December 6 at 3:31 p.m., CST. The countdown gets under way Monday night. The crew led by commander Steve Frick plans three spacewalks by U.S. and European astronauts to attach the school bus-sized Columbus module and its external experiment platforms to the station. The space agency's top spaceflight managers gave formal approval for the 11-day mission late Friday, following a daylong review of preparations at the Florida shuttleport. The European science compartment will be latched to the Harmony gateway module that was delivered to the station aboard the shuttle Discovery in late October. Earlier this week, space station commander Peggy Whitson and her crew found indications of a small leak in the area where Harmony was joined to the station's U.S. science module. Although additional leak checks are planned, engineers believe the leak measurement may be an instrument error. The station is equipped with a patch material and replacement seals. The seepage measurements were so small, that if confirmed are not high enough to interfere with the Atlantis flight.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5342960.html

[Astronuc]

ABC World News (12/6, story 7, 0:35, Gibson) reported, "NASA called off today's launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis because engineers found trouble with fuel gauges on the external tank, an issue that's caused other launches to be scrubbed." ABC's website adds, "The last four shuttle launch attempts have been plagued by wiring defects in the manufacturing of some sensors, which could lead them to falsely report the fuel tank was empty." The potential result of such a glitch is "an early engine shutdown before a shuttle reaches its proper orbit."  The AP adds, "Shuttle managers said the next launch attempt would be no earlier than Saturday. Atlantis is loaded with a European space station lab, Columbus, which has been waiting for years to fly to the international space station." Engineers think "the problem might be with an open circuit rather than the gauges themselves -- perhaps a spliced line or bad connector -- which would be easier to fix."

  Not good.

[Orstio]

NASA has decided to postpone to January 2008 the launch of Shuttle Atlantis mission STS-122 with the European Columbus Laboratory.
The December 2007 launch window will end later this week and today, it does not appear probable that a resolution to the sensor problems is reached by then, after one of the troublesome liquid hydrogen sensors failed again during fueling this morning.

[Astronuc]

Launch Target:
Feb. 7, 2008
2:45 p.m. EST

Orbiter:
Atlantis

Mission Number:
STS-122
(121st space shuttle flight)

Launch Window:
10 minutes

Launch Pad:
39A

Mission Duration:
11 days

Landing Site:
KSC

Inclination/Altitude:
51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Primary Payload:
24th station flight (1E), Columbus Laboratory
 
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts122/index.html

[Astronuc]

Endeavour cleared for March 11 liftoff.

The New York Times (3/1, Schwartz) reported, "NASA managers cleared the shuttle Endeavour for liftoff on March 11 to begin a 16-day mission to the International Space Station." The shuttle's upcoming "mission...involves bringing part of a new Japanese science module to the station and five space walks."

        Shuttle program Manager John Shannon called the mission a "long and complicated flight," according to the AP (2/29, Dunn). He also stated he was "amazed" in the turnaround from the landing of Atlantis to the launch of Endeavour, but Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA space operations chief, "stressed that no one is rushing." The flight will consist of five spacewalks and install the Kibo lab and the Canadian robot arm on the space station. Gerstenmaier also stated that, "instead of the usual 1-in-269 chance of a...piece of space junk critically penetrating the shuttle during its flight, the odds are now 1-in-259" due to the spy satellite that was recently shot down.

[Astronuc]

Suttle Endeavor's Landing Delayed; Next Opportunity at 8:39 on orbit 249.

Unstable weather in the Kennedy Space Center area forced flight controllers to pass on STS-123?s first landing opportunity.

The Spaceflight Meteorology Group continues to monitor weather conditions at and around the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Florida spaceport.

If flight controllers give STS-123 the go-ahead to land on the second opportunity, Orbit 249, Commander Dominic Gorie and Pilot Gregory H. Johnson will fire Endeavour?s thrusters at 7:33 p.m. EDT to begin the descent to Florida for a landing at 8:39 p.m.

STS-123 arrived at the station March 12, delivering the Japanese Logistics Module - Pressurized Section, the first pressurized component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency?s Kibo laboratory, to the station. The crew of Endeavour also delivered the final element of the station?s Mobile Servicing System, the Canadian-built Dextre, also known as the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator.

STS-123 has been the longest flight in Shuttle history.

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/216157main_sts123_factsheet.pdf

[SHJ]

...STS-123 has been the longest flight in Shuttle history...

Cool ...that's something this space-junkie didn't know.