SPACECRAFT AND EXPENDABLE VEHICLES STATUS REPORT
August 28, 2002
George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center
321/867-2468
MISSION: Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-J (TDRS-J)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA (AC-144)
LAUNCH SITE: Pad 36-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
LAUNCH DATE: November 20, 2002
LAUNCH WINDOW: 10:36 p.m. - 11:16 p.m. EST
The Atlas II launch vehicle is at the Lockheed Martin factory in Denver,
Colorado, undergoing final assembly, integration and testing. Centaur
engine No. 1 has been installed and Centaur engine No. 2 is undergoing
installation preparations. The arrival of the booster at Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station continues to be anticipated on October 8.
The TDRS-J spacecraft is undergoing testing at the factory and is planned
to arrive at Kennedy Space Center from the Boeing Satellite Systems plant
in El Segundo, California, on or about October 17.
MISSION: Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Pegasus XL
LAUNCH LOCATION: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
LAUNCH DATE: December 1, 2002
LAUNCH WINDOW: T-0: 11:00 a.m. EST (tentative)
SORCE is at the Orbital Space Systems Group spacecraft facility in Dulles,
Virginia, and will complete space environment testing this week. The
testing has gone satisfactorily to date. The spacecraft is scheduled to
arrive at Kennedy Space Center to begin final processing on October 25.
The Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL launch vehicle continues to undergo
buildup and testing at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Two Flight Simulation
Tests are scheduled while the vehicle is in California. Flight Simulation
No. 1 is scheduled for October 1 and will be followed by Flight Simulation
No. 2 on October 9.
The Pegasus is scheduled for ferry to Cape Canaveral using the Orbital
Sciences L-1011 aircraft on October 28.
Three Flight Simulation Tests are also planned at KSC prior to launch and
are scheduled to occur on November 1, November 8 and November 18.
MISSION: Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Pegasus XL
LAUNCH SITE: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
LAUNCH DATE: Under Review
LAUNCH WINDOW: TBD
The GALEX spacecraft is at the Orbital Space Systems Group facility in
Dulles, Virginia. Due to spacecraft problems found during thermal vacuum
testing of the spacecraft, shipment to KSC has been postponed while
troubleshooting and further testing and data analysis is performed.
In California at Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Pegasus XL launch vehicle
is ready for ferry to KSC on the Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft but is
predicated on the arrival of the spacecraft at KSC.
The launch has not been rescheduled at this time.
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