Endeavour Being Prepped For First Launch In Four Years

Officials with NASA updated ANN Friday on the status of the orbiters slated to fly the next two shuttle missions to the International Space Station... Ed.

Mission: STS-117 - 21st International Space Station Flight (13A) -
S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays
Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104)
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 Launch Date: Targeted for March 16, 2007 Launch Pad: 39A
Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Final vehicle closeouts are under way in preparation for technicians to move Atlantis to the Vehicle Assembly Building on February 7. This week, technicians worked to close out the forward reaction control system, the midbody and aft areas. The payload bay doors were cycled and closed for flight. The payload bay door strongbacks were removed Thursday. Final orbiter power down is scheduled for January 25.

Today, the external tank scheduled to fly with Atlantis, designated ET-124, was moved from the checkout cell in the Vehicle Assembly Building to be mated to the solid rocket boosters in high bay 1. Space Shuttle Program managers held a review on Tuesday and gave the "go ahead" to mate the tank with the boosters.

Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) -
S5 Truss Segment
Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105)
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2 Launch Date: Targeted for June 28, 2007 Launch Pad: 39A
Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Anderson Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Endeavour remains in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 and technicians continue preparing the vehicle for its first launch in just over four years. The vehicle has undergone an extensive modification period, including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety upgrades added to both Discovery and Atlantis.

This week, technicians completed main propulsion system leak, functional and electrical checkouts. Late Thursday, the first of three space shuttle main engines was installed. The other two engines were scheduled to be installed Friday.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/