Changes To Last Two Planned Shuttle Launches

NASA is planning to make some changes to the target launch dates for the last two scheduled space shuttle flights. Scientists with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, program recently decided to change out the current magnet in the particle physics experiment module that will be attached to the International Space Station to a longer lasting one.

This will take advantage of NASA's plan to extend station operations until at least 2020.

Because of the magnet change, space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, which will carry the AMS experiment to the station and was targeted to launch July 29, now is expected to launch no earlier than mid-November 2010. An exact target launch date hasn't yet been determined.

The AMS is designed to help study the formation of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter and antimatter by measuring cosmic rays.

Space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 mission currently remains targeted for its Sept. 16 launch date, but managers will continue to assess its readiness for flight and make changes as appropriate.

Space Shuttle Program managers are meeting at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, for space shuttle Atlantis' upcoming STS-132 mission.

The agency-level FRR is scheduled for May 5. During the 12-day mission, Atlantis and six astronauts will deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built Mini Research Module to the International Space Station.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the flight crew is taking part in an integrated ascent simulation.

Liftoff is targeted for May 14 at 2:20 p.m. EDT.

STS-131: Discovery closing in on ISS docking

Discovery is continuing to close the gap between herself and the International Space Station (ISS) for a Flight Day 3 rendezvous that will result in docking at 02:44am Central time. Bar the Ku band failure, Discovery is in great shape, and enjoyed a nominal ascent on Monday morning, according to opening MMT (Mission Management Team) reviews – which included one early debris event, relating to a potential tile liberation from the Rudder Speed Brake (RSB).

STS-131 Status:

Despite the loss of the Ku band Forward and Return links, Flight Day 2’s opening inspections of Discovery’s Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC) and Thermal Protection System (TPS), were completed within a nominal timeline.

Engineers on the ground followed the process via still images sent down on the S-Band link, while the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) will start their review once around six tapes – each containing several gigabytes of converted video footage – is downlinked to the ground via the ISS’ Ku assets.

Other tasks completed included EMU checkouts for the three EVAs of the mission, the Orbiter Docking System (ODS) centerline camera installation, NC-3 rendezvous OMS engine firing, and the ODS (Orbiter Docking System) extension and rendezvous tools checkout – prior to crew sleep, which began at 11:21 Central on Tuesday morning.

Flight Day 3 begins with crew wakeup scheduled for 19:21 Central, followed by several burns – including the TI burn scheduled for 00:08 Central time. Discovery and her crew will arrive below the ISS for the initiation of the R-bar Pitch Maneuver (RPM) at around 01:42 Central.

The RPM – Rbar denoting along the radius vector of the ISS, downward – allows the ISS crew to perform a high resolution photo survey of the lower surface TPS tiles to screen for ascent debris damage.

The nine minute maneuver – which involves the orbiter being commanded through a 360 degree back-flip – was debuted on STS-114’s Return To Flight mission, following months of planning by shuttle experts at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) and has been hailed as one of the major steps forward in ensuring the health of an orbiter prior to clearance being given for re-entry.

Opening DAT item of interest:

Even without the vast amount of imagery that would nominally be flooding down into the DAT office by now, the highly efficient team have still managed to clear several areas of the orbiter already.

“Full Coverage and Cleared Items: Starboard T0. Port OMS Black Tile Region. Starboard OMS Black Tile Region. Starboard Upper Carrier Panels 1, 5-9, 13-22. Port Upper Carrier Panels 1-13, 18-19, 21-22. Starboard Lower Carrier Panels 3, 6, 8-22. Port Lower Carrier Panels 1-6, 12-22,” noted a Tuesday DAT presentation – available on L2.

“TPS Items Missed/Partial Coverage but will be Picked up During RPM: Lower Starboard Carrier Panels 1-7. Lower Port Carrier Panels 7-11. Upper Starboard Carrier Panels 2-4, 10-12. Upper Port Carrier Panels 14-17, 20.

“TPS Items Requiring Look at Downloaded Video after Docking: Starboard Forward Fuselage. Port T0. Port Forward Fuselage.”

Ascent footage has also resulted in the first item of interest for evaluation, relating to what appears to be a liberation from the RSB, observed at 42 seconds into flight – as the vehicle was going supersonic.

“Debris event during accent at 42.229 MET (Mission Elapsed Time) from port upper RSB trailing edge. Appears to be tile loss,” added the DAT presentation which provided several slides on the RSB event.

“RPM imagery may provide some detail from aft views. Identified station assets with access to damage site. Two cameras have visibility to area.”

With RPM footage scheduled to arrive on the ground during Wednesday morning, a full evaluation of the area will be conducted by DAT.

They will also have a potential view of the liberation via the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) cameras that face aft during ascent. Footage will be available once the recording devices have been removed from the recovered boosters later this week.

“SRB Retrieval Status: Liberty Star and Freedom Star are in tow and expected at the dock Wednesday at 0800 and 1000 EDT respectively,” noted the NASA Test Director (NTD) report on L2. “Open Assessment is expected to begin on Thursday at 0700 EDT.”

It is unlikely a tile liberation on the RSB would be a problem for entry, given they are mainly used to provide ascent heating protection.

Opening Ascent Report:

The veteran orbiter’s performance during ascent was completely nominal, per the opening ascent report – one of several reports which review the propulsion systems used for the eight and a half minute ride to orbit.

“The STS-131 mission was launched at 095/10:21:24.992 GMT on April 5, 2010, on the thirty-third Space Shuttle Program (SSP) mission to the ISS, and the 38th flight of the OV-103 (Discovery) vehicle,” noted the ascent report (L2).

“SRB separation was visible. A nominal Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) assist maneuver was performed following SRB separation. Ignition occurred at 095/10:23:41.0 GMT (00/00:02:16.0 Mission Elapsed Time (MET)), and cutoff for the maneuver was 095/10:25:25.6 (00/00:04:00.6 MET). The maneuver was 104.6 sec in duration.

“MECO occurred at 095/10:29:49 GMT (00/00:08:24 MET). The ET separated from the Orbiter at 095/10:30:10 GMT (00/00:08:45 MET).”

Once on orbit, Discovery continued to perform well, bar a transducer on the Main Propulsion System (MPS) Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) inlet pressure measurement failing Off Scale Low (OSL). This issue holds no mission impact.

“A nominal OMS-2 maneuver was performed at 095/10:58:39.6 GMT (00/00:37:15.6 MET). The maneuver was a dual engine firing that was 128.4 sec in duration with a differential velocity (ΔV) of 196.9 ft/sec. The achieved orbit was 31.6 by 123.6 nmi,” the report continued.

“Just prior to Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) 3 start, the MPS LH2 inlet pressure measurement began behaving erratically at 095/10:21:15 GMT and eventually went to Off-Scale Low (OSL) (on orbit). The loss of these data remains no concern for the remainder of the flight.

“The payload bay doors were opened at 095/11:52:01 GMT (00/01:30:36 MET). The Ku-Band antenna was deployed and the self-test was performed. The approval for On-Orbit operations was given the crew at 095/11:53 GMT (00/01:32 MET).”

This article will be updated during the Flight Day, with another article outlining the specifics of the Fuel Cell 2 and Ku Band MER (Mission Evaluation Room) findings.

Source:- http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/04/sts-131-discovery-iss-rsb-liberation-during-ascent/

India To Cut Satellite Launch Cost By Half

India plans to cut satellite launch cost by half with the heavy-lift rocket that it is developing, a senior space department official said. The country is also aiming a two-to-three fold increase in the number of spacecraft launches from this year, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation K Radhakrishnan said.

GSLV-Mk III that ISRO is developing now would bring down the satellite launch cost at least by half, at present, the launch cost is pegged at around USD 20,000 per kilogram, he said.

GSLV-Mk III, which would have the capability to launch satellites of four tonne class, nearly twice the mass that ISRO can currently carry to space, is expected to be operational in next two-three years.

Delivering the inaugural lecture of IIScAA (Indian Institute of Science Alumni Association) here last evening, he said India currently has 211 communication transponders, including 195 operational.

"We need to go up to 500 (transponders) by 2014," Radhakrishan, also Secretary in the Department of Space and Space Commission Chairman, said.

Radhakrishnan said ISRO has so far been launching two to three satellites per year, but from this year the Bangalore headquartered space agency plans to launch six to eight satellites.

"We are augmenting capacity like two-three fold increase in terms of missions (per year)," he said.

He said ISRO is also developing a heavy cryogenic engine and stage, almost three-times what it would use in GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) that it proposed to launch in the middle of this month.

As part of efforts to lower cost of access to space, ISRO is developing semi-cryogenic engine, replacing liquid hydrogen with purified kerosene, bringing down the launch cost price "drastically".

In 2013, ahead of India's human space flight planned for 2015-16, ISRO plans to put an unmanned crew module on board a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, Radhakrishnan said.

He also said ISRO is working on a mission to Mars, adding that advanced space-faring nations like US and Russia are eyeing human habitation in Mars from 2030 onwards.

"For them, moon is not an end by itself, but means to reach Mars and have human habitat there. They are devising new transportation systems to reach Moon and Mars," he said.

"There are various strategies for reaching Mars. It's a 250 day journey (for Mars). We are working on it. The years 2013, 2016 and 2018 offers good opportunity for ISRO to launch Mars mission," he added.

Source: Press Trust of India

Shuttle glitch as Discovery antenna packs up

A crucial antenna on the space shuttle Discovery failed to operate Monday when it reached orbit, complicating docking procedures with the International Space Station, NASA said.

The US space agency said the loss of the Ku-band communications antenna was no cause for alarm as the shuttle had other methods of communicating with the ground and multiple back-up systems for the radar system used for docking.

"The dish-shaped antenna is used for high data rate communications with the ground, including television, and for the shuttle's radar system that is used during rendezvous with the International Space Station," the statement said.

"Discovery can safely rendezvous and dock with the station and successfully complete all of its planned mission objectives without use of the Ku-Band antenna, if needed."

The shuttle also has S-band and UHF antennae that can transmit voice and data information on different wavelengths to NASA officials at mission control in Houston, Texas.

The International Space Station has its own Ku-band system for transmitting television images to the ground and that can be used to transmit views of the shuttle after it has docked, NASA said.

"Flight controllers are continuing to troubleshoot the problem with Discovery's Ku-band antenna while also formulating plans to conduct the mission without use of the shuttle Ku system if necessary," the statement said.

NASA said the Ku antenna is also normally used for inspections on the second day of missions to determine if there has been any damage to the shuttle reaching orbit.

"If the Ku still is not working tomorrow, the crew will record all of the inspection video and play it back after docking with the station, using the station's Ku antenna," the space agency said.

"The crew will monitor the video in real time tomorrow and will note the time stamps of any areas of concern."

Discovery blasted off Monday toward the International Space Station, for a historic mission that put more women in orbit than ever before and two Japanese astronauts in space simultaneously for the first time.

NASA had earlier described Monday's dawn launch as nearly "picture perfect" with officials expressing satisfaction about the relative absence of debris that might have risked damaging the shuttle.

Discovery's arrival at the International Space Station is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday and will be one of the final missions for the shuttle program, which will be shuttered later this year.

Discovery blasts off for International Space Station

Space shuttle Discovery’s engines ignited at 6:21 a.m. EDT Monday, April 5, for liftoff of the STS-131 mission from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The seven-member crew will deliver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the International Space Station’s laboratories.
The crew also will switch out a gyroscope on the station’s truss, install a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior. STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission.

Russian spacecraft docks at orbiting station

A Russian space official says a Soyuz craft carrying an American and two Russian astronauts has docked successfully at the International Space Station.

Russia's Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin says the spacecraft hooked up with the orbiting station using an automatic docking system at 9:26 a.m. Moscow time (0526 GMT) Sunday.

The Soyuz was launched Friday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

California native Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Russians Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko are joining the station's three current inhabitants.

Within three days, a seven-person crew aboard the Shuttle Discovery will dock at the station for a 13-day mission. During this period, four women will be in space at the same time, which is a first in history.

NASA Sets Discovery's Launch Date for April 5

A few days ago, as engineers at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in Cape Canaveral, Florida, were conducting tests on space shuttle Discovery, they noticed some problems with a number of valves, which appeared unable to close when commanded to do so. Manual overrides did the job, and so the team set out to investigate the cause of the malfunction. But mission managers had no way of knowing how long this was going to take, and so the orbiter's launch date was doubtful. A meeting that took place yesterday cleared the last remaining concerns, Space reports.

According to officials at NASA, the space shuttle is fit to fly on its originally-planned date of April 5, after engineers gave the go-ahead. The new flight, STS-131, will be the first of the final series of space flights the aging shuttle fleet is scheduled to perform. Only five missions to the International Space Station (ISS) were scheduled for 2010, and Endeavor already completed one earlier this year, when it delivered the Tranquility module and the seven-windowed Cupola observations dome to the facility.

“After looking at all the testing on it, we're very confident that the system will work as designed,” told reporters on Friday John Shannon, who is the shuttle program manager at NASA. The glitch that threatened Discovery's launch date was discovered in one of the shuttle's helium valves. The device is located at the back of the spacecraft, and it plays a crucial role in pressurizing the aft-mounted thrusters. The valve remained opened at all times, despite shutdown commands sent to it from the KSC control center. After inspecting the lines closely, engineers say they are confident that Discovery will be ready for its flight in time.

The orbiter is scheduled to begin its penultimate flight at 6:21 am EDT (10:21 GMT) on April 5. Once docked to the orbital facility, it will deliver new supplies and equipment, as well as the last Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), Leonardo. Three extra-vehicular activities (EVA) will be performed during this mission, in which astronauts will use the Station's robotic arm (SSRMS) to maneuver a new ammonia tank assembly (ATA) into its position on the ISS. At the same time, they will collect the old tank, and place it into their shuttle's cargo bay, for a safe trip back home.

NASA and NOAA's GOES-O satellite successfully launched

The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O, soared into space today after a successful launch from Space Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The GOES-O spacecraft lifted off at 22:51 UTC on a Delta IV rocket. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-O satellite will improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world. The satellite is the second to be launched in the GOES N series of geostationary environmental weather satellites.

"All indications are that GOES-O is in a normal orbit, with all spacecraft systems functioning properly," stated Andre Dress, GOES deputy project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "We are proud of our support teams and pleased with the performance of the Delta IV launch vehicle."

Approximately 4 hours and 21 minutes after launch, the spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle. The Universal Space Network Western Australia tracking site in Dongara monitored the spacecraft separation.

On July 7, GOES-O will be placed in its final orbit and renamed GOES-14. Approximately 24 days after launch, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems will turn engineering control over to NASA. About five months later, NASA will transfer operational control of GOES-14 to NOAA. The satellite will be checked out, stored in orbit and available for activation should one of the operational GOES satellites degrade or exhaust its fuel.

Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

NASA contracted with Boeing to build and launch the GOES-O spacecraft. NASA's Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida supported the launch in an advisory role. NOAA manages the GOES program, establishes requirements, provides all funding and distributes environmental satellite data for the United States. Goddard procures and manages the design, development and launch of the satellites for NOAA on a cost-reimbursable basis.

Video: Behind the Scenes at the GOES-O Launch Pad

NASA is preparing for the launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-O (GOES-O) from Space Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The GOES-O launch is targeted for June 26 during a launch window from 6:14 to 7:14 p.m. EDT. GOES-O will contribute the data needed for accurate NOAA forecasts for severe weather, including hurricanes that threaten at least 35 million Americans living in areas vulnerable to land-falling hurricanes.

Watch the launch live at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more info: http://www.nasa.gov/GOES-O
http://www.noaa.gov

NASA uncovers cause of shuttle delay

Engineers from the US space agency NASA think they have discovered the cause of a hydrogen leak which twice delayed a high-profile shuttle launch this month, according to the agency. It may now be all systems go for the space shuttle Endeavour, which is waiting to embark on its final mission to the International Space Station, after a dodgy gas line connection was uncovered during tests.

Engineers from the US space agency NASA think they have discovered the cause of a hydrogen leak which twice delayed a high-profile shuttle launch this month, according to the agency.

It may now be all systems go for the space shuttle Endeavour, which is waiting to embark on its final mission to the International Space Station, after a dodgy gas line connection was uncovered during tests.

NASA program manager John Shannon said a misaligned plate linking the hydrogen gas vent line with the external fuel tank had been causing the leak, which was first detected during fueling.

The Endeavour is set to carry a seven-member crew on a 16-day voyage to install a platform on the ISS, allowing astronauts to conduct experiments in the vacuum of space, 350 kilometers (220 miles) above Earth's surface.

To install the equipment five space walks are planned, lasting some 32 and a half hours.

It is the last of three missions to assemble the Japanese Kibo laboratory aboard the orbiting space station.

The race is on to finish construction before NASA ends its shuttle missions in September 2010.

"Technicians are preparing to test the repair plan by filling Endeavour's external tank with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the next week and a half," NASA said in a statement.

Another launch attempt is scheduled for July 11.

NASA Returning to the Moon with First Lunar Launch in a Decade

NASA's LRO and LCROSS spacecraft on top of the Atlas V rocket launch from Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance/Pat Corkery

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launched at 5:32 p.m. EDT Thursday aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The satellite will relay more information about the lunar environment than any other previous mission to the moon.

The orbiter, known as LRO, separated from the Atlas V rocket carrying it and a companion mission, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and immediately began powering up the components necessary to control the spacecraft. The flight operations team established communication with LRO and commanded the successful deployment of the solar array at 7:40 p.m. The operations team continues to check out the spacecraft subsystems and prepare for the first mid-course correction maneuver. NASA scientists expect to establish communications with LCROSS about four hours after launch, at approximately 9:30 p.m.

"This is a very important day for NASA," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington, which designed and developed both the LRO and LCROSS missions. "We look forward to an extraordinary period of discovery at the moon and the information LRO will give us for future exploration missions."

The spacecraft will be placed in low polar orbit about 31 miles, or 50 kilometers, above the moon for a one year primary mission. LRO's instruments will help scientists compile high resolution three-dimensional maps of the lunar surface and also survey it at many spectral wavelengths. The satellite will explore the moon's deepest craters, exploring permanently sunlit and shadowed regions, and provide understanding of the effects of lunar radiation on humans.

"Our job is to perform reconnaissance of the moon's surface using a suite of seven powerful instruments," said Craig Tooley, LRO project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "NASA will use the data LRO collects to design the vehicles and systems for returning humans to the moon and selecting the landing sites that will be their destinations."

High resolution imagery from LRO's camera will help identify landing sites for future explorers and characterize the moon's topography and composition. The hydrogen concentrations at the moon's poles will be mapped in detail, pinpointing the locations of possible water ice. A miniaturized radar system will image the poles and test communication capabilities.

"During the 60 day commissioning period, we will turn on spacecraft components and science instruments," explained Cathy Peddie, LRO deputy project manager at Goddard. "All instruments will be turned on within two weeks of launch, and we should start seeing the moon in new and greater detail within the next month."

"We learned much about the moon from the Apollo program, but now it is time to return to the moon for intensive study, and we will do just that with LRO," said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at Goddard.

All LRO initial data sets will be deposited in the Planetary Data System, a publicly accessible repository of planetary science information, within six months of launch.

Goddard built and manages LRO. LRO is a NASA mission with international participation from the Institute for Space Research in Moscow. Russia provides the neutron detector aboard the spacecraft.

The LRO mission is providing updates via @LRO_NASA on Twitter. To follow, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/lro_nasa

For more information about the LRO mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/lro

Fuel Leak Again Postpones Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA postponed the launch of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission Wednesday because of a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the shuttle's external fuel tank.

Endeavour's next launch opportunity is July 11. This date comes after the end of an orbital sun-angle condition called a beta angle cut-out, which occurs between June 22 and July 10. The cut-out creates a thermal condition that prohibits shuttle and space station docked operations.

The gaseous hydrogen venting system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad. Wednesday's leak is similar to one that prevented Endeavour's launch on June 13.

The 16-day mission to the International Space Station will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.

Mission Commander Mark Polansky, who has a Twitter account named Astro_127, can be followed online at:

http://www.twitter.com/Astro_127

For information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For the latest information about the STS-127 mission and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

NASA And NOAA’S GOES-O Satellite Ready For Launch

GREENBELT, Md., (NASA) — NASA is preparing for the launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-O (GOES-O) from Space Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The GOES-O launch is targeted for June 26 during a launch window from 6:14 to 7:14 p.m. EDT.

“Launching GOES-O will contribute the data needed for accurate NOAA forecasts for severe weather, including hurricanes that threaten at least 35 million Americans living in areas vulnerable to land-falling hurricanes,” stated Steve Kirkner, GOES program manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Image credit: Artist’s concept of the GOES-O spacecraft.
Credit: NASA/Honeywell Tech Solutions, C. Meaney

GOES-O is the second spacecraft to be launched in the GOES N Series of geostationary environmental weather satellites. The GOES satellites continuously provide observations of 60 percent of the Earth including the continental United States, providing weather monitoring and forecast operations as well as a continuous and reliable stream of environmental information and severe weather warnings.

GOES-O joins a system of weather satellites that provide timely environmental information to meteorologists and the public. The GOES system provides data used to graphically display the intensity, path and size of storms. Early warning of impending severe weather enhances the public’s ability to take shelter and protect property.

GOES-O will be launched on board a United Launch Alliance Delta IV (4, 2) launch vehicle under an FAA commercial license contracted out through Boeing Launch Services. The satellite will be turned over to NASA after a successful checkout is completed by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, El Segundo, Calif.

The current GOES operational system consists of GOES-12, operating as GOES East, and GOES-11, operating as GOES-West. GOES-13 is in an on-orbit storage mode nominally located at 105 west longitude. Once in orbit GOES-O will be designated GOES-14, checked out and then stored on-orbit and ready for activation should one of the operational GOES satellites degrade or exhaust their fuel.

NOAA manages the GOES program, establishes requirements, provides all funding and distributes environmental satellite data for the United States. NASA Goddard procures and manages the design, development and launch of the satellites for NOAA on a cost reimbursable basis. Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems built GOES-O.

Newly Renamed Commercial Spaceflight Federation Launches New Website

Washington, DC - Monday, June 15th, 2009 - The industry association of companies seeking to make commercial human spaceflight a reality has rolled out a new website and a new name. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation, previously known as the Personal Spaceflight Federation, instituted the changes after a review of the organization's messaging by industry leaders at a recent board meeting. The emphasis on commercial spaceflight recognizes the diverse business activities of the commercial human spaceflight industry, according to Bretton Alexander, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF). "There are so many uses for commercial access to space," said Alexander, "and we want to emphasize the broad cross-section of potential markets for our members' products and services."

The markets being pursued by commercial spaceflight companies include cargo and crew transportation to the International Space Station, flights of private individuals (so-called "space tourism"), science research missions, technology research and development, astronaut training, education and outreach activities, and national security applications.

"Even in this tough economic climate the commercial spaceflight industry is still growing and creating high-tech jobs - a lot of that comes from a new realization of how broadly these capabilities can be used," said CSF Executive Director John Gedmark. "Our companies are onthe forefront of major innovation, and through our new website people will be hearing much more about that in the months to come. We're looking forward to a steady stream of exciting developments in the commercial spaceflight sector in these critical next few years."

Source: Commercial Spaceflight Federation

Shuttle Teams Make Leak Repairs, Consider Launch Options

NASA managers will make a final decision by Monday afternoon about whether to launch space shuttle Endeavour on Wednesday, June 17 or wait until later in the week.

Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are working to fix a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside Endeavour's external fuel tank. The leak postponed Endeavour's Saturday morning scheduled launch to the International Space Station. Teams on Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A are in the process of changing out internal seals in the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, which is attached to the external tank. The vent line runs from the GUCP, away from the launch pad to a "flare stack" where excess hydrogen is safely burned off.

Managers met Sunday afternoon to evaluate how repairs are going and assess when Endeavour's next launch attempt will be. The earliest the shuttle could be ready for liftoff is June 17, however there is a conflict on that date with the scheduled launch of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

NASA managers are looking to maximize launch opportunities this week for both the shuttle and the LRO/LCROSS missions. If there are no issues with Endeavour's repair work, the shuttle would attempt to launch on June 17 and LRO/LCROSS would have launch opportunities on June 19 and 20. If Endeavour doesn't launch on June 17 and LRO/LCROSS launches on that day, the shuttle could make a launch attempt on June 20.

Endeavour's leak is similar to what happened during the first launch attempt of space shuttle Discovery's STS-119 mission in March. Technicians are using the same repair method, which led to Discovery's successful launch on its next attempt.

South Korea completes space centre for rocket launch

South Korea has completed a space centre which will be used to send a satellite into orbit from its own territory for the first time, officials said Wednesday.

Education, Science and Technology Minister Ahn Byong-Man said the government would hold a ceremony on Thursday to celebrate the opening of the Naro Space Centre in Goheung, 475 kilometres (300 miles) south of Seoul.

The centre, which cost 312 billion won (250 million dollars), will on July 30 launch the KSLV-1 rocket, which will put a satellite into orbit.

South Korea has already launched 10 satellites using overseas launch sites.

The rocket, which cost 502.5 billion won, will be the first space vehicle launched from South Korean soil.

Its Russian-built first-stage thruster will arrive next week, Ahn said. Russia also helped design the launch pad. South Korean engineers built the rocket's second stage and the satellite.

"The Naro centre will be the hub for our space development," Ahn told reporters.

Seoul's rival North Korea in April fired a long-range rocket for what it called a peaceful satellite launch.

Other nations said no satellite was detected and the exercise was a disguised test of a long-range missile.

The United Nations Security Council condemned the launch and tightened sanctions, prompting Pyongyang to quit a nuclear disarmament deal and to stage its second atomic test.

A Closer Look at the Max Launch Abort System

The test launch of the Max Launch Abort System, or MLAS from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility has been delayed to no earlier than 20 June due to weather issues. Here's a look at the vehicle itself courtesy of NASA and what it is supposed to accomplish.

Mission Information

The NASA Constellation Program is developing an astronaut escape system for its Orion spacecraft, designed to carry humans to the International Space Station by 2015 and to the lunar surface by 2020. In a parallel effort, another NASA team, led by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), is preparing to demonstrate an alternate escape system to explore different technological approaches to the same task.

The alternate escape system, called Max Launch Abort System (MLAS), is a risk mitigation effort on behalf of Orion. MLAS was named after Maxime (Max) Faget, a Mercury-era pioneer. Faget was the designer of the Project Mercury Capsule and holder of the patent for the "Aerial Capsule Emergency Separation Device," which is commonly known as the escape tower.

While the Orion launch abort system has a single solid launch abort motor in a tower positioned above the Orion Crew Module, the MLAS concept for an operational vehicle would have four or more solid rocket motors attached inside a bullet-shaped composite fairing. Both are designed to propel the crew module and associated fairing from the Ares I Rocket in event of a launch emergency.

Test Vehicle Information

The MLAS demonstration vehicle consists of a full-scaled composite fairing, a full-scaled crew module simulator and four solid rocket abort motors mounted in the boost skirt with motor mass simulators in the forward fairing. The pad abort test doesn't actually begin until the seven second mark at burnout of the solid motors. Test points of interest are demonstration of unpowered flight along a stable trajectory, MLAS vehicle reorientation and stabilization, followed by crew module simulator separation from the MLAS fairing, stabilization and parachute recovery of the crew module simulator.

Because the MLAS flight test vehicle was not optimized for weight and parachute performance, there may be recontact between the elements of the test vehicle after the parachutes are fully deployed and after all the required data is collected. If recontact does occur it will not affect the MLAS test objectives, nor will it apply to Orion -- as the MLAS design and hardware are not representative of the current Orion design.

The MLAS flight test vehicle weighs over 45,000 lbs and is over 33 feet tall.

Participants

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center is located at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. It is an independently funded NASA program that uses a dedicated team of technical experts from across the NASA centers and beyond to provide objective engineering and safety assessments of critical, high risk projects.

The NESC has several partners in the MLAS effort. Northrop Grumman Corporation is supporting NESC's work to develop and conduct this demonstration. The company produced the MLAS fairing in their composites manufacturing facility in Gulfport, Miss.

Personnel based in Wallops Island, Va. will conduct structures and mechanism assembly as well as flight test support. A Northrop Grumman subcontractor Ensign Bickford Aerospace and Defense, Simsbury, Conn. will provide the pyrotechnic separation system mechanisms required. Jacobs Technology, Tullahoma, Tenn., and partner Airborne Systems, Santa Ana, Calif., are providing landing systems design and support, to include the coast skirt separation drogue parachute, the two forward fairing reorientation drogue parachutes and the two crew module drogue parachutes.

Launch Information

The MLAS test vehicle is scheduled for launch no earlier than the early morning of June 15, 2009.

Viewing the Launch

The launch will be visible in local Wallops area. Locally, the NASA Visitor Center on Va. Route 175 will be open to view the launch.

Information for Invited Guests

Launch guests are asked to RSVP by 5:00pm EST on Friday, June 5. In order to gain access to the launch guest viewing site, you must be on the approved guest list. Your RSVP will ensure you are placed on the list.

For those with NASA issued identification badges please bring your badge to gain entry on to Wallops Flight Facility. For those who do not have a NASA issued badge, identify this on your RSVP so a temporary access badge can be made for you. Allow sufficient time to pick up your temporary badge when planning your arrival time the morning of the launch. Temporary badges may be picked up at a location TBA.

On the day of launch, please arrive at the Wallops Flight Facility auditorium, building E-100, by 4:00am. Check in with the guest operations personnel upon your arrival. A short briefing on MLAS will be provided. Buses will then transport all guests from the auditorium to the viewing site. The buses will return to the auditorium immediately after the launch.

Launch Status

Prior to the start of the countdown on launch day, updates on the status of the launch will be provided on this web page and on the Wallops launch status line at 757-824-2050.
On the day of the launch updates will be provided on the status line and radio station 760 AM, which has a range of about 5 miles from the NASA Visitor Center.

Countdown status also will be available during the countdown on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops

Contact Information
For information about the launch, contact Rebecca Powell (757-824-1139) or Keith Henry (757-864-6120).

GOES-O Moves Ever Closer to Launch with Transport to the Delta IV Launch Pad

Launch target:
2009, June 26, 0314 PDT, Friday
2009, June 26, 0614 EDT, Friday
2009, June 26, 1014 UTC, Friday

15 days to launch

NASA GOES Program
NASA GOES-O Mission
NASA News Twitter
Wikipedia: GOES-O
NASA Launch Schedule
National Weather Service, Southeast Sector, Base Reflectivity
National Weather Service, Melbourne Florida, Hourly Weather Forecast Graph

GOES-O is an American weather satellite, which is part of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system. It is currently scheduled to be launched aboard a Delta IV-M+(4,2) rocket on 12 May 2009, from Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The spacecraft was built by Boeing, and is based on the BSS-601 bus. It is the second of three GOES satellites to use the BSS-601 bus, after GOES-13, which was launched in May 2006.

The Satelite is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral on June 26 2009.

Image above: The GOES-O spacecraft, encapsulated in the Delta IV fairing, was rolled out of the Astrotech Facility, Titusville, Fla. and transported to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) on June 7, 2009. Photo credit: NASA

Image above: Technicians enclose the payload fairing over the GOES-O spacecraft at the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Fla. The fairing is a nose cone that protects the satellite from atmospheric heating as the Delta IV rocket launches into space. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
› View Hi-res Image

LRO/LCROSS Launch Moves Forward

The launch and mission teams for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Spacecraft missions met on Wednesday in Florida for the Flight Readiness Review, or FRR.

The teams announced that there are no major issues or concerns to hamper launch at this time.

Final spacecraft closeouts are underway at the launch pad and countdown dress rehearsal activities are planned for all day Thursday.

A Launch Readiness Review, or LRR, is scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m. EDT. A prelaunch news conference will be held after the LRR and is planned for 1 p.m. EDT. The briefing will be broadcast live from the news center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on NASA TV.

Image above: Technicians completed connections between the LRO and LCROSS spacecraft and the Atlas V rocket at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis



Mission Overview
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Spacecraft will fly to the moon atop the same Atlas V rocket, although they will use vastly different methods to study the lunar environment. LRO will go into orbit around the moon, turning its suite of instruments towards the moon for thorough studies. The spacecraft also will be looking for potential landing sites for astronauts.

LCROSS, on the other hand, will guide an empty upper stage on a collision course with a permanently shaded crater in an effort to kick up evidence of water at the moon's poles. LCROSS itself will also impact the lunar surface during its course of study.

Liftoff currently is scheduled for June 17 at 3:51 p.m. EDT. There are two more launch opportunities that day at 4:01 p.m. and 4:11 p.m.

Additional Resources
› LRO Fact Sheet
› LRO/LCROSS Press Kit
› LRO/LCROSS Launch Coverage Events