{"id":42135,"date":"2006-03-01T01:04:48","date_gmt":"2006-02-28T17:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/excited-about-going-down-to-the-wire\/"},"modified":"2006-03-01T01:04:48","modified_gmt":"2006-02-28T17:04:48","slug":"excited-about-going-down-to-the-wire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/excited-about-going-down-to-the-wire\/","title":{"rendered":"Excited about going down to the wire"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA managers are still hopeful they will make the May launch window for STS-121, while explaining they aren\u2019t yet in a position to announce an official launch date for Shuttle Discovery\u2019s mission to the International Space Station (ISS). <\/p>\n

A number of issues remain before the launch can be confidentily announced, not least the need for wind tunnel results on models of the PAL ramp-less External Tank (ET), the full scale flight version of which is currently heading to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) \u2013 set to arrive on Wednesday.
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Managers briefed the media today at KSC, in a conference that saw Shuttle head Wayne Hale explaining where the program currently stands with its processing flow towards the second test flight of the Space Shuttle, post STS-107. <\/font><\/p>\n

While NASA is aiming for a window of May 10, through to May 23 on the latest manifests, Hale emphasising the old adage that they won\u2019t launch unless it is safe to do so, admitting the lack of contingency days in the flow continue to stranglehold the confidence in announcing, officially, the May date.<\/font> <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u2018We will run right down to the wire,\u2019 said Hale, adding,'(but my) observation is the engineering will always go down to the wire, no matter what schedule you set out with.\u2019<\/font> \"\"<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Issues, such as finalising the gap filler replacement program on the TPS (thermal protection system) for all three orbiters, plus other issues \u2013 such as contamination found on SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) seals \u2013 will be continually assessed by program managers at their weekly PRCB (Program Requirements Control Board) meeting.<\/font> <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u2018We are going to review the May 10 launch date on Thursday (at the PRCB),\u2019 noted Hale. \u2018I suspect there are going to be some poke outs \u2013 and we\u2019ll see if we can mitigate them. <\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re going to have a very interesting discussion Thursday, but we\u2019re not going to announce a launch date.\u2019<\/font><\/p>\n

Self proclaimed as an aggressive schedule to make the May window, Hale remains optimistic it can be achieved.
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\u2018The workforce is working towards a May launch,\u2019 he said. \u2018The processing, the stacking of the SRBs, the ET, we think all of that is a somewhat aggressive target and that can met the window at the end of May. We\u2019re processing towards May. I remain optimistic.\u2019 <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Shuttle launch director at KSC Mike Leinbach agreed that the schedule is tight to make May, but while acknowledging the lack of contingency built into the schedule, he also has confidence in seeing Discovery lift off the pad in just a few months time. <\/font><\/p>\n

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\u2018This time when the ET turns up, it is in the critical path to get to a May launch window,\u2019 noted Leinbach, referring to the ET normally already being in the checkout cell in the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) much sooner in the flow than it will be for STS-121. <\/font><\/p>\n

\u2018We have no contingency in this path scheduled into it, (but) it\u2019s an exciting schedule, rather than aggressive. <\/font><\/p>\n

\u2018We feel pretty good about May in the schedule.\u2019<\/font><\/p>\n

Further articles will follow\u2026<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n

Stay up-to-date via our space flight specific forum<\/em><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NASA managers are still hopeful they will make the May launch window for STS-121, while explaining they aren\u2019t yet in a position to announce an official launch date for Shuttle Discovery\u2019s mission to the International Space Station (ISS). A number of issues remain before the launch can be confidentily announced, not least the need for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42135"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42135\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}