SPACECRAFT AND EXPENDABLE VEHICLES STATUS REPORT<br />May 14, 2003<br /><br /><br />George H. Diller<br />Kennedy Space Center<br />321/867-2468<br /> <br />MISSION: Mars Exploration Rover (MER-2)<br />LAUNCH VEHICLES: Delta II/Delta II Heavy<br />LAUNCH PADS: 17-A<br />LAUNCH DATES: June 5<br />LAUNCH TIMES: 2:16 p.m. / 2:55:29 p.m. EDT<br /><br /><br /> Mating of the MER-2 entry vehicle to the cruise stage was<br />completed on May 7. The spacecraft has completed its weight and center of<br />gravity determination and underwent its initial spin balance testing. On<br />May 11 the spacecraft was fueled. Tomorrow night, May 15, will be second<br />spin test now that the spacecraft is fueled.<br /><br /><br /> During routine testing of the cruise stage and the MER-2 rover<br />over the weekend, an unexpected measurement in the rover's power system was<br />observed. Troubleshooting is under way but it is not expected to delay the<br />schedule of planned pre-launch spacecraft preparations at this time. <br /><br /><br /> The mission will have two launch opportunities each day during the<br />launch period, which is scheduled to close on June 19. Arrival at Mars is<br />set for Jan 4, 2003, regardless of the launch date within that period.<br /> <br /> On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the solid rocket booster<br />erection begins today with the first three set of motors being attached to<br />the first stage, the second set of three will be erected on Thursday, May<br />15, and the final set will be hoisted into position on Friday, May 16. The<br />first stage was erected on Pad 17-A on Wednesday, April 23. The second<br />stage erection was completed on Monday, April 28 and the fairing was hoisted<br />into the white room on April 30. The Simulated Flight test of the first<br />stage was successfully completed May 9. The spacecraft is scheduled to be<br />mated to the third stage in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF)<br />on May 23. MER-2 will be transported to the launch pad on May 27. <br /><br /><br />MISSION: Mars Exploration Rover (MER-2)<br />LAUNCH VEHICLE: Delta II Heavy<br />LAUNCH PAD: 17-B<br />LAUNCH DATE: June 25, 2003<br />LAUNCH TIME: 12:38:16 a.m. / 1:19:19 a.m. EDT<br /><br /><br /> On MER-1, rover installation onto the base petal and lander air<br />bag installation were completed on May 9. The operation to install the<br />backshell over the lander begins tonight and is scheduled to be complete on<br />Friday. Full integration of the MER-1 entry vehicle (back shell, heat<br />shield, lander and rover) is to be completed by May 21 and followed by<br />mating the entry vehicle to the cruise stage.<br /><br /><br /> The MER-B vehicle's first stage is on Pad 17-B and the solid<br />rocket boosters will be erected May 19-24; the second stage will be hoisted<br />atop the first stage on May 28. <br /><br /><br />MISSION: SCISAT-1/Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment<br />LAUNCH VEHICLE: Pegasus XL<br />LAUNCH FACILITY: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California<br />LAUNCH DATE: NET July 25, 2003<br />LAUNCH TIME: 10:36:55 p.m. - 11:34:04 p.m.<br /><br /><br /> The SCISAT spacecraft is completing final testing at the Canadian<br />Space Agency's David Florida Laboratories. The pre-ship review prior to<br />transportation of the spacecraft to Vandenberg Air Force Base is to be held<br />near the end of the month.<br /><br /><br /> SCISAT-1 weighs approximately 330 pounds and will be placed in a<br />400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the<br />distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. <br /><br /><br /> Meanwhile, the Pegasus XL rocket is undergoing prelaunch<br />preparations at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California by Orbital Sciences<br />Corporation.<br /><br /><br /> The scientific mission of SCISAT-1/ACE (Atmospheric Chemistry<br />Experiment) mission is to measure and understand the chemical processes that<br />control the distribution of ozone in the Earth's atmosphere, particularly at<br />high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and<br />international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone<br />processes and help policy makers assess existing environmental policy and<br />develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere,<br />preventing further zone depletion. The mission is designed to last two<br />years.<br /><br /><br />MISSION: Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF)<br />LAUNCH VEHICLE: Delta II Heavy<br />LAUNCH PAD: 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station<br />LAUNCH DATE: August 27, 2003 <br />LAUNCH TIME: TBD<br /><br /><br /> The SIRTF observatory is in NASA's class 10,000 laminar flow clean<br />room at spacecraft Hangar AE awaiting its return to the launch pad,<br />currently anticipated to occur in mid-August. <br /><br /><br /> Project management of SIRTF for NASA is by the Jet Propulsion<br />Laboratory. The observatory has been built for NASA by Lockheed Martin and<br />Ball Aerospace.<br /><br /><br /># # #