SPACECRAFT AND EXPENDABLE VEHICLES STATUS REPORT<br />June 4, 2003<br /><br /><br />George H. Diller<br />Kennedy Space Center<br />321/867-2468<br /> <br />MISSION: Mars Exploration Rover (MER-A)<br />LAUNCH VEHICLES: Delta II<br />LAUNCH PAD: 17-A<br />LAUNCH DATE: June 8, 2003 <br />LAUNCH TIMES: 2:05:55 p.m. / 2:44:07 p.m. EDT<br /><br /><br /> The Flight Readiness Review for MER-A was held today in the<br />Mission Briefing Room at KSC. At its conclusion, NASA managers affirmed<br />Sunday, June 8 as the launch date for MER-A. The next major activity is the<br />fueling of the Delta second stage on Thursday, June 5 with its complement of<br />storable hypergolic propellants. The payload fairing was installed around<br />the spacecraft last weekend on Saturday, May 31.<br /><br /><br /> MER-A was hoisted atop the Delta II rocket at Pad 17-A on May 27.<br />A state of health check was successfully completed on May 28. The Flight<br />Program Verification, an integrated vehicle/spacecraft test and the final<br />major test before the launch, was completed on May 29.<br /><br /><br /> The Delta first stage for MER-A was erected on Pad 17-A on April<br />23. The second stage erection was completed on April 28, and the fairing<br />was installed in the white room on April 30. The solid rocket booster<br />erection began on May 13 with the first set of three motors being attached<br />to the first stage. The second set of three was erected on May 14, and the<br />final set was hoisted into position on May 15. The Simulated Flight Test,<br />an electrical test of the vehicle's systems used during powered flight, was<br />successfully completed on May 21. <br /><br /><br />MISSION: Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B vehicle/MER-1 rover)<br />LAUNCH VEHICLE: Delta II Heavy<br />LAUNCH PAD: 17-B<br />LAUNCH DATE: June 25, 2003<br />LAUNCH TIMES: 12:38:16 a.m. / 1:19:19 a.m. EDT<br /><br /><br /> Fueling of MER-1 was completed on May 28. Spin balance testing<br />began the next day on May 29 and was completed May 30. Mating to the Delta<br />third stage (upper stage booster) took place on June 12. Transportation to<br />the launch pad is scheduled for June 16. <br /><br /><br /> The MER-B vehicle's first stage is on Pad 17-B. Erection of the<br />nine solid rocket boosters was completed May 22. The second stage was<br />hoisted atop the first stage on May 29. <br /><br /><br /> There are no issues or concerns at this time.<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. PDT<br /><br /><br /> The SCISAT spacecraft is completing final testing at the Canadian<br />Space Agency's David Florida Laboratories. Arrival of the spacecraft at<br />Vandenberg Air Force Base is currently scheduled for June 18.<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 23, 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 in early<br />August.<br /> <br /> The launch date has been moved forward four days to August 23. <br /><br /><br /> Project management of SIRTF for NASA is by the Jet Propulsion<br />Laboratory. The observatory was built for NASA by Lockheed Martin and Ball<br />Aerospace.<br /> <br /># # #