Thursday, January 13, 2011

NASA Slips Target Launch Date For Endeavour To April 19

NASA is moving the target date for the last launch of the orbiter Endeavour to April 19 to give engineers and technicians time to perform tests and modifications on its bullet-shaped external tank.

Liftoff time on April 19 is targeted for 7:48 p.m.

The move from April 1 will enable engineers to perform a propellant-loading test on the shuttle's 15-story external tank. Modifications also will be made to crack-prone support beams that booster the section that separates the upper and lower sections of the tan.

Small cracks were detected on support beams on shuttle Discovery's external tank after a Nov. 5 launch scrub. NASA since has returned Discovery to the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs and modifications.

The target date for Discovery's 39th and final flight was moved to Feb. 24 from Feb. 3 as a result. Liftoff time on Feb. 24 is set for 4:50 p.m.

The target dates were set today at a weekly shuttle program meeting.

Firm dates will be established after flight readiness reviews for either mission.

ABOUT THE IMAGE: Click to enlarge the NASA image of the agency's "meatball" insignia glistening a shade of green on Kennedy Space Center's Propellants North Administrative and Maintenance Facility in the Launch Complex 39 area. The environmentally friendly facility is slated to be NASA's second Platinum-rated by the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification system. It will be the space agency's first carbon-neutral facility, which means it will produce enough energy onsite from renewable sources to offset what it requires to operate. The facility consists of a two-story administrative building, which will house managers, mechanics and technicians who fuel spacecraft at Kennedy, and a single-story shop that will be used to store cryogenic fuel transfer equipment. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

4 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.