Mon, Oct 30, 2006
Aiming For Launch In Early December
In advance of a planned December 7 launch of the space shuttle
Discovery, NASA technicians are wrapping up work inside Kennedy
Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility in preparation for
rollover of the orbiter to the Vehicle Assembly Building on
Wednesday, November 1.
Once inside the massive building, Discovery will be mated to the
external tank and solid rocket boosters. Rollout of the entire
shuttle assembly to the seaside launch pad is scheduled for
November 8.
As Aero-News reported, NASA
hopes to launch Discovery one week sooner than originally planned,
in order to get the shuttle back to Earth before the Christmas
holiday. If the shuttle launches on December 7, it will do so at
9:38 pm EST -- the first night launch of a shuttle since the 2003
loss of Columbia.
During the STS-116 mission, Discovery will deliver the P5
integrated truss structure to the International Space Station,
continuing the assembly of the orbiting outpost. Scheduled to
launch aboard Discovery are astronauts William A. Oefelein, pilot;
Mark L. Polansky, commander; and mission specialists Robert L.
Curbeam, Joan E. Higginbotham, Nicholas J.M. Patrick, Sunita L.
Williams and the European Space Agency's Christer Fuglesang.
Williams will join Expedition 14 in progress to serve as a
flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, relieving
ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter.
NASA also reports the STS-116 crewmembers recently visited
Kennedy for the crew equipment interface test. The test is a
routine part of astronaut training and launch preparations, and
allows astronauts to get hands-on experience with the equipment and
flight hardware they'll use during the mission.
More News
Chaff Thin, narrow metallic reflectors of various lengths and frequency responses, used to reflect radar energy. These reflectors, when dropped from aircraft and allowed to drift d>[...]
“Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947. I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding>[...]
“Teaming up with the EAA and Berlin Express for this event in Cincinnati will give warbird fans a unique opportunity to see the aircraft that helped defend freedom and gave t>[...]
Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot>[...]
Aero Linx: The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission was created by the 1935 Legislature to oversee the development of aviation in the state. The Comm>[...]