Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report - December 18, 2009
baa...@earthlink.net
George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george....@nasa.gov
STATUS REPORT: ELV-121809
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Spacecraft: Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V-401
Launch Pad: Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Date: Feb. 3, 2010
Launch Window: 10:53 - 11:53 a.m. EST
At the Astrotech payload processing facility, SDO solar arrays were
inspected and cleaned. Last weekend, SDO was moved to a fixture for
rotation from vertical to horizontal to undergo final mechanical work
and spacecraft cleaning. A spacecraft launch simulation was completed
at Astrotech Dec. 8.
On Dec. 13, SDO was cleaned and closeouts were performed in the
horizontal position for the final time. On Tuesday, spacecraft
closeouts began in preparation for soft storage and fueling
operations.
The Kennedy Space Center fueling and propulsion teams prepared for
fueling activities.
After undergoing preliminary testing, the Atlas and Centaur stages of
the Atlas V rocket were transported from the hangar at the Atlas
Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC), located south of Launch Complex
41, to the complex's Vertical Integration Facility on Dec. 15. Build
up of the Atlas V booster began Dec. 15.
Spacecraft: Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-P)
Launch Vehicle: Delta IV
Launch Pad: Launch Complex 37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Date: Feb. 25, 2010
Launch Time: TBD
The GOES-P satellite arrived at NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility from
its manufacturing plant in El Segundo, Calif., on Dec. 17. Upon
arrival, the spacecraft was offloaded and transported to the
Astrotech payload processing facility to begin prelaunch testing.
GOES-P was developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, or NOAA. NASA has contracted with Boeing to build and
launch the GOES-P spacecraft.
The NASA Launch Services Program at Kennedy is supporting the launch
in an advisory role. NASA spacecraft project management for GOES-P is
the responsibility of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. After
launch, once Boeing and NASA have completed on-orbit checkout and the
spacecraft is operational, it will be turned over to NOAA.
Previous status reports are available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/index.html
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