# SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT: S06-012

**URL:** <https://www.forumastronautico.it/t/space-shuttle-processing-status-report-s06-012/4068>\
**Category:** Space Shuttle\
**Created:** [9 Aprile 2006, 7:32am UTC](https://www.forumastronautico.it/t/space-shuttle-processing-status-report-s06-012/4068 "2006-04-09T07:32:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![marcozambi](https://www.forumastronautico.it/user_avatar/www.forumastronautico.it/marcozambi/32/208660_2.png) [@marcozambi](https://www.forumastronautico.it/u/marcozambi)\
**Post date:** [9 Aprile 2006, 7:32am UTC](https://www.forumastronautico.it/t/space-shuttle-processing-status-report-s06-012/4068/1 "2006-04-09T07:32:29Z")

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04.07.06

Joe Pally  
Headquarters, Washington  
(202) 358-7239

Jessica Rye  
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.  
(321) 867-2468

STATUS REPORT: S-040706

NASA’S SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT

NASA’s space shuttle fleet is housed and processed at Kennedy Space  
Center, Fla.

Mission: STS-121 - 18th International Space Station Flight (ULF1.1) -  
Multi-Purpose Logistics Module  
Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103)  
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3  
Launch Date: Launch Processing Window July 1-19, 2006  
Launch Pad: 39B  
Crew: Lindsey, Kelly, Sellers, Fossum, Nowak, Wilson and Reiter  
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Final area closeouts continue in preparation for Discovery’s move to  
the Vehicle Assembly Building and then to the launch pad for its  
mission to the International Space Station. Technicians plan to power  
up Discovery on Saturday to support the aft area structural leak test  
and orbiter compartment positive pressure test.

Final cleaning operations of the environmental control and life  
support system bay continue in preparation for closeout prior to  
flight. Work continues on the nose and main landing gear prior to the  
final functional test.

Mission: STS-115 - 19th International Space Station Flight (12A) -  
P3/P4 Solar Arrays  
Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104)  
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1  
Launch Date: No earlier than Aug. 28, 2006  
Launch Pad: 39B  
Crew: Jett, Ferguson, Tanner, Burbank, MacLean and Stefanyshyn-Piper  
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Technicians continue performing powered-up system testing on Atlantis  
for its mission to the International Space Station. Water coolant  
loop servicing is complete following the replacement of the water  
coolant loop No. 2 pump package. Technicians also successfully  
performed compression testing on the water coolant pump.

The orbiter boom sensor system was installed in the payload bay of  
Atlantis on Monday. The 50-foot-long boom attaches to the remote  
manipulator system, or shuttle arm, and is one of the new safety  
measures added prior to the Return to Flight. It equips the orbiter  
with cameras and laser systems to inspect the space shuttle’s heat  
shield while in space.

Endeavour (OV-105)

Powered-up system testing continues on Endeavour in Orbiter Processing  
Facility Bay 2 following an extensive modification period. On  
Wednesday, technicians installed Endeavour’s reinforced carbon-carbon  
nose cap.

Endeavour’s external airlock was installed in the payload bay on  
Thursday. The airlock is located in the shuttle’s middeck and permits  
flight crew members to transfer from the middeck crew compartment  
into the payload bay for extravehicular activities in their space  
suits without depressurizing the orbiter crew cabin.

External Tank

Work is under way in the Vehicle Assembly Building checkout cell on  
the external tank that will fly with Discovery on mission STS-121.  
Last weekend, technicians removed and replaced the tank’s four liquid  
hydrogen engine cutoff sensors, which indicate whether the tank still  
has fuel during its climb to orbit. They also installed a new gaseous  
oxygen vent valve under the nose cap of the tank.

With the change out of the sensors complete, the access cover on the  
bottom of the tank called the “manhole” was reinstalled. On April 11,  
the tank will be lifted from the checkout cell and placed  
horizontally on the transporter in the transfer aisle. Once in the  
transfer aisle, technicians will reapply the thermal protection  
system foam that had to be removed in order to perform the sensor  
change out.

For previous space shuttle processing status reports on the Web,  
visit:

[http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle](http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle)

-end-

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