[meteorite-list] Deep Impact Update - December 9, 2004

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Dec 9 15:55:13 2004
Message-ID: <200412092054.MAA20296_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/2004/elvstatus-120904.html

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(321) 867-2468

12.09.04
STATUS REPORT: ELV-120904

EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLES STATUS REPORT

MISSION: Deep Impact
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Delta II 7925
LAUNCH PAD: Pad 17-B Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
LAUNCH DATE: Jan. 8, 2005
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1:39:50 and 2:19:12 p.m. EST instantaneous

In processing activities at the Astrotech Space Operations facility
located near Kennedy Space Center, the high-gain antenna used for Deep
Impact communications with Earth is being installed today. The solar
array panels successfully completed an illumination test on Wednesday as
a final check of their performance. On Friday, Dec. 10, the flight
battery will be installed. The solar arrays stowed for flight on Dec.
13. Deep Impact will then be ready to begin preparations for fueling,
which is scheduled to start on Dec. 16 and be completed on Dec. 19.
Mating to the payload attach fitting and upper stage booster occurs Dec.
22 - 23.

The spacecraft is currently scheduled to be transported to Pad 17-B on
Dec. 28 and mated to the Boeing Delta II rocket. The Flight Program
Verification, the major integrated test with the Delta II, occurs on
Dec. 30. The Delta II payload fairing will be installed around the Deep
Impact spacecraft on Jan. 4.

NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft arrived in Florida on Oct. 23 to begin
final preparations for launch. The spacecraft was shipped from Ball
Aerospace & Technologies in Boulder, Colo., to Astrotech in Titusville.

Meanwhile, the stacking of the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle on Pad
17-B began on Nov. 22 with the hoisting of the first stage into the
launcher. Hoisting of the nine strap-on solid rocket boosters, in sets
of three, began with the first set on Nov. 23 and the second on Nov 29.
The last set was installed on the vehicle on Dec. 1. The second stage
was hoisted into position atop the first stage on Dec. 3. The payload
fairing was hoisted and stowed in the mobile service tower on Dec. 6.
The first power-on test occurred Dec. 7.

The next event is the vehicle guidance and control system check, which
occurs on Dec. 13. The loading of liquid oxygen aboard the first stage
for a leak check and a countdown launch team certification exercise is
scheduled to occur on Dec. 14. The Flight Simulation, a plus count that
exercises all of the systems on the vehicle as they will occur during
powered flight, is scheduled for Dec. 15.

The overall Deep Impact mission management for this Discovery class
program is conducted by the University of Maryland in College Park, Md.
Deep Impact project management is handled by the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The spacecraft was built for NASA by Ball
Aerospace and Technologies Corporation.

- end -
Received on Thu 09 Dec 2004 03:54:58 PM PST