Next on the NASA Space Shuttle Status Report:
A new year begins. Space Shuttle Discovery makes it home for the holidays,
and NASA rings in the new year with a full schedule of space shuttle launches.
And, a spring fling. Orbiter Atlantis is ramping up for a March flight to the International Space Station.
Plus, ready for the limelight. After nearly five years on the ground, NASA's orbiter Endeavour will fly in 2007.
This is your in-depth look at NASA's orbiter fleet and the NASA Space Shuttle Status Report starts right now!
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I'm Greg Gaddis, NASA test director, and this is the Space Shuttle Status Report.
NASA is preparing all three of its orbiters for five planned missions to the
International Space Station in 2007.
But first, Space Shuttle Discovery was welcomed home for the holidays after another successful mission!
Discovery descended through the twilight and touched down on December 22 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The STS-116 crew completed four spacewalks to rewire the space station
and unfurl a sticky solar array during the 12 day mission.
Discovery's ground crew reports the vehicle performed well and is now back
inside the processing bay so technicians can ready it for a fall 2007 mission.
The holiday season was a busy one for Atlantis, as well. Workers waterproofed the protective skin known
as the orbiter's thermal protection system. This heat shield protects the vehicle during reentry into earth's atmosphere.
Also, the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters are being prepared for
mating inside the Vehicle Assembly Building in a few weeks.
Atlantis will roll over to the VAB then head to launch pad 39A in February.
Atlantis is set to fly mission STS-117 in March.
Orbiter Endeavour is nearing completion of five years of extensive vehicle modifications.
Endeavour is now equipped with the orbiter boom sensor system and
wing leading edge sensors which are post-Columbia safety features.
In addition, Endeavour has a Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System, or,
SSPTS which allows the orbiter to stay docked to the station longer.
On January 4th, Endeavour's payload bay doors opened and the Ku band antenna that assists
the shuttle with on-orbit communication and mission control deployed.
Upcoming reports will highlight the orbiter's processing and new features. Endeavour will fly this fall.
That's all the time we have for this week's Space Shuttle Status Report. For the latest mission news,
check out NASA TV and nasa.gov. For the NASA Space Shuttle Status Report,
I'm Greg Gaddis. Thanks for watching!
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