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Now on the NASA Space Shuttle Status Report: a revised launch window for Space Shuttle Discovery.
Two loaded and one to go!
STS-114 payloads are packing up!
And technicians keep watch as orbiter Atlantis takes shape at Kennedy Space Center.
The Space Shuttle Status Report starts right now!
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I'm Charlie Blackwell Thompson, NASA test director at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and this is the NASA Space Shuttle Status Report.
Topping NASA orbiter news this week: a revised launch window for Space Shuttle Discovery's mission to the International Space Station.
On Wednesday, April 20, NASA program managers announced the window for launch of STS-114 now begins May 22 and ends June 3, 2005.
This optimal launch window allows time to complete necessary work for a safe Return to Flight.
Technicians are packing payloads! On April 19 and 20, two of Discovery's three payloads were successfully
installed inside the Space Shuttle payload transportation canister.
The canister is like a moving van to transport the payloads to the launch pad.
First, technicians lowered a pallet full of International Space Station spare parts into the canister.
Once in orbit, Discovery's crew will anchor the pallet, called External Stowage Platform-2, or ESP-2, to the Station's airlock.
Next, the Lightweight MPESS Carrier was installed. The LMC holds a Space Station attitude-control gyroscope and an orbiter tile repair test kit.
The third payload, "Raffaello," will join the others in a few days.
A lot of work on orbiter Atlantis worth noting this week
New activities inside Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 include tile bonding and work on blankets for the rudder speed brakes.
Technicians are also inspecting and preparing the Solid Rocket Boosters for mating with Atlantis' External Tank.
Space Shuttle Atlantis has a launch window that begins July 12 and ends July 31.
That's all the time we have for this week's Space Shuttle Status Report.
Be sure to mark your calendars for May 22 to June 3, 2005, NASA's revised window for
Space Shuttle Discovery's Return to Flight mission, designated STS-114 to the International Space Station!
Until next time, log on to nasa.gov for the latest in Return to Flight and NASA mission news.
I'm Charlie Blackwell Thompson for the NASA Space Shuttle Status Report.
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