[FPSPACE] FW: NASA Sets Launch Dates For Remaining Space Shuttle Missions

[LARRY KLAES]

>From: KSC News Center <ksc at newsletters.nasa.gov>
>To: KSC News Center <ksc at newsletters.nasa.gov>
>Subject: NASA Sets Launch Dates For Remaining Space Shuttle Missions
>Date: Mon Jul  7 16:30:01 EDT 2008
>
>July 7, 2008
>
>Allard Beutel
>Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
>321-867-2468
>allard.beutel at nasa.gov
>
>John Yembrick
>Headquarters, Washington
>202-358-0602
>john.yembrick-1 at nasa.gov
>
>Kyle Herring
>Johnson Space Center, Houston
>281-483-5111
>kyle.j.herring at nasa.gov
>
>RELEASE: 08-167
>
>NASA SETS LAUNCH DATES FOR REMAINING SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS
>
>HOUSTON -- Following a detailed, integrated assessment, NASA selected
>target launch dates for the remaining eight space shuttle missions on
>the current manifest in 2009 and 2010. The manifest includes one
>flight to the Hubble Space Telescope, seven assembly flights to the
>International Space Station, and two station contingency flights,
>planned to be completed before the end of fiscal year 2010.
>
>The agency previously selected Oct. 8 and Nov. 10 as launch dates for
>Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service Hubble and Endeavour's STS-126 /
>ULF-2 mission to supply the space station and service both Solar
>Alpha Rotary Joints on the port and starboard end of its truss
>backbone that supports equipment and solar arrays.
>
>The approved target dates are subject to change based on processing
>and other launch vehicle schedules. They reflect the agency's
>commitment to complete assembly of the station and to retire the
>shuttle fleet as transition continues to the new launch vehicles,
>including Ares and Orion.
>
>SHUTTLE FLIGHTS IN 2009
>
>Feb. 12      Discovery (STS-119 / 15A) will kick off a five-flight
>2009 with its 36th mission to deliver the final pair of U.S. solar
>arrays to be installed on the starboard end of the station's truss.
>The truss serves as the backbone support for external equipment and
>spare components, including the Mobile Base System. Lee Archambault
>will command the 14-day flight that will include four planned
>spacewalks. Joining him will be pilot Tony Antonelli and mission
>specialists John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Joseph Acaba, Richard
>Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi
>Wakata. Wakata will replace Sandy Magnus on the station as a flight
>engineer. STS-119 marks the 28th shuttle flight to the station.
>
>May 15      Endeavour (STS-127 / 2JA) sets sail on its 23rd mission
>with the Japanese Kibo Laboratory's Exposed Facility and Experiment
>Logistics Module Exposed Section, the final permanent components of
>the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's contribution to the station
>program. During the 15-day mission, Endeavour's crew will perform
>five spacewalks and deliver six new batteries for the P6 truss, a
>spare drive unit for the Mobile Transporter and a spare boom assembly
>for the Ku-band antenna. Mark Polansky will be Endeavour's commander
>with Doug Hurley as pilot. Mission specialists will be Christopher
>Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space
>Agency astronaut Julie Payette. Kopra will become a station flight
>engineer replacing Koichi Wakata, who will return home with the
>STS-127 crew. It will be the 29th shuttle flight to the station.
>
>July 30      Atlantis (STS-128 / 17A) launches on its 31st flight, an
>11-day mission carrying science and storage racks to the station. In
>the payload bay will be a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module holding
>science and storage racks. Three spacewalks are planned to remove and
>replace a materials processing experiment outside the European Space
>Agency's Columbus module and return an empty ammonia tank assembly.
>The mission includes the rotation of astronaut Nicole Stott for Tim
>Kopra, who will return to Earth with the shuttle crew. The remaining
>crew members have yet to be named. STS-128 marks the 30th shuttle
>flight dedicated to station assembly and outfitting.
>
>Oct. 15      Discovery's (STS-129 / ULF-3) 37th mission will focus on
>staging spare components outside the station. The 15-day flight
>includes at least three spacewalks. The payload bay will carry two
>large External Logistics Carriers holding two spare gyroscopes, two
>nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly,
>a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm, a spare
>trailing umbilical system for the Mobile Transporter and a
>high-pressure gas tank. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob Thirsk
>will return home aboard Discovery with its crew, which has yet to be
>named. STS-129 marks the 31st shuttle mission devoted to station
>assembly.
>
>Dec. 10      Endeavour (STS-130 / 20A) will close 2009 with its 24th
>mission to deliver the final connecting node, Node 3, and the Cupola,
>a robotic control station with six windows around its sides and
>another in the center that provides a 360-degree view around the
>station. At least three spacewalks are planned during the 11-day
>mission. The 32nd station assembly mission by a shuttle does not yet
>have a crew named.
>
>SHUTTLE FLIGHTS IN 2010
>
>Feb. 11      Atlantis (STS-131 / 19A) begins its 32nd mission as the
>first flight in 2010, carrying a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
>filled with science racks that will be transferred to laboratories of
>the station. The 11-day mission will include at least three
>spacewalks to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly outside the
>station and return a European experiment that has been outside the
>Columbus module. It will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station.
>The crew has yet to be named.
>
>April 8       Discovery's (STS-132 / ULF-4) 38th mission will carry an
>integrated cargo carrier to deliver maintenance and assembly
>hardware, including spare parts for space station systems. In
>addition, the second in a series of new pressurized components for
>Russia, a Mini Research Module, will be permanently attached to the
>bottom port of the Zarya module. The Russian module also will carry
>U.S. pressurized cargo. The first Russian Mini Research Module to go
>to the station is scheduled to launch on a Russian rocket in the
>summer of 2009.
>
>Additionally, at least three spacewalks are planned to stage spare
>components outside the station, including six spare batteries, a boom
>assembly for the Ku-band antenna and spares for the Canadian Dextre
>robotic arm extension. A radiator, airlock and European robotic arm
>for the Russian Multi-purpose Laboratory Module also are payloads on
>the flight. The laboratory module is scheduled for launch on a
>Russian rocket in 2011. The mission marks the 34th mission to the
>station. The STS-132 crew has yet to be named.
>
>May 31      Endeavour's (STS-133 / ULF-5) 25th mission will carry
>critical spare components that will be placed on the outside of the
>station. Those will include two S-band communications antennas, a
>high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and
>micrometeoroid debris shields. At least three spacewalks are planned
>to be carried out by the crew, which has yet to be named. The 15-day
>mission will be the 35th to the station.
>
>For the shuttle launch manifest, visit:
>
>http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_manifest.html
>
>For details on upcoming shuttle missions and their crews, visit:
>
>http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
>
>
>-end-
>
>
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