zerofay32
Buckeye
20 Aug. 2010
Space Shuttle Constitution is about to lift off from Pad 39A to start STS-FA10. Constitution will deliver the HAB 1 Module and Logistics Module (LM) 2 to Space Station Freedom.
UPDATE:
STS-FA10 is underway. No issues with the ascent and Constitution is on its way to the SSF.
UPDATE: 29 Aug. 2010
STS-FA 10 has been completed. Constitution is now being prepared for its flight to VAFB via the SCA.
The station crew has finished outfitting the HAB 1 and the LM2. The crew will begin the transfer of living quarters from the Fortune and LM2 to the HAB. The last of the equipment that will be required to increase the station crew will arrive via a Dragon Cargo early 2011. Then a resident station crew of FE 4 will have 5 members. Guests to the station will be able to visit via Dragon at the beginning of 2011.
With the station needing to support a larger number of crew members, Shuttle Logistics Flights will have to become more frequent. The cargo of these flights will consist of a MPLM and a Spacehab module. These flights will always be flown just before ether a HL-20 or Dragon launch.
The next launch to the station will be the first flight of the Shuttle-C on flight SCS-FA1. The SCS will deliver the SSRMS 2 that was supposed to go up on STS-FA9. SCS-FA1 will also deliver the next two truss segments, P1 and S1.
UPDATE: 30 Aug. 2010
NASA will take the brake in shuttle operations to give all four vehicles at KSC a good check up. The orbiters have performed extremly well during the first two full years of the Freedom program. With around nine flights this year, the KSC staff has been able to launch a Shuttle every three weeks or so. Shuttle turnaround has been around nine months from landing to launch. With one shuttle relocated to VAFB, staff hopes to keep up with the flight rate with four orbiters. The freedom program manager said,
"We always want to increase the flight rate. Getting two more orbiters made two fights a month posible. We hope that not only can we keep up the flight rate for freedom, but we also want to have a consistent rate with Skylab and Constitution. With prosessing facilities focused on one orbiter, we hope to reduce the nine months to six. Thats our goal. Having SCS flights to help until we get our feet wet. But the supply of SSMEs limits how many flights we can do. Shuttle-Cs will really help the construction prosess. The shuttle truly has shown its potental as a station constuction vehicle."
UPDATE: 3 September
The SCA is about to take off from EAFB to take the Constitution to its new home at VAFB.
UPDATE:
The SCA has arrived at VAFB will space shuttle Constitution. The NASA Director of West Coast Opperations was on hand to sign the paperwork that officially transfered the shuttle to the base. The first launch from Vandenburg will be from Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) and is scheduled for early next year. The staff at VAFB are aware of the quick turnaround and are in high spirits to make the first deadline. Extra personel have been brought in to help with the first turnaround to be performed at Vandenburg.
Space Shuttle Constitution is about to lift off from Pad 39A to start STS-FA10. Constitution will deliver the HAB 1 Module and Logistics Module (LM) 2 to Space Station Freedom.
UPDATE:
STS-FA10 is underway. No issues with the ascent and Constitution is on its way to the SSF.
UPDATE: 29 Aug. 2010
STS-FA 10 has been completed. Constitution is now being prepared for its flight to VAFB via the SCA.
The station crew has finished outfitting the HAB 1 and the LM2. The crew will begin the transfer of living quarters from the Fortune and LM2 to the HAB. The last of the equipment that will be required to increase the station crew will arrive via a Dragon Cargo early 2011. Then a resident station crew of FE 4 will have 5 members. Guests to the station will be able to visit via Dragon at the beginning of 2011.
With the station needing to support a larger number of crew members, Shuttle Logistics Flights will have to become more frequent. The cargo of these flights will consist of a MPLM and a Spacehab module. These flights will always be flown just before ether a HL-20 or Dragon launch.
The next launch to the station will be the first flight of the Shuttle-C on flight SCS-FA1. The SCS will deliver the SSRMS 2 that was supposed to go up on STS-FA9. SCS-FA1 will also deliver the next two truss segments, P1 and S1.
UPDATE: 30 Aug. 2010
NASA will take the brake in shuttle operations to give all four vehicles at KSC a good check up. The orbiters have performed extremly well during the first two full years of the Freedom program. With around nine flights this year, the KSC staff has been able to launch a Shuttle every three weeks or so. Shuttle turnaround has been around nine months from landing to launch. With one shuttle relocated to VAFB, staff hopes to keep up with the flight rate with four orbiters. The freedom program manager said,
"We always want to increase the flight rate. Getting two more orbiters made two fights a month posible. We hope that not only can we keep up the flight rate for freedom, but we also want to have a consistent rate with Skylab and Constitution. With prosessing facilities focused on one orbiter, we hope to reduce the nine months to six. Thats our goal. Having SCS flights to help until we get our feet wet. But the supply of SSMEs limits how many flights we can do. Shuttle-Cs will really help the construction prosess. The shuttle truly has shown its potental as a station constuction vehicle."
UPDATE: 3 September
The SCA is about to take off from EAFB to take the Constitution to its new home at VAFB.
UPDATE:
The SCA has arrived at VAFB will space shuttle Constitution. The NASA Director of West Coast Opperations was on hand to sign the paperwork that officially transfered the shuttle to the base. The first launch from Vandenburg will be from Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) and is scheduled for early next year. The staff at VAFB are aware of the quick turnaround and are in high spirits to make the first deadline. Extra personel have been brought in to help with the first turnaround to be performed at Vandenburg.
