November 29, 2005

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington 
(Phone: (202) 358-3749)

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

STATUS REPORT: E05-019

NASA EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT: E05-019

Mission:  Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite 
Observations and CloudSat 
Launch Vehicle: Boeing Delta 7420 with Dual Payload Attach Fitting
Launch Pad:  Space Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Launch Date: No earlier than mid-February 2006
Launch Window: TBD

Due to the Boeing labor strike and other issues, the earliest possible 
launch date is in February, 2006. The spacecraft are being prepared 
for an extended period in the Astrotech payload processing facilities 
on North Vandenberg.

Starting December 19, the Western Range begins a planned two-month 
maintenance, upgrade and refurbishment period. Work will be performed 
on Range Safety tracking facilities, computers and launch support 
equipment.

While progress has been made on the problems encountered during 
testing of the Flight Termination System batteries, Boeing has not 
formally determined and documented a root cause for engineering 
review. Approximately 15 days are necessary to prepare for launch 
once all issues are resolved.

Mission: New Horizons
Launch Vehicle: Lockheed Martin Atlas V 551 (AV-010)
Launch Pad: Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Date: Jan. 11, 2006
Launch Window: 2:08 to 4:07 p.m. EST 

The Applied Physics Lab team is testing the autonomy software system. 
The testing is to confirm it would take appropriate safety actions if 
an unplanned condition occurred after New Horizons is far away from 
Earth. The scope of the testing was expanded requiring additional 
days for ground processing. 

Encapsulation is six days behind schedule, but the launch date has not 
changed. Encapsulation of New Horizons into the vehicle fairing is 
scheduled for Dec. 12; followed by transportation to Launch Complex 
41 for mating to the Atlas V on Dec. 16. The fifth and final solid 
rocket booster was mated to the Atlas V at the Vehicle Integration 
Facility today.


Boeing's delivery of the third stage to the Payload Hazardous 
Servicing Facility is on schedule for Dec. 1. Mating with the 
spacecraft is scheduled for Dec. 9. Hydrazine fuel for attitude 
control and course-correction maneuvers is scheduled for loading Dec. 
4; followed by a "wet" spin balance test with fuel onboard Dec. 6-7. 
A tanking test of the Atlas V launch vehicle is scheduled for Dec. 5. 


Previous status reports are available on the Web at: 

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/2005 

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/home 

	
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