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Conference 7.286::space

Title:	Space Exploration
Notice:	Shuttle launch schedules, see Note 6
Moderator:	PRAGMA::GRIFFIN

Created:	Mon Feb 17 1986
Last Modified:	Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	974
Total number of notes:	18843

36.0. "CHALLENGER, DISCOVERY Launches" by PYRITE::WEAVER () Mon Feb 18 1985 10:18

Path: decwrl!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!wjh12!foxvax1!brunix!alb
Subject: 51-E Delayed One Week
Posted: Tue Feb  5 17:06:39 1985


A one week postponement in the launch of 51-E was announced
today by NASA.  The delay is due to an overload of paperwork
involved in recertifying the nearly 4,000 thermal tiles that
had to be rebonded to the Challenger after last October's
mission.  A chemical reaction loosened the bonding agent
that holds the tiles onto the shuttle; most of the troubled
tiles were on the critical underbelly of the orbiter.  The
new launch date, no earlier than the 27th and maybe the 28th,
will be announced by NASA later this week.

The delay will not have any effect on future launches, but
it will cause a busy two weeks after the mission, as the
Discovery is stilled scheduled to launch on 19 March.


Path: decwrl!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!wjh12!foxvax1!brunix!alb
Subject: Rollout to VAB
Posted: Sat Feb  9 16:38:52 1985


The Challenger, with launch now set for 3 March, is scheduled
to be moved from the OFP to the VAB at 0001 EST Sunday, 10
February.


Path: decwrl!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!wjh12!foxvax1!brunix!alb
Subject: Launch Date Set For 3 March
Posted: Fri Feb  8 07:34:49 1985


NASA yesterday announced that the Challenger's new launch
date is 3 March, 11 days later than the original 20 February
date.  Launch time is scheduled as 0831 EST, and the shuttle
is due to land at 0932 EST on 7 March.  The delay will still
have no effect on the next launch of Discovery, which is
set for 19 March.

T.R	Title	User	Date	Lines
36.1		PYRITE::WEAVER	`Wed Feb 27 1985 21:50`	4
	Another delay for Challenger, a hydrogen leak and problems with a satellite battery have postponed the launch until March 7. -Dave
36.2		DAEMON::GENTRY	`Sun Mar 10 1985 18:34`	3
	Looks like it's now delayed until approx. the 28th. I saw a news report on it the other night which said that some of the surface layer had been damaged/punctured by some sort of accident.
36.3		PYRITE::WEAVER	`Mon Mar 11 1985 10:01`	26
	Path: decwrl!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!wjh12!foxvax1!brunix!alb Subject: Challenger Missions Scrubbed Posted: Sun Mar 3 10:14:14 1985 The mission of the space shuttle Challenger has been scrubbed because officials are worried that a timing problem in the TDRS-A satellite, now in orbit, will be duplicated in TDRS-B, now in Challenger's cargo bay. The problem is in the satellite's encryption mechanism, used to code signals sent to and from military shuttle flights. A Canadian communications satellite, also in Challenger's bay, will be moved to Discovery's bay, for a hybrid mission including that satellite and a Navy communications satellite that was scheduled to launch aboard the Discovery on 22 March. That date may move to early April. The retrieval of the LDEF (Long Duration Exposure Facility), which was left in orbit last April and was due to be retrieved by the Discovery crew, will probably be put off until a later mission. NASA will announce this week which crew, the Challenger's or the Discovery's, will fly the Discovery mission, and whether or not Senator Jake Garn will have to wait for another flight. It will also announce the new launch date. Challenger will be moved back to the VAB, where it will await another mission, probably Spacelab-2 in late April.
36.4		PYRITE::WEAVER	`Wed Mar 13 1985 10:37`	28
	Path: decwrl!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!wjh12!foxvax1!brunix!alb Subject: Rollback Posted: Wed Mar 6 07:14:17 1985 Challenger was rolled off the launch pad and back to the VAB, only the third time a shuttle has been rolled back from the pad and the fifth time any American rocket has been removed from a launch pad before launch, yesterday. Discovery is due to be rolled to the pad about 15 March, and NASA is hoping to launch it on a hybrid mission by the 29th. The agency expects to pick a date and crew for the mission by tomorrow or Friday. Path: decwrl!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!wjh12!foxvax1!brunix!alb Subject: Challenger Crew to Fly Discovery Posted: Fri Mar 8 07:23:40 1985 The crew of the cancelled Challenger mission, including Senator Jake Garn, with the exception of the French astronaut Patrik Baudry, will fly the hybrid Discovery mission later this month. The Discovery crew will be reassigned, probably to whatever mission will now pick up LDEF, which was remoed from Discovery's flight plan with the cancellation of the Challenger mission. Baudry has been assigned to a seven-day flight in June.
36.5		PYRITE::WEAVER	`Mon Apr 01 1985 21:08`	17
	Path: decwrl!decvax!bellcore!sabre!zeta!epsilon!gamma!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb Subject: Launch Date Set Posted: Thu Mar 28 14:05:13 1985 NASA today set a 12 April launch date for the Discovery launch. Launch time is 0904 EST. Path: decwrl!decvax!bellcore!allegra!alice!alb Subject: Discovery Rolled to Pad Posted: Fri Mar 29 21:26:53 1985 The Discovery was rolled to the launch pad today in preparation for its 12 April launch. For nostalgiasts, launch day will be on the fourth anniversary of the launch of STS-1. Challenger, with Spacelab aboard, is scheduled to launch on 29 April, 12 days after Discovery lands.
36.6		PYRITE::WEAVER	`Tue Apr 02 1985 16:31`	6
	Subject: Mock Countdown Successful Posted: Sun Mar 31 21:28:32 1985 The crew of the Discovery today performed a flawless mock countdown in preparation for the 12 April launch. The simulated liftoff came at 0800 EST.
36.7		PYRITE::WEAVER	`Mon Apr 08 1985 12:00`	14
	Subject: Bucket Mishap/Challenger Preparations/Atlantis Delivery Posted: Wed Apr 3 07:14:03 1985 A difference in tension between two cables that were supposed to hold up the bucket that fell and damaged Discovery last month caused the bucket to fall, a NASA investigative team reported yesterday. Launch preparations for Challenger are on schedule, with a launch scheduled for shortly after 0800 EST on the 12th. The Atlantis is scheduled to be delivered to KSC atop a 747 on 13 April.