March 18, 2004

Allard Beutel 
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-4769)

Jessica Rye
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 321/867-2468) 

RELEASE: S04-03

SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT: S04-03

The Space Shuttle fleet is housed and processed at NASA's Kennedy 
Space Center (KSC), Fla. The order Shuttles are listed in the weekly 
status report does not necessarily reflect the chronological order of 
future missions. 

Discovery (OV-103)

Discovery processing milestones continue to be achieved in preparation 
for the first Return to Flight mission, designated STS-114. The No. 2 
Rudder Speed Brake actuator was sent back to the vendor for 
refurbishment and to have the gears placed into the proper 
orientation. It will be returned to KSC in about six weeks for 
reinstallation on the vehicle. 

Following a successful fit check; the Body Flap was installed on March 
12. The first Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panel was installed on 
the left-hand leading edge of the wing on Monday. On Sunday, 
Discovery began a two-week power-down period to perform orbiter 
electrical wiring inspections and hi-potential voltage testing.

Atlantis (OV-104)

In the processing facility, technicians continue to prepare Atlantis 
for a mission to the International Space Station. Preparations 
continue to remove the Rudder Speed Brake actuators. 

Thirteen T-seals, the C-shaped seals that fit between each RCC panel, 
have been installed on the left-hand wing leading edge. Build-up of 
the right-hand RCC panels and associated fittings is ongoing. 

Endeavour (OV-105)

Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification (OMM) period, which 
began in December 2003. Structural and wire inspections associated 
with OMM continue in the midbody and aft. 

Nineteen left-hand and all 22 right-hand RCC panels have been removed 
from the vehicle and returned to the vendor for inspection. Of the 44 
RCC panels on Endeavour, technicians have completed the thermography 
and engineering analysis of 20 panels. 

Previous Space Shuttle processing status reports are archived on the 
Internet at: 

http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/status.htm 

For more information about the NASA's Return to Flight efforts, visit: 


http://www.nasa.gov/news/highlights/returntoflight.html 

	
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