O'Keefe: shuttle flights could resume this year
Posted: Wed, Apr 9, 2003, 11:21 PM ET (0321 GMT)
NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe said Tuesday that he believes the space shuttle could return to flight by the end of this year. O'Keefe, speaking at a hearing of a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, said that his "fondest expectation" is that shuttle flights will resume by the fall, barring any "showstoppers on the hardware end." NASA officials had previously said that they are making preparations to have the shuttle ready to return to flight by the fall, but have yet to set any specific date. That will depend on the conclusions reached by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, which will publish its final report by June, and what additional work will be required to carry out the board's recommendations. A NASA schedule of future shuttle flights, published by SpaceRef.com, shows that NASA has scheduled the first post-Columbia shuttle mission, STS-114, for not earlier than October 1 of this year.
NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe said Tuesday that he believes the space shuttle could return to flight by the end of this year. O'Keefe, speaking at a hearing of a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, said that his "fondest expectation" is that shuttle flights will resume by the fall, barring any "showstoppers on the hardware end." NASA officials had previously said that they are making preparations to have the shuttle ready to return to flight by the fall, but have yet to set any specific date. That will depend on the conclusions reached by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, which will publish its final report by June, and what additional work will be required to carry out the board's recommendations. A NASA schedule of future shuttle flights, published by SpaceRef.com, shows that NASA has scheduled the first post-Columbia shuttle mission, STS-114, for not earlier than October 1 of this year.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, October 23
Leonardo, Airbus, Thales to merge space businesses
ANSA — 5:55 am ET (0955 GMT) Airbus, Leonardo, Thales Set 2027 For Start Of New Satellite Venture
Aviation Week — 5:54 am ET (0954 GMT) Airbus, Thales, Leonardo form European space giant amid global contest
C4ISRnet — 5:54 am ET (0954 GMT) Aerospace firms link up to create European rival to Musk’s SpaceX
The Guardian — 5:53 am ET (0953 GMT) Vantor Secures USSF Contract For Space-to-Space Imaging
Aviation Week — 5:44 am ET (0944 GMT) |
