December shuttle mission possible but unlikely
Posted: Thu, Jun 19, 2003, 10:47 AM ET (1447 GMT)
NASA is still planning to return the shuttle to flight with a December launch, but a key official conceded that most likely that launch will slip until early 2004. Michael Kostelnik, NASA deputy associate administrator for the shuttle and ISS programs, said at KSC Wednesday that the agency still believed it was possible to conduct a launch in December. However, he admitted that new constraints the agency plans to put on shuttle launches, notably a requirement for daytime launches to permit photography, allow for launches on only two days in December, the 18th and 19th. Kostelnik said that a return to flight some time in the first quarter of 2004 was more likely. Shuttle upgrade plans will also put constraints on future shuttle launches, requiring the shuttle Atlantis to perform back-to-back missions in early 2004, the Houston Chronicle reported. NASA and the United Space Alliance, the space shuttle operations prime contractor, plan to begin a two-year overhaul of Endeavour in July, while Discovery started a similar overhaul last year.
NASA is still planning to return the shuttle to flight with a December launch, but a key official conceded that most likely that launch will slip until early 2004. Michael Kostelnik, NASA deputy associate administrator for the shuttle and ISS programs, said at KSC Wednesday that the agency still believed it was possible to conduct a launch in December. However, he admitted that new constraints the agency plans to put on shuttle launches, notably a requirement for daytime launches to permit photography, allow for launches on only two days in December, the 18th and 19th. Kostelnik said that a return to flight some time in the first quarter of 2004 was more likely. Shuttle upgrade plans will also put constraints on future shuttle launches, requiring the shuttle Atlantis to perform back-to-back missions in early 2004, the Houston Chronicle reported. NASA and the United Space Alliance, the space shuttle operations prime contractor, plan to begin a two-year overhaul of Endeavour in July, while Discovery started a similar overhaul last year.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Apex becomes billion-dollar company with $200 million Series D round
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:09 AM ET (0809 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, September 15
Elon Musk's Starlink reports service outage, thousands of users affected
Reuters — 1:23 am ET (0523 GMT) What does the loss of U.S. Space Command mean to Colorado Springs?
Denver Post — 1:21 am ET (0521 GMT) SpaceX Launches Northrop Grumman Cargo Ship To ISS
Aviation Week — 1:18 am ET (0518 GMT) SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on Sunday
WESH-TV Orlando — 1:18 am ET (0518 GMT) Apollo 13 made Jim Lovell a legend generations after the space race
The Hill — 1:09 am ET (0509 GMT) |
