SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
*Endeavour is Home; Discovery's Next to Fly*
Image above: The orbiter Endeavour is maneuvered into the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after its return to Earth on Aug. 21. It will undergo post-flight inspections and processing for its next mission. Image credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller + View larger image http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170419main_118endeavourOPF.jpg
*Discovery Remains on Target for October* Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale said on Friday that even with the work planned on the next shuttle's external tank, the STS-120 launch remains targeted for Oct. 23.
Foam loss from the liquid oxygen feedline brackets on the STS-118 external tank during launch caused thermal tile damage to Endeavour. While a change to the brackets was already in progress on tanks now in production, the problem on the tank being used for STS-120 will be remedied by using different foam on the brackets. Workers will travel to the Kennedy Space Center from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to replace the existing foam and underlying thermal protective agent on the brackets with lightweight foam. The process is expected to take approximately nine days.
Because the work schedule leading to Discovery's liftoff on mission STS-120 contains about five extra days, mission managers believe it provides enough time to make the changes and still launch on time.
*Endeavour and Crew Home* Capping off mission STS-118, Space Shuttle Endeavour glided to a perfect landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 21. During almost 13 days in space, the crew members added a new segment to the superstructure of the International Space Station and delivered 5,800 pounds of equipment and supplies to the orbiting laboratory.
Endeavour lifted off from Launch Pad 39A on Aug. 8, 2007, following a smooth countdown. The STS-118 mission was the 22nd flight to the International Space Station and Endeavour's first flight since 2002.
*Photos of Endeavour's Tile Damage* + View Hi-Res Image of Tile Damage http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/187279main_07pd2305.jpg + View Hi-Res Image of Tile Taken in Space http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/187280main_07pd2303.jpg