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More Details for 1999-10-01

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While the International Space Station orbits in excellent health, technical representatives from NASA and the Russian Aviation and Space Agency held a series of Technical Integration Meetings over the last two weeks culminating in a Joint Program Review to discuss issues related to the International Space Station Program. During the meeting, the status of the shuttle fleet, the Zvezda Service Module, and U.S. elements were reviewed.

It was agreed that it is no longer prudent to proceed with the current service module schedule, considering the integrated status of all elements. Accordingly, it was agreed that the projected launch window for Zvezda has moved to a period ranging from December 26 to January 16. A precise launch date will be announced after the General Design Review in a few weeks.

The delay in the service module launch in no way impacts the overall launch and assembly schedule for the station since the launch dates for downstream flights likely will be adjusted because of the ongoing wiring inspections on all of the Space Shuttle orbiters and the recent work delays caused by Hurricane Floyd. Assembly sequence adjustments also will be presented to the International Partners for discussion and concurrence at the next Space Station Control Board meeting.

Meanwhile, station workers will continue to work toward the most current assembly schedule with the next shuttle mission to the ISS scheduled for no earlier than January to deliver all remaining supplies necessary for the first crew to use when it arrives in the first half of next year.

On orbit this week, the normal spin checks were performed as was battery cycling of the five units being used to store solar energy for use by station systems. The Early Communications System in Unity was switched to the second of two antennas as a routine procedure to periodically test the command link. As is the case each Thursday, a test command was sent from the Mission Control Center in Korolev outside Moscow to the Zarya control module using Unity's early communications system through Mission Control in Houston.

The ISS is orbiting in a 247 by 230 statute mile orbit and has completed more than 4,900 orbits of the Earth.