Feb. 20, 2009

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george.h.diller{at}nasa.gov

STATUS REPORT: ELV-022009

EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT

Mission: Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO)
Launch Vehicle: Taurus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Pad: Space Launch Complex 576-E, Vandenberg Air Force Base,
Calif.
Launch Date: Feb. 24, 2009
Launch Time: 1:51:30 a.m. PST

At the launch pad on Feb. 18, the Taurus XL launch vehicle upper
stack, consisting of stages 1, 2 and 3 with the encapsulated OCO
spacecraft, was hoisted atop Stage 0. Also, a launch countdown dress
rehearsal was conducted.

A Combined Systems Test, an integrated electrical test of the entire
launch vehicle working together with the OCO spacecraft, is scheduled
for Friday. The Launch Readiness Review is scheduled for Feb. 22. The
call to stations for the launch team is 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 23. At
this time, there are no issues that would prevent launch.



Mission: Kepler
Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925
Launch Pad: 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Date: March 5, 2009
Launch Time: 10:48:43 p.m. EST

The Kepler spacecraft was attached to its upper-stage booster on Feb.
16. The integrated stack was installed into the transportation
canister and placed on the payload transporter on Feb. 18. Kepler was
moved to Launch Complex 17 on Feb. 19 and currently is in a staging
facility. Due to inclement weather consisting of high winds,
spacecraft integration to the Delta II vehicle was postponed. Mating
of the spacecraft to the Delta II rocket is scheduled to occur over
the weekend.



Mission: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Lunar Crater Observation and
Sensing Satellite (LRO/LCROSS)
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V
Launch Pad: Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Date: Under Review
Launch Time: TBD

NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS,
left
Northrop Grumman's facility in Redondo Beach, Calif., on Feb. 17 via
truck and arrived at the Astrotech Facility in Titusville, Fla., near
Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 19.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, arrived at the facility
on Feb. 13. The spacecraft was uncrated and transferred to a
hazardous processing facility the same day where covers were removed
and technicians performed a black-light inspection. The spacecraft's
solar arrays were attached and deployed, and a spacecraft activation
test was conducted on Feb. 15.

The Centaur stage is scheduled to arrive at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station Friday. Offloading and transport to the Astrotech facility is
scheduled for Saturday.



Previous status reports are available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/index.html

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