I don't have the whole skinny yet but just what I've picked up out of the last couple days I've been back...

STS-124 moves to the VAB (vehicle assembly building) 4/28, then to the pad 5/5. Launch - 5/31. Biggest job - install 2nd part of Japanese lab module. I'm primary Center Ops mission manager for this flight.

We're up-grading servers in the international space station control room in building 30M this week so all the folks there are relocated to the shuttle control room in building 30S for the week. This is somewhat of a PITA for me as I gotta replace the screens (projectors) in the ISS control room at the same time. You know - those big display things in the front of the control room?

There was some professional finger pointing this morning between us (NASA), ESA (european space agency) and JAXA (japanese space agency) about lost transmission feeds. At least the russians weren't involved (although I think the jaxa problem might be a russian server). And no mention of CSA (canadian space agency usually gets some blame...). Trust me - that space station up there is truly international. And the Italian space agency is somehow separate from the european space agency. I haven't figured that one out yet...

The european maiden flight of their unmanned re-supply vehicle was launched before STS-123 and is still up there. We're doing primary control from our control rooms.

STS-125 going to the hubble telescope is still slated for late August but may slip until after STS-126. The schedule for the next few flights is somewhat up in the air due to external tank manufacturing schedules.

Tom

Attached Thumbnails