Official NASA Notification Letter to Launch Guests

Family and Friends of STS-119,

NASA managers and engineers met on Friday, February 13 at the Johnson Space Center to discuss recent results from the on-going analysis of the flow control valve issue which has caused delays in the launch of STS-119. The meeting was lengthy and detailed, lasting almost 10 hours. In the end, managers rescheduled the continuation of the Flight Readiness Review for February 20 at the Kennedy Space Center. The Flight Readiness Review will officially set the launch date for STS-119; however, today’s meeting recommended a launch date no earlier than February 27. If launch occurs on February 27, launch time would be approximately 1:32 A.M. EST. Please see the attached NASA Public Affairs Office press release for further details on the investigation and upcoming Flight Readiness Review.

I am very proud of the significant work performed by the numerous NASA centers across the country in support of STS-119. I am confident NASA engineers will ultimately develop a solid solution in the best interest of safety of flight. In the interim, the crew will continue a moderate level of training to be ready to support a February 27 launch date. We now plan to enter quarantine on February 20 and travel to the Kennedy Space Center on February 22 in anticipation of a potential February 27 launch.

Have a great weekend and thanks, again, for supporting STS-119.

Lee J. Archambault, Colonel, USAF
STS-119 Commander

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NASA SETS FEB. 20 NEWS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION--

NASA will hold a news conference Friday, Feb. 20, following a review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and an assessment of shuttle flow control valve testing. An official launch date for the STS-119 mission has not been set, but for planning purposes, liftoff now is targeted for no earlier than Feb. 27. The new planning date is not expected to affect the launch dates for missions that will follow Discovery's flight, STS-125 to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and STS-127 to the International Space Station.

Teams from multiple NASA centers and contractor sites have made significant progress in understanding what caused the damage to a flow control valve in shuttle Endeavour during its mission in November. There are three valves in each shuttle that channel gaseous hydrogen from the main engines to the external fuel tank. The engineering teams have performed a tremendous amount of work, including computer modeling and actual tests to determine the consequences if a piece of a valve were to break off and strike shuttle and external fuel tank components. More time was needed to complete analyses and testing necessary to fly safely.

NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the Feb. 20 briefing live. Media may ask questions from participating NASA locations. Reporters should contact their preferred NASA center to confirm its participation. The news conference will begin no earlier than 5 p.m. EST at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The briefing participants are:- Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier- Space Shuttle Program Manager John Shannon- Space Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For STS-119 crew and mission information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle