Endeavour's LCA-2 Install to be Completed Today

Teams on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A are installing a new power distribution box called a Load Control Assembly-2 (LCA-2) into space shuttle Endeavour.

The LCA-2 distributes power to nine various shuttle systems, including heaters on a fuel line for Endeavour’s auxiliary power unit-1 (APU-1). The heaters did not work on April 29, prompting the launch team to scrub Endeavour’s first launch attempt for its STS-134 mission to the International Space Station.

After the new LCA-2 is installed, technicians will begin testing it and its power distribution system. Managers will continue to evaluate the repair process and make any additional adjustments before scheduling Endeavour’s next launch attempt, which remains no earlier than May 10.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-134 crew is conducting tag ups today in crew quarters with their Flight Directors and Robotics and Spacewalk Officers.