Space Shuttle Status Report 27 October 2000
NOTE: Visit http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm on
the KSC Home Page for the latest schedule of future Shuttle missions.
MISSION: STS-92 – 5th ISS Flight (3A) – Z-1 Truss, PMA-3
Ferry Flight Preparations
VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103 LOCATION: Edwards Air Force Base, California
KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 11, 2000 at 7:17 p.m. EDT
EAFB LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 24, 2000 at 5 p.m. EDT
MISSION DURATION: 12 days, 21 hours and 43 minutes
CREW: Duffy, Melroy, Wakata, Chiao, Wisoff, Lopez-Alegria, McArthur
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 177 nautical miles/51.6 degrees
Shuttle Processing: Shuttle workers at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., are
preparing orbiter Discovery for its transcontinental ferry flight back to
KSC. Ferry managers plan to mount Discovery on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
(SCA) on Monday and depart EAFB at sunrise on Tuesday. The current flight
plan has the Shuttle/SCA stopping in Fort Worth, Texas, to refuel.
Forecasters predict that weather conditions en route will lead to an
overnight stay in Texas. In that case, Discovery will return to KSC no
earlier than Wednesday. Ferry flight rules state that the orbiter and SCA
cannot fly through precipitation, thick clouds or high turbulence. There are
also wind and temperature restrictions. The flight plan and duration may
vary based upon weather conditions en route.
Post flight inspections of Discovery’s thermal protection system revealed a
total of 127 debris hits of which 24 measured 1-inch or larger.
MISSION: STS-97 – 6th ISS Flight (4A) – PV Module P6
VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
LOCATION: Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 1
TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Nov. 30, 2000 at 10:01 p.m.
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec.10, 2000 at 6:46 p.m.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days
CREW: Jett, Bloomfield, Tanner, Noriega, Garneau
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 177 nautical miles/51.6 degrees
Shuttle Processing Note: Orbiter Endeavour has been mechanically mated to
the external tank and solid rocket boosters in VAB high bay 1. Electrical
and fluid connections are being completed today along with preparations for
the standard Shuttle Interface Test scheduled to begin Saturday. Space
Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to begin its move to Launch Pad 39B at 7 a.m.
on Tuesday, Oct. 31 and should arrive at the pad surface by 1:30 p.m.
Routine launch pad validations begin Tuesday afternoon and all three
auxiliary power units will be hot-fired Wednesday morning.
Milestones:
Shuttle Endeavour rolls to Pad 39B – Oct. 31
All three auxiliary power units tested – Nov. 1
Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test – Nov. 7-8
MISSION: STS-98 – 7th ISS Flight (5A) – U.S. Laboratory
VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) bay 3
TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Jan.18, 2001 at 3:36 a.m. EDT
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 28, 2001 at 11:46 p.m.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days
CREW: Cockrell, Polansky, Curbeam, Jones, Ivins
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees
Shuttle Processing Note: Technicians have completed leak and functional
tests on Atlantis’ main propulsion system. Window replacement work
continues, and functional tests on the orbiter docking system are ongoing.
Payload bay reconfiguration continues on schedule and fuel cell voltage
testing begins this week.
