Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 19 Feb 2001

MISSION: STS-98 – 7th ISS Flight (5A) – U.S. Laboratory

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104

LOCATION: On orbit

KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Feb. 7, 2001 at 6:13 p.m. EST

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Feb. 20, 2001 at about 12:27 p.m. EST

LAUNCH WINDOW: less than 5 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 12 days, 18 hours and 53 minutes

CREW: Cockrell, Polansky, Curbeam, Jones, Ivins

ORBITAL INSERTION ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: For the second day in a row, mission managers
determined the crosswinds at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) were too
high to permit a safe landing of Atlantis and mission STS-98 was extended
another 24 hours. Winds at the SLF were peaking up to 23 knots today, well
above the 15-knot crosswind limit. Also, low clouds were threatening to
drift into the area further violating landing constraints.

Landing has now been set to occur at KSC on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 12:27 p.m.
EST. The deorbit burn is scheduled to take place at 11:21 a.m. EST. A second
landing opportunity exists at KSC on Tuesday at 2:02 p.m. In addition, two
landing opportunities are available at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on
Tuesday at 3:33 p.m. and 5:09 p.m. EST.

The weather forecast for tomorrow at KSC is better than today with high
pressure pushing eastward over the Atlantic and the easterly wind flow
continuing through the day. Surface winds will become slightly south of east
and are forecast to be lighter than today. Clouds will be scattered at 4,500
feet, and winds will be from the east-southeast at 9 knots gusting to 16
knots.