Space Shuttle Statsu Report (11:30 a.m. EST)

MISSION: STS-103 – 3rd Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103

LOCATION: Pad 39B

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Dec. 19 at 7:50 p.m. EST

TARGET LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 27 at about 5:24 p.m. EST

LAUNCH WINDOW: 42 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 7days, 21 hours, 34 minutes; with 3 EVAs

CREW: Brown, Kelly, Smith, Foale, Grunsfeld, Nicollier, Clervoy

ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 317 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

Work in progress: Today, Shuttle managers decided to proceed with the
STS-103 launch countdown and loading Discovery’s external tank. The tanking
activity began at 10:30 a.m. today and will take approximately 3 hours to
complete.

The countdown clock will enter a planned 2-hour built-in hold at the T-3
hour mark at 2 p.m. The clock will resume at 4 p.m. and enter the next
planned built-in hold at the T-20 minute mark at 6:40 p.m. for 10 minutes.
The final planned hold will come at the T-9 minute mark at 7:01 p.m. for 40
minutes. The clock will resume at 7:41 p.m. for an on-time launch at 7:50
p.m.

Tonight’s weather forecast calls for improved conditions as the weak frontal
boundary continues to drift north away from Central Florida. There is an 80
percent chance for acceptable weather conditions tonight. Clouds will be
scattered at 3,000 feet, 8,000 feet, and 25,000 feet; visibility will be 7
miles; winds out of the southeast at 10 knots; temperature at 65 degrees F;
and there is a slight chance of a low cloud ceiling.

Although the Kennedy Space Center is the prime end-of-mission landing site,
Shuttle managers carefully reviewed turnaround-processing operations at
Edwards Air Force Base, CA, should landing be diverted. There are several
landing opportunities in both Florida and California on the planned landing
on Dec. 27. Historical weather data indicates both sites have a high
probability of favorable weather this time of year at the planned landing
time.

CREW FOR MISSION STS-103

Commander (CDR): Curt Brown

Pilot (PLT): Scott Kelly

Mission Specialist (MS1): Steve Smith

Mission Specialist (MS2): Jean-Francois Clervoy

Mission Specialist (MS3): John Grunsfeld

Mission Specialist (MS4): Michael Foale

Mission Specialist (MS5): Claude Nicollier