Press Release

Space Shuttle Status Report 11:00 AM EST

By SpaceRef Editor
December 13, 1999
Filed under

MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1999 (11:00 AM EST)

MISSION: STS-103 — 3rd HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING MISSION

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103

LOCATION: Pad 39B

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: December 16 at 9:18 p.m. EST

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: December 26 at about 6:56 p.m. EST

LAUNCH WINDOW: 41 minutes

MISSION DURATION: about 9 days and 21 hours

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

ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 317 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

Work in progress: Over the weekend, workers at Launch Pad 39B completed inspections and leak checks on Shuttle Discovery’s
replaced liquid hydrogen recirculation line. Engine compartment close-outs started Sunday and are expected to conclude later today. Launch
managers at KSC plan to begin the 43-hour countdown Tuesday at 1:30 a.m. EST. Weather forecasts indicate an 80 percent chance of
favorable weather conditions for Thursday’s launch attempt at 9:18 p.m.

Processing Milestones:


Aft engine compartment closed-out for flight (Dec. 13)

Launch countdown clock begins (Dec. 14 at 1:30 a.m.)
Cryogenics loaded in Discovery’s onboard storage tanks (Dec. 15)

Rotating Service Structure moved to park position .(Dec. 16 at 2:30 a.m.)

MISSION: STS-99 — SHUTTLE RADAR TOPOGRAPHY MISSION (SRTM)

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105

LOCATION: enroute to Pad 39A

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: January (under review)

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: (under review)

LAUNCH WINDOW: 54 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 11 days and 4 hours

CREW: Kregel, Gorie, Kavandi, Voss, Mohri, Thiele

ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 126 nautical miles/57 degrees

Work in progress: Space Shuttle Endeavour rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building today at 7 a.m., headed toward Launch Pad
39A. Once at the pad, workers will begin routine launch pad validations. All three auxiliary power units will be hot fire tested tomorrow.
The remainder of the STS-99 prelaunch work schedule is being reviewed due to the recent engine replacement and in order to accommodate
STS-103 processing efforts.

–end–

SpaceRef staff editor.