Space Shuttle Status Report January 21, 2000

• VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
• LOCATION: Pad 39A
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: no earlier than Jan. 31, 2000 at 12:47 p.m. EST
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Feb. 11, 2000 at 4:55 p.m. EST
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours and 2 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: At Launch Pad 39A, preparations for Endeavour’s upcoming launch continue on schedule. Orbiter aft compartment close-outs are going well and the aft doors are slated for installation on Wednesday. Shuttle ordnance installation begins today and flight crew equipment stowage continues through next week.

Engineering evaluation of Endeavour’s thermal tiles continues. The analysis will determine if any additional tile work is required on Endeavour prior to launch, and if so, what schedule impacts may exist. To date, only two tiles have been removed from the orbiter’s nose and will be replaced in parallel with standard work.

Engineers are also considering a strengthening modification for four camera mounts located in the orbiter’s payload bay. If the modifications are needed, the payload bay doors must be opened to allow work on the forward and aft bulkhead cameras early next week, with no impact to the current schedule.

Processing Milestones:
Ordnance installation complete (Jan. 24)
Orbiter aft comparment close-outs (Jan. 26)
Flight crew equipment stowage complete (Jan. 26)
Flight crew arrives at KSC (Jan. 27 at noon)
Launch Countdown begins (Jan. 28 at 5:30 p.m.)

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: no earlier than April 13, 2000 at about 9:30 p.m.
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: April 24, 2000
• LAUNCH WINDOW: about 10 minutes
• MISSION DURATION: 10 days and 19 hours
• CREW: Halsell, Horowitz, Weber, Lu, Williams, Malenchenko and Morukov
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Work in progress: Orbiter maneuvering system functional tests were completed earlier this week. Servicing of Atlantis’ freon coolant loop No. 2 concluded Wednesday. Wiring inspections and repairs continue in the orbiter’s aft and midbody compartments. Checks on the Ku-band antenna and TACAN system are also under way.

• VEHICLE: Discoveryr/OV-103
• LOCATION: OPF bay 1
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: no earlier than June 14, 2000 at 8:42 p.m. EDT
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 24, 2000 at 5:10 p.m. EDT
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 10 minutes
• MISSION DURATION: 10 days
• CREW: Duffy, Melroy, Wakata, Chiao, Wisoff, Lopez-Alegria and McArthur
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Work in progress: Functional tests on Discovery’s orbiter maneuvering system are under way. Orbiter main landing gear inspections are in work this week and thermal protection system waterproofing efforts are ongoing.