Press Release

Space Shuttle Status Report January 28, 2000

By SpaceRef Editor
January 28, 2000
Filed under

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE
SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2000 (2:30 PM EST)


MISSION: STS-99 — Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)

  • VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
  • LOCATION: Pad 39A
  • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: 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, work continues in preparation for Monday’s planned launch of Shuttle Endeavour. The launch countdown is scheduled to begin today at 5:30 p.m.

Shuttle managers announced today that an issue with a main engine fuel pump from orbiter Discovery is being evaluated to determine what impact if any it may have on the STS-99 mission. During routine postflight inspections after mission STS-103, engineers at KSC detected damage on a fuel pump seal located between the turbine blade and pump housing. The fuel pump has been sent to the Boeing, Rocketdyne manufacturing plant in Canoga Park, CA to undergo disassembly and analysis. Evaluation results will be presented at the standard Mission Management Team (MMT) meeting tomorrow at 2 p.m.

Shuttle weather forecasters indicate a 70 percent chance of favorable weather on Monday. The forecast calls for scattered clouds at 3,000 feet and 10,000 feet, and broken clouds at 25,000 feet; visibility at 7 miles; winds from the northwest at 12 peaking to 18 knots; temperature at 60 degrees F; relative humidity at 55 percent; dewpoint at 44 degrees F; and no threat of precipitation. The primary concern is the possibility of thick clouds that could violate launch criteria for trigger lightning.

Processing Milestones:
Launch countdown begins (Jan. 28 at 5:30 p.m.)
Power reactant storage and distribution system loaded (Jan. 29)
Rotating Service Structure retracted (Jan. 30 at about 6:30 p.m.)
External tank loading (Jan. 31, 4 – 7 a.m.)




SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-99
T-TIME LENGTH OF HOLD HOLD BEGINS HOLD ENDS
T-27 hours 4 hours 9:30 a.m. Sat. 1:30 p.m. Sat.
T-19 hours 4 hours 9:30 p.m. Sat. 1:30 a.m. Sun.
T-11 hours 12 hours, 57 minutes 9:30 a.m. Sun. 10:27 p.m. Sun.
T-6 hours 1 hour 3:27 a.m. Mon. 4:27 a.m. Mon.
T-3 hours 2 hours 7:27 a.m. Mon. 9:27 a.m. Mon.
T-20 minutes 10 minutes 12:07 p.m. Mon. 12:17 p.m. Mon.
T-9 minutes 10 minutes 12:28 p.m. Mon. 12:38 p.m. Mon.


CREW FOR MISSION STS-99
POSITION NAME
Commander (CDR) Kevin Kregel
Pilot (PLT) Dom Gorie
Mission Specialist (MS1) Gerhard Thiele
Mission Specialist (MS2) Janet Kavandi
Mission Specialist (MS3) Janice Voss
Mission Specialist (MS4) Mamoru Mohri



SUMMARY OF STS-99 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES
Monday, Jan. 31
12:30 a.m. Wake up Blue Team (PLT, MS3 and MS4)
1:00 a.m. Blue Team breakfast
7:30 a.m. Wake up Red Team (CDR, MS1 and MS2)
8:22 a.m.* Blue Team lunch/Red Team breakfast and photo
8:52 a.m. Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
8:52 a.m.* Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3 & MS4)
9:02 a.m.* Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
9:32 a.m.* Depart for Launch Pad 39A
10:02 a.m.* Arrive at white room and begin ingress
11:17 a.m.* Close crew hatch
12:47 p.m.* Launch





*Televised events (times may vary slightly)
All times Eastern

–end–

SpaceRef staff editor.