Space Shuttle Status Report January 4, 2000
MISSION: STS-99 – Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)
VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
LOCATION: Pad 39A
TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than January 31, 2000 at 12:47 p.m.
EST
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Feb. 11, 2000 at 4:52 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: Processing of Space Shuttle Endeavour has resumed at
Launch Pad 39A following the holiday downtime. Just prior to the holidays,
workers completed launch pad validations and conducted a hotfire test of all
three auxiliary power units. In addition, Endeavour’s three main engines
underwent flight readiness tests. Shuttle workers then configured the
Shuttle for an eight-day holiday break.
Today, technicians are preparing for Friday’s helium signature leak test and
conducting routine leak checks on main engine No. 3. Tomorrow, the launch
team will assemble in firing room No. 3 to participate in a launch countdown
simulation. Loading of prelaunch propellant into Endeavour’s onboard
storage tanks begins Monday. Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test
activities with the flight crew are slated to occur Jan. 13 and 14.
Processing Milestones:
Helium signature leak test (Jan. 7)
Prelaunch propellant loading (Jan. 10-12)
Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Jan. 13-14)
MISSION: STS-101 – 3rd ISS Flight (2A.2) – SPACEHAB DM
VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3
TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than March 16, 2000 at 7:45 a.m. EST
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: March 27, 2000 at 2:40 a.m. EST
LAUNCH WINDOW: 5-10 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 Atlantis’ three auxiliary power units were
installed before the holidays. This week, technicians are conducting wiring
inspections and repairs in the orbiter’s midbody and aft compartments.
Engineers also plan to check out Atlantis’ replaced orbiter maneuvering
system pods later this week.
MISSION: STS-92 – 4th ISS Flight (3A) – Z-1 Truss, PMA-3
VEHICLE: Discovery /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: Processing of orbiter Discovery has resumed in OPF bay 1.
Workers drained the vehicle’s onboard cryogenic reactants after a Dec. 27
landing and then secured Discovery for the transition to year 2000.
Preparations are now under way to open Discovery’s payload bay doors later
this week. Next week, work begins to remove any residual hypergolics from
Discovery’s storage tanks.
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