Space Shuttle Status Report November 8, 1999

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

Monday, November 8, 1999

(4:00 p.m. EST)

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

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103

LOCATION: VAB

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: early December (under review)

TARGET LANDING DATE/TIME: mid December (under review)

LAUNCH WINDOW: 42 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 10 days

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

ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 317 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

Work in progress: The planned rollout of Space Shuttle Discovery to Launch
Pad 39B has been delayed beyond Tuesday, Nov. 9. During standard Shuttle
Interface Test activities this morning, engineers in firing room No. 1 noted
loss of command capability for a range safety cable that supports both solid
rocket boosters. Subsequent visual inspections revealed damage to the SRB
cross-strap cable that runs between the external tank (ET)/SRB attach points
and through the ET intertank.

KSC managers have decided to replace the cable and are developing a plan to
accommodate the unexpected work. The impact of this work on the remainder
of Discovery’s processing schedule is being assessed. Preliminary reports
indicate that an early December launch date is still achievable.

The Hubble Servicing Mission cargo was transported to the launch pad early
this morning and transfer into the payload change-out room is in work.

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