ESA TV Live — info on tomorrow’s launch live coverage

ESA TV Live will retransmit the Shuttle launch to the International Space Station, as follows

8 March 2001

11:30 – 12:00 GMT (launch at 11:42 GMT)

Please note the transmission details on NSS-K, below.

The next Shuttle launch, STS-102, will carry the Leonardo Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), built by Alenia Spazio (Torino).

The launch is currently scheduled for Thursday, 8 March 2001, at 11:42 GMT with a launch window of a few minutes. The ESA TV Service will rebroadcast the launch live from NASA-TV.

On Saturday, 10 March, Shuttle Discovery will dock on the Destiny laboratory. Leonardo will be docked on Monday, 12 March, to the Unity node of the Station for five days so that its cargo can be transferred to the station easily; it will then be returned to the Shutle’s payload bay and brought back down to Earth.

Leonardo carries 16 ‘racks’ of equipment, including the Human Research Facility Rack which will allow the astronauts to do extensive medical experiments.

The STS-102 crew are Jim Wetherbee (commander), James Kelly (pilot), Andrew Thomas and Paul Richards (mission specialists). In addition, Discovery will carry the Expedition Two crew of Yuriy Usachyov, James Voss and Susan Helms to the Station and bring back the Expedition One crew.

The landing of Discovery is scheduled for Monday, 20 March, at 07:02 GMT.

The ESA TV Service will cover the mission STS-102 extensively through rebroadcast of 15-minute flight day hghlights, in most cases at work days around 14:00 GMT.

Satellite transmission parameters for 8 March 2001:

NSS-K at 21.5 degrees West

Transponder H07, dig ch 1 (MCPC), vertical

F=11591MHz, SR=20150MS/sec, FEC=3/4

For further information and a daily update of the transmission schedule, visit our website at http://television.esa.int. For all enquires, contact Claus Habfast, Tel +31 71 565 3838, Fax +31 71 565 6340, e-mail chabfast@hq.esa.fr.