Status Report

Launch Countdown for Shuttle Mission STS-98 Begins Jan. 16

By SpaceRef Editor

January 12, 2001

Filed under Kennedy Space Center, US

NASA will begin the countdown for launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis
on mission STS-98 Jan. 16 at 5:30 a.m. EST at the T-43 hour mark. This
mission marks the 7th Shuttle flight to the International Space Station and
the 1st Shuttle mission this year. The KSC launch team will conduct the
countdown from Firing Room 3 of the Launch Control Center.

The countdown includes 25 hours and 40 minutes of built-in hold time
leading to a preferred launch time at about 2:11 a.m. on Jan. 19 with a
launch window not to exceed 5 minutes. The exact location of the orbiting
International Space Station (ISS) will be determined during the T-9 minute
built-in hold. The launch director will at that time determine the exact
time of launch.

Mission STS-98 is the 23rd flight of the orbiter Atlantis and the 102nd
flight overall in NASA’s Space Shuttle program. STS-98 is scheduled to last
10 days, 19 hours and 40 minutes with a planned KSC landing at about 9:51
p.m. on Jan. 29.

Atlantis rolled into KSC’s Orbiter Processing Facility on Sept. 20,
2000, after completing mission STS-106, to undergo processing for this
flight. The orbiter rolled out of OPF bay 3 and into the Vehicle Assembly
Building on Dec. 4. While in VAB high bay 3, Atlantis was mated to the
external tank and solid rocket boosters. The entire Space Shuttle stack was
transferred to Launch Pad 39A Jan. 3.

On mission STS-98, the five-member crew will deliver the U.S.
Laboratory “Destiny” to the growing International Space Station. Destiny
will be attached to the Unity node using the Shuttle’s robot arm. The three
member ISS crew will host the Shuttle crew members during the six days of
docked operations. Three space walks are required to complete the planned
construction work.

The STS-98 crew includes: Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Mark
Polansky, and Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam, Thomas Jones and Marsha
Ivins.

COUNTDOWN MILESTONES

*all times are Eastern

Launch – 3 Days (Tuesday, Jan. 16)

* Prepare for the start of the STS-98 launch countdown

* Perform the call-to-stations (5 a.m.)

* Countdown begins at the T-43 hour mark (5:30 a.m.)

* Begin final vehicle and facility close-outs for launch

* Check out back-up flight systems

* Review flight software stored in mass memory units and display
systems

* Load backup flight system software into Atlantis’s general purpose
computers

* Remove mid-deck and flight-deck platforms (1:30 p.m.)

* Activate and test navigational systems (6:30 p.m.)

* Complete preparation to load power reactant storage and distribution
system (8:30 p.m.)

* Flight deck preliminary inspections complete (9:30 p.m.)

* Enter first built-in hold at T-27 hours for duration of 4 hours
(9:30 p.m.)

* Clear launch pad of all non-essential personnel

* Perform test of the vehicle’s pyrotechnic initiator controllers
(10:30 p.m.)

Launch -2 Day (Wednesday, Jan. 17)

* Resume countdown (1:30 a.m.)

* Begin operations to load cryogenic reactants into Atlantis’ fuel
cell storage tanks (1:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.)

* Enter 4-hour built-in hold at T-19 hours (9:30 a.m.)

* Begin filling pad sound suppression system water tank (9:30 a.m.)

* Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit (10 a.m.)

* Resume orbiter and ground support equipment close-outs

* Pad sound suppression system water tank filling complete (1 p.m.)

* Resume countdown (1:30 p.m.)

* Final preparations of the Shuttle’s three main engines for main
propellant tanking and flight (1:30 p.m.)

* Close out the tail service masts on the mobile launcher platform

* Enter planned hold at T-11 hours for 12 hours, 45 minutes (9:30
p.m.)

* Begin star tracker functional checks (10 p.m.)

* Activate orbiter’s inertial measurement units

* Activate the orbiter’s communications systems

* Install film in numerous cameras on the launch pad (12 midnight)

* Launch Day-1 (Thursday, Jan. 18)

* Flight crew equipment late stow (2 a.m.)

* Move Rotating Service Structure (RSS) to the park position (6 a.m.)

* Perform ascent switch list

* Fuel cell flow-through purge complete

* Resume countdown at T-11 hours (10:15 a.m.)

* Activate the orbiter’s fuel cells (11:25 a.m.)

* Clear the blast danger area of all non-essential personnel

* Switch Atlantis’ purge air to gaseous nitrogen (12:30 p.m.)

* Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark (3:15 p.m.)

* Launch team verifies no violations of launch commit criteria prior
to cryogenic loading of the external tank

* Clear pad of all personnel

* Chilldown of propellant transfer lines (4:45 p.m.)

* Begin loading the external tank with about 500,000 gallons of
cryogenic propellants (about 5:15 p.m.)

* Resume countdown (5:15 p.m.)

* Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid
hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants (about 8:15 p.m.)

* Final Inspection Team proceed to launch pad

* Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at T-3 hours (8:15 p.m.)

* Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration

* Align Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) tracking antennas

* Perform open loop test with Eastern Range

* Resume countdown at T-3 hours (10:15 p.m.)

* Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad (at 10:20
p.m.)

* Complete close-out preparations in the white room

* Check cockpit switch configurations

* Flight crew begins entry into the orbiter (about 10:50 p.m.)

* Astronauts perform air-to-ground voice checks with Launch and
Mission Control

* Launch Day (Friday, Jan. 19)

* Close Atlantis’ crew hatch (about 12:05 a.m.)

* Begin Eastern Range final network open loop command checks

* Perform hatch seal and cabin leak checks

* Complete white room close-out

* Close-out crew moves to fallback area

* Primary ascent guidance data is transferred to the backup flight
system

* Enter planned 10-minute hold at T-20 minutes (12:55 a.m.)

* NASA Test Director conducts final launch team briefings

* Complete inertial measurement unit preflight alignments

* Resume countdown at T-20 minutes (1:05 a.m.)

* Transition the orbiter’s onboard computers to launch configuration

* Start fuel cell thermal conditioning

* Close orbiter cabin vent valves

* Transition backup flight system to launch configuration

* Enter estimated 45-minute hold at T-9 minutes (1:16 a.m.)

* Launch Director, Mission Management Team and NASA Test Director
conduct final polls for go/no go to launch

* Resume countdown at T-9 minutes (about 2:01 a.m.)

* Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9:00 minutes)

* Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30)

* Start mission recorders (T-6:15)

* Start Auxiliary Power Units (T-5:00)

* Arm SRB and ET range safety safe and arm devices (T-5:00)

* Start liquid oxygen drainback (T-4:55)

* Start orbiter aerosurface profile test (T-3:55)

* Start main engine gimbal profile test (T-3:30)

* Pressurize liquid oxygen tank (T-2:55)

* Begin retraction of the gaseous oxygen vent arm (T-2:55)

* Fuel cells to internal reactants (T-2:35)

* Pressurize liquid hydrogen tank (T-1:57)

* Deactivate SRB joint heaters (T-1:00)

* Orbiter transfers from ground to internal power (T-0:50 seconds)

* Ground Launch Sequencer go for auto sequence start (T-0:31 seconds)

* SRB gimbal profile (T-0:21 seconds)

* Ignition of three Space Shuttle main engines (T-6.6 seconds)

* SRB ignition and liftoff (T-0)

SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-98

T-TIME LENGTH OF HOLD HOLD BEGINS HOLD ENDS
T-27 hours 4 hours 9:30 p.m. Tues. 1:30 a.m. Wed.
T-19 hours 4 hours 9:30 a.m. Wed. 1:30 p.m. Wed.
T-11 hours 12 hours, 45 minutes 9:30 p.m. Wed. 10:15 a.m. Thurs.

T-6 hours 2 hours 3:15 p.m. Thurs. 5:15 p.m. Thurs.
T-3 hours 2 hours 8:15 p.m. Thurs. 10:15 p.m. Thurs.
T-20 minutes 10 minutes 12:55 a.m. Fri. 1:05 a.m. Fri.
T-9 minutes about 45 minutes 1:16 a.m. Fri. 2:01 a.m. Fri.

CREW FOR MISSION STS-98

Commander (CDR): Kenneth Cockrell

Pilot (PLT): Mark Polansky

Mission Specialist (MS1): Robert Curbeam

Mission Specialist (MS2): Marsha Ivins

Mission Specialist (MS3): Thomas Jones

SUMMARY OF STS-98 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES

Thursday, Jan. 18

2:30 p.m. Crew wake up

3 p.m. Breakfast

8 p.m. Lunch

*9:10 p.m. Photo opportunity