Status Report

Notice to Editors/News Directors: Mission STS-98 Events, News Center Operating Hours Set

By SpaceRef Editor
February 1, 2001
Filed under ,

News conferences, events and operating hours for KSC’s News
Center have been set for the Feb. 7 launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on
Mission STS-98, the 102nd launch in the Shuttle program. Launch on Feb. 7 is
set for about 6:11 p.m. EST at the opening of a window that extends for
about 5 minutes. The news conferences and events listed below will be
carried live on NASA Television (unless otherwise noted) and originate from
the KSC Press Site.

The five-member STS-98 crew is scheduled to arrive at KSC on
Sunday, Feb. 4 at about 1:30 p.m. EST. News media representatives planning
to cover the event must be at the KSC News Center by 12:30 p.m. (in the
event of a possible early crew arrival) for transportation to the Shuttle
Landing Facility. On launch day, the crew will depart their KSC living
quarters and be driven to the launch pad at about 2:20 p.m. Media interested
in attending this event should be at the News Center no later than 1:20 p.m.

In addition to daily 9 a.m. countdown status briefings, a
prelaunch press conference will be held two days before launch. The full
briefing schedule is listed below.

News media representatives with proper authorization may obtain
STS-98 mission credentials at the Pass and Identification Building on State
Road 3 (south of KSC) on Merritt Island during published times. (Credential
and badging hours are listed below.)

Media with annual badges are reminded to submit their requests
for year 2001 annual badges as soon as possible. Year 2000 annual badges
will be honored through the end of the STS-98 mission.

STS-98 BRIEFINGS & EVENTS SCHEDULE (all times are EDT)
(All briefings are held inside the KSC Press Site auditorium and will be
carried live on NASA TV unless otherwise noted)

L-3 Days – Sunday, Feb. 4

1:30 p.m. —– STS-98 Flight Crew Arrival (Live on NASA TV)

Launch countdown begins at 10 p.m.

(The KSC codaphone will be updated with daily status – 321/867-2525).

L-2 Days – Monday, Feb. 5

9 a.m. —— Countdown Status Briefing

· Steve Altemus, NASA Test Director

· Jon Cowart, U.S. Laboratory payload manager

· Ed Priselac, Shuttle Weather Officer

4 p.m. —– Prelaunch News Conference

· Ron Dittemore, Shuttle Program Manager, NASA, JSC

· Bill Gerstenmaier, ISS Deputy Program Manager, NASA, JSC

· Dave King, Director of Shuttle Processing, NASA, KSC

· Captain Clif Stargardt, Staff Meteorologist, 45th Weather Squadron,
USAF

L-1 Days – Tuesday, Feb. 6

9 a.m. —— Countdown Status Briefing

· Pete Nickolenko, NASA Test Director

· Jon Cowart, U.S. Laboratory payload manager

· Ed Priselac, Shuttle Weather Officer

L-0 Day – Wednesday, Feb. 7

(Tanking begins at about 9:15 a.m.)

1 p.m. —– NASA Television live launch programming begins

Launch Day Crew activities :

6:30 a.m. ———Wake up

7:00 a.m. ———Breakfast

12:30 p.m. ———Lunch

*1:10 p.m. ——– Crew Photo

1:41 p.m. ——–Weather briefing

*2:05 p.m. ——Suit up photo

*2:21 p.m. —– Walkout/depart for pad

*2:51 p.m. —– Arrive at pad

*4:06 p.m. ——–Close hatch

*6:11 p.m. — Launch of Atlantis

(* Carried live on NASA TV)

*7:15 p.m. —– Post-launch Press Conference

· Jim Halsell, Shuttle Program Launch Integration Manager, KSC

· Mike Leinbach, Shuttle Launch Director, KSC

KSC News Center office hours for STS-98
(Times may be adjusted in real time depending on mission events and
timelines.)

Sunday, Feb. 4          (Launch minus 3 days) –      12 noon – 4 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 5 (Launch minus 2 days) – 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 6 (Launch minus 1 day) – 8 a.m. – 12 midnight
Wednesday, Feb. 7 (Launch day) – 6 a.m. —- 8 p.m.
[FOR MISSION DAY SCHEDULES SEE NOTE BELOW]
Sunday, Feb. 18 (Landing day) — 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

NOTE: The KSC News Center will support media questions for overnight and
weekend STS-98 Mission Status Briefings and the in-flight crew news
conference. Media interested in attending the briefings that occur after
normal office hours (8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday), MUST make their
intentions known to the KSC News Room at least 24-hours in advance, in order
to secure proper access to the press site. Times of these briefings are
available in the NASA TV schedule at:
http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/nasatv/schedule.html

Pass and Identification Hours

L-2      Monday, Feb. 5 —                8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
L-1 Tuesday, Feb. 6 — 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
L-0 Wednesday, Feb. 7 — 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

News media may obtain STS-98 mission credentials at the Pass and
Identification Building at Gate 2 on State Road 3, Merritt Island, during
the above published times.

News media with annual Shuttle credentials are reminded to sign
the logbook at the query counter in the News Center.

NEWS MEDIA ARE REQUIRED TO BE UNDER PUBLIC AFFAIRS ESCORT AT ALL
TIMES WHILE AT KSC EXCEPT WHEN DRIVING TO THE NEWS CENTER OR THE COMPLEX 39
CAFETERIA.

NEWS MEDIA ARE ALLOWED AT THE PRESS SITE ONLY WHEN THE KSC NEWS
CENTER IS OPEN.

Status reports and other NASA publications are available on
the World Wide Web at:
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/kscpao.htm .

Information about the countdown and mission can be accessed
electronically via the Internet at:
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/ and at
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

SpaceRef staff editor.