Space Shuttle Processing Status 28 Feb 2002

MISSION: STS-109 – HST Servicing Mission 3B

VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE: March 1, 2002 at 6:22 a.m.

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE: March 12, 2002 at 4:35 a.m.

MISSION DURATION: 11 days

CREW: Altman, Carey, Grunsfeld, Currie, Newman, Linnehan, Massimino

ORBITAL INSERTION ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 308 nautical miles/28.5 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Following yesterday’s postponement, the countdown
for the launch of Columbia on the STS-109 mission was recycled to the T-11
mark and holding. The countdown will resume at 2:32 p.m. today aiming for a
planned liftoff of 6:22 a.m. Friday, March 1. The Rotating Service Structure
move to the parked position was completed at 11:30 a.m. The start of
External Tank propellant loading is scheduled for 9:32 p.m. Final mission
status will be evaluated by the Shuttle Management Team at tonight’s 8:30
p.m. tanking meeting. A Shuttle engineering team has completed an extensive
evaluation of the landing gear bearing issue and has determined there are no
technical constraints that will impact the STS-109 landing. Their report
will be presented to the Mission Management Team tonight for final
disposition.

The STS-109 astronauts’ circadian work schedule has been adjusted to meet
the new launch time. They were awakened last night at about 8:30 p.m. and
spent the day visiting with families, reviewing flight plans and receiving
updates on the weather forecast and countdown progress. They will be
awakened about 8:30 p.m. tonight and will depart their crew quarters for the
launch pad at 2:38 a.m. tomorrow.

A more optimistic weather forecast was issued for launch time with a
temperature at 55 degrees F, winds from the northeast at 14 to 20 knots and
a relative humidity of 86 percent. Probability of conditions prohibiting
launch is 30 percent because of the possibility of low cloud ceilings. Winds
at the shuttle Landing Facility will be from the northeast at eight to 13
knots. The weather at sea also has improved with a prediction of a sea state
of three to four feet, east-northeast winds 15 to 18 knots and a water
temperature of 72 degrees F in the Solid Rocket Booster recovery area.

COUNTDOWN MILESTONES REMAINING

*all times are Eastern

Launch Day (Friday, March 1)
Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid hydrogen

and liquid oxygen propellants (about 12:32 a.m.)

Final Inspection Team proceed to launch pad
Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at T-3 hours (12:32 a.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 (2:32 a.m.)
Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad (2:38 a.m.)

Complete close-out preparations in the white room

Check cockpit switch configurations

Flight crew begins entry into the orbiter (about 3:08 a.m.)

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

Control

Close Columbia’s crew hatch (about 4:22 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 (5:12 a.m.)
NASA Test Director conducts final launch team briefings

Complete inertial measurement unit preflight alignments
Resume countdown at T-20 minutes (5:22 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 40-minute hold at T-9 minutes (5:33 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 6:13 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)
CREW FOR MISSION STS-109

Commander (CDR): 		Scott D. Altman

Pilot (PLT):				Duane G. Carey

Payload Commander (MS1):	John M. Grunsfeld

Mission Specialist (MS2):		Nancy Jane Currie

Mission Specialist (MS3):		Richard M. Linnehan

Mission Specialist (MS4):		James H. Newman

Mission Specialist (MS5):		Michael J. Massimino		
SUMMARY OF STS-109 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES
Thursday, Feb. 28

8:34 p.m.	Crew wake up

9:49 p.m.	Breakfast
Friday, March 1

*12:34 a.m.	Snack and photo opportunity

1:58 a.m.	Weather Briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)

*1:58 a.m.	Don flight suits (MS1, MS3, MS4, MS5)

*2:08 a.m.	Don flight suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)

*2:38 a.m.	Depart for launch pad

*3:08 a.m.	Arrive at white room and begin ingress

*4:22 a.m.	Close crew hatch

*6:22 a.m.	Launch
* Televised events (times may vary slightly)

All times Eastern