Space Shuttle Processing Status 6 March 2001

MISSION: STS-102 – 8th ISS Flight (5A.1) – Leonardo MPLM

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103

LOCATION: Launch Pad 39B

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Mar. 8, 2001 at about 6:42 a.m. EST

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Mar. 20, 2001 at about 2:02 a.m.

LAUNCH WINDOW: less than 5 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 11 days, 19 hours

CREW: Wetherbee, Kelly, Thomas, Richards; (up) Voss, Helms, Usachev; (down)
Shepherd, Gidzenko, Krikalev

ORBITAL INSERTION ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 122 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

The countdown for the launch of Discovery on mission STS-102 continues on
schedule for a liftoff at 6:42 a.m. on Thursday, March 8. Today at pad 39B
the cryogenic reactants that Discovery will use to generate power during the
mission were loaded onboard the vehicle. On Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. the
gantry-like rotating service structure that provides the primary access and
weather protection for the Space Shuttle at the pad will be retracted.
Fueling of the external tank is scheduled to begin at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday.
The astronauts will arrive at the launch pad at 3:20 a.m. on Thursday
morning to begin boarding Discovery.

Weather forecasters indicate a 30 percent chance of not meeting the launch
weather criteria due to cold temperatures. At launch time, the temperature
at KSC will be near 44 degrees, northwesterly winds at 8-12 knots, with a
relative humidity of 82 percent. There will be only a few clouds between
2,000 and 3,500 feet and visibility of 7 to 10 miles.