Space Shuttle Processing Status 8 Oct 2002

MISSION STS-112 — 15TH ISS FLIGHT (9A) – S1 Truss Segment

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE: Oct. 7, 2002
• OFFICIAL LAUNCH TIME: 3:45:51 p.m. (EDT)
• TARGET LANDING DATE: Oct. 18, 2002
• MISSION DURATION: 11 days
• CREW: Ashby, Melroy, Wolf, Sellers, Magnus, Yurchikhin
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE AND INCLINATION: 122 nautical miles, 51.6 degrees

The Space Shuttle Atlantis flawlessly lifted off Launch Pad 39-B yesterday at 3:45:51 p.m. and roared toward space with the six member crew to begin the 111th shuttle mission and the 15th mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The crew is preparing to dock with the ISS tomorrow at 11:29 p.m. to deliver the S1 Truss Segment.

Initial data indicates the Shuttle engines performed normally during the eight minutes of powered flight, as did the Solid Rocket Boosters. The retrieval ships Liberty Star and Freedom Star are in the recovery area in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 140 miles east of Cape Canaveral assessing the status of the two spent booster casings. The ships will return the segments to Hangar AF for post-flight evaluation at Cape Canaveral around noon tomorrow.

MISSION: STS-113 – 16th ISS Flight (11A) – P1 Truss Segment

• VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
• OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE: Nov. 10, 2002 NET
• TARGET LANDING DATE: Nov. 20, 2002
• MISSION DURATION: 11 days
• CREW: Wetherbee, Lockhart, Lopez-Alegria, Herrington; (ISS up) Bowersox, Budarin, Pettit; (ISS down) Korzun, Whitson, Treschev
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE AND INCLINATION: 122 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Endeavour is mated to the External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters. Preparations are in work to transport Endeavour to the launch pad to begin the final phase of processing in anticipation of launch next month. The P1 truss segment is scheduled to be delivered to the pad later this week.

MISSION STS-107 -SPACEHAB/ FREESTAR MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH MISSION

• VEHICLE – Columbia/OV-102
• TARGET LAUNCH DATE: Jan. 16, 2003 NET
• TARGET LANDING DATE: Feb. 1, 2003
• MISSION DURATION: 16 days
• CREW: Husband, McCool, Anderson, Chawla, Brown, Clark, Ramon
• ORBITAL INSERTION ALTITUDE AND INCLINATION: 150 nautical miles/39 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Columbia continues processing in preparation for its research mission scheduled for no earlier than Jan. 16. Polishing is in work on the flow-liners and welding is scheduled to begin on tomorrow.

ORBITER MAJOR MODIFICATION PERIOD

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103

Shuttle Processing Note: The Orbiter Major Modification (OMM) period for Discovery continues with wire inspections in the crew module this week.