Space Shuttle Status Report 18 Jan 2001

NOTE: This is an orbiter processing report and does not necessarily reflect
the chronological order of upcoming Space Shuttle flights. Visit
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm on the KSC Home
Page for the latest schedule of future Shuttle missions.

MISSION: STS-98 – 7th ISS Flight (5A) – U.S. Laboratory

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104

LOCATION: Launch Pad 39A

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than Feb. 6, 2001 at 6:37 p.m. EST

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Feb. 17, 2001 at 2:17 p.m. EST

LAUNCH WINDOW: less than 5 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 19 hours and 40 minutes

CREW: Cockrell, Polansky, Curbeam, Jones, Ivins

ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 177 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Shuttle Processing Note: Work continues at Launch Pad 39A and in the Vehicle
Assembly Building in preparation for Space Shuttle Atlantis’ rollback to the
VAB. First motion from the pad remains scheduled for 7 a.m. tomorrow.

At the pad, the U.S. Lab is now in the payload changeout room. Shuttle
ordnance disconnections began early this morning along with retraction of
the orbiter’s pad weather protection panels. The Rotating Service Structure
moved away from Atlantis at about 11 a.m. today. In the VAB, workers began
the transfer of the right hand aft booster segment for STS-100 from high bay
3 into high bay 2 on the VAB’s west side. This Mobile Launcher Platform
move opens bay 3 for Atlantis’ rollback.

Once Atlantis is in the VAB, technicians will begin removal of the solid
rocket booster systems tunnel covers and gain access to the cables to begin
continuity or “wiggle” tests. These tests begin with the forward cables on
Saturday evening and conclude with the aft cables on Sunday morning.

Following successful continuity tests, technicians plan to conduct X-ray
analysis on Sunday and Monday. If no additional work is required, the
tunnel covers will be reinstalled Monday evening and closeouts will conclude
on Tuesday. Engineers plan to conduct the Shuttle Interface Test on
Tuesday. On Wednesday, workers will prepare to roll Atlantis back out to
Launch Pad 39A. First motion is scheduled to occur as early as 7 a.m. on
Thursday, Jan. 25 (a correction to yesterday’s status report).