Status Report

Space Shuttle Status Report (4 p.m. EST)

By SpaceRef Editor
January 7, 2000
Filed under

MISSION: STS-99 – Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105

LOCATION: Pad 39A

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than Jan. 31, 2000 at 12:47 p.m. EST

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Feb. 11, 2000 at 4:52 p.m. EST

LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours and 2 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 11 days and 4 hours

CREW: Kregel, Gorie, Kavandi, Voss, Mohri, Thiele

ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 126 nautical miles/57 degrees

Work in progress: Shuttle Endeavour was powered up yesterday and leak checks
on main engine No. 3 are complete. The helium signature leak test is
ongoing. Preparations continue for prelaunch propellant loading, set to
begin early Monday morning. Routine inspections of the main propulsion
system lines and wiring in Endeavour’s aft compartment are going very well.
Aft compartment closeouts will begin in about 2 weeks. Workers will inspect
the thermal tiles located on Endeavour’s left and right inboard elevons to
confirm proper bonding. A single tile debonded from orbiter Discovery’s
right inboard elevon prior the STS-103 landing and engineers are currently
evaluating the cause.

Processing Milestones:

Prelaunch propellant loading (Jan. 10-12)

Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Jan.
13-14)

Flight Readiness Review (Jan. 18)

MISSION: STS-101 – 3rd ISS Flight (2A.2) – SPACEHAB DM

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104

LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than March 16, 2000 at 7:45 a.m. EST

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: March 27, 2000 at 2:40 a.m. EST

LAUNCH WINDOW: 5-10 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 10 days and 19 hours

CREW: Halsell, Horowitz, Weber, Lu, Williams, Malenchenko and Morukov

ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Work in progress: Wiring inspections and repairs continue in the orbiter’s
midbody and aft compartments. Preparations to service Atlantis’ freon
coolant loop No. 2 are in work, and checks of the orbiter’s robot arm are in
work. Next week, technicians will conduct ammonia boiler servicing and
functional tests of the orbiter’s auxiliary power units.

MISSION: STS-92 – 4th ISS Flight (3A) – Z-1 Truss, PMA-3

VEHICLE: Discovery /OV-103

LOCATION: OPF bay 1

TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than June 14, 2000 at 8:42 p.m. EDT

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 24, 2000 at 5:10 p.m. EDT

LAUNCH WINDOW: 10 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 10 days

CREW: Duffy, Melroy, Wakata, Chiao, Wisoff, Lopez-Alegria and McArthur

ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Work in progress: Technicians continue to establish orbiter access as
workers open Discovery’s payload bay doors today. Workers begin payload
removal efforts Monday morning. Preparations to remove Discovery’s three
main engines are under way and engine removal is slated to begin Tuesday
afternoon.

SpaceRef staff editor.