Space Shuttle Status Report 5 October 2000 11:48 PM EDT

NOTE: Visit http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm on the
KSC Home Page for the latest schedule of future Shuttle missions.

LAUNCH DELAY UPDATE

MISSION: STS-92 – 5th ISS Flight (3A) – Z-1 Truss, PMA-3

LOCATION: Launch Pad 39A

KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than Oct. 9, 2000 at about 8:05 p.m. EDT

TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 20, 2000

LAUNCH WINDOW: No more than 5 minutes

MISSION DURATION: 11 days

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

ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 177 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

Completed Shuttle Processing: Shuttle managers announced tonight that
Shuttle Discovery will launch no earlier than Monday, Oct. 9. The decision
allows workers at KSC time to access Discovery’s aft compartment to
troubleshoot and replace a pogo suppression valve on the liquid oxygen side
of the orbiter’s main propulsion system. Meanwhile, engineering evaluation
of the orbiter/external tank bolt protrusion issue will continue.

Following the announcement of Discovery’s launch postponement today,
engineers in KSC’s launch control room cycled the orbiter’s main propulsion
system valves as part of standard turnaround procedures. During these
checks, the pogo suppression valve for the liquid oxygen side of the main
propulsion system responded sluggishly. Engineering evaluation determined
that thorough troubleshooting of the suspect valve is required.

Draining of Discovery’s onboard cryogenic storage tanks begins at 2 a.m.
tomorrow and concludes about 6 hours later. When cryogenic offload is
complete, technicians will begin gaining access to Discovery’s aft
compartment tomorrow morning. Once access is established, workers will begin
electrical troubleshooting of the pogo valve followed by valve replacement
work. The launch team is scheduled to pickup the launch countdown at the
T-11hour mark at 5:10 a.m. Monday. The STS-92 flight crew will remain at KSC
through the next launch attempt.

MEDIA NOTE: An extended scrub turnaround press conference will be held
tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the KSC Press Site.