STS-104, Mission Control Center Status Report # 23 Monday, July 23, 2001 – 7 a.m. CDT
With the equipment used during the 10th International Space
Station assembly mission securely stowed and all systems
needed for landing checked out and ready to go, Atlantis’ crew
went to bed at 7:04 a.m. CDT today.
Atlantis Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Charlie Hobaugh and
Mission Specialists Janet Kavandi, Mike Gernhardt and Jim
Reilly will awaken at 3:04 p.m., and begin deorbit
preparations at 6:30 p.m. The shuttle’s payload bay doors are
slated to be closed at 7:49 p.m. Computers on the shuttle will
be switched to landing mode at 8:01 p.m., and the crew will
climb into its seats at 9:29 p.m.
Since the shuttle’s supplies will support several more days on
orbit, Entry Flight Director Wayne Hale has elected to
activate landing support only at Kennedy Space Center for
tonight. Forecasters are predicting generally favorable
conditions at the Shuttle Landing Facility, but are watching
out for the possibility of thunderstorms and rain within 30
miles.
There are two Florida landing opportunities Monday night and
Tuesday morning. The first begins with a deorbit burn at 10:29
p.m. and concludes with landing at 11:37 p.m. CDT Monday. The
second commences with an engine firing at 12:08 a.m. ending
with landing at 1:14 a.m. CDT Tuesday.
Lindsey and Hobaugh on Sunday conducted successful tests of
the reaction control system jets used to maneuver Atlantis as
it begins to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. They then
checked out the flight control surfaces that become effective
once the orbiter’s computers sense aerodynamic drag on the
vehicle.
Kavandi, Gernhardt and Reilly put away the bulk of the
equipment they used during their eight days docked to the
station and stowed the 2,550 pounds of equipment they are
bringing home from the station.
Aboard the International Space Station, the Expedition Two
crew enjoyed off-duty and exercise time. Commander Yury
Usachev and Flight Engineers Susan Helms and Jim Voss did
spend time talking with flight controllers in Houston and
Moscow about the work ahead of them to get squared away after
Atlantis’ visit, and to get ready for the next shuttle mission
and their replacement crew. The crew is scheduled to go to bed
at 1 p.m. CDT today.
Both spacecraft continue to orbit the Earth at an average
altitude of 240 statute miles.
The next mission status report will be issued about 6 p.m.
Monday or as events warrant.
