STS-104 Mission Status Report #1

The Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off on time this morning at 4:04 a.m. Central from the Kennedy Space
Center, FL, and, after a smooth climb to orbit, is now en route to deliver a new doorway to space to the
International Space Station later this week.

Atlantis Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Charlie Hobaugh and Mission Specialists Janet Kavandi, Jim Reilly
and Mike Gernhardt will install an airlock named Quest on the station, increasing the orbiting complex’s
onboard capabilities for maintenance and construction and completing a major milestone in the station’s
orbital construction. The International Space Station crew – Commander Yuri Usachev and Flight Engineers
Jim Voss and Susan Helms — was informed of Atlantis’ launch just minutes after liftoff. The station crew
spent the day preparing for the shuttle’s visit. Earlier in the week the station crew performed final checks of
the orbiting outpost’s Canadian-built mechanical arm, an arm that will be used to attach the airlock, and
reported the arm in excellent condition.

Atlantis is planned to dock with the station at about 9:51 p.m. Central on Friday. After opening Atlantis’
payload bay doors and preparing the shuttle for an extended stay in space, Atlantis’ crew will go to sleep at
9:04 a.m. Central today. The space station crew, now in their fourth month aboard the complex, will begin
their sleep period at about 5:30 a.m. Central.

The station crew will awaken at 2 p.m. and Atlantis’ crew will awaken at 5:03 p.m. today. When they awaken
this afternoon, the shuttle crew will spend their first full day in space checking out equipment in preparation
for the major events to come on their 11-day mission: Friday’s docking with the station and three space
walks, the first to begin on Saturday, to install the new airlock.

The next mission status report will be issued at about 6 p.m. Central.