The countdown includes 29 hours and 56 minutes of built-in hold time leading to the opening of the launch window at about 7:56 a.m. (EST) on Nov. 11. The launch window extends for about seven minutes. The exact time of launch will be determined about 90 minutes before liftoff based on the location of the Mir space station.
In order to accommodate the short seven minute window necessary to rendezvous and dock with Mir, some changes have been made to the standard launch countdown. Most significant is the addition of an extra 30 minutes added to the normal 10 minute built-in hold at T-9 minutes. Also, tanking is scheduled to begin about 30 minutes earlier than usual.
STS-74 is the seventh and final mission scheduled for 1995. This will be the 15th flight of the Shuttle Atlantis and the 73rd flight overall in NASA’s Space Shuttle program.
Atlantis was rolled out of Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 on Oct. 3 and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The Shuttle stack was then transported to Pad 39A on Oct. 12. Atlantis last flew on the first Shuttle/Mir docking flight in June/July 1995.
Atlantis will carry into orbit a five member crew. No Russian cosmonauts will be flown on this mission nor will any crew members be changed out as was the case on the first docking mission.
The crew of Atlantis will carry additional supplies for the Mir crew and two new solar arrays for installation on the Russian space station. Also, located in the orbiter’s payload bay is the Mir Docking Module. This module will be permanently attached to Mir during this flight and used for future docking missions.
The STS-74 crew are: Commander Ken Cameron; Pilot James Halsell; and Mission Specialists Jerry Ross, William McArthur and Chris Hadfield.
The STS-74 crew are scheduled to arrive at KSC at about 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8. Their activities at KSC prior to launch will include equipment fit checks, medical examinations and opportunities to fly in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.
¨ Prepare for the start of the STS-74 launch countdown
¨ Perform the call-to-stations (6:30 a.m.)
¨ All members of the launch team report to their respective consoles
in Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center for the start of the
countdown.
¨ Countdown begins at the T-43 hour mark (7 a.m.)
¨ Start preparations for servicing fuel cell storage tanks
¨ Begin final vehicle and facility close-outs for launch
¨ Check out back-up flight systems
¨ Review flight software stored in mass memory units and display systems
¨ Load backup flight system software into Atlantis' general purpose computers
¨ Begin stowage of flight crew equipment
¨ Inspect the orbiter's mid-deck and flight-deck and remove crew
module platforms
Enter first planned built-in hold at T-27 hours for duration of four hours (11 p.m.)
Launch - 2 Days (Thursday, Nov. 9)
¨ Clear launch pad of all non-essential personnel
¨ Perform test of the vehicle's pyrotechnic initiator controllers
Resume countdown (3 a.m.)
¨ Clear launch pad of all personnel
¨ Begin the eight-hour operation to load cryogenic reactants into
Atlantis' fuel cell storage tanks (3-11 a.m.)
Enter eight-hour built-in hold at T-19 hours (11 a.m.)
¨ After cryogenic loading operations, re-open the pad
¨ Resume orbiter and ground support equipment close-outs
¨ Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit and retract into fixed
service structure
Resume countdown (7 p.m.)
¨ Start final preparations of the Shuttle's three main engines for main propellant tanking and flight
Launch -1 Day (Friday, Nov. 10)
¨ Activate flight controls and navigation systems
¨ Install mission specialists' seats in crew cabin
¨ Close-out the tail service masts on the mobile launcher platform
Enter planned hold at T-11 hours for 13 hours, 6 minutes (3 a.m.)
¨ Perform orbiter ascent switch list in crew cabin
¨ Install film in numerous cameras on the launch pad
¨ Activate the orbiter's communications systems
¨ Activate orbiter's inertial measurement units
¨ Fill pad sound suppression system water tank
¨ Safety personnel conduct debris walkdown
¨ Move Rotating Service Structure (RSS) to the park position (1:30 p.m.)
¨ Following the RSS move, begin final stowage of mid-deck experiments
and flight crew equipment
Resume countdown (4:06 p.m.)
¨ Continue installation of time critical flight crew equipment
¨ Perform pre-ingress switch list
¨ Start fuel cell flow-through purge
¨ Activate the orbiter's fuel cells
¨ Configure communications at Mission Control, Houston, for launch
¨ Clear the blast danger area of all non-essential personnel
¨ Switch Atlantis' purge air to gaseous nitrogen
Enter planned two-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark (9:06 p.m.)
¨ Launch team verifies no violations of launch commit criteria prior
to cryogenic loading of the external tank
¨ Clear pad of all personnel
¨ Begin loading the external tank with about 500,000 gallons of
cryogenic propellants (about 10:36 p.m.)
Resume countdown (11:06 p.m.)
Launch Day (Saturday, Nov. 11)
¨ Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration
¨ Align Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) tracking antennas
¨ Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid
hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants (about 1:30 a.m.)
¨ Perform open loop test with Eastern Range
¨ Conduct gimbal profile checks of orbital maneuvering system engines
Enter two-hour hold at T-3 hours (2:06 a.m.)
¨ Close-out crew and Final Inspection Team proceeds to Launch Pad 39A
Resume countdown at T-3 hours (4:06 a.m.)
¨ Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad (about 4 a.m.)
¨ Complete close-out preparations in the white room
¨ Check cockpit switch configurations
¨ Flight crew begins entry into the orbiter (about 4:40 a.m.)
¨ Astronauts perform air-to-ground voice checks with Launch Control
and Mission Control
¨ Close Atlantis' crew hatch
¨ Begin Eastern Range final network open loop command checks
¨ Perform hatch seal and cabin leak checks
¨ Complete white room close-out
¨ Close-out crew moves to fallback area
¨ Primary ascent guidance data is transferred to the backup flight system
Enter planned 10-minute hold at T-20 minutes (6:46 a.m.)
¨ NASA Test Director conducts final launch team briefings
Resume countdown (6:56 a.m.)
¨ Transition the orbiter's onboard computers to launch configuration
¨ Start fuel cell thermal conditioning
¨ Close orbiter cabin vent valves
¨ Transition backup flight system to launch configuration
Enter 40-minute hold at T-9 minutes (7:07 a.m.)
(This is the last planned built-in hold. Other hold options are
available if necessary. During this hold, the exact launch time will
be determined based on the exact location of the Mir space station.
The hold time will likely vary.)
¨ Launch Director, Mission Management Team and NASA Test Director conduct final polls for go/no go to launch
Resume countdown at T-9 minutes (7:47 a.m.)
¨ Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9:00 minutes)
¨ Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30)
¨ Start mission recorders (T-5:30)
¨ Start Auxiliary Power Units (T-5:00)
¨ Arm SRB and ET range safety safe and arm devices (T-5:00)
¨ Start liquid oxygen drainback (T-4:55)
¨ Start orbiter aerosurface profile test (T-3:55)
¨ Start MPS gimbal profile test (T-3:30)
¨ Pressurize liquid oxygen tank (T-2:55)
¨ Begin retraction of the gaseous oxygen vent arm (T-2:55)
¨ Fuel cells to internal reactants (T-2:35)
¨ Pressurize liquid hydrogen tank (T-1:57)
¨ Deactivate SRB joint heaters (T-1:00)
¨ Orbiter transfers from ground to internal power (T-0:50 seconds)
¨ Ground Launch Sequencer go for auto sequence start (T-0:31 seconds)
¨ SRB gimbal profile (T-0:21 seconds)
¨ Ignition of three Space Shuttle main engines (T-6.6 seconds)
¨ SRB ignition and liftoff (T-0)
SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-74 T-TIME LENGTH OF HOLD HOLD BEGINS HOLD ENDS T-27 hours 4 hours 11:00 p.m. Wed. 3:00 a.m. Thurs. T-19 hours 8 hours 11:00 a.m. Thurs. 7:00 p.m. Thurs. T-11 hours 13 hours, 6 minutes 3:00 a.m. Fri. 4:06 p.m. Fri. T-6 hours 2 hours 9:06 p.m. Fri. 11:06 p.m. Fri. T-3 hours 2 hours 2:06 a.m. Sat. 4:06 a.m. Sat. T-20 minutes 10 minutes 6:46 a.m. Sat. 6:56 a.m. Sat. T-9 minutes 40 minutes 7:07 a.m. Sat. 7:47 a.m. Sat. CREW FOR MISSION STS-74 Commander (CDR): Ken Cameron Pilot (PLT): James Halsell Mission Specialist (MS1): Chris Hadfield Mission Specialist (MS2): Jerry Ross Mission Specialist (MS3): William McArthur SUMMARY OF STS-74 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES Friday, Nov. 10 10:00 p.m. Wake up 10:30 p.m. Breakfast Saturday, Nov. 11 * 2:51 a.m. Lunch and crew photo 3:21 a.m. Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2) 3:21 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3) 3:31 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2) * 3:41 a.m. Crew suiting photo * 4:01 a.m. Depart for launch pad 39A * 4:41 a.m. Arrive at white room and begin ingress * 5:56 a.m. Close crew hatch * 7:56 a.m. Launch * Televised events (times may vary slightly) All times Eastern