SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-87 LAUNCH COUNTDOWN TO BEGIN NOV. 16

NASA will begin the countdown for launch of Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-87 on Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. EST at the T-43 hour mark. The KSC launch team will conduct the countdown from Firing Room 3 of the Launch Control Center.

The countdown includes 28 hours and 46 minutes of built-in hold time leading to a launch time of 2:46 p.m. (EST) on Nov. 19. The launch window extends for 2 hours and 30 minutes.

STS-87 is the eighth and final Space Shuttle mission of 1997. This will be the 24th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 88th flight overall in NASA’s Space Shuttle program. STS-87 is scheduled to last 15 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes and end with a planned KSC landing at about 7:20 a.m. on Dec. 5.

Columbia was rolled out of Kennedy Space Center’s Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 on Oct. 24 and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The Shuttle stack was transported to Pad 39B on Oct. 29.

On mission STS-87, Columbia will carry into orbit a six member crew. Once on orbit the United States Microgravity Payload experiments will be activated and the Spartan-201 satellite will be deployed on the second day of the mission. Spartan retrieval is slated for flight day 4 and two days later Mission Specialists Winston Scott and Takao Doi will conduct a six-hour space walk to demonstrate techniques to be used in the assembly of the International Space Station. Throughout the mission, Ukrainian Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk will conduct plant growth experiments as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment.

The STS-87 crew consist of: Commander Kevin Kregel, Pilot Steven Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk.

The crew is scheduled to arrive at KSC at about 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16. Their activities at KSC prior to launch will include crew equipment fit checks, medical examinations and opportunities to fly in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

• Prepare for the start of the STS-87 launch countdown
• Perform the call-to-stations (2:30 p.m.)
• All members of the launch team report to their respective consoles in Firing Room 3 in the Launch Control Center for the start of the countdown
• Countdown begins at the T-43 hour mark (3 p.m.)
• 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 Columbia’s general purpose computers
• Begin stowage of flight crew equipment
• Inspect the orbiter's mid-deck and flight-deck and remove crew module platforms
• Complete cryogenic servicing of payloads

• Activate and test navigational systems
• Complete preparations for loading of power reactant storage and distribution system
• Complete payload bay close-outs

Enter first planned built-in hold at T-27 hours for duration of six hours (7 a.m.)

• Close payload bay doors
• Clear launch pad of all non-essential personnel
• Perform test of the vehicle's pyrotechnic initiator controllers

Resume countdown (1 p.m.)

• Begin operations to load cryogenic reactants into Columbia’s fuel cell storage tanks and extended duration orbiter (EDO) tanks located in the orbiter’s payload bay (1 p.m. - 1 a.m.)

Enter six-hour built-in hold at T-19 hours (9 p.m.)

• After cryogenic loading operations, re-open the pad
• Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit and retract into fixed service structure
• Resume orbiter and ground support equipment close-outs

Resume countdown (3 a.m.)

• Start final preparations of the Shuttle's three main engines for main propellant tanking and flight
• 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, 26 minutes (11 a.m.)

• Activate the orbiter’s flight controls and navigation systems
• Begin startracker functional checks
• Activate orbiter's inertial measurement units
• Install film in numerous cameras on the launch pad
• Perform orbiter ascent switch list in crew cabin
• Activate the orbiter's communications systems
• Fill pad sound suppression system water tank
• Safety personnel conduct debris walk down
• Move Rotating Service Structure (RSS) to the park position (9 p.m.)
• Flight crew equipment late stow
• Perform ascent switch list

Resume countdown (12:26 a.m.)

• 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 Columbia’s purge air to gaseous nitrogen
• Complete inertial measurement unit activation

Enter planned one-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark (5:26 a.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 6 a.m.)

Resume countdown (6:26 a.m.)

• Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants (about 9:26 a.m.)

Enter planned two-hour built-in hold at T-3 hours (9:26 a.m.)

• Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration
• Align Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) tracking antennas
• Perform open loop test with Eastern Range
• Conduct gimbal profile checks of orbital maneuvering system engines
• Close-out crew and Final Inspection Team proceed to Launch Pad 39B

Resume countdown at T-3 hours (11:26 a.m.)

• Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad (about 11:31 a.m.)
• Complete close-out preparations in the white room
• Check cockpit switch configurations
• Flight crew begins entry into the orbiter (about 12:01 p.m.)
• Astronauts perform air-to-ground voice checks with Launch Control and Mission Control
• Close Columbia’s crew hatch (about 1:16 p.m.)
• 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 (2:06 p.m.)

• NASA Test Director conducts final launch team briefings
• Complete inertial measurement unit pre-flight alignments

Resume countdown (2:16 p.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 planned 10-minute hold at T-9 minutes (2:27 p.m.)

• Launch Director, Mission Management Team and NASA Test Director conduct final polls for go/no go to launch

Resume countdown at T-9 minutes (2:37 p.m.)

• Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9:00 minutes)
• Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30)
• Start mission recorders (T-6:15)
• 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 main engine 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)

 T-TIME      LENGTH OF HOLD             HOLD BEGINS         HOLD ENDS
T-27 hours      6 hours                7:00 a.m. Mon.     1:00 p.m. Mon.
T-19 hours      6 hours                9:00 p.m. Mon.     3:00 a.m. Tues.
T-11 hours     13 hours, 26 minutes   11:00 a.m. Tues.   12:26 a.m. Wed.
T-6  hours      1 hour                 5:26 a.m. Wed.     6:26 a.m. Wed.
T-3  hours      2 hours                9:26 a.m. Wed.    11:26 a.m. Wed.
T-20 minutes   10 minutes              2:06 p.m. Wed.     2:16 p.m. Wed.
T-9  minutes   10 minutes              2:27 p.m. Wed.     2:37 p.m. Wed.

         Commander (CDR):  Kevin Kregel
             Pilot (PLT):  Steven Lindsey
Mission Specialist (MS1):  Kalpana Chawla
Mission Specialist (MS2):  Winston Scott
Mission Specialist (MS3):  Takao Doi
 Payload Specialist (PS):  Leonid Kadenyuk

Wednesday, November 19 

  9:51 a.m.  Wake up 
*10:21 a.m.  Breakfast and Crew photo  
 10:51 a.m.  Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
 10:51 a.m.  Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, PS)
 11:01 a.m.  Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
 11:15 a.m.  Suit up photo
*11:31 a.m.  Depart for launch pad 39B
*12:01 p.m.  Arrive at white room and begin ingress
* 1:16 p.m.  Close crew hatch
* 2:46 p.m.  Launch

* Televised events (times may vary slightly)
All times Eastern