The crew of Space Shuttle mission STS-83 will be at Kennedy Space Center this week for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT).
The TCDT is held prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities at KSC. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect their mission payloads in the orbiter's payload bay.
The seven-member crew of mission STS-83 is scheduled to arrive at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 11. Members of the media who wish to view this event should be at the KSC Press Site by 3:30 p.m. for possible early arrival. This is a photo opportunity only.
On Thursday, news media representatives will have an opportunity to speak informally with and photograph the crew at Pad 39A. Media interested in participating in this question and answer session should be at the KSC Press Site by 12:30 p.m. Thursday for transport to the pad.
On Friday, the crew will take part in simulated launch day events, including entering the orbiter Columbia fully suited for the simulated main engine ignition and cut-off. Following TCDT, the crew is scheduled to depart KSC for their homes in Houston for final flight preparations.
Columbia is now targeted for launch on April 3 at 2:01 p.m. EST. Mission STS-83 will feature the first flight of the Microgravity Science Laboratory and is scheduled to last 16 days.
Crew members for mission STS-83 are: Commander Jim Halsell; Pilot Susan Still; Mission Specialists Janice Voss, Michael Gernhardt and Donald Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger Crouch and Greg Linteris.
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