Feb. 16, 2001

Bruce Buckingham 
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 321/867-2468)

KSC Release No. 19-01

Note to Editors:
ATLANTIS SCHEDULED TO LAND AT KSC COMPLETING MISSION STS-98

The orbiter Atlantis is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, Feb. 18, at about 12:50 p.m. EST completing its 11-day STS-98 mission that was launched from KSC Feb. 7, 2001.

Landing at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) is slated to occur on orbit 169 at mission elapsed time 10 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes. Deorbit burn will occur at about 11:45 a.m. EST.

The two KSC landing opportunities on Sunday are: 12:50 p.m. and 2:26 p.m. EST.

If managers must keep Atlantis in orbit an additional day, two additional landing opportunities are available Monday at KSC at 1:24 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. EST.

Two landing opportunities also exist at the back-up landing location at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), Calif., on Sunday and Monday. 

If landing occurs as scheduled, it will be the mark the 54th landing at KSC in the history of the program. 

SLF and KSC Ground Operations

The Shuttle Landing Facility was built in 1975. It is 300 feet wide and 15,000 feet long with 1,000-foot overruns at each end. The strip runs northwest to southeast and is located about three miles northwest of the 525-foot tall Vehicle Assembly Building.

Once the orbiter is on the ground, safing operations will commence and the flight crew will prepare the vehicle for post-landing operations. The Crew Transport Vehicle (CTV) will be used to assist the crew, allowing them to leave the vehicle and remove their launch and re-entry suits easier and quicker.

The CTV and other KSC landing convoy operations have been "on-call" since the launch of Atlantis. The primary functions of the Space Shuttle recovery convoy are to provide immediate service to the orbiter after landing, assist crew egress, and prepare the orbiter for towing to the Orbiter Processing Facility. 

Convoy vehicles are stationed at the SLF's mid-point. About two hours prior to landing, convoy personnel will don SCAPE suits, or Self-Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble, and communications checks are made. A warming-up of coolant and purge equipment is conducted and nearly two-dozen convoy vehicles are positioned to move onto the runway as quickly and as safely as possible once the orbiter coasts to a stop. When the vehicle is deemed safe of all potential explosive hazards and toxic gases, the purge and coolant umbilical access vehicles move into position at the rear of the orbiter.

Following purge and coolant operations, flight crew egress preparations will begin and the CTV will be moved into position at the crew access hatch located on the orbiter's port side. A physician will board the Shuttle and conduct a brief preliminary examination of the astronauts. The crew will then make preparations to leave the vehicle.

Following departure from the SLF, the crew will be taken to their quarters in the O&C Building, meet with their families and undergo physical examinations. The crew is scheduled to remain at KSC overnight and depart for Johnson Space Center on Monday. 

If Atlantis lands at Edwards, an augmented KSC convoy team will be on-site to safe the vehicle, disembark the crew and move the orbiter to the Mate/Demate Device. The turnaround team will be deployed to Edwards by charter aircraft on landing day.

About 3½ hours after Atlantis lands at KSC, the orbiter will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility for post-flight deservicing.

Notice to Editors:  The KSC press site will be open this weekend at the following times. The office will be open Saturday from 4 - 6 p.m. for the planned mission status briefing from JSC. For landing on Sunday, the office will be open from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. On Monday, the office will be open from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. for the post-mission crew press conference set for 1 p.m. 

Accredited news media wishing to view Atlantis' landing should be at the KSC press site prior to 11:30 a.m. Sunday for transport to the SLF. 

Additional specific information regarding landing photo opportunities, post-landing press conferences and KSC News Center operational hours is available at the KSC News Center.

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