January 10, 2001

Bruce Buckingham                                                                
NASA Kennedy Space Center
321/867-2468

FIRST 2001 SHUTTLE LAUNCH SET JAN. 19 TO TURN SCIENCE FICTION TO SCIENCE REALITY ABOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

The launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis has been set for 2:11 a.m. EST Jan. 19, on a mission that will deliver the first laboratory to the International Space Station, the United States-developed Destiny lab.

"The Space Shuttle will see the 20th anniversary of its first launch this spring, and it's a fitting celebration that the year ahead holds some of the most challenging and spectacular tasks the Shuttle has ever been assigned," Space Shuttle Program Manager Ron Dittemore said.  "The team has done an excellent job getting Atlantis ready to go, and we're ready to get what will be an historic year in space off to a great start."

Space Shuttle managers today completed a flight readiness review of all preparations for Atlantis' flight, designated Shuttle mission STS-98. The launch window on Jan. 19 will be about five minutes long.

The crew of Atlantis -- Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists Tom Jones, Marsha Ivins and Bob Curbeam -- will use the Shuttle's robotic arm to attach the 15-ton Destiny lab to the Station and reposition a Shuttle docking port. Jones and Curbeam will conduct three space walks to complete the new laboratory's connection.

After an 11-day mission, Atlantis is scheduled to land at about 9:51 p.m. EST Jan. 29 at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

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