Jan. 12, 2001
Joel Wells
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 321/867-2468)
KSC Release No. 8-01
LAUNCH COUNTDOWN FOR SHUTTLE MISSION STS-98 BEGINS
JAN. 16
NASA will begin the countdown for launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-98 Jan. 16 at 5:30 a.m. EST at the T-43 hour mark. This mission marks the 7th Shuttle flight to the International Space Station and the 1st Shuttle mission this year. The KSC launch team will conduct the countdown from Firing Room 3 of the Launch Control Center.
The countdown includes 25 hours and 40 minutes of built-in hold time leading to a preferred launch time at about 2:11 a.m. on Jan. 19 with a launch window not to exceed 5 minutes. The exact location of the orbiting International Space Station (ISS) will be determined during the T-9 minute built-in hold. The launch director will at that time determine the exact time of launch.
Mission STS-98 is the 23rd flight of the orbiter Atlantis and the 102nd flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program. STS-98 is scheduled to last 10 days, 19 hours and 40 minutes with a planned KSC landing at about 9:51 p.m. on Jan. 29.
Atlantis rolled into KSC's Orbiter Processing Facility on Sept. 20, 2000, after completing mission STS-106, to undergo processing for this flight. The orbiter rolled out of OPF bay 3 and into the Vehicle Assembly Building on Dec. 4. While in VAB high bay 3, Atlantis was mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters. The entire Space Shuttle stack was transferred to Launch Pad 39A Jan. 3.
On mission STS-98, the five-member crew will deliver the U.S. Laboratory "Destiny" to the growing International Space Station. Destiny will be attached to the Unity node using the Shuttle's robot arm. The three member ISS crew will host the Shuttle crew members during the six days of docked operations. Three space walks are required to complete the planned construction work.
The STS-98 crew includes: Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky, and Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam, Thomas Jones and Marsha Ivins.
-- end of general release --
COUNTDOWN MILESTONES
*all times are Eastern
Launch-3 Days (Tuesday, Jan. 16)
Prepare for the start of the STS-98 launch countdown
Perform the call-to-stations (5 a.m.)
Countdown begins at the T-43 hour mark (5:30 a.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 Atlantis's general purpose computers
Remove mid-deck and flight-deck platforms (1:30 p.m.)
Activate and test navigational systems (6:30 p.m.)
Complete preparation to load power reactant storage and distribution system (8:30 p.m.)
Flight deck preliminary inspections complete (9:30 p.m.)
Enter first built-in hold at T-27 hours for duration of 4 hours (9:30 p.m.)
Clear launch pad of all non-essential personnel
Perform test of the vehicle's pyrotechnic initiator controllers (10:30 p.m.)
Launch-2 Days (Wednesday, Jan. 17)
Resume countdown (1:30 a.m.)
Begin operations to load cryogenic reactants into Atlantis' fuel cell storage tanks
(1:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.)
Enter 4-hour built-in hold at T-19 hours (9:30 a.m.)
Begin filling pad sound suppression system water tank (9:30 a.m.)
Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit (10 a.m.)
Resume orbiter and ground support equipment close-outs
Pad sound suppression system water tank filling complete (1 p.m.)
Resume countdown (1:30 p.m.)
Final preparations of the Shuttle's three main engines for main propellant tanking and flight (1:30 p.m.)
Close out the tail service masts on the mobile launcher platform
Enter planned hold at T-11 hours for 12 hours, 45 minutes (9:30 p.m.)
Begin star tracker functional checks (10 p.m.)
Activate orbiter's inertial measurement units
Activate the orbiter's communications systems
Install film in numerous cameras on the launch pad (12 midnight)
Launch Day-1 (Thursday, Jan. 18)
Flight crew equipment late stow (2 a.m.)
Move Rotating Service Structure (RSS) to the park position (6 a.m.)
Perform ascent switch list
Fuel cell flow-through purge complete
Resume countdown at T-11 hours (10:15 a.m.)
Activate the orbiter's fuel cells (11:25 a.m.)
Clear the blast danger area of all non-essential personnel
Switch Atlantis' purge air to gaseous nitrogen (12:30 p.m.)
Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark (3:15 p.m.)
Launch team verifies no violations of launch commit criteria prior to cryogenic loading of the external tank
Clear pad of all personnel
Chilldown of propellant transfer lines (4:45 p.m.)
Begin loading the external tank with about 500,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants (about 5:15 p.m.)
Resume countdown (5:15 p.m.)
Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants (about 8:15 p.m.)
Final Inspection Team proceed to launch pad
Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at T-3 hours (8:15 p.m.)
Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration
Align Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) tracking antennas
Perform open loop test with Eastern Range
Resume countdown at T-3 hours (10:15 p.m.)
Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad (at 10:20 p.m.)
Complete close-out preparations in the white room
Check cockpit switch configurations
Flight crew begins entry into the orbiter (about 10:50 p.m.)
Astronauts perform air-to-ground voice checks with Launch and Mission Control
Launch Day (Friday, Jan. 19)
Close Atlantis' crew hatch (about 12:05 a.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 (12:55 a.m.)
NASA Test Director conducts final launch team briefings
Complete inertial measurement unit preflight alignments
Resume countdown at T-20 minutes (1:05 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 estimated 45-minute hold at T-9 minutes (1:16 a.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 (about 2:01 a.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)
SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-98