T-6 Hours and Counting

Primary Event Description	Date Eastern Standard Time
Resume countdown from scheduled hold period.	December 5, 2001 8:24 A.M.

è	The Final Inspection Team (also known as the Ice Team) is composed of six NASA and contractor members -- five engineers and one safety representative. Members of the team carry binoculars and a telescope to get a better look at hard to see areas. Highly visible orange protective coveralls keep the team in sight at all times. Each member carries a self-contained emergency breathing unit with about 10 minutes of air.
	*Team Objectives:* assess the integrity of the thermal insulation on the External Tank (ET); look for ice or frost formations on the tank; measure temperatures on various parts of the vehicle; and, assess debris concerns on the vehicle and pad that could impact launch or flight safety.
	*How Accomplished?* with a portable infrared scanner, measure temperatures on the cryogenic surfaces of the solid rocket boosters, external tank, engines and orbiter; take photographs documenting the vehicle configuration and cryogenic surfaces, including close-ups of the entire External Tank and other critical areas of the vehicle; document and correlate numerical and infrared data.
	*What Inspections Are Conducted By This Team & When?* the Launch Pad, Mobile Launch Platform and Endeavour - normally the day before a scheduled launch; the External Tank's Thermal Protection System - before the launch team makes its decision to begin loading the ET with its super cold propellants. Also after loading for ice and frost debris; high-speed film and video tapes of various angles are taken to identify debris sources that could have caused damage to the Shuttle - during launch; the Pad and nearby beach areas to note anything unusual or locate and identify any launch-related debris - after launch (during daylight hours); the Shuttle Landing Facility to clear debris - before and after landing; and, assess orbiter tile damage - post-flight.
è	If Endeavour launches today -- ü Docking with the International Space Station will occur on December 7, 2001 at 2:15 p.m. EST ü Undocking will occur on December 14, 2001 ü Landing at KSC will occur on December 16, 2001 1:05 p.m. EST
è	To learn more about Kennedy Space Center and how Space Shuttles are processed, visit our Alligators & Rocket Ships web site (Note: This is a graphic-intensive site and may be difficult to view with low speed Modems or when this web site receives heavy traffic loads).
è	STS-108 mission status briefings will be held daily throughout the mission. Times of these briefings are available in the NASA TV schedule. at: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/index.html
è	STS-108 photos are online (Note: This is a graphic-intensive site and may be difficult to view with low speed Modems or when this web site receives heavy traffic loads).
è	Review the latest Launch Weather Forecast.
è	Endeavour will be launched into an orbit inclined 51.6 degrees to the equator and will fly at an altitude of 122 nautical miles.

è	The Launch Team began loading of the External Tank (ET) with about 500,000 gallons of cryogenic liquid oxygen and hydrogen propellants at 7:54 a.m.
è	The Final Inspection Team conducts a detailed analysis of the vehicle as they walk up and down the entire launch tower.