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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1995 (10:44 AM EDT) LAUNCH - 2 DAYS MISSION: STS-73 -- U.S. MICROGRAVITY LABORATORY-2 VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102 LOCATION: Pad 39B TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 5 at 9:40 a.m. EDT LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 21 at 7:35 a.m. MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes CREW SIZE: 7 ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 172 statute miles/39 degrees NOTE: The countdown for launch of Columbia continues on schedule today for liftoff on Thursday, Oct. 5. The 2 1/2 hour window opens at 9:40 a.m. Given an on time launch, Columbia is scheduled to land at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:35 a.m. Oct. 21. This morning, Pad 39-B was cleared for loading the onboard cryogenic tanks with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants. Reactant loading was finished at about 10 a.m. The reactants provide electricity for the orbiter and crew while in space and drinking water as a by-product during their 16-day mission. Later this afternoon, the orbiter’s mid-body umbilical unit will be demated and retracted into the fixed service structure. Final vehicle and facility close-outs will also resume. Final mid-deck payload loading operations and spacelab experiment stowage operations will begin later today and continue through tomorrow morning. On Wednesday, preparations will be made to retract the rotating service structure to launch position at about 2:30 p.m., weather permitting. This move could be delayed several hours, if weather constrains operations, without impacting the overall schedule. Loading of the external tank with cryogenic propellants is scheduled to begin at about 1:20 a.m. Thursday. Air Force weather forecasters are indicating a 70 percent probability of weather prohibiting launch on Thursday. This is due to the increasing potential for strong gusting winds, rain and clouds associated with Hurricane Opal which is currently located in the Gulf of Mexico and moving northeast. Also, there is a 20 percent chance of violating tanking weather constraints early Thursday morning due to the possibility of lightning within 5 miles of the pad and winds gusting up to 40 knots. During Thursday’s launch window, the winds at Pad B are expected to be from the south at 15 - 23 knots; temperature 81 degrees F; visibility 7 miles; humidity 79 percent; and clouds broken at 2,500 feet, 10,000 feet and 25,000 feet. The 24-hour-delay forecast reveals similar conditions and a 70 percent chance of violation. The STS-73 crew arrived at KSC yesterday. The Red Team (Bowersox, Rominger, Thornton and Sacco) arrived at 4 p.m. and the Blue Team (Coleman, Lopez-Alegria and Leslie) arrived at about 10:45 p.m. NOTE: For additional details regarding STS-73 countdown milestones, please refer to KSC Release No. 99-95. CREW FOR MISSION STS-73 Ken Bowersox Commander (CDR) Red Team Kent Rominger Pilot (PLT) Red Team Catherine Coleman Mission Specialist (MS1) Blue Team Michael Lopez-Alegria Mission Specialist (MS2) Blue Team Kathryn Thornton Mission Specialist (MS3) Red Team Fred Leslie Payload Specialist (PS1) Blue Team Albert Sacco Payload Specialist (PS2) Red Team SUMMARY OF STS-73 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES Wednesday, Oct. 4 7:00 p.m. Wake up (Blue Team) 7:30 p.m. Breakfast (Blue Team) Thursday, Oct. 5 12:30 a.m. Lunch (Blue Team) 4:00 a.m. Wake up (Red Team) * 5:15 a.m. Breakfast/Dinner and Crew Photo 5:45 a.m. Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2) 5:45 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, PS1, PS2) 5:55 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2) * 6:10 a.m. Crew suiting photo * 6:25 a.m. Depart for Launch Pad 39B * 6:55 a.m. Arrive at white room and begin orbiter ingress * 8:10 a.m. Close crew hatch * 9:40 a.m. Launch * Televised events (times may vary slightly) All times Eastern MISSION: STS-74 -- 2nd MIR DOCKING (Docking Module) NOTE: Atlantis, scheduled for launch on Nov. 1, was rolled to the Vehicle Assembly Building at about 3 a.m. today. In the VAB, Atlantis will be mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters and then rolled to Pad 39A on Oct. 9.