GO TO THE PREVIOUS SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORTGO TO THE NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1995 (11:20 AM EDT) LAUNCH - 2 DAYS MISSION: STS-73 -- U.S. MICROGRAVITY LABORATORY-2 VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102 LOCATION: Pad 39B LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 28 at 9:35 a.m. EDT LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 14 at 7:30 a.m. MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 172 statute miles/39 degrees NOTE: The countdown for launch of Columbia continues on schedule today for liftoff on Thursday, Sept. 28. The 2 1/2 hour window opens at 9:35 a.m. Columbia is scheduled to land at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 14. This morning, Pad 39-B was cleared for loading the onboard cryogenic tanks with the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants. Reactant loading is expected to be finished at about 12 noon today. The reactants will provide electricity for the orbiter and crew while in space and drinking water as a by-product during their 16-day mission. After the cryogenics are loaded, 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 this afternoon 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., pending weather. Loading of the external tank with cryogenic propellants is scheduled to begin at about 1:15 a.m. Thursday. Air Force weather forecasters are currently indicating a 40 percent probability of weather prohibiting launch on Thursday. A weak frontal boundary is stationary over central Florida and may produce scattered to broken clouds with a chance for offshore early morning showers. The best launch opportunity will likely be during the first hour of the launch window. During Thursday’s launch window, the winds at Pad B are expected to be from the northeast at 5-10 knots; temperature 81 degrees F; visibility 7 miles; humidity 79 percent; and clouds scattered at 2,500 and 10,000 feet and broken at 25,000 feet. The 24-hour-delay forecast reveals similar conditions and a 40 percent chance of violation. DISCOVERY/OV-103 -- Pre-Orbiter Maintenance Down Period NOTE: Discovery’s departure from KSC is delayed at least 24 hours due to problems with the attach points between the orbiter and the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Departure is now scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. Discovery will spend nine months in Palmdale, Calif. undergoing about 100 modifications including the addition of an external airlock for missions to the international Space Station. For additional details, please refer to KSC Release No. 94-95. 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, Sept. 27 7:00 p.m. Wake up (Blue Team) 7:30 p.m. Breakfast (Blue Team) Thursday, Sept. 28 12:30 a.m. Lunch (Blue Team) 4:00 a.m. Wake up (Red Team) * 5:10 a.m. Breakfast/Dinner and Crew Photo 5:40 a.m. Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2) 5:40 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, PS1, PS2) 5:50 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2) * 6:00 a.m. Crew suiting photo * 6:20 a.m. Depart for Launch Pad 39B * 6:50 a.m. Arrive at white room and begin orbiter ingress * 8:05 a.m. Close crew hatch * 9:35 a.m. Launch * Televised events (times may vary slightly) All times Eastern NOTE: For additional details regarding STS-73 countdown milestones, please refer to KSC Release No. 96-95.