MISSION: STS-83 -- Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (image)

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102 (image)
• LOCATION: Pad 39A
• *LAUNCH DATE/TIME: April 4 at 2:00 p.m. EST
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• *TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: April 20 at about 7:36 a.m. EDT
• MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes
• CREW: Halsell, Still, Voss, Thomas, Gernhardt, Linteris, Crouch (image)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

  *change from earlier status

NOTE: NASA yesterday decided to postpone for 24-hours the launch of Columbia on mission STS-83 due to a requirement to add additional thermal insulation to a water coolant line in the orbiter's payload bay. Managers determined that the line, which cools various electronics on the orbiter, was not properly insulated and could possibly freeze during Columbia's 16-days in space.

Late yesterday afternoon, technicians halted operations to load cryogenics into the orbiter's onboard storage tanks and the tanks were drained. The payload bay doors were opened and platforms installed to access the forward bulkhead in the payload bay where the water line is located. This work should be completed by early this afternoon and the doors closed for flight soon after that. Once the doors are closed, the 12-hour operation to load the cryogenics into Columbia's storage tanks will begin again.

Following cryogenic loading, 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. Also, the commander's heads-up display unit has been replaced and tested.

On Thursday, preparations will be made to retract the Rotating Service Structure to launch position at about 8 p.m. Loading of the external tank with cryogenic propellants is scheduled to begin at about 5:10 a.m. Friday.

Air Force weather forecasters are currently indicating only a 10 percent probability of weather prohibiting launch of Columbia on April 4.

During Friday's launch window, the winds at KSC are expected to be from the east at 7 knots gusting to 12 knots; temperature 77 degrees F; visibility 7 miles; humidity 52 percent; and clouds scattered at 3,500 feet and broken at 25,000 feet. The 24-hour delay forecast reveals similar conditions and a 30 percent chance of violation. Please refer to KSC Release No. 47-97 for more information on Shuttle weather launch commit criteria.

 T-TIME       LENGTH OF HOLD            HOLD BEGINS        HOLD ENDS
T-19 hours     32 hours                6:00 p.m. Tues.    2:00 a.m. Thurs.
T-11 hours     13 hours, 40 minutes   10:00 a.m. Thurs.  11:40 p.m. Thurs.
T-6  hours      1 hour                 4:40 a.m. Fri.     5:40 a.m. Fri.
T-3  hours      2 hours                8:40 a.m. Fri.    10:40 a.m. Fri.
T-20 minutes   10 minutes              1:20 p.m. Fri.     1:30 p.m. Fri.
T-9  minutes   10 minutes              1:41 p.m. Fri.     1:51 p.m. Fri.

         Commander (CDR):  Jim Halsell		(Red Team)
             Pilot (PLT):  Susan Still	 	(Red Team)
Mission Specialist (MS1):  Janice Voss	 	(Blue Team)
Mission Specialist (MS2):  Michael Gernhardt 	(Blue Team)
Mission Specialist (MS3):  Donald Thomas	(Red Team)
Mission Specialist (PS1):  Roger Crouch 	(Blue Team)
Mission Specialist (PS2):  Greg Linteris 	(Red Team)

Friday, April 4

  1:30 a.m.  Wake up (Red Team )
  3:30 a.m.  Breakfast (Red Team)
  8:30 a.m.  Lunch (Red Team)
  9:06 a.m.  Wake up (Blue Team)
  9:36 a.m.  Breakfast (Blue Team)
* 9:40 a.m.  Crew Photo (All)
 10:06 a.m.  Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
 10:06 a.m.  Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, PS1, PS2)
 10:16 a.m.  Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
*10:30 a.m.  Crew suiting photo
*10:40 a.m.  Depart for launch pad 39A
*11:15 a.m.  Arrive at white room (image) and begin ingress
*12:30 p.m.  Close crew hatch
* 2:00 p.m.  Launch

*Televised events (times may vary slightly)
All times Eastern

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