• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Pad 39B
• KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Jan. 12 at about 4:27.22 a.m. EST
• LAUNCH WINDOW: about 7 minutes
• DOCK WITH MIR: Jan. 14 at about 10:50 p.m. EST
• UNDOCK FROM MIR: Jan. 19 at about 9:12 p.m. EST
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 22 at about 7:57 a.m. EST
• MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 3 hours, 30 minutes
• CREW: Baker, Jett, Grunsfeld, Ivins, Wisoff, Linenger (up), Blaha (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 184 statute miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE:The countdown for launch of Atlantis continues on schedule for liftoff on Sunday, Jan. 12. The 7-minute window opens at about 4:27 a.m. The exact window will be announced about 90 minutes prior to launch following final computation of the location of the Mir Space Station. Atlantis is scheduled to land at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility at about 7:57 a.m. Jan. 22.

This morning, Pad 39-B was cleared to load the onboard cryogenic tanks with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants. Reactant loading was completed on schedule by mid-morning. The reactants provide electricity for the orbiter and crew while in space and drinking water as a by-product for the 10-day mission.

Later today, 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 will begin this afternoon and continue through tomorrow. Also, crews will evaluate a hazardous gas detection system on the Mobile Launcher Platform. This system, used to detect the levels of gaseous oxygen, hydrogen, helium and argon on the Shuttle, is giving erratic data and may need to be replaced. No impact to launch processing is expected.

On Saturday, the rotating service structure will be retracted away from the launch vehicle at about 10 a.m. Loading of the external tank with cryogenic propellants is scheduled to begin at about 7 p.m. Saturday.

Air Force weather forecasters are currently indicating a 30 percent probability of weather prohibiting launch on Sunday. The only concern is for a possible low cloud ceiling or fog. There is no concern for weather violations at the time of tanking Saturday evening.

During Sunday's launch period, the temperature at the pad is expected to be about 44 degrees; relative humidity about 89 percent; clouds possibly as low as 500 feet, then scattered at 3,500 feet and 10,000 feet and broken at 25,000 feet; pad winds from the north at 3-5 knots; and no precipitation is forecast.

The 24-hour delay forecast indicates a 70 percent chance of violation. The 48-hour delay forecast shows an 80 percent chance of violation.

SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-81

  T-TIME            LENGTH OF HOLD          HOLD BEGINS        HOLD ENDS
T-27 hours            4 hours             11:00 p.m. Thurs.  3:00 a.m. Fri.
T-19 hours            4 hours             11:00 a.m. Fri.    3:00 p.m. Fri.
T-11 hours           13 hours, 37 min.    11:00 p.m. Fri.   12:37 p.m. Sat.
T-6  hours            2 hours              5:37 p.m. Sat.    7:37 p.m. Sat.
T-3  hours            2 hours             10:37 p.m. Sat.   12:37 a.m. Sun.
T-20 minutes         10 minutes            3:17 a.m. Sun.    3:27 a.m. Sun.
T-9  minutes   about 40 minutes            3:38 a.m. Sun.    4:18 a.m. Sun.

CREW FOR MISSION STS-81

         Commander (CDR): Michael Baker
             Pilot (PLT): Brent Jett
Mission Specialist (MS1): Jeff Wisoff
Mission Specialist (MS2): John Grunsfeld
Mission Specialist (MS3): Marsha Ivins
Mission Specialist (MS4): Jerry Linenger (up)
Mission Specialist (MS4): John Blaha (down)

SUMMARY OF STS-81 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES

Saturday, Jan. 11

   5:30 p.m.    Wake up
   6:00 p.m.    Breakfast
* 11:27 p.m.    Lunch and crew photo
  11:57 p.m.    Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)


Sunday, Jan. 12

  12:12 a.m.    Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, MS4)
  12:22 a.m.    Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
* 12:30 a.m.    Crew suiting photo
* 12:42 a.m.    Depart for launch pad 39B
*  1:22 a.m.    Arrive at white room and begin ingress
*  2:37 a.m.    Close crew hatch
*  4:27 a.m.    Launch

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

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