MISSION: STS-86 -- 7th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM

STS-86 images

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Pad 39A
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 25 at about 10:34 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: about 10 minutes
• MIR DOCKING TIME: Sept. 27 at 5:30 p.m. EDT
• UNDOCKING TIME: Oct. 3 at 11:46 a.m. EDT
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 5 at about 7:00 p.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 20 hours, 22 minutes
• CREW: Wetherbee, Bloomfield, Parazynski, Titov, Chretien, Lawrence, Wolf (up), Foale (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: The launch countdown for STS-86 began yesterday at 2 p.m. and operations continue on schedule for the launch of Atlantis on the 7th Mir docking mission. Loading of cryogenic reactants into the power reactant storage distribution system is under way and will conclude at about 6 p.m. today. Mir's replacement computer will be installed into the Spacehab module early tomorrow morning.

The orbiter's mid-body umbilical unit will be demated and retracted into the Fixed Service Structure tonight. On Thursday, preparations will be made to retract the Rotating Service Structure to the launch position at about 3:30 a.m. Loading of the external tank with cryogenic propellants is scheduled to begin at about 1:39 p.m. on Thursday.

The STS-86 crew arrived at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) yesterday at about 5 p.m. and today took opportunities to complete a few familiarization activities. Commander James Wetherbee and Pilot Mike Bloomfield practiced SLF approaches in the Shuttle Training Aircraft this morning as well.

On launch day, the STS-86 crew will depart the crew quarters for the launch pad at 6:44 p.m. and begin boarding Atlantis about thirty minutes later. The hatch will close behind the crew at 8:29 p.m. in time for a 10:34 p.m. launch.

Air Force weather forecasters currently indicate a 20 percent probability that weather would prohibit Thursday's launch of Discovery. The primary concern is a slight chance of showers.

On Thursday, the winds at KSC are expected to be from the southwest at 8 knots gusting to 12 knots; temperature 80 degrees F; visibility 7 miles; humidity 72 percent; and clouds few at 3000 feet; scattered at 7000 feet. The 24-hour delay forecast reveals a 60 percent chance of weather violation with concerns for debris clouds, low cloud ceilings and showers.

T-TIME           LENGTH OF HOLD            HOLD BEGINS          HOLD ENDS

T-11 hours	24 hours, 39 minutes	 6:00 a.m. Wed.	     6:39 a.m. Thurs.
T-6  hours	 2 hour			11:39 a.m. Thurs.    1:39 p.m. Thurs.
T-3  hours	 2 hours		 4:39 p.m. Thurs.    6:39 a.m. Thurs.
T-20 minutes	10 minutes		 9:19 p.m. Thurs.    9:29 p.m. Thurs.
T-9  minutes	about 45 minutes	 9:40 p.m. Thurs.   10:25 p.m. Thurs.

         Commander (CDR):	James Wetherbee
             Pilot (PLT):	Mike Bloomfield
Mission Specialist (MS1):	Vladimir Titov
Mission Specialist (MS2):	Scott Parazynski
Mission Specialist (MS3):	Jean-Loup Chretien
Mission Specialist (MS4):	Wendy Lawrence
Mission Specialist (MS5):	Dave Wolf (up)
Mission Specialist (MS6):	Michael Foale (down)

Thursday, September 25 

  10:30 a.m.	Wake up 
  11:05 a.m.	Breakfast
   4:30 p.m.	Lunch
  *5:34 p.m.	Snack and Crew Photo (All)
   6:04 p.m.	Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
   6:04 p.m.	Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, MS4, MS5)
   6:14 p.m.	Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
*  6:30 p.m.	Crew suiting photo 
*  6:44 p.m.	Depart for launch pad 39A
*  7:14 p.m.	Arrive at white room and begin ingress
*  8:29 p.m.	Close crew hatch
* 10:34 p.m.	Launch

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

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