- VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
- LOCATION: Pad 39B
- TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: April 16, 1998 at 2:19 p.m. EDT
- LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- *TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: May 3 at 11:07 a.m. EDT
- *EXPECTED MISSION DURATION: 16 days, 21 hours, 48 minutes
- CREW: Searfoss, Altman, Linnehan, Williams, Hire, Buckey, Pawelczyk
- ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 150 nautical miles/39 degrees
*The mission is currently baselined to last 16 days (MET of 15/21:50). The option to add the 17th day, (MET of 16/21:48) if power margins permit, will be addressed during the flight.
 TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1998 (12:20 PM EDT) E-mail: Joel.Wells-1@ksc.nasa.gov  STS-90 -- NEUROLAB
NOTE: Launch preparations are proceeding on schedule. Yesterday, the pyrotechnic controllers on Columbia's external tank and solid rocket boosters were successfully tested. Earlier this morning, cryogenic reactants were successfully loaded into the orbiter's power reactant storage and distribution system. Orbiter midbody umbilical unit securing is in work and final preparations of the Shuttle main engines begin this afternoon. Neurolab late stow activities are also scheduled to resume this afternoon. Launch managers are working no major technical issues at this time. The STS-90 flight crew arrived at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility yesterday at about 4 p.m. Today they will undergo routine medical checks and finalize their mission flight plans. Air Force weather officials have improved the launch day forecast, indicating a zero percent chance that weather conditions could prohibit launch activities on Thursday. The forecast calls for few clouds at 3,500 and scattered clouds at 25,000 feet; visibility of at least 7 miles; winds from the south at 12-18 knots; a temperature of 82 degrees F and relative humidity of 58 percent. Forecasters predict no chance of showers at launch time on Thursday. The 24-hour and 48-hour delay forecasts both indicate a 40 percent chance that weather could violate launch commit criteria. For automatic e-mail subscriptions to this daily Shuttle status report or KSC-originated press releases, send an Internet electronic mail message to domo@news.ksc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) type the words "subscribe shuttle-status", or "subscribe ksc-press-release" (do not use quotation marks). The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription. To remove your name from the list at any time, send an e-mail address to domo@news.ksc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line), type (no quotes) "unsubscribe shuttle-status", or "unsubscribe ksc-press-release." Status reports and other NASA publications are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/kscpao.htm Information about the countdown and mission can be accessed electronically via the Internet at: http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/ and at http://shuttle.nasa.gov/ T-TIME LENGTH OF HOLD HOLD BEGINS HOLD ENDS T-27 hours 4 hours 6:00 p.m. Mon. 10:00 p.m. Mon. T-19 hours 8 hours 6:00 a.m. Tues. 2:00 p.m. Tues. T-11 hours 25 hours, 59 minutes 10:00 p.m. Tues. 11:59 p.m. Wed. T-6 hours 1 hour 4:59 a.m. Thurs. 5:59 a.m. Thurs. T-3 hours 2 hours 8:59 a.m. Thurs. 10:59 a.m. Thurs. T-20 minutes 10 minutes 1:39 p.m. Thurs. 1:49 p.m. Thurs. T-9 minutes 10 minutes 2:00 p.m. Thurs. 2:10 p.m. Thurs.
Commander (CDR): Richard Searfoss
Pilot (PLT): Scott Altman
Mission Specialist (MS1): Rick Linnehan
Mission Specialist (MS2): Kay Hire
Mission Specialist (MS3): Dave Williams
Payload Specialist (PS1): Jay Buckey
Payload Specialist (PS2): James Pawelczyk
Thursday, April 16 7:00 a.m. Wake up 7:30 a.m. Breakfast * 9:54 a.m. Crew photo 10:24 a.m. Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2) 10:24 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, PS) 10:34 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2) *10:50 a.m. Suit up photo *11:04 a.m. Depart for launch pad 39B *11:34 a.m. Arrive at white room and begin ingress *12:49 p.m. Close crew hatch * 2:19 p.m. Launch *Televised events (times may vary slightly) |