- 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.
 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1998 (6:58 PM EDT) E-mail: Bruce.Buckingham-1@ksc.nasa.gov  STS-90 -- NEUROLAB
NOTE: Operations to launch the Shuttle Columbia on Mission STS-90 are continuing without problem today. Launch remains set for 2:19 p.m. tomorrow from KSC’s Pad 39B. Neurolab late stow activities were completed earlier this morning and closeouts of the spacelab and the airlock were conducted soon afterwards. Activation of Columbia’s communications systems also began on time this afternoon. Operations have commenced to prepare for the movement of the Rotating Service Structure to launch position. The RSS is set to be rolled back at about 8 p.m. today. Tomorrow, efforts to load the external tank with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen will begin at about 5:30 a.m. During this three-hour operation, the crew will be awakened and begin final preparations for launch. They are scheduled to depart for the pad at about 11 a.m. Air Force weather officials continue to forecast a zero percent chance that weather will prohibit launch activities tomorrow afternoon. The forecast calls for few clouds at 3,500 and few clouds at 25,000 feet; visibility of at least 7 miles; winds from the south at 12-18 knots; a temperature of 83 degrees F and relative humidity of 55 percent. The 24-hour delay forecast indicates a zero percent chance that weather could violate launch 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-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) |