- VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
- LOCATION: Launch Pad 39A
- KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: June 2 at about 6:10 p.m. EDT
- LAUNCH WINDOW: 6:05 - 6:15 p.m.
- MIR DOCKING DATE/TIME: June 4 at about 12:59 p.m. EDT
- MIR UNDOCKING DATE/TIME: June 8 at about 12:01 p.m. EDT
- KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 12 at about 2:03 p.m. EDT
- MISSION DURATION: about 9 days, 19 hours, 53 minutes
- CREW: Precourt, Gorie, Lawrence, Chang-Diaz, Kavandi, Ryumin, Thomas (down)
- ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees
- Begin launch countdown (May 30 at 9 p.m.)
- Begin loading cryogenic reactants into onboard storage tanks (May 31 at 5 p.m.)
- Retract Rotating Service Structure to launch position (June 2 at 12:30 a.m.)
- Begin loading external fuel tank with cryogenic propellants (June 2 at about 9:14 a.m.)
 SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1998 (2:25 PM EDT)  STS-91 -- 9TH AND FINAL MIR DOCKING, SPACEHAB-SM, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS)
NOTE: The countdown for launch of mission STS-91 remains on schedule to begin tonight at 9 p.m. at the T-43 hour mark. All prelaunch activities continue on schedule. The contingency space suits have been installed into the orbiter's airlock and check-out of those suits will be completed today. Flight crew equipment stowage in the orbiter's mid-deck continues today and aft main engine compartment close-outs are complete. Final main propulsion system checks are under way. The crew for mission STS-91 arrived at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility at about 12:50 p.m. EDT today. They will spend the days prior to launch at KSC reviewing their flight plans, undergoing final medical examinations and flying in the Shuttle Training Aircraft. The STS-91 crew are: Commander Charles Precourt; Pilot Dominic Gorie; and Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz, Wendy Lawrence, Janet Kavandi and Valery Ryumin. Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas, currently on the Mir space station, will be returning with the rest of the crew following Shuttle/Mir docking operations. Given an on time launch June 2, Discovery is scheduled to land at KSC on June 12. Air Force weather forecasts are currently indicating a 40 percent chance that weather could prohibit launch activities Tuesday. The primary concern is for thunderstorms with associated showers and anvil clouds. The forecast calls for scattered clouds at 4,000 feet and broken clouds at 30,000 feet; visibility of 7 miles (in thunderstorms possibly 2 miles); winds from the southeast at 12 knots peaking to 18 knots; temperature 83 degrees F and relative humidity 63 percent. STS-91 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): 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/ |