October 26, 1998 Space Shuttle Status Report

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1998 (2:57 PM EST)
Launch minus 3 days

MISSION: STS-95 -- SPACEHAB-SM, SPARTAN & HOST

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
LOCATION: Launch Pad 39B
KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. EST
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Nov. 7 at 11:49 a.m. EST
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours and 30 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 8 days, 21 hours and 49 minutes
CREW: Brown, Lindsey, Parazynski, Robinson, Duque, Mukai, Glenn
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 300 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: The launch countdown for mission STS-95 began on time today at 8 a.m. Launch managers are not working any significant technical issues at this time and preparations for Thursday’s 2 p.m. launch continue on schedule. Final vehicle close-outs are in work and Discovery’s backup flight systems will be loaded into the orbiter’s general purpose computers today. Tonight the orbiter’s navigational systems will be activated. Loading of the power reactant storage and distribution system (PRSD) with cryogenic reactants begins tomorrow morning.

Air Force weather forecasters are indicating a 40 percent chance that weather could prohibit launch on Thursday. The forecast calls for scattered to broken clouds at 4000 feet and scattered clouds at 20000 feet; visibility at 7 miles; winds at 16 knots gusting to 23 knots from the northeast; temperature at 79 degrees F; relative humidity at 62 percent. The primary concerns are low level winds, a slight chance of showers and a low cloud ceiling.

Currently, the 24-hour and 48-hour scrub turnaround forecast indicates a 40 percent chance of weather violation. Managers continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Mitch in the Caribbean, currently moving in a west-northwesterly direction away from Florida’s east coast. Mitch is not expected to affect Thursday’s weather.

The STS-95 flight crew is slated to arrive at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility today at about 2 p.m. The crew members are: Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Steve Lindsey, Missions Specialists Stephen Robinson, Scott Parazinski, Pedro Duque, and Payload Specialists Chiaki Mukai and John Glenn.

STS-95 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

Flight crew arrival at KSC (Oct. 26 at about 2 p.m.)
PRSD load begins (Oct. 27 at 4 a.m.)
SPACEHAB late stow (Oct. 27)
External fuel tank loading (Oct. 29 from 5:40 a.m. to 8:40 a.m.)

SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-95


T-TIME	LENGTH OF HOLD	HOLD BEGINS	HOLD ENDS
T-27 hours	4 hours	12 a.m. Tues.	4 a.m. Tues.
T-19 hours	4 hours	12 p.m. Tues.	4 p.m. Tues.
T-11 hours	23 hours, 40 minutes	12 a.m. Wed.	11:40 p.m. Wed.
T-6 hours	1 hour	4:40 a.m. Thurs.	5:40 a.m. Thurs.
T-3 hours	2 hours	8:40 a.m. Thurs.	10:40 a.m. Thurs.
T-20 minutes	10 minutes	1:20 p.m. Thurs.	1:30 p.m. Thurs.
T-9 minutes	10 minutes	1:41 p.m. Thurs.	1:51 p.m. Thurs.

CREW FOR MISSION STS-95

Commander (CDR):           Curt Brown 
Pilot (PLT):               Stephen Lindsey
Mission Specialist (MS1):  Stephen Robinson
Mission Specialist (MS2):  Scott Parazynski
Mission Specialist (MS3):  Pedro Duque
Payload Specialist (PS1):  Chiaki Mukai  
Payload Specialist (PS2):  John Glenn

SUMMARY OF STS-95 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES

Thursday, Oct. 29

  7:50 a.m.    Wake up 
* 9:35 a.m.    Breakfast/crew photo
 10:05 a.m.    Weather briefing
*10:30 a.m.    Flight crew don launch and entry suits
*10:45 a.m.    Depart for Launch Pad 39B
*11:15 a.m.    Arrive at white room and begin ingress
*12:30 p.m.    Close crew hatch
* 2:00 p.m.    Launch

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

--end--

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Author: Joel Wells / NASA Public Affairs
Curator: Kay Grinter (kay.grinter-1@ksc.nasa.gov) / Information Dynamics, Inc.

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