October 27, 1998 Space Shuttle Status Report

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1998 (10:50 AM EST)
Launch minus 2 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 STS-95 proceeds on schedule for Thursday's 2 p.m. liftoff of Shuttle Discovery. Mission managers are not working any significant technical concerns at this time and launch preparations continue at Launch Pad 39B. Today at 4 a.m. workers began loading the orbiter's power reactant storage and distribution system with cryogenic reactants and that operation will conclude at about noon today.

The STS-95 flight crew arrived at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility yesterday afternoon at about 3 p.m. Today the crew will participate in routine medical exams, conduct flight crew equipment fit checks, participate in standard mission briefings and enjoy some free time with their family members. The crew of mission STS-95 are: Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Steve Lindsey, Missions Specialists Stephen Robinson, Scott Parazinski, Pedro Duque, and Payload Specialists Chiaki Mukai and John Glenn.

Air Force weather forecasters have improved their forecast to indicate a 30 percent chance that weather could prohibit launch on Thursday. The forecast calls for scattered to broken clouds at 4,000 feet and scattered clouds at 20,000 feet; visibility at 7 miles; winds at 14 knots gusting to 20 knots from the northeast; temperature at 79 degrees F; relative humidity at 62 percent. The primary concerns are surface winds, a slight chance of showers, and a low cloud ceiling.

Currently, the 24-hour and 48-hour scrub turnaround forecasts indicate a 40 percent chance of weather violation. Managers continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Mitch in the Caribbean, currently moving westward away from the Florida Coast at 7 knots. Mitch is not expected to affect Thursday's weather at KSC.

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

PRSD load complete (Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.)
SPACEHAB late stow (Oct. 28)
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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