- VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
- LOCATION: On Orbit
- OFFICIAL KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 29 at 2:19:34 p.m. EST
- TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Nov. 7 at about 11:50 a.m. EST
- 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
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1998 (2:13 PM EST)
Flight Day 2
STS-95 -- SPACEHAB-SM, SPARTAN & HOST
NOTE: Following yesterday's successful launch, Space Shuttle Discovery continues to perform very well on orbit while the crew remains busy with in-flight experiment activity. Postlaunch inspections of Launch Pad 39B have revealed no abnormal damage.
Yesterday afternoon, KSC's debris inspection team located debris related to the loss of Discovery's drag chute door on the crawlerway that slopes down from the pad surface. This morning, managers reported that about 95% of the door's material was collected before nightfall yesterday and an additional walkdown of the area is being conducted today. Ongoing analysis of the collected debris and of launch film footage will help Shuttle managers determine the cause of the door's detachment. Flight controllers are confident that the missing door will not impact the safety of this Shuttle flight and expect a safe and successful landing on Nov. 7.
Though the drag chute is deployed after landing gear touchdown to assist in slowing the orbiter, it is not required for landing. The chute was an addition to the Shuttle's original configuration in 1992 after 46 successful landings without a drag chute.
KSC's solid rocket booster recovery ships, Freedom Star and Liberty Star, are en route to Cape Canaveral with boosters en tow. The left-hand booster is expected to arrive at Port Canaveral at about 3 p.m. today followed by the right-hand booster's arrival at 4 p.m. Preliminary reports indicate no significant damage to the boosters.
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