KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
      TUESDAY, JULY 13, 1999 (4:30 PM EDT)
      MISSION: STS-93 -- Chandra X-ray Observatory

      STS-93 images

      • VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
      • LOCATION: Launch Pad 39B
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: July 20, 1999 at 12:36 a.m. EDT
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 24, 1999 at 11:32 p.m. EDT
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 46 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 4 days, 23 hours
      • CREW: Collins, Ashby, Hawley, Coleman, Tognini
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 153 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

      NOTE: At Launch Pad 39B, preparations continue to go well for Columbia’s July 20 launch date. Yesterday, workers replaced an audio communication component onboard Columbia and retesting is in work today. Close-outs of the orbiter aft compartment are ongoing and Shuttle ordnance installation begins tonight.

      STS-93 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

      • Shuttle ordnance installation complete (July 15)
      • Orbiter aft compartment close-outs complete (July 16)
      • Orbiter hypergolic system pressurization complete (July 16)
      • Flight crew arrives at KSC (July 16 at about 7 a.m.)
      • Launch countdown clock begins (July 16 at 10 p.m.)
      • Close payload bay doors for flight (July 17)
      MISSION: STS-99 -- SHUTTLE RADAR TOPOGRAPHY MISSION (SRTM)

      • VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 2
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 16, 1999 at 8:47 a.m. EDT
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Sept. 27, 1999 at 12:52 p.m. EDT
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours and 30 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 11 days, 4 hours and 5 minutes
      • CREW: Kregel, Gorie, Kavandi, Voss, Mohri, Thiele
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 126 nautical miles/57 degrees

      NOTE: Integrated orbiter hydraulic testing concludes later this week. Endeavour’s payload bay closeouts are in progress. Auxiliary power unit controller checks are in work and potable water servicing is under way. Preparations are under way to receive the SRTM payload into the OPF and then install it into the orbiter’s payload bay next Tuesday. The orbiter/payload interface verification test begins next week.

      STS-99 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

      • SRTM payload installed into orbiter (July 20)
      • Crew Equipment Interface Test (July 28)
      • Orbiter rolls to VAB (Aug. 11)
      MISSION: STS-103 -- 3rd HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING MISSION (HST-3)

      • VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 1
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 14, 1999 at 5:42 a.m. EDT
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 24, 1999 at 3:20 a.m. EDT
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 42 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 21 hours and 38 minutes
      • CREW: Brown, Kelly, Smith, Foale, Grunsfeld, Nicollier, Clervoy
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 317 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

      NOTE: Workers are scheduled to install a new right-hand orbital maneuvering engine this week. Removal of Discovery’s robot arm from the payload bay begins today. Main propulsion system leak checks continue and ammonia system servicing begins this week.

      STS-103 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

      • Forward reaction control system installed (July 29)
      • Robot arm reinstalled (Aug. 3)
      MISSION: STS-101 -- 3rd INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLIGHT - SPACEHAB DOUBLE MODULE/ICC

      • VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 3
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: December 2, 1999
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: December 13, 1999
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 5-10 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 10 days and 19 hours
      • CREW: Halsell, Horowitz, Weber, Lu, Williams, Malenchenko, Morukov
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: Atlantis’ payload bay doors were opened today. Managers now plan to install the orbiter’s external airlock on Friday.

      Next week, workers will begin preparing Atlantis for a brief storage period in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Atlantis is scheduled to roll over to VAB high bay 2 on July 23 and remain there until it transfers to OPF bay 2 on Aug. 16. Atlantis is leaving OPF bay 3 to make room for orbiter Columbia’s return from STS-93 and moves into OPF bay 2 following Endeavour’s departure for the VAB.

      --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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