KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
      TUESDAY, MAY 25, 1999 (10:18 AM EDT)
      MISSION: STS-96 -- 2nd U.S. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLIGHT - SPACEHAB DOUBLE MODULE

      STS-96 photos

      • VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
      • LOCATION: Launch Pad 39B
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: May 27, 1999 at 6:48 a.m. EDT
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 6, 1999 at 1:58 a.m. EDT
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 10 minutes
      • ISS DOCKING DATE: May 29, 1999 at 12:25 a.m. EDT
      • ISS UNDOCKING DATE: June 3, 1999 at 6:37 p.m. EDT
      • MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 20 hours and 37 minutes
      • CREW: Rominger, Husband, Ochoa, Jernigan, Barry, Payette, Tokarev
      • ADDITIONAL PAYLOADS: ICC, STARSHINE, SVF AND IVHM
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: Preparation for Discovery's Thursday launch continues on schedule. Last night, the launch team activated the orbiter's navigational systems and completed testing efforts. Pyrotechnic initiator controller testing began at about 2 a.m. today and loading of cryogenic reactants into Discovery's fuel cell storage tanks commenced at 6:30 a.m. Workers will demate the orbiter midbody umbilical unit today at 1:30 p.m. Tonight, technicians will install the mission specialist seats inside the crew compartment and begin cable routing verifications.

      The flight crew wakes-up today at 5:30 p.m. and will participate in standard preflight orbiter and payload system briefings this evening. The commander and pilot will begin practice flights in the Shuttle Training Aircraft at about 10 p.m.

      Weather forecasters currently indicate a 20 percent chance that weather could prohibit Thursday's launch attempt. The forecast calls for scattered clouds with bases at 20,000 feet; visibility at 7 miles with a chance of fog limiting to 3 miles; southwesterly winds at 7 knots peaking to 10 knots; temperature at 72 degrees F; relative humidity at 93 percent and dew point at 70 degrees F. The primary weather issues are expected to be the possibility of fog and low cloud ceilings. The 20 percent chance of weather violation continues through Friday and Saturday.

      STS-96 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

      • Demate orbiter midbody umbilical unit (May 25 at 1:30 p.m.)
      • Rotating Service Structure moves to park position (May 26 at 10 a.m.)
      • Loading external tank with liquid propellant (May 26 from 9:54 p.m. to 12:54 a.m.)

      SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-96
      T-TIME LENGTH OF HOLD HOLD BEGINS HOLD ENDS
      T-27 hours 4 hours 1 a.m. Tues. 5 a.m. Tues.
      T-19 hours 4 hours 1 p.m. Tues. 5 p.m. Tues.
      T-11 hours 13 hours, 54 minutes 1 a.m. Wed. 2:54 p.m. Wed.
      T-6 hours 2 hours 7:54 p.m. Wed. 9:54 p.m. Wed.
      T-3 hours 2 hours 12:54 a.m. Thurs. 2:54 a.m. Thurs.
      T-20 minutes 10 minutes 5:34 a.m. Thurs. 5:44 a.m. Thurs.
      T-9 minutes 40 minutes 5:55 a.m. Thurs. 6:35 a.m. Thurs.

      CREW FOR MISSION STS-96
      Commander (CDR) Kent Rominger
      Pilot (PLT) Rick Husband
      Mission Specialist (MS1) Tamara Jernigan
      Mission Specialist (MS2) Ellen Ochoa
      Mission Specialist (MS3) Daniel Barry
      Mission Specialist (MS4) Julie Payette
      Mission Specialist (MS5) Valerie Tokarev

      SUMMARY OF STS-96 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES
      Thursday, May 27
      1 a.m. Wake up from optional nap
      *1:49 a.m. Snack/crew photo
      2:19 a.m. CDR, PLT, MS2 weather briefing
      2:19 a.m. MS1, MS3, MS4, MS5 don launch and entry suits
      *2:29 a.m. CDR, PLT, MS2 don launch and entry suits
      *3 a.m. Depart for Launch Pad 39B
      *3:30 a.m. Arrive at white room and begin ingress
      *4:44 a.m. Close crew hatch
      *6:48 a.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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