| Orbiter
Discovery will remain at Edwards Air Force Base another day due to a
mechanical problem with one of eight bolts that secure the tail cone to
the orbiter's aft compartment. Managers expect Discovery and the
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) to depart Edwards no earlier than midday
tomorrow and then arrive at KSC no earlier than Thursday.
Ferry managers had hoped to depart
Edwards by noon today, but high winds in the area hampered efforts to
install the orbiter tail cone required for Shuttle ferry flights.
This morning, while workers were installing the final tail cone bolt, it
seized up preventing completion of the task. Workers are
troubleshooting the problem and hope to be ready for tomorrow's
departure.
If the SCA and Discovery takeoff
tomorrow, managers plan to stop at Fort Worth Naval Air Station, Texas,
to refuel and stay overnight. Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and
El Paso, Texas are available backup sites for SCA refueling on
Wednesday. Forecasters indicate that weather at Edwards could
begin to deteriorate by Thursday. Ferry flight rules state that
the orbiter and SCA cannot fly through precipitation, thick clouds or
high turbulence. There are also wind and temperature
restrictions. The flight plan and duration may vary based upon
weather conditions en route.
|
|
MISSION:
STS-97 - 6th ISS Flight (4A) - PV Module P6 |
|
|
| VEHICLE |
Endeavour/OV-105 |
| LOCATION |
Launch
Pad 39B |
| TARGET
KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME |
Nov.
30, 2000 at 10:01 p.m. EST |
| TARGET KSC
LANDING DATE/TIME |
Dec.10,
2000 at 6:46 p.m. EST |
| MISSION
DURATION |
10
days |
| CREW |
Jett,
Bloomfield, Tanner, Noriega, Garneau |
| ORBITAL
ALTITUDE and INCLINATION |
177
nautical miles/51.6 degrees |
|
| Shuttle
Processing Note |
Space
Shuttle Endeavour began its move to Launch Pad 39B at about 7 a.m.
today. As the crawler transporter started up the pad slope
around 12:30 p.m., workers noted a broken cleat on the right rear
side of the tracked vehicle. Replacement of the broken cleat
is complete and Endeavour has arrived at the pad. The Space
Shuttle should be hard down at the pad surface at about 5 p.m.
today. A crawler transporter has eight tracks with 57 cleats
on each track. Cleat replacement is part of standard crawler
maintenance.
|
|
MISSION:
STS-98 - 7th ISS Flight (5A) - U.S. Laboratory |
|
|
| VEHICLE |
Atlantis/OV-104 |
| LOCATION |
Orbiter
Processing Facility (OPF) bay 3 |
| TARGET
KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME |
Jan.18,
2001 at 3:36 a.m. EST |
| TARGET KSC
LANDING DATE/TIME |
Jan.
28, 2001 at 11:46 p.m. EST |
| MISSION
DURATION |
10
days |
| CREW |
Cockrell,
Polansky, Curbeam, Jones, Ivins |
| ORBITAL
ALTITUDE and INCLINATION |
173
nautical miles/51.6 degrees |
|
|
| Shuttle
Processing Note |
Technicians have completed leak and functional tests on Atlantis'
orbiter docking system. Auxiliary power unit testing is in
work. Payload bay reconfiguation continues on schedule and
preparations are underway for orbiter ammonia servicing.
|
|
