yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (04/10/90)
KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT - MONDAY, APRIL 9, 1990 - 10 A.M.
LAUNCH MINUS ONE DAY
STS-31 - DISCOVERY (OV-103) - LAUNCH PAD 39-B
All countdown events are on schedule for Tuesday's launch.
At the launch minus one day review this morning, the Mission
Management Team cleared the shuttle Discovery for launch. After
troubleshooting overnight, officials determined that the short in
wiring of a heater for the aft strut is no constraint to launch
and that no orbiter systems are affected by the short.
The countdown is currently in the longest of several planned
built-in holds at the T-11 hour mark. The count went into the
hold at 7 a.m. this morning and will resume at 6:27 p.m. tonight.
One of the most visible activities during this hold will be the
retraction of the Rotating Service Structure away from the
shuttle Discovery. This is planned for 1 p.m. Also during this
hold, the orbiter's inertial measurement units will be activated
and warmed up and the flight crew equipment will be stowed in the
crew cabin.
Yesterday, the orbiter's power reactant storage and dis-
tribution system tanks were loaded with liquid oxygen and liquid
hydrogen reactants. Overnight the orbiter's communciations system
was activated for flight and the tail service masts were prepared
for launch.
The STS-31 flight crew will receive briefings on the status
of the vehicle, the Hubble Space Telescope and weather around the
world. Commander Loren Shriver, Pilot Charlie Bolden and Mission
Specialist Bruce McCandless flew in T-38 jets. The whole crew
will review flight data files and have free time before going to
sleep at 8 p.m.
At this time, the weather forecast indicates the overall
probability of violating weather constraints early in the window
is 50 percent. The forecast improves later in the window with
only a 20 percent chance of violation. A warm front currently
located in southern Florida is expected to move through the area
during the early part of the launch window. The major threat is
low cloud ceiling with a slight chance of brief rain showers.
Surface winds are forecast to be out of the east/southeast at 10
knots gusting to 18 knots and increasing to 12 knots gusting to
20 knots by 11 a.m. The expected temperature is 72 degrees.
Scattered low and high level clouds are forecast in the area.
Launch of STS-31 is targeted for 8:47 a.m. EDT on April 10.
The launch window extends until 2:31 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.