yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (02/25/90)
Saturday February 24, 1990 (as of 10:00 a.m.) KSC Space Shuttle Processing Status Report ----------------------------------------------------------------- STS-36 -- Atlantis (OV 104) - Launch Pad 39-A The countdown for launch of STS-36 is proceeding on schedule. Launch is scheduled to take place Sunday morning, February 25, between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 4:00 a.m. EST. The Rotating Service Structure was moved into the park position at 6:36 a.m. today. This morning the launch team is making preparations to load the external tank with the half million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants. Loading activities will begin later this afternoon and continue through early evening. The five-member astronaut crew will be participating in routine pre-launch activities today, including status briefings on the activities at the pad and current weather forecasts. Also, the crew will have time to review flight data files and earth observation charts prior to going to sleep early this afternoon. Later this evening, the crew will be awakened and begin final preparations for launch. They will have breakfast, receive a briefing on the weather, don their launch and entry suits in the Operations and Checkout Building, and ride to launch pad 39- A. At the pad, the crew will be assisted with their flight crew equipment in the white room on the 195 foot level of the fixed service structure and get situated in their respective seats for ascent. Commander John Creighton and the rest of the STS-36 crew are reported to be healthy and feeling fine. Weather forecasts indicate a 30 percent chance of violating launch commit criteria during the launch period Sunday morning. The cold front which passed through the KSC area yesterday will continue to move to the east. In the wake of the front, clear skies and cooler temperatures are evident. The forecast for tomorrow predicts cloudless skies with winds from the north at 14 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The temperature should be between 42-47 degrees F. and the dewpoint 33 degrees F. The relative humidity will be at 55 percent, with visibility greater than 7 miles.