yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (02/01/90)
Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Lisa Malone
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
RELEASE:
STS-36 COUNTDOWN DEMONSTRATION TEST SCHEDULED FOR FEB. 3
A full dress rehearsal for the STS-36 launch countdown is
planned this week at Kennedy Space Center. The terminal
countdown demonstration test (TCDT), involving the STS-36 flight
crew, KSC launch team, and the Mission Control Center (MCC) team,
Houston, will culminate with a simulated "T-zero" at 11 a.m.,
Sat., Feb. 3.
The five-member flight crew will arrive at KSC's Shuttle
Landing Facility on Thurs. to participate in the practice
countdown. The STS-36 crew is comprised of Commander John
Creighton, Pilot John Casper, and Mission Specialists David
Hilmers, Richard Mullane and Pierre Thuot.
While at KSC, the flight crew will receive routine
instructions for emergency egress procedures at Launch Pad 39-A
including a practice drive in the M113 tracked vehicle. At the
pad, they will become familiar with the location of breathing
apparatus, other emergency equipment and the slidewire basket
system.
One of the routine activities for the crew while at KSC for
the TCDT are briefings by Shuttle and payload engineers. The
briefings, scheduled the day before the test, are designed to
bring the flight crew up to speed on the status of the vehicle,
payload, processing operations and any significant issues.
Objectives of the test include establishing timelines and
validating sequences involved in the flight crew suit-up and
entry into the orbiter's cockpit. The test also offers an
occasion for the flight crew, the KSC launch team, the MCC to
work together in a launch day configuration. Inter-agency
interfaces required to support the terminal countdown will be
evaluated.
The simulated countdown is set to begin at the T-24 hour
mark on Friday at 8 a.m. Atlantis will be powered up for the
test and its onboard systems will be activated. Events in the
countdown will be condensed or simulated to represent activities
that occur during the actual launch countdown and/or to configure
the orbiter for the test.
The countdown will proceed to the T-3 hour mark and hold for
2 hours, 40 minutes. During the hold, the flight crew will be
awakened and have breakfast. Also, the orbiter closeout crew
will be assembled and begin preparing Atlantis' cabin for the
flight crew's entry.
After a weather briefing, the flight crew will get into
their flight suits and depart for the launch pad. The closeout
crew will assist the astronauts in getting into the cockpit.
Each crew member will establish communications with the orbiter
test conductor in Firing Room 3.
Two 10-minute built-in holds are planned at the T-20 minute
and T-9 minute marks. For the purposes of the test, the
countdown will be halted at about the T-5 second mark at 11 a.m.
After a short debriefing, the flight crew will exit the
cockpit quickly to practice an emergency escape while wearing the
space suits. This training will take place on the 195-foot level
of the Fixed Service Structure where the orbiter crew access
hatch and the slidewire baskets are located.
Later that day, the flight crew will return to Houston for
final mission preparations. They will return to KSC a few days
prior to launch.
Launch of Atlantis on its sixth flight, designated mission
STS-36, is targeted for Feb. 22. The official launch date will
be set at the flight readiness review to be held at KSC on Feb 9-
10. STS-36 is a dedicated Department of Defense classified
mission.
- end -
NOTE TO EDITORS: Crew arrival at KSC tomorrow will be carried by
NASA Select television beginning at approximately 3:30 p.m.,
EST. Other crew photo opportunities on Friday and Sat. be will
carried locally by KSC. NASA Select TV may be accessed via
Satcom F2R, Transponder 13, located at 72-degrees west longitude.