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.