yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (08/08/89)
KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT - MONDAY, AUG. 7, 1989 STS-28 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - LAUNCH PAD 39-B Countdown events remain on schedule for Columbia's planned launch tomorrow. The period during which launch could occur remains set for 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. EDT. Today, the Rotating Service Structure will be moved back away from the vehicle to the launch position and preparations for loading the external tank with a half million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants are scheduled. Time critical equipment will be installed in the orbiter's crew module today. Activities completed since the countdown began at 12:01 a.m. eastern time Saturday include, a review of flight software stored in Columbia's computers, initial stowage of flight crew equipment and removal of platforms in the mid and flight decks. The orbiter's navigation aids have been turned on and tested and the Inertial Measurement Units have been activated. In addition, workers have loaded Columbia's onboard storage tanks with the flight load of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen reactants. The orbiter's communications system has been activated. Weather forecasters are predicting a less than five percent overall chance of weather being a problem throughout the entire launch period on Tuesday. The forecast during the Tuesday launch period calls for fog early in the period. This should burn off rapidly. Winds are expected to pick up toward the end of the period. Clouds are expected to be scattered at the 3,000, 10,000 and 30,000 foot levels. Winds are expected to be from the southwest at eight knots. The expected temperature for the launch period is between 76-89 degrees. The STS-28 flight crew members will receive status briefings on the vehicle and weather today. This morning, Commander Brewster Shaw and Mission Specialist Mark Brown flew proficiency flights in their T-38 training aircraft. Shuttle managers will meet today for the standard Launch- minus-one-day review to review status and establish the readiness to proceed with activities necessary for the safe and successful conduct of all operations form prelaunch through post-landing and recovery.