yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (03/13/89)
KSC SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING REPORT - SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1989
AFTERNOON STATUS
STS-29 - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - PAD 39-B
Everything in the countdown is going smoothly at this time.
The power reactant storage and distribution system tanks were
loaded with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants today.
The countdown went into a planned one-hour built-in hold
from 3-4 p.m. today. That hold was originally planned for eight
hours, but the count was held up about seven hours earlier this
morning while the aft compartment was closed out. At 4 p.m., the
count picked up at the T minus 19 hour mark.
The test team is activating the orbiter's communications
systems, removing handrails from the mobile launcher platform,
installing film in cameras and warming up the orbiter's Inertial
Measurement Units. Later tonight, the stowable seats for the
three mission specialists will be installed in the crew cabin.
At midnight, the countdown will enter another planned built-
in hold at the T minus 11 hour mark. This hold will last for 17
hours, 50 minutes, and when the count resumes at 5:50 p.m.
tomorrow, the Rotating Service Structure will be retracted away
from the vehicle in preparation for launch.
Launch remains scheduled for Monday, March 13, at 8:07 a.m.
EST. The window extends for two and a half hours or until 10:37
a.m. EST.
The weather forecast at KSC for launch day is favorable with
scattered clouds predicted at the 4,000 foot level. There is a
possibility of early morning fog with temperatures expected in
the low 60s. Light and variable to southerly winds are forecast.
There is only 10 percent chance of violating weather criteria on
launch day. Forecasters are predicting good weather on launch day
at Ben Guerir, Morocco, the primary Trans Atlantic Abort site for
this mission.
Earlier today, Commander Michael Coats and Pilot John Blaha
flew in the Shuttle Training Aircraft. The STA cockpit is
configured like that of the space shuttle. Later today, all crew
members, including Mission Specialists James Buchli, James Bagian
and Robert Springer, flew in the T-38 jets and performed fit
checks of the flight equipment. Tomorrow, the crew will receive
the standard launch- minus-one-day status briefing on the vehicle
and payload.
The Mission Management Team headed by Robert Crippen,
Director of NSTS Operations, held the standard Launch minus two-
day review meeting to discuss the status of events that have
occurred since the Flight Readiness Review held last week. At
this time the team is not tracking any significant issues that
would prevent launch on Monday. The team will hold a status
meeting in the morning.dbraun@cadavr.intel.com (Doug Braun ~) (03/15/89)
In article <22706@ames.arc.nasa.gov> yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) writes: > KSC SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING REPORT - SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1989 > Later today, all crew > members, including Mission Specialists James Buchli, James Bagian > and Robert Springer, flew in the T-38 jets . . . Do all the astronauts, including mission specialists, actually fly the T-38s, or do the non-pilots just get a ride? Doug Braun Intel Corp CAD 408 765-4279 / decwrl \ | hplabs | -| oliveb |- !intelca!mipos3!cadev4!dbraun | amd | \ qantel /
marla%lucerne@Sun.COM (Marla Parker) (03/16/89)
In article <3756@mipos3.intel.com> dbraun@cadavr.UUCP (Doug Braun ~) writes: > >Do all the astronauts, including mission specialists, actually fly the T-38s, >or do the non-pilots just get a ride? > My sister works for NASA in a group that trains the astronauts in I'm not sure what. She and 4 other people were the team assigned to the Discovery crew, so they got to see them off last week. One of the astronauts pointed out that since they all had their "PC badges" (Personal Contact, meaning they could get within 6' of the astronauts, I think she said?) they could go out with them to look at and in the T-38s, which they all did. Then the astronauts and one other person climbed into the 3 jets and flew off. I think she said only three of the astronauts are pilots and they flew the jets, with the other 2 astronauts and some other person as the 3 passengers. Marla Parker (415)336-2538 marla@sun.com