yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (02/05/89)
Barbara Selby
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. February 3, 1989
Lisa Malone
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
RELEASE: 89-13
STS-29 COUNTDOWN DEMONSTRATION TEST SCHEDULED FOR FEB. 7
One of the significant pre-launch tests, a full dress
rehearsal for the STS-29 launch countdown, is planned next week
at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The Terminal Launch Countdown
Demonstration Test (TCDT), involving the STS-29 prime crew, will
culminate with a simulated T-zero at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7.
The five-member flight crew is scheduled to arrive at KSC's
Shuttle Landing Facility on Sunday to participate in the practice
countdown. The STS-29 crew is comprised of Commander Michael
Coats, Pilot John Blaha and Mission Specialists Robert Springer,
James Buchli and James Bagian.
While at KSC, the crew will be trained in emergency egress
procedures at Launch Pad 39-B, 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.
Another routine activity for the crew while at KSC is a
briefing by Shuttle 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 and any unresolved 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 and the KSC launch team to work
together in a launch day configuration. Interagency interfaces
required to support the terminal countdown will be evaluated. In
addition, countdown abort safing steps will be exercised by the
launch team.
The simulated countdown is set to begin at the T-24 hour
mark on Sunday at 8 a.m. EST. Discovery 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 on Tuesday
at 6 a.m. and hold for 2 hours when the flight crew will be
awakened and have breakfast. Also, the orbiter closeout crew
will be assembled and begin preparing Discovery's cabin for the
flight crew's entry.
After a weather briefing, the flight crew will don their
flight suits and depart for the launch pad. The closeout crew
will assist the astronauts in getting into the cockpit.
Ten-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. The test
will be over once the launch team has performed recycle and
safing operations.
After exiting the cockpit, the flight crew will receive
additional emergency egress training on the 195-foot level of the
Fixed Service Structure. This is the level on which 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.
Discovery is scheduled to be launched on its eighth mission
in mid-March. The official launch date will be set at the flight
readiness review held at KSC about 2 weeks prior to the launch.
The primary objective of the five-day mission is to deploy a
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.
- end -
The TCDT activities will be carried from 6 a.m. until Noon,
Tuesday, Feb. 7, on NASA Select television, RCA Satcom F2R,
transponder 13, 72 degrees west longitude. Media representatives
in the Washington area can view the activities from the NASA
Headquarters 6th floor auditorium, 400 Maryland Ave., S.W.