When the Space Shuttle Endeavour flies to the
International Space Station next month, it will carry a next-
generation Canadian robotic arm to the orbiting research
center. Canadarm2, a longer, stronger and more flexible
cousin to the Canadian-built robotic armed used on the
Shuttle, is a critical addition to the space station.
The new robotic arm is just one aspect of the mission
scheduled to be discussed during a series of briefings April
9, beginning at 9 a.m. EDT at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, in
Houston, TX.
Endeavour and its seven-member crew are set to begin the 11-
day STS-100 mission April 19. It should be the most complex
and intricate space robotics operation ever conducted.
Canadarm2 is the centerpiece of Canada’s contribution to the
International Space Station and the robotic arm has a unique
ability to switch ends as it works, “inchworming” along the
station’s exterior.
The arm’s operation aboard the station is crucial to the
continued assembly of the orbiting complex. The mission also
will carry the second Italian Space Agency-developed
logistics carrier to the station, a module named Raffaello,
that will include more research equipment than any previous
station flight.
The briefings are currently planned to be broadcast live on
NASA Television, located on satellite GE-2, transponder 9C,
at 85 degrees West longitude, vertical polarization, with a
frequency of 3880 MHz, and audio of 6.8 MHz. The briefings
will feature question-and-answer capability from
participating NASA centers.
However, NASA TV program plans could change. Launch of the
2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, currently scheduled for April
7, could move to April 9 if delayed by weather or other
factors. If so, coverage of that launch will preempt other
NASA TV programming and could result in some of the STS-100
preflight briefings not being broadcast live.
Should this conflict arise, NASA TV will cover the 2001 Mars
Odyssey launch and will join the STS-100 preflight briefings
after Odyssey’s separation from its launch vehicle. The STS-
100 preflight briefings would still be available to media
present at the Johnson Space Center and the briefings will be
replayed frequently later in the day in their entirety on
NASA TV.
Following the briefings, round-robin interviews with the crew
members will be held for reporters at the Johnson Space
Center and media who make advance arrangements to participate
by telephone. Media wishing to participate in the crew
interviews must fax their requests to the Johnson Space
Center newsroom at 281/483-2000 no later than 6 p.m. EDT
April 4.
STS-100 PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFINGS
Monday, April 9
(all times shown are EDT)
9 a.m. International Space Station Overview
Tommy Holloway, Manager, International Space Station
Program
Bob Cabana, Deputy Program Manager, International
Operations
10 a.m. STS-100 Mission Overview
Phil Engelauf, STS-100 Lead Flight Director
John Curry, Lead International Space Station Flight
Director, STS-100
Floyd Booker, STS-100 Launch Package Manager
12 p.m. STS-100 Space Walks Overview
Jeff Patrick, Lead STS-100 Extravehicular Activity
Officer
1 p.m. Canadarm2 Overview
Chris Lorenz, Manager, Mission Operations, Canadian
Space Agency
Steve MacLean, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut
3 p.m. STS-100 Crew News Conference
Kent Rominger, Commander
Jeff Ashby, Pilot
Chris Hadfield, Mission Specialist 1 (Canadian
Space Agency)
John Phillips, Mission Specialist 2
Scott Parazynski, Mission Specialist 3
Umberto Guidoni, Mission Specialist 4 (European
Space Agency)
Yuri Lonchakov, Mission Specialist 5 (Russian
Aviation and Space Agency)