News conferences and other events have been set for the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-111, the 110th launch in the Shuttle program. Mission STS-111 will launch between 4 – 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 30. The exact launch time will be announced 24 hours prior to the targeted liftoff time.
News conferences and events listed below will be carried live on NASA Television (unless otherwise noted) and originate from the KSC News Center.
The seven-member STS-111 crew will arrive at KSC early next week. A taped replay of their arrival will be broadcast on NASA TV the following day. Due to heightened security measures, live media coverage of the crew arrival will not be accommodated.
On launch day, the crew will depart their KSC living quarters and be driven to the launch pad. Again, due to heightened security, media will not be permitted at this event. The crew breakfast, suit-up and walkout activities will be taped and replayed during live launch commentary beginning approximately three hours prior to liftoff.
In addition to daily 9 a.m. countdown status briefings, a prelaunch press conference will be held two days before launch. The full briefing schedule is listed below.
STS-111 BRIEFINGS & EVENTS SCHEDULE (all times are EDT)
(All briefings are held inside the KSC Press Site auditorium and will be carried live on NASA TV unless otherwise noted)
L-2 Days - Tuesday, May 28 9 a.m. ------ Countdown Status Briefing * Steve Altemus, NASA Test Director * Glenn Chin, STS-111 Payload Mission Manager * Kathy Winters, Shuttle Weather Officer * * (Crew arrival, taped earlier, will be replayed on NASA TV following the briefing.) * * 4 p.m. ----- Prelaunch News Conference * Ron Dittemore, Shuttle Program Manager, NASA, JSC * Bill Gerstenmaier, Deputy International Space Station Program Manager, JSC * Alain de Leffe, Head, Systems Studies and Development, CNES * Dave King, Director of Shuttle Processing, NASA, KSC * 1st Lt. Tom Crenshaw, Launch Weather Officer, 45th Space Wing * * L-1 Day - Wednesday, May 29 * * 9 a.m. ------ Countdown Status Briefing * Pete Nickolenko, NASA Test Director * Glenn Chin, STS-111 Payload Mission Manager * Kathy Winters, Shuttle Weather Officer * * Launch Day - Thursday, May 30 * * NOTE: Launch will occur between the hours of 4-8 p.m. NASA Television live launch programming and commentary will begin about 3 hours prior to launch. * * Launch + 1 hour ----- Post-launch Press Conference * Jim Halsell, Shuttle Program Launch Integration Manager, KSC * Mike Leinbach, Shuttle Launch Director, KSC
