KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
Tuesday, November 9, 1999 (11:30
a.m. EST)
MISSION: STS-103 – 3rd Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission
VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
LOCATION: VAB
TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: December 6 at 2:37 a.m. EST
TARGET LANDING DATE/TIME: December 16 at 12:45 a.m. EST
LAUNCH WINDOW: 42 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days
CREW: Brown, Kelly, Smith, Foale, Grunsfeld, Nicollier, Clervoy
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 317 nautical miles/28.45 degrees
Work in progress: Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to
Launch Pad 39B on Saturday, Nov. 13, with first motion slated for 2 a.m.
The remainder of Discovery’s processing schedule leads to a target launch
date of Dec. 6.
Workers have already removed the damaged range safety cable and replacement
efforts begin later today. Engineers plan to retest the range safety system
Wednesday and close-out the work area Thursday. The damaged range safety
cable relays a redundant emergency destruction signal between the solid
rocket boosters (SRB) in the unlikely event of a contingency. The cable
being replaced runs from the right-hand SRB forward attach point, through
the external tank and connects to the left-hand booster. The cable was
damaged during close-out operations causing yesterday’s test failure.
Since the orbiter will remain in the VAB for cable replacement, Shuttle
managers have decided to replace Discovery’s main engine No. 3 in the VAB as
well. Engine replacement efforts are in work and will conclude Thursday.
Engine close-outs and verifications will be performed at the pad.
The Hubble Servicing Mission cargo has been transferred into the payload
change-out room at Launch Pad 39B and installation into the orbiter’s
payload bay is slated for Nov. 16.
Major Processing Milestones:
Shuttle to the Launch Pad (Nov. 13)
Payload installed into orbiter (Nov. 16)
Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (crew dress rehearsal) (Nov. 17)
Shuttle main engine test (Nov. 23)
-end-
