The launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour has been confirmed for Thursday, May 30, at the preferred launch time of 7:44:26 p.m. EDT (23:44:26 GMT). All remaining countdown activities continue on schedule.

The planar launch window on Thursday extends from 7:39:27 – 7:49:25 p.m. EDT (23:39:27 – 23:49:25 GMT) with the preferred launch time reflecting a flight day three rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station. The launch window will be updated to coincide with the latest orbital position of the Space Station and will be announced at the T-9 minute hold.

STS-111 is a scheduled 12-day mission with a planned KSC landing at about 2:13 p.m. EDT (18:13 GMT) on June 11.

This mission marks the fourteenth Shuttle flight to the International Space Station and the third Shuttle mission this year. Mission STS-111 is the 18th flight of the orbiter Endeavour and the 110th flight overall in NASA’s Space Shuttle program.

On mission STS-111, astronauts will deliver the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, the Mobile Remote Servicer Base System (MBS), and the Expedition Five crew to the International Space Station. During the seven days Endeavour will be docked to the Station, three spacewalks will be performed dedicated to MBS installation and the installation of the replacement wrist-roll joint on the Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm.

The STS-111 crew includes Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart, and Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin, as well as Expedition Five crew members Valery Korzun, Peggy Whitson and Sergei Treschev.

(end of general release)

REMAINING COUNTDOWN MILESTONES

*all times are Eastern 

Launch-1 Day (Wednesday, May 29)

(As of 5:00 p.m. EDT, the countdown clock is in a scheduled built-in hold at the T-11 hour mark)

*	Flight crew equipment late stow
*	Move Rotating Service Structure (RSS) to the park position (about 11:30 p.m.)
*	Perform ascent switch list
*	Fuel cell flow-through purge complete
*
*	Launch Day (Thursday, May 30)
*
*	Resume countdown at T-11 hours (3:49 a.m.)
*
*	Activate the orbiter's fuel cells (4:59 a.m.)
*	Clear the blast danger area of all non-essential personnel
*	Switch Endeavour's purge air to gaseous nitrogen (6:04 a.m.)
*
*	Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark (8:49 a.m.)
*
*	Launch team verifies no violations of launch commit criteria prior to cryogenic loading of the external tank
*	Clear pad of all personnel
*	Chilldown of propellant transfer lines (10:19 a.m.)
*
*	Resume countdown at T-6 hours (10:49 a.m.)
*
*	Begin loading the external tank with about 500,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants (about 10:19 a.m.)
*	Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants (about 1:24 p.m.)
*
*	Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at T-3 hours (1:49 p.m.)
*
*	Final Inspection Team proceed to launch pad
*	Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration
*	Align Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) tracking antennas
*	Perform open loop test with Eastern Range
*
*	Resume countdown at T-3 hours (3:49 p.m.)
*
*	Complete close-out preparations in the white room
*	Check cockpit switch configurations
*	Begin Eastern Range final network open loop command checks
*	Primary ascent guidance data is transferred to the backup flight system
*
*
*
*	Enter planned 10-minute hold at T-20 minutes (6:29 p.m.)
*
*	NASA Test Director conducts final launch team briefings
*	Complete inertial measurement unit preflight alignments
*
*	Resume countdown at T-20 minutes (6:39 p.m.)
*
*	Transition the orbiter's onboard computers to launch configuration
*	Start fuel cell thermal conditioning
*	Close orbiter cabin vent valves
*	Transition backup flight system to launch configuration
*
*	Enter estimated 45-minute hold at T-9 minutes (6:50 p.m.)
*
*	Launch Director, Mission Management Team and NASA Test Director conduct final polls for go/no go to launch
*
*	Resume countdown at T-9 minutes (about 7:35 p.m.)
*
*	Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9:00 minutes)
*	Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30)
*	Start mission recorders (T-6:15)
*	Start Auxiliary Power Units (T-5:00)
*	Arm SRB and ET range safety safe and arm devices (T-5:00)
*	Start liquid oxygen drainback (T-4:55)
*	Start orbiter aerosurface profile test (T-3:55)
*	Start main engine gimbal profile test (T-3:30)
*	Pressurize liquid oxygen tank (T-2:55)
*	Begin retraction of the gaseous oxygen vent arm (T-2:55)
*	Fuel cells to internal reactants (T-2:35)
*	Pressurize liquid hydrogen tank (T-1:57)
*	Deactivate SRB joint heaters (T-1:00)
*	Orbiter transfers from ground to internal power (T-0:50 seconds)
*	Ground Launch Sequencer go for auto sequence start (T-0:31 seconds)
*	SRB gimbal profile (T-0:21 seconds)
*	Ignition of three Space Shuttle main engines (T-6.6 seconds)
*	SRB ignition and liftoff (T-0)

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