Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/pc/text/stskits/sts_57.lau

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From: [e-mail] (Peter Yee)
Subject: STS-57 countdown scheduled to begin June 17  [Release 66-93] (Forwarded)
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          Bruce Buckingham
          407/867-2468                                      June 16, 1993

          KSC Release No. 66 - 93


          STS-57 COUNTDOWN SCHEDULED TO BEGIN JUNE 17

               The countdown to launch Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission
          STS-57 is scheduled to begin at 2:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, June
          17, at the T-43 hour mark. This will be the fourth launch of the
          orbiter Endeavour and the 56th overall in the Space Shuttle
          program. The countdown includes 36 hours and 3 minutes of
          built-in hold time leading to the opening of the launch window at
          9:38 a.m. (EDT) on Sunday, June 20. The launch window extends
          until 10:49 p.m.

               A primary objective of this mission is the retrieval of the
          European Space Agency's free-flying platform, EURECA. This
          spacecraft was deployed from the Shuttle on mission STS-46,
          launched on July 31, 1992. EURECA is primarily a microgravity
          mission specifically designed for material processing and life
          sciences payloads. Endeavour's crew will grapple the platform and
          return with it to Earth.

               Endeavour will carry into orbit the commercial spacelab
          facility called SPACEHAB, a small pressurized module situated in
          the forward section of Endeavour's payload bay. It was designed
          by the privately financed corporation, SPACEHAB, Inc.

               Also in the payload bay are several other experiments
          including the Super Fluid Helium on Orbit Transfer (SHOOT)
          Demonstration experiment and ten Get-Away Specials (GAS)
          experiments. Another of Endeavour's mission objectives is to
          allow two of the astronauts to perform a spacewalk for training
          and practice of deploy and retrieval techniques which will
          support Space Station assembly and the Hubble telescope servicing
          mission.

               At the beginning of the countdown, the KSC launch team in
          Firing Room 3 of the Launch Control Center will verify systems
          indicating the Shuttle is powered up and that the data processing
          and backup flight control systems are operating trouble free.

               Verifications will occur throughout the count to ensure
          reviews of the flight software stored in the orbiter's twin
          memory banks is being conducted, computer controlled display
          systems are being activated, and the backup flight system general
          purpose computer is being loaded.

               This week, final ordnance operations were conducted at the
          pad and the orbiter's aft engine compartment was closed for
          flight on Tuesday. Following countdown commencement at 2:30 a.m.
          Thursday, operations will begin to prepare the main propulsion
          system and the orbiter's main engines for cryogenic loading.
          Orbiter navigation aids will be turned on and tested and the
          inertial measurement units will be activated.

               Also on Thursday, ground crews will begin making the final
          storage of mid-deck and flight deck supplies and payloads. They
          will also perform microbial samplings of the flight crew's
          drinking water and check water levels in the crew waste
          management system.

               At T-27 hours, the countdown will enter its first built-in
          hold. This is an eight hour hold lasting from 6:30 p.m. Thursday
          to 2:30 a.m. Friday.

               When the countdown resumes, the launch pad will be cleared
          of all personnel in preparation for cryogenic fuel loading of the
          power reactant and storage distribution system tanks located
          under the payload bay lining. These tanks hold the super-cold
          liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants used by the fuel
          cells to provide electricity to the orbiter and drinking water
          for the crew.

               Cryogenic flow is scheduled to start at about 2:30 a.m. and
          continue for about eight hours.

               As servicing of the cryogenic tanks concludes, the clock
          will enter another built-in hold at the T-19 hour mark. This hold
          will last for four hours from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

               Following cryogenic loading operations, the pad will be
          reopened for normal work and the orbiter mid-body umbilical unit
          used to load the super-cold reactants in the orbiter's fuel cell
          tanks will be demated and retracted into the launch structure.

               When the countdown resumes, technicians will complete final
          vehicle and facility closeouts and begin activating the orbiter's
          communications systems and configuring Endeavour's cockpit for
          flight. The orbiter's flight control system and navigation aids
          will be activated. The stowable crew seats will be installed in
          the flight and mid-decks.

               The countdown will enter a built-in hold at the T-11 hour
          mark at 10:30 p.m. Friday. This 20 hour, 43 minute hold will last
          until 7:13 p.m. Saturday. During this hold, time critical
          equipment will be installed in the orbiter's cockpit and the
          inertial measurement units will be activated and warmed up. Also,
          late stowage operations in the SPACEHAB module will be conducted.

               At about 11:00 a.m. Saturday, the Rotating Service Structure
          is scheduled to be moved away from the vehicle and placed in
          launch position.

               At T-9 hours, about 9:13 p.m. Saturday, the onboard fuel
          cells will be activated. At T-8 hours, the launch team will begin
          evacuating the blast danger area and clear the pad for loading
          the external tank with the super-cold cryogenic fuels. At T-7
          hours, 30 minutes, conditioned air that is flowing through the
          orbiter's payload bay and other areas on the orbiter will be
          switched to gaseous nitrogen in preparation for fueling the
          external tank. The inertial measurement units will transition
          from the warm up stage to the operate/attitude determination mode
          at T-6 hours, 45 minutes.

               The countdown will enter another planned built-in hold at
          the T-6 hour mark at 12:13 a.m. Sunday. During this one-hour
          hold, final preparations for loading the external tank will be
          completed and a pre-tanking weather briefing will be conducted.

               Chilldown of the lines that carry the cryogenic propellants
          to the external tank begins when the clock starts counting again
          at 1:13 a.m. Filling and topping off the external tank should be
          complete at the beginning of the next planned hold at T-3 hours,
          or 4:13 a.m. Sunday.

               During the two-hour hold at T-3 hours, an ice inspection
          team will conduct a survey of the external tank's outer
          insulation and other Shuttle components. Also, the closeout crew
          will be dispatched to the pad and begin configuring the crew
          module and white room for the flight crew's arrival. Liquid
          oxygen and liquid hydrogen will be in a stable replenish mode
          during this time to replace any propellant that "boils" off.

               Prior to entering the hold at T-3 hours, the six-member
          STS-57 crew will be awakened at about 3:03 a.m. Sunday.

               Following breakfast, the crew will receive a briefing on
          weather conditions both at KSC and around the world via satellite
          from Mission Control, Houston.

               The flight crew will suit-up in their partial-pressure
          suits, then leave the Operations and Checkout Building during the
          T-3 hour hold, or at about 6:08 a.m. They will arrive at the
          pad's white room at about 6:38 a.m. where they will be assisted
          by white room personnel in getting into the crew cabin.

               Just prior to the T-1 hour mark, the test team and the
          flight crew will get another weather update, including
          observations from an astronaut flying in a Shuttle Training
          Aircraft in the KSC area.

               They will also be briefed as to the exact location of the
          EURECA spacecraft and the specific launch time may be adjusted by
          as much as a few minutes. Any additional hold time necessary to
          compensate for this change will be added to the final hold at T-9
          minutes.

               The last two built-in holds will be 10 minutes in duration
          (with the exception that the hold at T-9 minutes could be
          adjusted to compensate for the location of EURECA) and will occur
          at the T-20 minute mark, or at 8:53 a.m. and at the T-9 minutes
          mark at 9:14 a.m. During the final hold, the flight crew and
          ground team receive the NASA launch director's and the mission
          management team's final "go" for launch.

               Milestones after the T-9 minute mark include start of the
          ground launch sequencer; retraction of the orbiter access arm at
          T-7 minutes, 30 seconds; start of the orbiter's auxiliary power
          units at T-5 minutes; pressurization of the liquid oxygen tank
          inside the external tank at T-2 minutes, 55 seconds;
          pressurization of the liquid hydrogen tank at T-1 minute, 57
          seconds; and the electronic "go" to Endeavour's onboard computers
          to start their own terminal countdown sequence at T-31 seconds.
          The orbiter's three main engines will start at T-6.6 seconds.

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          3                      COUNTDOWN MILESTONES                     3
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                         Launch - 3 Days (Thursday, June 17)

               Prepare for the start of the STS-57 launch countdown and
          perform the call-to-stations at the T-43 hour mark. Countdown
          will begin at 2:30 a.m. All members of the launch team will
          report to their respective consoles in Firing Room 3 in the
          Launch Control Center for the start of the countdown.

               Enter the first planned built-in hold at T-27 hours for a
          duration of eight hours.

               Check out back-up flight system and review flight software
          stored in mass memory units and display systems. Load backup
          flight system software into Endeavour's general purpose
          computers.

               Begin stowage of flight crew equipment. Inspect the
          orbiter's mid-deck and flight-deck and remove crew module
          platforms. Start external tank loading preparations and prepare
          the Shuttle's main engines for main propellant tanking and
          flight.

                          Launch - 2 Days (Friday, June 18)

               Resume countdown. Start preparations for servicing fuel cell
          storage tanks and begin final vehicle and facility closeouts for
          launch.

               Clear launch pad of all personnel and begin loading liquid
          oxygen and liquid hydrogen reactants into Endeavour's fuel cell
          storage tanks.

               After loading operations, the pad will be reopened for
          normal work. Orbiter and ground support equipment closeouts will
          resume.

               Enter planned built-in hold at T-19 hours for a duration of
          4 hours.

               Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit. Resume countdown.

               Activate orbiter communications systems, flight control and
          navigation systems. Install mission specialists' seats in crew
          cabin. The tail service masts on the mobile launcher platform
          will be closed out for launch.

               Enter planned hold at T-11 hours for a duration of 20 hours,
          43 minutes.

                         Launch - 1 Day (Saturday, June 19)

               Perform orbiter ascent switch list in crew cabin. During
          this hold at T-11 hours, the orbiter's inertial measurement units
          will be activated and kept in the "warm up" mode and film will be
          installed in the numerous cameras on the launch pad. In addition,
          safety personnel will conduct a debris walkdown and the pad sound
          suppression system water tank will be filled.

               The Rotating Service Structure will be moved to the park
          position during this hold at about 11:00 a.m.

               Final stowage of experiments into the SPACEHAB module will
          be conducted and flight crew equipment stowage will commence.

               Resume countdown. Install time critical flight crew
          equipment and perform the pre-ingress switch list. Start fuel
          cell flow-through purge.

               Activate the orbiter's fuel cells. Configure communications
          at Mission Control, Houston, for launch. Clear the blast danger
          area of all non-essential personnel and switch Endeavour's purge
          air to gaseous nitrogen.

                            Launch Day (Sunday, June 20)

               Enter planned one-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark.

               Launch team verifies there are no violations of launch
          commit criteria prior to cryogenic loading of the external tank.
          Clear pad of all personnel.

               Resume countdown. Loading the external tank with cryogenic
          propellants is scheduled to begin at 1:13 a.m.

               Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of
          liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. Perform open loop
          test with Eastern Space and Missile Center and conduct gimbal
          profile checks of orbital maneuvering system engines.

               Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration and
          align Merritt Island Launch Area tracking antennas.

               Wake flight crew at 3:03 a.m.

               Enter two-hour hold at T-3 hours.

               Closeout crew and ice inspection team proceeds to Launch Pad
          39-B. Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad
          at 6:08 a.m.

               Resume countdown at T-3 hours. Complete closeout
          preparations in the white room and cockpit switch configurations.

               Flight crew enters orbiter. Astronauts perform air-to-ground
          voice checks with Mission Control, Houston. Close Endeavour's
          crew hatch. Begin Eastern Space and Missile Center final network
          open loop command checks.

               Perform hatch seal and cabin leak checks. The white room is
          closed out and the closeout crew moves to fallback area. Primary
          ascent guidance data is transferred to the backup flight system.

               Enter planned 10-minute hold at T-20 minutes.

               NASA Shuttle Test Director conducts final briefing.

               Resume countdown. Transition orbiter onboard computers to
          launch configuration and start fuel cell thermal conditioning.
          Close orbiter cabin vent valves. Backup flight system transitions
          to launch configuration.

               Enter last planned hold at T-9 minutes.

               Launch Director and Mission Management Team complete final
          polls for launch. Make any necessary adjustments to hold and
          final count to account for last evaluations of EURECA spacecraft
          location.

               Resume countdown.

          Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9:00 minutes)
          Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30)
          Start mission recorders (T-5:30)
          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)
          Orbiter transfers to internal power (T-3:30)
          Start MPS 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)
          LPS go for start of orbiter automatic sequence (T-0:31 seconds)
          Ignition of Shuttle's three main engines (T-6.6 seconds)
          SRB ignition and liftoff (T-0)

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          3           SUMMARY OF HOLDS AND HOLD TIMES FOR STS-57          3
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          NOTE: The countdown reflects a target T-0 about 5 minutes prior
          to the assessed actual liftoff time. A rendezvous calibration
          period will be allowed for final determinations of the location
          of the EURECA spacecraft. Any necessary adjustments to the count
          will be made in the final built-in hold at T-9 minutes.

          T-TIME ------- LENGTH OF HOLD ---- HOLD BEGINS ---- HOLD ENDS

          T-27 hours --- 8 hours ---------- Thurs., 6:30 pm - Fri., 2:30 am
          T-19 hours --- 4 hours ----------- Fri., 10:30 am - Fri., 2:30 pm
          T-11 hours --- 20 hrs., 43 mins. - Fri., 10:30 pm - Sat., 7:13 pm
          T-6 hours ---- 1 hour ------------ Sun., 12:13 am - Sun., 1:13 am
          T-3 hours ---- 2 hours ----------- Sun., 4:13 am -- Sun., 6:13 am
          T-20 minutes - 10 minutes -------- Sun., 8:53 am -- Sun., 9:03 am
          *T-9 minutes - 10 minutes -------- Sun., 9:14 am -- Sun., 9:24 am

          ** This hold likely will be extended beyond the normal 10 minutes
          to reflect the exact launch time based on the latest assessments
          of the location of the EURECA spacecraft.

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          3                    CREW FOR MISSION STS-57                    3
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          Commander (CDR) Ron Grabe
          Pilot (PLT) Brian Duffy
          Payload Commander (MS1) David Low
          Mission Specialist (MS2) Nancy Sherlock
          Mission Specialist (MS3) Jeff Wisoff
          Mission Specialist (MS4) Janice Voss

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          3          SUMMARY OF STS-57 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES         3
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          (Sunday)
          3:03 a.m.      Wake up
          3:33 a.m.      Breakfast
          4:03 a.m.      Free Time
          5:28 a.m.      Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
          5:28 a.m.      Don flight equipment (MS1, MS3, MS4)
          5:38 a.m.      Don flight equipment (CDR, PLT, MS2)
          6:08 a.m.      Depart for launch pad 39-B
          6:38 a.m.      Arrive at white room and begin ingress
          7:53 a.m.      Close crew hatch
          9:38 a.m.      Launch (June 20, 1993)