Lisa Malone KSC Release No. 1-96 Notice to Editors/News Directors
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January 8, 1996 KSC Contact: Lisa Malone KSC Release No. 1-96 Notice to Editors/News Directors: MISSION STS-72 EVENTS, NEWS CENTER OPERATING HOURS SET News conferences, events and operating hours for KSC's News Center have been set for the Jan. 11 launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour on Mission STS-72, the first launch of the calendar year. These events are scheduled to be carried live on NASA TV (please refer to the STS-72 TV schedule for exact times). Launch is currently set for 4:18 a.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 11, at the opening of a 49 minute, 30 second window. The window extends until 5:07:30 a.m. EST. The exact length of the window may vary slightly depending on the location of the Japanese Space Flyer Unit. KSC News Center hours of operation during the mission will be determined after launch. # # # # Information about the countdown and mission can be accessed electronically via the Internet at http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/ and at http://shuttle.nasa.gov/. KSC press releases and other information are available at the KSC PAO Home Page at http://www- pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/kscpao.htm. * * * * STS-72 BRIEFING SCHEDULE (all times are in EST and conferences are held inside the KSC Press Site auditorium) L-2 Days - Tuesday, Jan. 9 Countdown Status Briefing------------------------------------------9:00 a.m. John Stealey, NASA Test Director Ed Priselac, Shuttle Weather Officer Pre-launch News Conference-----------------------------------------3:30 p.m. --------------------(or immediately following the management team's meeting) Tommy Holloway, NASA Shuttle Program Manager, Johnson Space Center Bob Sieck, Director of Shuttle Operations, KSC ISAS participant TBD Capt. Scot Heckman, KSC Staff Weather Liaison (Note: the spelling Scot is correct) L-1 Day - Wednesday, Jan. 10 Countdown Status Briefing------------------------------------------9:00 a.m. John Stealey, NASA Test Director Roelof Schuiling, STS-72 Payload Manager Ed Priselac, Shuttle Weather Officer Replay of STS-72 crew, mission briefings------------------------------- TBD NASA Television live launch programming begins--------------------11:00 p.m. Launch Day - Thursday, Jan. 11 Launch of Endeavour------------------------------------------------4:18 a.m. Post-launch press conference--------------------------------------L + 1 hour Loren Shriver, manager of Launch Integration for the Space Shuttle Program James Harrington, KSC Launch Director NASDA Japanese Press Conference------------------------------L + 1 1/2 hours (local briefing at KSC; translation will be provided) NASA Television is carried on Spacenet 2, transponder 5, channel 9, C-band, located at 69 degrees West longitude, with horizontal polarization. Frequency is 3880 MHz with audio on 6.8 MHz. KSC News Center office hours for STS-72 (hours may be adjusted for in-flight events) (Launch minus 3 days) Monday, Jan. 8 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Launch minus 2 days) Tuesday, Jan. 9 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Launch minus 1 day) Wednesday, Jan. 10 7:00 a.m. - around-the- (Launch day) Flight day 1, Thursday, Jan. 11 clock - 4:30 p.m. Flight Day 2, Friday, Jan. 12 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. News media representatives may obtain STS-72 mission credentials at the Pass and Identification Building at Gate 2 on State Road 3, Merritt Island, during the following times: Monday, Jan. 8 -- 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9 -- 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10 -- 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11 -- 12:00 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. News media with annual Shuttle credentials are reminded to sign the log book at the photo and interview counter in the News Center. NEWS MEDIA ARE REQUIRED TO BE UNDER PUBLIC AFFAIRS ESCORT EXCEPT WHEN DRIVING TO THE NEWS CENTER OR THE COMPLEX 39 CAFETERIA. IN ADDITION, NEWS MEDIA ARE ALLOWED ON CENTER ONLY WHEN THE NEWS CENTER IS OPEN. GO TO THE KSC PRESS RELEASES HOME PAGE January 9, 1996 KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham KSC Release No. 2-96 SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-72 LAUNCH COUNTDOWN UNDERWAY The countdown for launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-72 began on time yesterday at 7:30 a.m. EDT, at the T-43 hour mark. The KSC launch team is conducting the countdown from Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center. The countdown includes 25 hours and 48 minutes of built-in hold time leading to the opening of the launch window at 4:18 a.m. (EDT) on Jan. 11. The launch window extends for about 49 minutes. The exact launch time will be announced about 90 minutes prior to liftoff following final computation of the location of the SFU spacecraft. STS-72 is the first Space Shuttle mission for 1996. It will be the 10th flight of the Shuttle Endeavour and the 74th flight overall in NASA’s Space Shuttle program. The primary objectives of mission STS-72 are to retrieve the Japanese Space Flyer Unit (SFU) and to deploy and retrieve the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology Flyer (OAST-Flyer). Endeavour was rolled out of Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 on Nov. 30 and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The Shuttle stack was then transported to Pad 39-B on Dec. 6. Endeavour last flew in September 1995. The STS-72 crew are: Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Brent Jett, and Mission Specialists Leroy Chaio, Winston Scott, Dan Barry and Koichi Wakata, representing the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). The crew arrived at KSC at about 9:30 a.m. yesterday. Their activities at KSC prior to launch include equipment fit checks, medical examinations and opportunities to fly in the Shuttle Training Aircraft. (end of general release) COUNTDOWN MILESTONES All times Eastern Launch - 3 Days (Monday, Jan. 8) * Prepare for the start of the STS-72 launch countdown * Perform the call-to-stations. All Firing Room console operators report on station. * All members of the launch team report to their respective consoles in Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center for the start of the countdown. * Countdown begins at 7:30 a.m. EDT at the T-43 hour mark * Start preparations for servicing fuel cell storage tanks * Begin final vehicle and facility close-outs for launch * Begin stowage of flight crew equipment * Load backup flight system software into Endeavour's general purpose computers * Check out back-up flight systems * Inspect the orbiter's mid-deck and flight-deck and remove crew module platforms * Review flight software stored in mass memory units and display systems Enter first planned built-in hold at T-27 hours for duration of four hours (11:30 p.m.) Launch - 2 Days (Tuesday, Jan. 9) * Clear launch pad of all personnel * Perform test of the vehicle's pyrotechnic initiator controllers Resume countdown (3:30 a.m.) * Begin the 5-hour operation to load cryogenic reactants into Endeavour's fuel cell storage tanks. * After cryogenic loading operations, re-open the pad Enter four-hour built-in hold at T-19 hours (11:30 a.m.) * Resume orbiter and ground support equipment close-outs * Begin installation of mission specialists' seats in crew cabin Resume countdown (3:30 p.m.) * Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit and retract into fixed service structure * Start final preparations of the Shuttle's three main engines for main propellant tanking and flight * Activate flight controls and navigation systems * Close-out the tail service masts on the mobile launcher platform * Perform orbiter ascent switch list in crew cabin * Install film in numerous cameras on the launch pad * Activate the orbiter's communications systems * Activate orbiter's inertial measurement units Enter planned hold at T-11 hours for 13 hours, 28 minutes (11:30 p.m.) Launch - 1 Day (Wednesday, Jan. 10) * Fill pad sound suppression system water tank * Safety personnel conduct debris walkdown * Move Rotating Service Structure (RSS) to the park position (9 a.m.) * Following the RSS move, continue final stowage of mid-deck experiments and flight crew equipment Resume countdown (12:58 p.m.) * Start fuel cell flow-through purge * Install time critical flight crew equipment * Perform pre-ingress switch list * Activate the orbiter's fuel cells * Configure communications at Mission Control in Houston for launch * Activate the solid rocket booster’s joint heaters * Clear the blast danger area of all non-essential personnel * Switch Endeavour's purge air to gaseous nitrogen * Activate auxiliary power unit heaters Enter planned two-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark (5:58 p.m.) * Launch team verifies no violations of launch commit criteria prior to cryogenic loading of the external tank * Verify pad is clear of all personnel Resume countdown (7:58 p.m.) * Begin loading the external tank with cryogenic propellants (7:58 p.m.) * Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration * Align Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) tracking antennas * Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants (11 p.m.) Enter two-hour hold at T-3 hours (10:58 p.m.) * Perform open loop test with Eastern Range * Conduct gimbal profile checks of orbital maneuvering system engines * Close-out crew and Final Inspection Team proceeds to Launch Pad 39-B Launch Day (Thursday, Jan. 11) Resume countdown at T-3 hours (12:58 a.m.) * Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Pad 39-B (1:03 a.m.) * Complete close-out preparations in the white room * Check cockpit switch configurations * Flight crew enters orbiter * Astronauts perform air-to-ground voice checks with Launch Control and Mission Control * Close Endeavour's crew hatch * Begin