Ready-Set-Wait-Go!

By: Jesús Ortiz
Interviewer: Brandt Secosh

May 17, 2000

Hi everyone. This is my first journal with the Space Team Online so let me wish all of you well and thank you for your interest in the space program!

It has been a tough time for Kennedy Space Center's launch schedule since STS-101 was scheduled to launch on April 24, 2000. STS-101 was initially delayed due to high crosswinds at the Shuttle Landing Facility. A second launch attempt was scheduled for April 25th. This was also scrubbed because of high wind conditions at the SLF and the launch pad. A third launch attempt would be made for April 26th under much more favorable weather conditions at Kennedy Space Center. In fact it was a beautiful day for launch here at Kennedy. The only issue that could stop the launch was the weather at the Transatlantic Abort Sites TAL . Due to unacceptable weather conditions at the TAL's,  the mission would be scrubbed again and a new launch date was announced for May 18, 2000.

On May 17th, Space Shuttle Atlantis would be delayed again due to high winds postponing the launch of an ATLAS rocket on the Air Force side of the space center. Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Station share the same range (airspace) for launching the space shuttle and expendable launch vehicles such as the ATLAS rocket. The tracking of each launch requires a lot of programming for each mission configuration such as path of trajectory, mission abort information and many other factors. Due to scheduling and reconfiguring the range tracking systems, Atlantis was rescheduled for launch on May 19th at 6:12 A.M. eastern time. So, Atlantis awaits the STS 101 crew on launch pad 39A for it's fourth launch attempt early tomorrow morning.

A friend of mine sent me this impressive picture showing the cockpit of the orbiter Atlantis. Click on the thumbnail to enlarge it to full size (522k)!