S P A C E   T E A M   O N L I N E

UPDATE # 88 - July 28, 1999

PART 1: Three's the Charm
PART 2: Upcoming chat
PART 3: STS-93 Scrub 1
PART 4: An Early Birthday Gift!
PART 5: Female Frontiers Ambassadors Witness STS-93 Launch - Finally!
PART 6: Status of Columbia processing
PART 7: Subscribing & unsubscribing: how to do it

THREE'S THE CHARM

How can I begin to describe to you the experience of watching the night
launch of STS-93? I had heard that night launches held a mystique all
their own, but this launch defied my every expectation! Perhaps part of
its awesome nature was caused by the anticipation, as we survived two
scrubs after several months of delays. I hope you were able to join us for
at least a part of our live online shows. I'm afraid, because of the
unexpected nature of events last week, the archives may not totally
capture the sights and sounds. We are doing our best to piece together a
representation of what occurred. You will find them as they are completed
at:  http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/sto/launch/sts93

In the meantime, I have included a taste below of some of the online
journals as described from three different viewpoints. Bottom line: If you
ever get the chance to attend a night
launch (and you don't have to be too close), don't miss it!

Linda Conrad
Space Team Online project manager
NASA Quest Team

UPCOMING CHAT

Thursday, August 5, 1999, 10 AM Pacific Daylight Time:
Sam Durrance, physicist/mission specialist
Sam has logged over 615 hours in space. He has been a member of the crew
of Space Shuttle Columbia for the STS-35/Astro-1 and Space Shuttle
Endeavour for the STS-67/Astro-2 missions. He is also a member of the
research team analyzing ultraviolet data returned from the STS-67/Astro-2
space shuttle flight. When he's not flying on space shuttles, Sam presides
over a small company developing new technology for the study and
management of Earth's resources. Read Sam Durrance's profile at:
	http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/PS/durrance.html
Pre-register at: 
	http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/chats/index.html#chatting

STS-93 SCRUB 1
by William Foster

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/foster.html

July 21, 1999
Twenty-four hours ago, the White Flight Control Room at the
Johnson Space Center was full of people and activity as the
countdown for STS-93 steadily worked its way toward T-0.
Twenty-four hours from now, the room will again be busting at
the seams for the second attempt to launch Columbia, its crew
of five astronauts, and the Chandra Advanced X-Ray
Telescope. Right now, however, it is very quiet. I am the only
person in the room, watching over systems that are configured
and ready to support launch. In the back rooms of the MCC, the
Operations Support Team is also quietly watching their
equipment in anticipation of tomorrow's launch. 

Last night's countdown was far from picture perfect, with
several minor issues cropping up to keep the ground control
team busy. There was nothing, however, that would impact the
launch as far as the MCC was concerned. As the clock
approached the final hours before launch, high level NASA
managers began filtering into the room and the official
cameraman began methodically setting up his equipment to
document the launch activities. My partner completed final
go-no go checks, and as the Flight Director polled the room, I
responded with a "GO" for the MCC and associated ground and
space networks. With no dissenting flight controllers, Flight
gave the NASA Test Director (call sign, "NTD") a "GO", and
we settled in for the clock to pick up from the T-9 minute hold. 

All the little problems had settled down, either having been fixed
or put on hold until after launch. My partner and I had
everything on the console ready for launch, all ascent clocks
configured and front display screens set. We went over
contingency plans and flight rules briefly then settled back to
watch our displays as the final minutes ticked away. When there
is nothing being worked, they are very slow minutes, and I
found myself drumming my fingers on the console with
nervous energy. If you saw the movie Apollo 13 and remember
Ed Harris as Gene Kranz, he was frequently clicking a pen with
this same type of energy. According to one of his daughters,
Gene actually did that a lot, and Ed Harris did this in the film
after learning about the habit from Gene. 

The clock worked its way past T-5:00 minutes, and, as it did
so, the auxiliary power units on board were started and the
liquid oxygen replenishment to the external tank was stopped.
Both of these events bring constraints on how long the shuttle
can wait before lifting off. Prior to this point, STS-93 had a
46-minute launch window. Once the replenishment stops, we
must launch within about five minutes of the original liftoff time
or there will not be enough liquid oxygen to make orbit. The
clock continues to click, slipping by the next major milestone at
T-31 seconds. At this point, the onboard computers take over
from the ground computers. Any hold after this point will result
in at least a 24-hour delay. Everything is looking good; then, as
the clock slips under 10 seconds, a faint voice amidst the rumble
on the loops is heard saying "GLS Cutoff". 

There is a feeling of a collective groan in the room, although no
sound is heard, as we quickly understand we are going nowhere
tonight. The team works swiftly to ensure the main engines are
safed and that no other threats to crew safety are present. Within
the hour, work is well underway at KSC to understand the
problem and determine when another launch attempt can be
made. It turns out a faulty sensor led to the launch scrub and
only minor things need to be done to be ready for another
launch attempt. These take more than a day to do so a 48-hour
recycle is set. The MCC flight control team is eventually sent
home, and the ground control team assumes a fire watch status
over the building. Tonight, it is quiet, but, in the morning, the
flight control team comes back in, and when I come back on
console tomorrow evening, we will again be in the middle of
rapid paced steps leading to a late evening launch of STS-93 and
the crew of Columbia. 

AN EARLY BIRTHDAY GIFT!
by Stephanie Wong

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/ambassadors/wong.html

Running low on power (we had gotten to the hotel in Orlando at 4
in the morning), I was a bit worried about the weather that was
streaming into Orlando. Clouds, lightning, thunder, rain, and more
rain. In my head came the words, "Please, please launch today!"
This was my last day in Florida, and I wasn't going to leave
without seeing a shuttle lift off! To boot, the mission would have to
be delayed about a month if it was scrubbed again. Everyone cross
your fingers! 

Getting to the Press Site very late, it was already T-20 minutes, my
dad told me that if the shuttle launched today, it would be the best
birthday gift I ever got since I was turning 16 in three weeks.
Yeah, it sure would! Still irked by my late arrival, we started the
third webcast. The shuttle was up on the pad and the weather was
just fine. Before I knew it, the countdown was down to T-2. The
Vent Hood (the covering on the top of the ET) was retracted.
Marissa and I were still talking on the webcast and thinking, "It's
really going to launch today!" 

In what looked like a sudden revival, the SSMEs (main engines)
glowed with light. For six seconds they fired before the SRBs
ignited and the whole complex rose into the sky. By the time the
shuttle left the Launch Tower, the full sound of the rocket reached
us. It was as loud as fireworks, not just "pops" but a complete
ear-deafening roar! The rumbles were so loud that I was wondering
how the astronauts could protect their ears inside the cabin. Were
we really miles away from the launch site? If I was blindfolded, I
could have thought that I had my ears pressed onto a full thrust
airplane engine. Those of you that heard the webcast would agree
too! 

The other thing that you cannot avoid is the light energy the shuttle
produces. Not long after the sound hit us, it was the illumination
that amazed us. Even though the Press Site lights were still on, it
looked like the sun had actually risen. Was it daytime? It sure
seemed like it. 

Still with my jaw wide open, I saw the shuttle's quick ascent,
glancing there and then to look at the close-ups on the TV monitor.
It's really up there! And as these feelings still churned, we reached
SRB separation. The shuttle was to the right of our view and it was
just too far to see separation. Whew! The most dangerous part of
flight is over. For quite a few minutes afterward, we could see the
bright "star" in the sky, getting dimmer and dimmer as it neared
space. By T+8 1/2 minutes, the shuttle was in orbit and there was
MECO (Main Engine Cut Off) and ET separation. 

After it had gone out of our view, Marissa and I were still in a bit
of denial. No, the shuttle didn't really launch; it's over there. Oops!
It's gone...and to boot, the exhaust plume was hovering over the
pad along with a jet of flame streaming up from it! We were
chattering on what we saw and how it seemed that it really didn't
happen. Eileen Collins and her crew are really up there! Whoa!
How could we sleep after experiencing that! It launched at 12:31
a.m. EDT. 

Those days culminating into the fabulous launch will never be
forgotten. Taking a last look at the pad (with a plume even after 30
minutes!) and the VAB, we turned off to the NASA Causeway and
headed off to Orlando. In less than six hours, I was on an aircraft
heading home. It wasn't the shuttle. It wasn't going to space.
Perhaps someday it will though. Yes, what a wonderful birthday
gift! 

FEMALE FRONTIERS AMBASSADORS WITNESS STS-93 LAUNCH - FINALLY!
by Brandt Secosh

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/secosh.html

July 23, 1999
It had been a long week for Female Frontiers Ambassadors
Marissa Mueller, Stephanie Wong, and Sabrina Kurtz. These
three young women paid a recent visit to Kennedy Space
Center to witness the launch of STS 93 and to take part in a
Learning Technologies Web Cast. What was going to be a
web cast of the launch featuring their visit turned out to be a
series of three web casts. Unfortunately, Sabrina had to depart
prior to the launch, but she was with us in spirit! 

The first web cast began on Monday July 19 at 11:30 p.m.
and would continue until July 20, 1999 at 12:36 a.m. EDT,
the original scheduled date of the STS 93 launch. As most of
you know, that launch was halted at 6.5 seconds before liftoff
due to a faulty sensor reading. Although the girls were a bit
disappointed, they handled the cancellation like real troopers
noting that safety was paramount to launch operations. They
vowed to come back for the rescheduled launch date of July
22, 1999 at 12:28 a.m. EDT - and did!

July 21 was looking great! We set up once again that
evening and the webcast was underway! The countdown was
progressing very smoothly. About 45 minutes prior to launch
we all noticed a flash. Was it a flash from a camera? No, it
was lightning - not a favorable thing for launch operations.
The lightning continued and the controllers extended the
launch window in the hope that the storm would pass and the
launch would go forward. Finally, the launch window expired
and the announcement came over the Kennedy Space Center
Press Site loudspeakers that the launch would once again have
to be delayed. Disappointment but understanding yet again.
Then it was announced that the launch would be delayed for
only 24 hours! The new launch time for STS 93 was now
July 23, 1999 at 12:24 a.m. EDT. The girls and their parents
all huddled together and decided they would stay for the
rescheduled launch much to the delight of Linda Conrad and
myself.

On the morning of July 22, I received a call from a colleague that the
encoder and equipment that we had been using would have to be picked up
and forwarded to Georgia in support of another ongoing
project. After a brain-storming session with Linda Conrad,
Kate Weisberg, Marc Siegel, and myself, we decided the show
must go on and decided to try something a bit out of the
ordinary. We would have a web cast using audio and
interaction through the Quest chat room featuring the Female
Frontiers Ambassadors. The only element that was missing in
comparison to the previous web cast was the video portion.

So, the plan was made and everyone hung together as a team.
It was now time to set up for the presentation! Unlike the other
setups, this one was quite easy. Linda brought her Laptop to take
questions from the Quest Chat Room that would be answered by our remaining
Female Ambassadors Stephanie Wong and Marissa Mueller. I set the phones up
and documented the entire event on film. Kate
Weisberg from the Learning Technologies Channel would later use the film
to digitize and archive it with the STS 93 series. Just as planned, the
web cast began at 11:45 p.m. on the night of July 19. The enthusiasm was
high and the questions from the chat room began to pour in (Thanks to all
of our chat room participants). Linda, Marissa, and Stephanie were having
a
lot of fun and the anticipation of launch was high. We all watched as the
countdown clock continued to bring us closer and closer to launch time.
After the T-9 clock began the girls appeared very confident that the
launch of STS 93 was REALLY going to happen and they were right!

At 24 minutes past midnight, STS 93 and the Chandra payload
lifted off from pad 39B lighting up the night sky as if it were
daytime, treating the girls to a spectacular sight. As impressive
as this was, there was yet another surprise they were about to
experience - the delayed shock wave from the launch. As
Marissa tried to contain her enthusiasm and still tell the web
cast audience what was happening, the air was filled with a
thunderous crackling sound from STS 93. Marissa was now
shouting into the telephone in disbelief of the event that she
was experiencing live from Kennedy Space Center. Their
persistence paid off, making this a trip they will always
remember. I have witnessed many launches from Kennedy
Space Center, both manned and unmanned, and, as always, I
was in awe of this spectacular sight. To me it is a tribute to the
cooperative effort of many innovative scientists, engineers, and
support personnel - a true national treasure!

I will leave you with this final picture that demonstrates the amazement
and delight of the Female Frontiers Ambassadors and Space Team Online
Project Manager Linda Conrad. I would also like to take a moment to wish
Stephanie, Marissa, and Sabrina great success in the pursuit of their
careers - hopefully with the space program. It was great working with each
of you!

STATUS OF COLUMBIA PROCESSING

Below, we provide reports on the processing of Shuttle Columbia taken from
the detailed daily reports found at the NASA Shuttle Status web site at        
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/status.htm
At times these reports will contain jargon and unfamiliar terms; our
intent is not to confuse you but to provide a glimpse at all the steps
involved.

Because of the launch event, I will add a little more content, especially
as the delays affected Columbia. Since last I wrote, 

On Friday, July 16, 1999
Preparation for the launch of Shuttle Columbia on July 20 continues on
schedule at Launch Pad 39B. Workers have completed orbiter aft compartment
close-outs and are preparing to pickup the launch countdown tonight at 10
p.m. Payload close-outs are in work in preparation for tomorrow's payload
bay door closure. Flight crew equipment stowage is on going. 

On Sunday, July 18, 1999, 
Loading of the on-board cryogenics was concluded earlier in the morning,
and off-loading of the extra cryogenics not needed for use in the
orbiter's fuel cells during the mission continued until early afternoon.
Following this, the orbiter mid-body umbilical unit was retracted and
final pre-launch preparations of the three Shuttle main engines completed.

On Monday, July 19, 1999 
At 3:46 p.m. EDT the countdown exited the hold at the T-minus 6 hour mark
and began flowing 528,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen
into Columbia's external tank. The fueling process
takes approximately three hours. At 11:44 EDT at the T-minus 14 minutes
and counting, Mission commander Eileen Collins reported a problem with a
higher temp than expected in avionics bay #1. The launch team called a
Launch Commit Criteria (LCC) violation to allow time for the problem to be
investigated while continuing to count down to the hold at the T minus 9
minute mark. After an investigation, the mission management team gave a
final go for launch.  

On Tuesday, July 20 1999
The countdown proceeded to just seconds before launch (T-minus 8 seconds
mark) when the a member of the launch team detected a spike in one of the
sensors detecting the concentration of hydrogen in the shuttle aft engine
compartment. A cutoff was called and the ground launch sequencer (GLS)
entered into a RSLS  (Redundant Sequence Launch Sequence) cutoff. The
cutoff occurred just prior to the Space Shuttle Main Engine  (SSME) start
at the T-minus 6 seconds mark. The launch team is still investigating but
the most likely problem is a sensor problem that would lead to a 48 hour
scrub turnaround. A new launch date is set for July 22, 1999 at 12:28 a.m.
EDT. 

On Wednesday, July 21, 1999 
At 10:01 pm EDT, the hatch on Columbia was closed in preparation for an on
schedule launch at 12:28pm EDT.  The KSC launch team continues the smooth
implementation of Shuttle Columbia's 48-hour launch scrub turnaround in
preparation for Thursday's 12:28 a.m. launch attempt. The countdown clock
began counting again today at 8:38 a.m. at the T-11 hour mark. Replacement
of the external hydrogen burn-off igniters at Launch Pad 39B concluded
early in the morning. In Firing Room No. 1, standard preflight monitoring
of the Shuttle confirmed that all systems are in good health and that
Columbia's main propulsion system and hazardous gas detection system are
ready to support launch just after midnight tonight. 

On Thursday, July 22, 1999 
Weather officers identified weather constraints to launch. A storm cell in
the area produced lightning strikes within 8.5 miles of the launch pad.
Shuttle launch weather criteria requires lightning producing storms to be
no closer than 20 nautical miles from the launch site. The countdown clock
was held at the T-minus 5 minute mark pending a weather clearance. Thunder
storms did not move out of the area in time for launch attempt so the
launch was scrubbed at 1:20 a.m. EDT. 

Two hours later, fuel and oxidizer began flowing into Columbia's external
tank. The process was completed shortly after 6 p.m. EDT. The countdown
clock entered the hold at the T-minus 3 hour mark
and was scheduled to resume the countdown at 9:04 p.m. EDT. At 8:19 p.m.
EDT, the ice inspection team has finished inspecting the launch pad. At
9:05 a.m. EDT, the countdown clock picked up at the T-minus 3 hour mark.
At10:30 p.m., Columbia's hatch was closed, but one of the latches did not
latch properly. The hatch was reopened and checked. At 10:53 p.m. EDT, the
hatch
was closed and leak checks performed. At 11:18 p.m. EDT, a go was given to
close out the white room and move the team back to the fall back area. At
12:15 a.m. EDT, the mission management team in Firing Room 1 did a final
poll of the launch team and all systems were go for launch. At 12:22 a.m.,
the
countdown clock came out of the hold at the T-minus 9 minute mark. The
countdown proceeded smoothly with liftoff occurring at 12:31 a.m. EDT.

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