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Read
how the mission unfolds week by week, day by day,
as the date of the shuttle launch approaches.
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Kennedy Space Center
Vehicle: Columbia/OV-102
Shuttle & Payload Processing Status Report
 Friday
| Feb. 22, 2002
Final pre-launch processing for Shuttle Columbia continues
on schedule at Complex 39 Pad A .
The Hubble payload Interface Verification Test is complete
and the End-To-End Test is in progress. Work over the weekend
includes completing aft closeouts prior to picking up the
final countdown at the T-43 hour mark at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb.
25. CLICK HERE FOR
MORE IMAGES...
The seven STS-109 crewmembers are scheduled to land at KSC
at 1 a.m. Monday, and shortly after their arrival they will
spend about two hours at the launch pad participating in final
Hubble payload configuration familiarization operations in
preparation for the five spacewalks that will be conducted
during the STS-109 servicing mission.
The payload doors will be closed later in the day. The status
of the Auxiliary Power Unit hydraulic pump bolts is still
under evaluation.
Final countdown milestones include:
Launch Day T-3 (Monday, Feb. 25)
Initiate final countdown at T-43 hour mark
Launch Day T-2 (Tuesday, Feb. 26)
Load fuel cell cryogenic propellants
Launch Day T-1 (Wednesday, Feb. 27)
Move Rotating Service Structure (RSS) to
park position.
External Tank cryogenic propellant loading
Launch Day (Thursday, Feb. 28)
Astronauts depart crew quarters (3:04 a.m.)
Crew ingress (about 3:34 a.m.)
Hatch closure (about 4:48 a.m.)
Liftoff (6:48 a.m.)
CLICK
HERE FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT COUNTDOWN...
 Tuesday
| Feb. 19, 2002
Pre-launch operations for Shuttle Columbia remain on schedule
for the planned liftoff at 6:48 a.m. EST on Thursday, Feb.
28.
Preparations are underway for the next major milestone, space
vehicle ordnance installation, which will continue through
Wednesday night. The issue concerning the status of the Auxiliary
Power Unit (APU) hydraulic pump bolts is still being evaluated.
At the launch pad, the complement of HST flight hardware was
installed into Columbia's payload bay on Feb. 18. Electrical
connections with the orbiter are now being established. An
interface verification test to verify those connections is
scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 21. An end-to-end test is scheduled
for Friday, Feb. 22. CLICK
HERE FOR MORE IMAGES...
This test will occur between the flight hardware in Columbia's
payload bay at KSC, the Space Telescope Operations Control
Center at the Goddard Space Flight Center, and Mission Control
in Houston.
This will verify the ability of controllers on the ground
to monitor the status of the flight hardware in the payload
bay while Columbia is on-orbit. Payload closeouts are scheduled
to begin next weekend.
The STS-109 flight crew will arrive at KSC early Monday, Feb.
25. An inspection of the HST flight hardware by the astronauts
is planned and will be followed afterward by closure of the
payload bay doors for flight.
The final countdown will begin at 10 a.m. Monday.
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