STS-112 (111)

Atlantis (26)

Pad 39-B (51)

111th Shuttle Mission

KSC Landing (60)

NOTE: Click Here for Countdown Homepage

Crew:

Jeffrey S. Ashby (3), Commander

Pamela A. Melroy (2), Pilot

David A. Wolf (3), Mission Specialist

Piers J. Sellers (1), Mission Specialist

Sandra H. Magnus (1), Mission Specialist

Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (1) (RSC), Mission Specialist

Milestones:

OPF -- 4/19/02 (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 4/19/2002)

VAB -- 9/04/02 (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 9/05/2002)

PAD -- 9/10/02 (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 9/10/2002)

Payload:

International Space Station Flight 9A (ITS S1, CETA), PGBA, CGBA, PCG--STES-PCAM), ZCG

Mission Objectives:

Click here for Additional Info on STS-112

International Space Station Assembly Mission 9A. This mission delivers

the Integrated Truss Assembly S1 (Starboard Side Thermal Radiator Truss)

and the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart to the Space Station.

The S1 Truss is 45-foot-long, 15-foot wide and 10-foot tall. It weighs

approximately 31,000 pounds. The S1 truss will be attached to the S0

truss (Launched April 8, 2002 onboard STS-110) and will flow 637 pounds

of anhydrous ammonia through three heat rejection radiators. The CETA

cart will be attached to the Mobile Transporter (also launched on STS-110)

and will be used by assembly crews on later missions.

STS-112 will also carry several science experiments to the station

including the Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (PGBA),

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA), the Protein

Crystal Growth Single-locker Thermal Enclosure System housing the

Protein Crystillization Apparatus for Microgravity (PCG-STES-PCAM)

and samples for the Zeolite Crystal Growth Furnace (ZCG) experiment.

Launch:

October 7, 2002 3:46 p.m. EDT

On Monday, October 7, 2002, cryogenic tanking began at 6:20 a.m. EDT. Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) loading finished at 9:05 a.m. EDT. Liquid Oxygen (LOX) loading completing at 9:16 a.m. EDT and entered stable replenish mode. Around noon, the flight crew departed the crew quarters in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) building for the 20 minute trip to the launch pad. By 14:30 EDT, at T-minus 20 minutes and holding, the flight crew were all in their seats and the hatch was closed and locked for flight. At 15:38, the countdown clock came out of the T-minus 9 minute hold. At 15:40, the Orbiter Access Arm (OAA) was retracted. At 15:44, the oxygen vent cap was retracted and the crew was given the command to close and lock their visors. Liftoff occured at the opening of the launch window.

On Wednesday, October 1, 2002, With Hurricane Lili expected to make landfall along the Louisiana coast Thursday afternoon, the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis has been postponed to no earlier than Monday, Oct. 7 so that the Mission Control Center (MCC) in Houston can be secured and protected from potential storm impacts. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 10/02/2002)

On Thursday, September 19, 2002, final preparations for Atlantis's lift-off to the International Space Station continue in work and on schedule. Payload installation is complete and payload bay doors are closed for flight. The Helium Signature Leak Test on the Main Propellant System is complete. Propellant loading is in work today. Yesterday, the crew for STS-112 was in town for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test which has been concluded successfully. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 09/18/2002)