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| Related
material for Flight Day 1 -
LAUNCH
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 Friday|
Mar. 1, 2002 - 9:30 pm EST
Managers Optimistic Cooling System OK; STS-109 Chases Hubble
Space Shuttle Columbia will continue its pursuit of the Hubble
Space Telescope. The seven STS-109 astronauts received news
early Friday night that managers are optimistic that the full
mission will go forward as planned. Managers will meet again
at midday Saturday to evaluate the situation. Two cooling
systems are onboard Columbia and the other is operating perfectly.
Onboard Columbia, Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Duane Carey
will adjust Columbia's orbit at 11:10 p.m. CST Friday (0510
GMT Saturday). The crew will also check the robotic arm and
spacesuits in preparation for Columbia's arrival at the telescope
and the mission's five space walks. Mission Specialist Nancy
Currie is slated to grapple Hubble with the robot arm at 3:14
a.m. CST (0914 GMT) Sunday... more
from Johnson Space Center's Status Report #3...
Friday
| Mar. 1, 2002 - 3:00 pm EST
Following Columbiaís on-time launch from the Kennedy Space
Center this morning, flight controllers in Mission Control
noticed a degraded flow rate in one of two freon cooling
loops that help to dissipate heat from the orbiter.
There are two freon cooling loops that are part of the shuttleís
active thermal control system, one on the port and one on
the starboard side of the payload bay. Freon loop 1 on the
port side is showing a degraded flow rate.
While low, the flow rate is slightly above flight rule limits.
Mission managers are currently reviewing... more
from Johnson Space Center's Status Report #2...
Kennedy Space Center
Vehicle: Columbia/OV-102
Shuttle & Payload Processing Status Report
 Friday
| Mar. 1, 2002 - 6:30 am EST
Following a flawless final countdown, Shuttle Columbia lifted
off at 6:22:02.080 a.m. EST today on the STS-109 mission to
service the Hubble Space Telescope.
Columbia, returning to space after an extensive 2 1/2 year
modification period, arced through a scattered cloud layer
minutes before dawn on the start of an 11-day mission that
includes five spacewalks after Hubble is retrieved in the
orbiter payload bay. Quick-look data indicate the Shuttle
engines performed normally during the eight minutes of powered
flight. CLICK HERE
FOR MORE IMAGES...
In the Solid Rocket Booster recovery area some 140 miles east
of Cape Canaveral, retrieval ships Liberty Star and Freedom
Star are on station, assessing the status of the two spent
booster casings in three to four foot seas. The ships are
scheduled to return to their berths at Cape Canaveral tomorrow
morning.
CLICK
HERE for Johnson Space Center's Status Report #1
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