from launch complex 39 at the Kennedy
Space Center in Florida this is shuttle
launch control at t-minus 3 hours and
holding we're now in the final five
hours of the countdown for the launch of
the space shuttle Columbia on mission
STS 80 the countdown is being controlled
from firing room 3 at the launch control
center and we're on schedule for liftoff
at 2:53 p.m. Eastern Time this afternoon
this is the 21st flight for space
shuttle Columbia and the 80th mission of
the space shuttle program since launches
began in April 1981 15 years ago there
are three objectives of the sts-80
mission to deploy the Orpheus Paz
satellite holding a complement of
ultraviolet telescopes to study the
lifestyle stars in galaxies and to
deploy the Wakefield facility to grow
thin substrate films for high-speed
electronic chips and advanced electronic
components the mission duration for STS
80 is planned as 15 days 16 hours 44
minutes and Columbia will been a being a
219 statute mile high circular orbit
assuming on time launched today the
landing is planned to occur at the
Kennedy Space Center on the morning of
December 5th at approximately 7:30 7
a.m.
in the astronaut quarters the
five-member flight crew of Columbia are
just now being awakened and are
approximately a half hour they will be
entering the dining room for breakfast
afterward they will have a weather
briefing and receive a status on the
countdown activity they will then go to
the suit-up room and down their flight
suits and at about eleven thirty eight
this morning depart for the 20-minute
ride out to launch pad 39b at the edge
of the atlantic ocean final inspection
team is now at the launch pad beginning
their activities where they will be for
approximately the next two hours
they have several objectives while
they're there they assess the integrity
of the thermal insulation on the
external tank they look for any ice or
frost formations on the tank and measure
temperatures on various parts of the
vehicle here we see our sts-80 flight
crew mr. naught story Musgrave down on
the end you'll be in charge of the
Wakefield facility activity on this
mission
there's our flight engineer Tom Jones
you'll be working the remote manipulator
system doing an EBA and
there is our commander and cockerel
there is mission specialist tamara
jernigan we eat on our Orpheus spas and
we'll be doing one of the crew
spacewalks and there is pilot Ken Roman
Graf at the end of the table
and the crew just getting ready for
breakfast there's the sts-80 traditional
cake on the table and when breakfast is
over they'll head down to suit up and
head out for the launch pad which is
just about an hour away at this time
here in firing room 3 of the launch
control center all of our activities
continue to go smoothly the final
inspection team is on the pad
this is shuttle launch control at
t-minus three hours and holding well
we're in the suit-up room and we see our
commander
Hancock rolled his suit up activities
today
and originally from Austin Texas
and our pilot can't Wilma gir
mission specialist dr. Tammy Jernigan be
one of our EBA astronauts on this
mission and going across the room there
is mission specialist Tom Jones he'd be
our flight engineer on this mission and
he will take the lead and operating the
remote manipulator system mechanical arm
and there is story Musgrave making his
six flight into space tying the record
along with veteran astronaut John Young
he will be the lead astronaut associated
with the white shield facility
activities on this flight and we're
providing EBA support while Tom Jones
and Tammy Jernigan around in payload Bay
and back now at launch pad 39b at the
Kennedy Space Center where the final
inspection team has reached the mobile
launcher platform and is wrapping up
their ice inspections and final
inspection activities
walk down the entire nearly 400 foot
structure since they entered the pad
about hour and a half ago
here we see the sts-80 astronauts
leaving the crew quarters and route to
the elevator to ride down from the third
of the first floor to ride the astronaut
van out to pad 39b and here they come
where we see our commander Ken cockerel
in the white a white roof helped by the
suit technicians pair for entry into the
crew module
this is shuttle launch control at
t-minus two hours 13 minutes 37 seconds
and counting
we're in the picture now we see pilot
Kent Rominger
waiting the board and mission specialist
dr. Tammy Jernigan
about to be assisted with her launch and
entry suit
you will be one of the two astronauts
along with Tom Jones that will be doing
an e ba on this flight designed to
evaluate evaluate equipment and
procedures for building the
International Space Station
and the second dva the spacewalkers will
evaluate EBA tethers story Musgrave now
going into the crew module
CCSD and our CRT OTC
so the main engine helium purge sequence
which prepares the engines for main
engine start
main engines now being given as a
steering check for Columbia
the beanie cap the gaseous oxygen vent
hood now being retracted rain safety
systems arm ten nine eight ignition
sequence start
seven six three main engines up and
burning two one and liftoff of space
shuttle Columbia on a diversified
mission of astronomy and commercial
space research
Houston is now controlling the roll
maneuver is complete Columbia is in a
heads-down we need level position headed
to it 199 11
the flight colombia's engines are now
beginning to throttle down to 67% of
rated thrust and the orbiter passes
through the area of maximum aerodynamic
pressure on the vehicle in the lower
regions of the Earth's atmosphere jambe
Houston go at throttle up
Columbia's three liquid fueled engines
are now back at full throttle 104
percent of rated thrust Columbia now
traveling 1,800 miles per hour 15 miles
in altitude downrange from the Kennedy
Space Center 13 miles all three main
engines continuing to perform well
the next event will be the burnout and
separation of Columbia's twin solid
rocket boosters
Columbia Houston performance nominal
performance nominal
two minutes 18 seconds into the flight
the booster officer has confirmed good
separation of the solid rocket boosters
and performance onboard Columbia has
been as expected all three main engines
are continuing to perform at 104 percent
of rated thrust the three auxiliary
power units and fuel cells are also
continuing to perform as expected
Columbia now downrange from the Kennedy
Space Center at a distance of 55 miles
an altitude of 42 miles traveling 3,200
90 miles per hour