from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
this is space shuttle Atlantis launch
control the countdown for lunch of
spatial de lentes on mission st s 84 is
continuing on schedule tonight the
window for launch of atlantis opens at
about 40 7 a.m. eastern time tomorrow
and extends for only seven minutes work
at launch pad 39a as well as operations
here in firing room three of the launch
control center are continuing as planned
just a short while ago the external tank
was filled with over 500,000 gallons of
liquid propellants and as tanking
operations are now complete no technical
concerns or issues are being addressed
at this time and we anticipate an
on-time liftoff of Atlantis and the
seven-member crew from Kennedy Space
Center in just about five hours
and apparently our crew have been seated
for their meal somewhat earlier than
previously scheduled they are in the
operations check-out building just
having left their crew quarters they are
seated for their final meal before being
driven out to the launch pad they've
been awake since about six pm today and
all seven of them will be on the same
schedule throughout this mission Elena
Conda cope of course our Russian
cosmonaut flying seated next to our
shuttle commander Charlie Precourt all
the crew again are are well trained this
is our pilot Eileen Collins who is
flying for the second time as pilot and
rounding out the crew of course we have
other mission specialists Carlos Noriega
ed Lu and of course Michael Pfohl who we
saw just a few seconds ago will be
actually taken up and will remain on the
MIR space station for four months until
Atlantis again goes back to retreat him
in September
you
our mission commander Charles Precourt
is on his third flight having served his
mission specialists of STS 55 and then
his pilot of STS 71 that was the first
space shuttle mission to dock with the
Russian space station and now he'll
serve as commander of this the sixth
mission to dock with the space station
Mir he is a colonel in the Air Force and
next to him of course is our pilot
Eileen Collins Edward Lou is preparing
for his first mission into space
and on the other side of the room
another one of our mission specialist
preparing for his first flight Carlos
Noriega Michael full this is a special
mission for him he's flown three times
before but on this particular flight of
course he will be staying onboard the
MIR space station and John Francois
Claire voix is preparing for his flight
today and Elena condo cova Russian
cosmonaut making her first trip into
space aboard the shuttle however she has
spent nearly half a year in orbit aboard
the space station Mir
this is a remarkable shot of the moon
from one of our long-range trackers you
can see the kind of detail that our
tracking cameras have this is a shot of
moon craters of course again the crew
waving and making the final goodbyes to
employees at Kennedy Space Center
mission commander Charlie Precourt with
pilot Eileen Collins jean-francois fair
warned Carlos Noriega head with new
Elena kournikova in michael foale
this picture is view as a shot taken
from the 195 foot level the crew have
the crew has arrived on this level and
they'll be taking turns getting into the
vehicle of course their next step is to
cross the orbiter access arm on this
level that leads over to the did
the seven space fliers on sts 84 reflect
the multinational nature of this mission
their origins are found in six countries
the United States Russia England France
Peru and China again our launch will
occur at the opening of our seven minute
window at 407 and 48 seconds
entity lots of likely to 12 different
I'll do a poll with this house hallo
director pull over go copy that
engineering director did you say again
ready they really is very doable do that
safety and mission against safety of mr.
listen assurances go jump copy that rank
leather rather still we have no control
on copy that manages in the MMP is
working though here's your cleared to
launch copy that and Atlantis everything
has come together so we're ready to go
you guys have a good flight good mission
with feedback here and saturday a week
that's got these antelope international
partners around the world we're ready to
go and we thank you all your hard work
and NPD you put it along copies yup get
a tu and hydraulics rhetorical on the
copy all right co co tonight for making
you please start
and control surface checks are now being
conducted
and the gaseous oxygen vent hood is
being slowly retracted away from the top
of the external tank everything looks
good and we're cleared for launch today
no problems are being reported from the
vehicle or the crew Atlantis copies to
the whole NASA team until partners
around the world but either their
leaders historically especially paliotta
now people to schools ever say full of
sleep sitting up the world and action
like that affects a beautiful third will
ready to take a little bit buell off
that brought me one minute 30 seconds
left ten nine eight seven we have a go
from enid art four three two one we have
booster ignition and liftoff of the
space shuttle Atlantis maintaining
America's constant presence in space
Roger roll away echoing the words of the
year ago down on his launch 36 years ago
commander Kelly report puts Atlantis
into the role heads down wins level to
the in a half minute ride the orbit
might fall headed to the MIR Space
Station
30 seconds into the flight Atlantis's
three liquid fuel main engines now
throttling back in a three step fashion
to sixty-seven percent of rated
performance to dampen the stress on the
shuttles Aero surfaces as it breaks
through the sound barrier fifty-three
seconds into the flight the main engines
now beginning to rev up to full throttle
104 percent of rated performance the
engines along with the three fuel cells
and three auxiliary power units all
functioning normally 15 seconds away
from solid rocket booster separation
that will be commanded by the
general-purpose computers through the
master events controller on board
booster officer confirms a good solid
rocket booster separation guidance since
converging on all three main engines now
gently stirring Atlantis for a precise
keyhole and space for main engine cutoff
Atlantis performance is nominal