Table of Contents

Julie's Flight Journal

April 10, 1999

Hello everyone.

We are 40 days before launch and the crew of STS-96 is busy at work. We still have a lot to do, a lot to learn, but little time. The training flow has noticeably increased in intensity over the last few weeks, and it is now completely normal for us to hop in the simulator at 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning. For those of us who were not morning persons, the adjustment was quite abrupt.

Finally, here are a few important dates for the countdown and mission.

04/14 Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Transfer of Space Shuttle Discovery from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) where it will be rotated and mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters in preparation for launch.

04/21 KSC
Roll out and transfer of Discovery from the VAB to launch pad 39B

04/29 KSC
TCDT - Terminal CountDown Test Launch
General rehearsal

05/05 Johnson Space Center (JSC) - Houston
Crew Press Conference L-14 days

05/10 JSC
Crew enters quarantine

05/17 KSC
Arrival of the crew at KSC

05/27 KSC
LAUNCH of Space Shuttle Discovery
6h48 AM EDT

06/06 KSC
Landing of Discovery at KSC
2h45 AM EDT

Thank you all for your support.
L-40 and counting!

Julie

April 27, 1999

23:00 Crew Quarters
Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Hello Everyone!

I am writing you from the Astronauts Crew Quarters at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The crew of STS-96 is at KSC to participate in an exercise called Terminal Countdown Demo Test (TCDT). This is basically a dress rehearsal of the launch countdown. TCDT is the only chance the crew will have, before the actual launch day, to strap in on board Discovery, rehearse the countdown procedures and practice an emergency egress while the orbiter is still positioned on the pad. When training in Houston, we only work with pictures, videos, simulators and mock-ups, so we rarely have the opportunity to see a real Space Shuttle, let alone climb on board.

Usually a crew "enters" quarantine about a week before the launch date. In our case, we will start quarantine on May 13 in Houston, then fly to KSC on the morning of May 17 and continue the quarantine at the Cape until launch (T=0:00).

L-23 and counting...

Julie

May 13, 1999

Hello everyone!

As many of you know by now, NASA decided this afternoon to roll Discovery back from the launch pad to its assembly building (the VAB) in order to repair the damage caused by a hail storm earlier this month. Large pieces of hail struck the Orbiter's exposed parts and made several deep holes in the foam insulation of the external fuel tank which supplies the Shuttle's main engines. The fear is that, once the tank is filled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, ice will form where foam is missing, brake loose during lift-off and damage Discovery's windows and tiles. These holes therefore need to be repaired for the safety of the crew and the vehicle, but for accessibility reasons, this operation cannot be performed at the launch pad.

Roll back will likely take place late Saturday night or Sunday morning. The roll back scenario is complicated by the fact that both high bays of the VAB are occupied at present, by other space flight hardware. All efforts are going to be made to ensure a rapid, yet careful turnaround.

The new launch date will be firmed up tomorrow Friday, and we expect it to be set around May 27. Please stay tuned.

The crew had known for a few days of the possibility of a delay, but had continued to train on a May 20th schedule. We were only officially notified of the rollback this afternoon, on the radio loop, while training in the simulator for the re-entry and landing phases of the flight. Our first thoughts went to our guests and we all felt sorry for those of you who will have to make new travel arrangements, if not even miss the launch outright, due to the delay. But though we know that it does cause a lot of inconvenience, a launch slip, for us, is part of the business of putting vehicles and people safely in space. It has always been and still remains a complex business and it is very reassuring to see that everything is done to
ensure a safe operation.

I hear that the interest in the mission is very strong in Canada. I cannot tell you how proud this makes me feel. I still hope to "see" many of you at the launch in Florida and pray that the delay will only encourage you to keep up your much needed support.

Per aspera (indeed) ad astra!

Julie

L-probably now 14 and counting!