By SPACEFLIGHT NOW

November 29, 2000 -- Follow the four-month mission of first resident crew of the international space station as well as the STS-97 flight of space shuttle Endeavour to deliver the first solar array module to the orbiting outpost. Reload this page for the very latest.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2000

Capping a virtually flawless rendezvous, shuttle commander Brent Jett guided Endeavour to a picture-perfect docking with the international space station today as the two spacecraft sailed high above central Asia. Read our full story summarizing the day in space.

2322 GMT (6:22 p.m. EST)

The 35,000 pount P6 solar array truss has reached its overnight park position above Endeavour's payload bay on the end of the shuttle's robot arm. This position will ensure the truss stays within thermal constraints, which would not have been the case if the structure was left tucked away in Endeavour's bay until tomorrow.

The truss is slated to be mounted atop the Z1 framework of the space station on Sunday afternoon at around 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) with spacewalkers Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega aiding arm operator Marc Garneau with visual cues during the attachment.

2308 GMT (6:08 p.m. EST)

Maneuvering of the P6 truss on the end of the robot arm is nearing completion. The arm will be parked in an extended position overnight to keep the truss in a thermally-friendly orientation.

2255 GMT (5:55 p.m. EST)

We have posted a movie from video the Expedition One crew shot earlier today of space shuttle Endeavour flying below the international space station during the final phase of the rendezvous before docking.

2252 GMT (5:52 p.m. EST)

Mission specialists Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega have opened the hatch and entered the space station's docking port. They are transferring some communications gear, water and other equipment that the Expedition One crew will retrieve later.

2247 GMT (5:47 p.m. EST)

The P6 unberthing continues with robot arm operator Marc Garneau at the controls. The truss has reached the point above the payload bay where it will be tilted 30 degrees for the further hoisting above the shuttle. We have a video clip of NASA animation showing this operation.

2235 GMT (5:35 p.m. EST)

As the P6 is being lifted, Mission Control reports the space station's Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 docking port, to which Endeavour is connected, has been pressurized by astronauts Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega. The two will open the hatchway leading into the compartment following a 30-minute pressure check, becoming the first humans to venture through the cone-shaped port since its attachment to the station on the last shuttle mission in October.

2232 GMT (5:32 p.m. EST)

The heaviest and largest element yet delivered to the station aboard a space shuttle -- the P6 Integrated Truss Segment -- is gingerly being moved out of Endeavour's payload bay by the robot arm. The truss weighs about 35,000 pounds and measures 16-by-16-by-49 feet.

The six latches holding the truss in the bay -- one on each corner and two underneath the P6 -- were released and the shuttle's streering jets disabled to prevent any sudden movement during the unberthing operation.

Arm operator Marc Garneau is hoisting the truss straight up by a few feet before tipping the structure at an angle like your foot slipping out of a shoe. This is done to ensure the truss does not strike the station on its forward end.

Garneau explained his job of how the truss would be lifted during a preflight interview:

"PMA-2 (connecting Unity to Zarya) is directly over the bay, it's parallel to the bay, and of course the P6 is almost 45 feet long," Garneau said. "So it cannot be lifted straight out of the bay or it would hit PMA-2. At the same time, you can't move it back a great deal or you'll hit the back of the cargo bay.

"And so the removal of the P6 from the cargo bay, which has been worked out very carefully, is to essentially lift it a little bit and then sort of tilt the tail up so we can sort of lift it out with the aft part sort of going up first."

The truss will be parked at a 30-degree angle to the shuttle's payload bay overnight to keep the structure cool. Leaving it in the bay until tomorrow's attachment to the space station was not an option because the structure would have become too warm, potentially damaging its components.

2217 GMT (5:17 p.m. EST)

The $600 million P6 solar array truss structure has been grappled by space shuttle Endeavour's robot arm. Under the control of Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau, the arm will soon hoist the 17.5-ton, 49-foot long truss several feet above the payload bay where it will remain parked overnight.

2157 GMT (4:57 p.m. EST)

Endeavour's robot arm has been uncraddled by Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau. He will soon move the arm into position to grasp the grapple fixture on the P6 truss tucked away in the shuttle's payload bay. Six launch restraint latches holding the 35,000 pound truss in place will be released and Garneau will gently lift the structure above the shuttle's bay. There, the robot arm's brakes will be locked to hold the truss stready for an overnight stay. The truss is slated for attachment to the international space station tomorrow.

2142 GMT (4:42 p.m. EST)

Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau is beginning steps to power up Endeavour's 50-foot robotic arm in preparation to lift the P6 solar array truss out of the payload bay over the next hour. The truss will be hoisted above the shuttle and parked on the end of the arm overnight to keep the structure within thermal constraints.

2130 GMT (4:30 p.m. EST)

We have posted a video clip of today's docking as seen from Endeavour.

2120 GMT (4:20 p.m. EST)

Commander Brent Jett and pilot Mike Bloomfield are in the midst of conducting a Detailed Test Objective whereby Endeavour's primary reaction control system thrusters are fired to measure the dynamics imparted to the docked international space station. Endeavour is connected to the station is a different position than during previous dockings.

Meanwhile, the planned grapple of the P6 array truss and unberthing from the payload bay is running a bit behind schedule today.

2050 GMT (3:50 p.m. EST)

Astronauts Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega are preparing to pressurize the vestibule leading from Endeavour's docking port into the international space station. This is being done in advance of the crew entering the station's docking compartment later today to leave supplies for the Exedition One residents to retrieve.

2035 GMT (3:35 p.m. EST)

Throughout today's rendezvous, Endeavour commander Brent Jett and station commander William Shepherd - both Navy veterans - discussed the rendezvous in nautical terms as if they were aboard ships at sea carrying out a mid-ocean supply transfer.

"Alpha, Endeavour," Brent called as the shuttle neared its target.

"Endeavour, Alpha, go ahead," Shepherd responded.

"Endeavour's stationkeeping at 30 feet. Requesting permission to come alongside and dock at PMA-3."

"Endeavour, Alpha. When you're closed up, clear to board PMA-3," Shepherd replied.

"Copy. Closing up Romeo. We're commencing final approach," Brent radioed.

2030 GMT (3:30 p.m. EST)

The pressure leak check of the hatchway leading between Endeavour and the space station has been completed successfully, and the shuttle crew has been given a "go" to prepare the Orbiter Docking System for entry into the station later this afternoon.

2028 GMT (3:28 p.m. EST)

Endeavour's astronauts report they have completed their rendezvous checklist and are now powering off unneeded equipment aboard the shuttle -- the so-called Group B powered down.

2012 GMT (3:12 p.m. EST)

The shuttle astronauts are powering down Endeavour's docking mechanism following today's successful linkup. Also, Russian mission controllers say the power-generating solar arrays on the Zarya and Zvezda modules are now tracking the sun again. They were locked into place earlier today to protect them from Endeavour's thruster plumes during final approach.

2008 GMT (3:08 p.m. EST)

The extension ring on the shuttle's docking system has been retracted, bringing the international space station's docking port to a firm seal with Endeavour. Hooks and latches also have now driven closed to keep the two craft connected. The five-man crew of Endeavour and the three men of the station's Expedition One crew are now orbiting together in a single, joined spacecraft.

The day's action in space is far from over. In less than an hour, mission specialist Marc Garneau will power up the shuttle's 50-foot robot arm and grapple the P6 solar array truss riding in Endeavour's payload bay. He will then slowly lift the structure out of the bay and park it overnight for thermal reasons. The truss will be mounted to the station tomorrow.

Also, the shuttle crew will open the hatches leading into the station's docking compartment later today to leave some communications equipment, water and other supplies. The hatches will then be closed. The station residents will venture into the docking port later to retrieve the supplies. The first face-to-face meeting with the shuttle and station crews won't occur until after the three spacewalks are conducted by Endeavour astronauts Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega.

2002 GMT (3:02 p.m. EST)

The docking ring on Endeavour that attached to the station's port at the moment of contact is now being retracted to pull the orbiting outpost to a firm mate with the space shuttle.

2000 GMT (3:00 p.m. EST)

Mission Control reports the docking occurred some 235 miles above Kazkhstan near the Kazakh-Russian boarder. Currently, the rates between the shuttle and station are being damped out. Later the hooks and latches will be closed to firmly join the two spacecraft and Endeavour's Orbiter Docking System docking ring will be retracted.

1959 GMT (2:59 p.m. EST)

CONTACT AND CAPTURE! Space shuttle Endeavour has docked to the international space station for a visit that will see the first set of massive solar arrays mounted to the orbiting outpost. The $600 million array module will quintuple the available power aboard the station.

1958 GMT (2:58 p.m. EST)

Less than 10 feet. The steering jets on the station are disabled for the linkup while Endeavour's are programmed to fire in a calculated way to force the two docking ports together at the point of contact.

1957 GMT (2:57 p.m. EST)

Now 15 feet from docking as Endeavour slowing inches ever closer to the international space station under the manual control of commander Brent Jett..

1955 GMT (2:55 p.m. EST)

Distance now 20 feet. Time to docking is about four minutes.

1953 GMT (2:53 p.m. EST)

Endeavour is now 30 feet from the space station and preparing to begin the final push into docking.

1951 GMT (2:51 p.m. EST)

Commander Brent Jett reports the alignment between docking ports on Endeavour and the space station is acceptable and no "fly out" maneuver by the shuttle is necessary.

1950 GMT (2:50 p.m. EST)

The space station is now in range of Russian ground stations.

1949 GMT (2:49 p.m. EST)

Now 10 minutes to docking. The shuttle and station are currently 50 feet apart, closing at less than one-tenth-of-a-foot per second.

1943 GMT (2:43 p.m. EST)

Endeavour is now 80 feet below the docking port on the international space station, closing at a rate of about one-tenth-of-a-foot per second.

1940 GMT (2:40 p.m. EST)

The space shuttle Endeavour and international space station have now passed into sunset. Docking will occur over Kazakhstan in darkness.

1937 GMT (2:37 p.m. EST)

Distance now 180 feet.

1930 GMT (2:30 p.m. EST)

Distance now 200 feet. Endeavour is headed to a point about 30 feet away from the station where commander Brent Jett will temporarily halt the approach to double-check the alignment between docking ports on the shuttle and Unity module, and synch up the timing so the docking occurs while in range of Russian ground stations.

1924 GMT (2:24 p.m. EST)

Now 35 minutes until docking. Distance is 280 feet.

1921 GMT (2:21 p.m. EST)

The distance is about 350 feet between Endeavour and station as the shuttle closes in at about 0.5-feet per second. The Zarya's solar arrays have been positioned for the docking. And the station is now "go" for docking.

1920 GMT (2:20 p.m. EST)

Endeavour has completed its yaw maneuver and is now flying in a tail-forward position about 200 miles above the Earth.

1918 GMT (2:18 p.m. EST)

The shuttle is currently less than 400 feet below the international space station and continuing to move ever closer for docking at 2:59 p.m. EST. Meanwhile, the Zarya module's solar arrays are being feathered to an edge-on position so plumes from thruster firings by Endeavour do not damage the fragile structures.

1914 GMT (2:14 p.m. EST)

Now inside 500 feet to docking.

1912 GMT (2:12 p.m. EST)

Endeavour is now beginning a 180-degree yaw maneuver to spin the spaceplane around so it is positioned correctly for the upcoming docking to the international space station. The shuttle is currently flying nose-forward in the direction of travel. This yaw maneuver will put the tail forward such that the shuttle is basically flying backwards, if you will.

1910 GMT (2:10 p.m. EST)

Range now 600 feet.

1908 GMT (2:08 p.m. EST)

Endeavour is now directly below the international space station on the imaginary line called the R-bar. Distance between the two craft is less than 700 feet.

1905 GMT (2:05 p.m. EST)

Distance now 815 feet as Endeavour closes in on the station at 0.8-feet per second.

1900 GMT (2:00 p.m. EST)

The distance between the shuttle and station is now just over 1,200 feet with Endeavour closing at 1.8 feet per second. That rate, however, will be slowed over the course of this final phase of the rendezvous.

1858 GMT (1:58 p.m. EST)

Shuttle commander Brent Jett has taken over manual control for the remainder of today's rendezvous and docking of Endeavour to the international space station. Jett is piloting the shuttle from the aft control station on the flight deck of Endeavour. He will regularly pulse the shuttle's steering jets to keep the shuttle on the trek to the station.

1857 GMT (1:57 p.m. EST)

The fourth and final course correction maneuver by Endeavour's steering jets has been performed. This was a six-second fine tuning burn. The shuttle is on a trajectory to reach the station for docking in just over one hour. The range between the two craft is now less than 1,700 feet.

1849 GMT (1:49 p.m. EST)

The third course correction burn has been completed. Endeavour remains on track for docking at 2:59 p.m. EST.

1829 GMT (1:29 p.m. EST)

Now 90 minutes away from the fifth shuttle docking to the international space station and the first to occur with inhabitants aboard the fledgling orbiting outpost.

The second of four final course correction maneuvers by Endeavour has been performed. This was a 12-second series of pulses by the shuttle's small steering thrusters.

1826 GMT (1:26 p.m. EST)

Onboard navigation from space shuttle Endeavour shows the craft is now 3.6 miles from the space station, or 19,000 feet.

1821 GMT (1:21 p.m. EST)

Endeavour is about eight minutes away from another course correction maneuver. The shuttle is now 4.8 miles away from the international space station.

1807 GMT (1:07 p.m. EST)

The international space station is now in the proper orientation for the upcoming docking by space shuttle Endeavour at 2:59 p.m. EST. This position has the U.S. Unity node facing north and in the direction of travel with the Zvezda living quarters facing south. Endeavour will approach the station from below and dock with the Earth-facing port on Unity. This is a different docking profile than usually peformed -- most dockings occur with the shuttle looping around and linking up from above the station.

1754 GMT (12:54 p.m. EST)

The first of four course correction burns using Endeavour's steering jets has been completed successfully. These small maneuvers are done to tweak the shuttle's trajectory to the international space station, culminating with commander Brent Jett taking manual control for the final half-mile of the approach and docking.

Meanwhile, commands have been sent to the station for it to perform a 90-degree yaw maneuver for docking. Also, the first ship-to-ship communications between Endeavour's astronauts and the Expedition One crew aboard the international space station was just conducted.

1739 GMT (12:39 p.m. EST)

The space shuttle Endeavour is now on a course to directly intercept the international space station for docking some two hours and 20 minutes from now at 2:59 p.m. EST.

The shuttle crew just performed the Terminal Initiation burn to begin the final phase of today's rendezvous. The eight-second firing of the Endeavour's left orbital maneuvering system engine raised the shuttle's orbit to match that of the station. It also changed Endeavour's speed by about four miles per hour.

Four course correction burns are still to come during this approach to the station as Endeavour moves from below the complex for a linkup to the newly-installed Pressurized Mating Adapter No. 3 docking port.

1320 GMT (8:20 a.m. EST)

The shuttle Endeavour's crew was awakened at 8:06 a.m. to begin the final phase of a two-day rendezvous with the international space station. At wakeup, the shuttle was about 850 miles behind the space station and steadily catching up.

With Endeavour trailing the station by about eight nautical miles, commander Brent Jett plans to fire the orbiter's maneuvering jets at 12:33 p.m. to begin the final approach. The ship should reach a point 600 feet directly below the lab complex by around 2:03 p.m.

Two minutes later, Jett will begin a seven-minute procedure to yaw Endeavour 180 degrees, pointing its tail in the direction of travel. once properly oriented, the shuttle will continue its slow approach for a docking at 2:59 p.m.

We have posted a detailed docking timeline and a 1,600-word docking preview story. The Mission Status Center will be updated throughout the day.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2000

The Endeavour astronauts closed in on the international space station today, checked out the ship's robot arm, inspected a $600 million set of solar arrays in the payload bay and tested the spacesuits two astronauts will wear during an excursion Sunday to attach the arrays to the orbital outpost. Read our full story.

1627 GMT (11:27 a.m. EST)

PROGRESS SEP BURN. The 15-second engine firing by the Progress cargo craft has been performed to send the ship into an orbit one statute mile lower than the international space station. The Progress will be moving ahead of the station by about seven miles with every 90 minute orbit of the Earth.

Russian flight controllers decided not to deorbit the Progress under the original plan, sending the craft in a fiery and destructive plunge into the Earth's atmosphere to burn up. Instead, the Progress is being kept in space for a potential redocking attempt after the space shuttle Endeavour mission to verify a correction to its onboard software package. The software glitch is believed to have caused the automatic docking system to malfunction two weeks ago when the vessel arrived at the station, forcing pilot Yuri Gidzenko to manually dock the Progress. However, the formal decision whether to redock the Progress has not been made.

1623 GMT (11:23 a.m. EST)

PROGRESS UNDOCKING. The Progress M1-4 resupply vessel has undocked the international space station after two weeks linked to the complex. Springs are now pushing the freighter away from the nadir port of the Russian Zarya module as the automatic undocking sequence continues. The next event will be an engine firing by the Progress to depart the area around the station in about three minutes.

The Progress brought about two tons of supplies, fresh food, equipment and fuel to the station and its three-man Expedition One crew, including medical equipment, a variety of tools, a ThinkPad computer, a "central post" computer, cables, tethers, electrical gear, alarm system components, carbon dioxide absorbent, additional backup oxygen candles, the space station's zero-gravity toilet, a sleeping bag and a Russian exercise bicycle, underwear, spare coveralls and fur-lined boots. The crew of commander Bill Shepherd, pilot Yuri Gidzenko and flight engineer Sergei Krikalev has spent the last two weeks unloading the freighter and then filling it with trash.

1620 GMT (11:20 a.m. EST)

The Progress undocking commanding has begun.

1615 GMT (11:15 a.m. EST)

Aboard the international space station the Progress cargo ship is just minutes away from being jettisoned, having been unloaded by the Expedition One crew of the past two weeks. The automatic undocking sequence -- governed by the Progress itself -- begins in five minutes. The physical separation of the Progress from its docking port on the Russian Zarya module is expected at 11:23 a.m. EST. A engine firing to propel the Progress away from the station's vicinity is scheduled for 11:26 a.m. EST.

1606 GMT (11:06 a.m. EST)

The five Endeavour astronauts have been awakened to begin Flight Day 2, their first full day in space. This day will see the crew power up and test the shuttle's robotic arm that will be used to mount the solar array module to the space station, check out the spacesuits that Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega will wear during this mission's three spacewalks, verify the rendezvous tools to be used tomorrow during the docking to the station and configure the shuttle's docking system for the linkup.

1600 GMT (11:00 a.m. EST)

The Russian Progress cargo freighter that delivered about two tons of supplies, equipment, food and fuel to the international space station and its Expedition One crew is about to undock from the outpost. The craft arrived at the station on the evening of November 17, two days after it was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It automatic docking system malfunctioned and pilot Yuri Gidzenko had to manually guide the ship to its linkup with the nadir port of the station's Zarya module with only a joystick and the aid a television camera on the Progress' nose.

See our timeline of the events to occur during the undocking sequence, which is slated to begin at 11:20 a.m. EST. Physical separation of the Progress from the station is expected about three minutes later.

1515 GMT (10:15 a.m. EST)

Endeavour's five astronauts are about one hour away from the wakeup call from Mission Control for the start of their first full day in space. The shuttle is currently about 8,200 miles behind the international space station as the two-day orbital chase continues. Aboard the station, the Expedition One crew is preparing for the upcoming undocking of the Progress resupply craft at 11:20 a.m. EST this morning to make way for Endeavour. The ship will be moved to a parking orbit a good distance away from the station while Russian and American officials decide whether a redocking should be performed after the shuttle departs.

0451 GMT (11:51 p.m. EST, Thurs.)

T+plus 1 hour, 45 minutes. Endeavour's onboard computers have transitioned from the ascent to the on-orbit software package as the astronauts configure the shuttle for its 11-day stay in space. Meanwhile, the 60-foot long payload bays doors have been opened and the Ku-band television and rendezvous radar antenna has been deployed.

0350 GMT (10:50 p.m. EST)

T+plus 44 minutes. The orbital maneuvering system firing has been completed successfully to boost the shuttle from its highly elliptical orbit to one that is more circular. The initial orbit was 202 by 46 statute miles. The post-burn orbit is 202 by 102 statute miles. Endeavour is on its way to reach the international space station on Saturday. Though there are many orbital maneuvers and course correction burns scheduled between now and then.

The next major task tonight will be the opening of Endeavour's two payload bay doors at about 11:30 p.m.

0347 GMT (10:47 p.m. EST)

T+plus 41 minutes. Coming up to the planned one-minute, 18-second firing of the orbital maneuvering system engines to raise Endeavour's perigee by about 60 statute miles.

0346 GMT (10:46 p.m. EST)

T+plus 40 minutes. Spaceflight Now readers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, down the coast from Cape Canaveral, and another in Levittown, New York, have reported they saw Endeavour streaking to orbit tonight.

0340 GMT (10:40 p.m. EST)

T+plus 34 minutes. The initial orbit achieved by Endeavour is 202 by 46 statute miles. The upcoming OMS burn will raise the low point to a safe altitude.

0334 GMT (10:34 p.m. EST)

T+plus 28 minutes. The external tank umbilical doors on the belly of Endeavour are being swung closed.

Tonight's official liftoff time was 10:06:01.043 p.m. EST.

0316 GMT (10:16 p.m. EST)

T+plus 10 minutes. Endeavour has achieved a highly elliptical orbit following a smooth launch tonight. The orbital maneuvering system engines will be fired in about a half-hour to boost the shuttle to a safe altitude as normal.

0314 GMT (10:14 p.m. EST)

T+plus 8 minutes, 55 seconds. Confirmation of external fuel tank jettison.

0314 GMT (10:14 p.m. EST)

T+plus 8 minutes, 30 seconds. MECO! Endeavour's main engines have cutoff as planned, completing the powered phase of the launch. Space shuttle Endeavour is now in orbit for its two-day chase to rendezvous and dock with the international space station on Saturday at about 2:57 p.m. EST.

0313 GMT (10:13 p.m. EST)

T+plus 7 minutes, 40 seconds. Endeavour's three main engines are throttling down to ease the ship's acceleration as it approaches loads to 3gs. Shuttle's speed is about four miles per second.

0313 GMT (10:13 p.m. EST)

T+plus 7 minutes. The shuttle could make it to a safe orbit should two main engines fail.

0312 GMT (10:12 p.m. EST)

T+plus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. The astronauts now experience 3 gs.

0312 GMT (10:12 p.m. EST)

T+plus 6 minutes. Endeavour now speeding along at 9,000 miles per hour, downrange distance 374 miles.

0311 GMT (10:11 p.m. EST)

T+plus 5 minutes. Endeavour can now reach orbit on the power of two main engines should one fail. But all three continue to fire properly.

0310 GMT (10:10 p.m. EST)

T+plus 4 minutes, 15 seconds. Altitude is 61 miles, downrange distance 167 miles.

0310 GMT (10:10 p.m. EST)

T+plus 4 minutes. Negative return. The shuttle is traveling too fast and is too far downrange so it can no longer return to the launch site in the event of a main engine problem.

0308 GMT (10:08 p.m. EST)

T+plus 2 minutes, 45 seconds. The twin orbital maneuvering system engines on the tail of the shuttle have ignited for a 1 minute, 42 second firing to assist in the boost to space.

0308 GMT (10:08 p.m. EST)

T+plus 2 minutes, 20 seconds. The twin solid rocket boosters have done their job and separated from the space shuttle Endeavour. The shuttle continues its climb to orbit on the power of the three liquid-fueled main engines.

0307 GMT (10:07 p.m. EST)

T+plus 90 seconds. All systems of Endeavour are performing well as the shuttle accelerates to orbit.

0306 GMT (10:06 p.m. EST)

LIFTOFF. Liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour on a mission to spread the power-generating wings of the international space station. And the shuttle has cleared the tower.

0305 GMT (10:05 p.m. EST)

T-minus 31 seconds. Auto sequence start. Endeavour's onboard computers are now controlling the countdown.

In the next few seconds the solid rocket booster hydraulic power units will be started and the orbiter's body flap and speed brake will be moved to their launch positions. The main engine ignition will begin at T-minus 6.6 seconds.

0305 GMT (10:05 p.m. EST)

T-minus 1 minute. Computers verifying that the main engines are ready. Sound suppression water system is armed. System will activate at T-minus 16 seconds to suppress the sound produced at launch. Residual hydrogen burn ignitors armed. They will be fired at T-minus 10 seconds to burn off any hydrogen gas from beneath the main engine nozzles. And the solid rocket booster joint heaters have been deactivated.

Shortly the external tank strut heaters will be turned off; Endeavour will transition to internal power and the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen outboard fill and drain valves will be closed.

0303 GMT (10:03 p.m. EST)

T-minus 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Orbiter steering check now complete -- the main engine nozzles in their start positions. The external tank liquid oxygen vent valve has been closed and pressurization of the LOX tank has started. Standing by to transfer Endeavour's power-producing fuel cells to internal reactants. The units will begin providing all electricity for the mission beginning at T-50 seconds. And pilot Mike Bloomfield has been asked to clear the caution and warning memory system aboard Endeavour.

In the next few seconds the gaseous oxygen vent hood will be removed from the top of the external tank. Verification that the swing arm is fully retracted will be made by the ground launch sequencer at the T-37 second mark. Coming up on T-minus 2 minutes. The astronauts will be instructed to close and lock the visors on their launch and entry helmets. At T-minus 1 minute, 57 seconds the replenishment of the flight load of liquid hydrogen in the external tank will be terminated and tank pressurization will begin.

0302 GMT (10:02 p.m. EST)

T-minus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. The main engine nozzles now being moved through a computer controlled test pattern to demonstrate their readiness to support guidance control during launch this evening.

0302 GMT (10:02 p.m. EST)

T-minus 4 minutes. Activation of the APUs complete. The three units are up and running. The final helium purge sequence is under way in the main propulsion system. This procedure readies fuel system valves for engine start. In the next few seconds the aerosurfaces of Endeavour will be run through a pre-planned mobility test to ensure readiness for launch. This is also a dress rehearsal for flight of the orbiter's hydraulic systems.

0301 GMT (10:01 p.m. EST)

T-minus 5 minutes. Go for Auxiliary Power Unit start. Pilot Mike Bloomfield is now flipping three switches in Endeavour's cockpit to start each of the three APU's. The units, located in the aft compartment of Endeavour, provide the pressure needed to power the hydraulic systems of the shuttle. The units will be used during the launch and landing phases of the mission for such events are moving the orbiter's aerosurfaces, gimbaling the main engine nozzles and deploying the landing gear.

Over the course of the next minute, the orbiter's heaters will be configured for launch by commander Brent Jett, the fuel valve heaters on the main engines will be turned off in preparation for engine ignition at T-6.6 seconds and the external tank and solid rocket booster safe and arm devices will be armed.

0300 GMT (10:00 p.m. EST)

T-minus 5 minutes, 25 seconds. APU pre-start is complete and the units are ready for activation. The orbiters flight data recorders now in the record mode to collect measurements of shuttle systems performance during flight.

0300 GMT (10:00 p.m. EST)

T-minus 6 minutes. Pilot Mike Bloomfield has been asked by Orbiter Test Conductor Ray Knispel to pre-start the orbiter Auxiliary Power Units. This procedure readies the three APU's for their activation at T-minus 5 minutes.

0258 GMT (9:58 p.m. EST)

T-minus 7 minutes, 30 seconds. The ground launch sequencer is now pulling the orbiter access arm away from the crew hatch on the port side of the vehicle. The arm was the passage way for the astronauts to board Endeavour a few hours ago. The arm can be re-extended in about a quarter of a minute should the need arise later in the countdown.

0258 GMT (9:58 p.m. EST)

T-minus 8 minutes and counting. Pilot Mike Bloomfield has flipped the switches in the cockpit of Endeavour to directly connect the three onboard fuel cells with the essential power buses. Also, the stored program commands have been issued to the orbiter for the final antenna alignment and management for today's launch.

The launch of STS-97 will mark the 101st flight in the space shuttle program since 1981, the 76th since return-to-flight after Challenger, the 15th for Endeavour and the fifth shuttle flight of 2000.

0257 GMT (9:57 p.m. EST)

T-minus 9 minutes and counting. The ground launch sequencer is now controlling the final phase of today's countdown to launch of space shuttle Endeavour at 10:06 p.m. EST.

0253 GMT (9:53 p.m. EST)

The final management poll has been completed by Launch Director Mike Leinbach. All systems are go for launch and the weather is go, clearing the way for the countdown to be restarted at 9:57 p.m. EST for liftoff on-time tonight at 10:06 p.m. EST to begin an 11-day mission to continue construction of the international space station.

Once the countdown picks up, the Ground Launch Sequencer will be initiated. The master computer program is located in a console in Firing Room 1 of the Complex 39 Launch Control Center. The GLS is the master of events through liftoff. During the last 9 minutes of the countdown, the computer will monitor as many as a thousand different systems and measurements to ensure that they do not fall out of any pre-determine red-line limits. At T-minus 31 seconds, the GLS will hand off to the onboard computers of Endeavour to complete their own automatic sequence of events through the final half minute of the countdown.

0251 GMT (9:51 p.m. EST)

The final readiness poll by NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding has been completed with all launch team members reporting "go" for liftoff. Mission Control also has given its "go" which indictates weather at the abort landing sites will not be a factor against launch today.

0249 GMT (9:49 p.m. EST)

The Range is now GO for launch again. The earlier concern with a safety destruct transmitter has been resolved. There are now no issues being addressed. Liftoff still set for 10:06 p.m. EST.

0247 GMT (9:47 p.m. EST)

Mission Management Team chairman Jim Halsell is polling his members to verify all parties are go for launch. There is about 10 minutes left in this built-in hold.

0245 GMT (9:45 p.m. EST)

The Range RED and no go for launch due to concerns with a safety distruct transmitter that briefly went down. The transmitter is a required asset for launch.

0226 GMT (9:26 p.m. EST)

Now 40 minutes away from Endeavour's nighttime launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin the 6th U.S. voyage to the international space station. At the time of launch, the orbiting outpost will be flying over the Southeast Indian Ocean just west of Australia at 24.8 degrees South and 96.2 degrees East.

After an 8 1/2-minute climb to orbit, Endeavour should achieve an elliptical orbit with a high point of 169 nautical miles and low point of 40 miles, Mission Control reports. A later firing of the twin orbital maneuvering system engines on the tail of Endeavour some 43 minutes into flight will raise the orbit to 175 by 105 nautical miles as the shuttle chases to catch the space station. Docking is planned on Saturday at 2:57 p.m. EST.

0221 GMT (9:21 p.m. EST)

The countdown remains in the planned hold at T-minus 9 minutes. It is pretty quiet in Firing Room 1 as the launch team waits out this 46-minute pause in the countdown.

Meanwhile, at the Mission Control the preferred Transatlantic Abort Landing site tonight will be Zaragoza, Spain, should a main engine failure force Endeavour to make an emergency landing during the launch.

0211 GMT (9:11 p.m. EST)

T-minus 9 minutes and holding. Countdown clocks have gone into the planned 46-minute, 1-second built-in hold. Tonight's launch remains set for 10:06 p.m. EST. There are no significant technical problems being reported and weather conditions are well within limits for liftoff.

0210 GMT (9:10 p.m. EST)

Flow of conditioned air into Endeavour's payload bay has been reduced to 18 0 pounds per minute. Standing by to enter the T-minus 9 minute in one minute.

0208 GMT (9:08 p.m. EST)

The Air Force-controlled Range reports all assets are ready and the danger areas are clear.

0207 GMT (9:07 p.m. EST)

The cross-feed valves between the twin orbital maneuvering system engines on the shuttle's tail have been configured for flight. Pilot Bloomfield is now reconfiguring helium purge for the main propulsion system. Also, the booster test conductor has started a gaseous nitrogen purge into the aft skirts of the solid rocket boosters for launch.

0205 GMT (9:05 p.m. EST)

Pilot Mike Bloomfield is configuring the displays inside Endeavour's cockpit for launch while commander Brent Jett enables the abort steering instrumentation. Also, Mission Control in Houston is loading Endeavour's onboard computers with the proper guidance parameters based on the projected launch time.

0200 GMT (9:00 p.m. EST)

T-minus 20 minutes and counting. The countdown has resumed after a 10-minute hold. Clocks will tick down for the next 11 minutes to T-minus 9 minutes where the final planned hold is scheduled to occur. The hold length will be adjust to synch up with today's preferred launch time of 10:06:01 p.m. EST.

Endeavour's onboard computers are now transitioning to the Major Mode-101 program, the primary ascent software. Also, engineers are dumping the Primary Avionics Software System (PASS) onboard computers. The data that is dumped from each of PASS computers is compared to verify that the proper software is loaded aboard for launch.

In about one minute, the astronauts will configure the backup computer to MM-101 and the test team will verify backup flight control system (BFS) computer is tracking the PASS computer systems.

0158 GMT (8:58 p.m. EST)

Engineers have completed the troubleshooting the commander's rotational hand controller -- the stick Brent Jett would use to fly Endeavour. The button he pushed to cue when talking to the ground has been verified failed. However, its other uses appear normal with the exception of the backup flight system enable switch, for which there is a workaround

0150 GMT (8:50 p.m. EST)

T-minus 20 minutes and holding. The countdown has paused for a 10-minute built-in hold. Launch remains scheduled for 0306:01 GMT (10:06:01 p.m. EST). There are no technical problems and weather conditions are looking more promising at this time.

During this built-in hold, all computer programs in Firing Room 1 of the Complex 39 Launch Control Center will be verified to ensure that the proper programs are available for the countdown; the landing convoy status will be verified and the landing sites will be checked to support an abort landing during launch today; the Inertial Measurement Unit preflight alignment will be verified completed; and preparations are made to transition the orbiter onboard computers to Major Mode 101 upon coming out of the hold. This configures the computer memory to a terminal countdown configuration.

0148 GMT (8:48 p.m. EST)

The primary avionics software system (PASS) is transferring to Endeavour's BFS computer so both systems can be synched with the same data. In case of a PASS computer system failure, the BFS computer will take over control of the shuttle vehicle during flight.

0144 GMT (8:44 p.m. EST)

At this time, the ground pyro initiator controllers (PICs) are scheduled to be powered up. They are used to fire the solid rocket hold-down posts, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tail service mast and external tank vent arm system pyros at liftoff and the space shuttle main engine hydrogen gas burn system prior to engine ignition. Endeavour's two Master Events Controllers will be tested, too. They relay the commands from the shuttle's computers to ignite, and then separate the boosters and external tank during launch.

Also, the shuttle's backup flight control system (BFS) computer has configured. It would be used tonight in the event of emergency landing.

The Orbiter Closeout Crew has departed the pad.

0142 GMT (8:42 p.m. EST)

Commander Brent Jett has pressurized the gaseous nitrogen system for Endeavour's Orbital Maneuvering System engines, and pilot Mike Bloomfield has activated the gaseous nitrogen supply for the orbiter's Auxiliary Power Units' water boilers.

0133 GMT (8:33 p.m. EST)

The Orbiter Closeout Crew has completed its work now that Endeavour's hatch has been locked for flight and leak checks complete. The pad's White Room will be configured for launch before the team departs the pad to leave only the five astronauts at the seaside complex. Meanwhile, the ground launch sequencer main line activation has been completed. The

0130 GMT (8:30 p.m. EST)

The performance window for tonight's launch has been announced as 10:06:01 to 10:10:02 p.m. EST.

In the countdown the astronauts have preactivated the water boilers of the Auxiliary Power Units. Also, the Air Force Eastern Range shuttle safety system terminal count closed-loop test is being performed to verify the countdown can be stopped in the final seconds before liftoff should a safety issue arise.

0110 GMT (8:10 p.m. EST)

T-minus 1 hour and counting. The countdown is ticking along to tonight's scheduled launch at 10:06:01 p.m. EST. The pre-flight alignment of Endeavour's Inertial Measurement Units is now beginning, and will be completed by the T-minus 20 minute mark. The IMUs were calibrated over the past few hours of the countdown. The three units are used by the onboard navigation systems to determine the position of the orbiter in flight.

Meanwhile, the S-band antennas at the MILA tracking station here at the Cape are shifting from low power to high power. The site will provide voice, data and telemetry relay between Endeavour and Mission Control during the first few minutes of flight. Coverage then is handed to a NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite in space.

0102 GMT (8:02 p.m. EST)

The crew compartment of Discovery is now about to be pressurized for leak checks.

0054 GMT (7:54 p.m. EST)

A launch team member is walking commander Brent Jett through a procedure to double-check his rotational hand controller. The stick's "push-to-talk" button failed to work a little earlier in the countdown and this test is being done to verify there are no further problems with the controller. The stick is what Jett will use to fly Endeavour during landing.

0049 GMT (7:49 p.m. EST)

Endeavour's crew module hatch has been closed and latched for flight. Pressure and leak checks will be performed to ensure a good seal on the hatch for tonight's launch.

0044 GMT (7:44 p.m. EST)

The Orbiter Closeout Crew is now removing platforms used by the astronauts to board the shuttle today in advance of swinging shut Endeavour's hatch.

Also in the countdown, the booster test conductor will soon verify the chamber pressure in the twin solid rocket motors. Sensors measure pressure in the thrust chambers at nozzles of the boosters. The data tells onboard computers when the boosters have consumed their solid-fuel propellant and should be separated in-flight.

0041 GMT (7:41 p.m. EST)

The voice checks between Endeavour's crew and ground controllers have been completed. Also, the fuel cell purge has finished.

0037 GMT (7:37 p.m. EST)

The talk-button on the commander's control stick has been determined to be failed, though that is not a constraint to launch. Engineers are now checking to ensure that there are no other problems with the stick, which Brent Jett will use to fly Endeavour during landing.

0033 GMT (7:33 p.m. EST)

The communications checks with the astronauts are being delayed while troubleshooting is being performed on the talk-button of the rotational hand controller in front of commander Brent Jett.

0030 GMT (7:30 p.m. EST)

The ground launch sequencer software that will control the final nine minutes of the countdown is initialized as the clock continues towards tonight's planned launch at 10:06:01 p.m. EST (0306:01 GMT).

Also, the solid rocket boosters' gas generator heaters in the hydraulic power units are turned on, the aft skirt gaseous nitrogen purge is starting and the rate gyro assemblies (RGAs) are being activated. The RGAs are used by the orbiter's navigation system to determine rates of motion of the boosters during the first-stage flight.

0017 GMT (7:17 p.m. EST)

The final Endeavour astronaut has boarded the shuttle today. Canadian Marc Garneau, mission specialist No. 2 and flight engineer, has now entered the hatch. He will sit in the flight deck center seat, giving an extra set of eyes to aid the command and pilot watch displays and switches during launch and landing.

You can read Garneau's biography in our Crew Report.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2000
2355 GMT (6:55 p.m. EST)

Endeavour's mission specialist No. 1, Joe Tanner, has board the shuttle. He will sit in the flight deck aft right seat.

You can read Tanner's biography in our Crew Report.

2353 GMT (6:53 p.m. EST)

NASA flight controllers have revised the launch window and preferred liftoff time for tonight's attempt to get Endeavour off the ground. The launch window opens at 10:01:02 p.m. and extends 9 minutes, 59 seconds to 10:11:01 p.m. EST. The optimum launch time, which NASA will likely target, is 10:06:01 p.m. EST. The revision is based upon the latest radar tracking of the international space station.

2349 GMT (6:49 p.m. EST)

Endeavour's pilot, Mike Bloomfield, has entered the shuttle's hatch. He will sit in the flight deck forward right seat.

You can read Bloomfield's biography in our Crew Report.

2342 GMT (6:42 p.m. EST)

Mission specialist No. 3 Carlos Noriega has boarded Endeavour. Noriega will sit in the middeck left seat.

You can read Noriega's biography in our Crew Report.

2339 GMT (6:39 p.m. EST)

Endeavour commander Brent Jett has become the first astronaut to enter the shuttle today. He will sit in the flight deck forward left seat.

You can read Jett's biography in our Crew Report.

2335 GMT (6:35 p.m. EST)

The crew has arrived on the 195-foot level of the pad structure where the Orbiter Access Arm is located with the White Room. In the White Room the crew will be outfitted with the rest of their gear and communications hat before entering Endeavour's crew module hatch.

2332 GMT (6:32 p.m. EST)

The shuttle astronauts have arrived at launch pad 39B. They will take the elevator up to the 195-foot level of the fixed service structure to enter Endeavour's crew cabin.

2327 GMT (6:27 p.m. EST)

NASA reports the small grass fire near liquid hydrogen "cross-country lines" at the pad has been put out. The AstroVan with the crew continues on its way to the pad. It just stopped near the Launch Control Center to let out Brian Duffy and officials.

2317 GMT (6:17 p.m. EST)

Eneavour's astronauts have embarked on the 20-minute ride in the "AstroVan" from their quarters to launch pad 39B on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. They departed the Operations & Checkout Building in Kennedy Space Center's Industrial Area at 6:16 p.m.

The AstroVan convoy will stop at the Launch Control Center for the NASA management and NASA astronaut Brian Duffy to exit the Astrovan. The managers will take their positions in Firing Room 1 while Duffy heads over to the Shuttle Landing Facility to begin weather reconnaissance flights in a T-38 jet. He will later switch to the modified Gulfstream jet, which is known as the Shuttle Training Aircraft because its flying characteristics are very similar to the space shuttle.

2310 GMT (6:10 p.m. EST)

T-minus 3 hours and counting. Countdown clocks have resumed following this two-hour planned hold. The count will continue to T-minus 20 minutes where the next built-in hold will occur. A final hold is planned at T-minus 9 minutes. Launch is still scheduled for about 0306 GMT (10:06 p.m. EST).

The astronauts are expected to depart their quarters for the launch pad in about five minutes.

Endeavour stands fully fueled and ready for launch from pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The loading of 528,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the external tank began at 2:51 p.m. EST. The operation went smoothly and was completed at 5:35 p.m. EST. A stable replenishment mode then started to continuously top-off the respective tanks within the external tank through the final minutes of the countdown.

Following tanking procedures, a team called the Final Inspection Team was dispatched to the pad to check the vehicle one last time prior to liftoff. Currently, the six-person team, comprised of five engineers and one safety official, is performing the inspections at pad 39B. At the conclusion of their two-hour tour-of-duty, they will have walked up and down the entire 380-foot fixed service structure and mobile launcher platform.

The team is on the lookout for any abnormal ice or frost build-up on the vehicle that could break-off during ignition and damage the spacecraft. The team, which is headed by Greg Katnik of the Kennedy Space Center, is also looking for any loose debris that could possibly fly up and strike the launch vehicle. And the third item of interest to the team is the thermal integrity of the external tank foam insulation.

The team uses a portable infrared scanner that gathers temperature measurements on the surface area of the vehicle and can spot leaks. The scanner will be used to obtain temperature data on the external tank, solid rocket boosters, space shuttle orbiter, main engines and launch pad structures. The scanner can also spot leaks of the cryogenic propellants, and due to its ability to detect distinct temperature differences, can spot any dangerous hydrogen fuel that is burning. One teammember is also responsible for photo documentation.

Each member of the Final Inspection Team is in constant contact with NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding in Firing Room 1.

The team wears the highly visible day-glo-orange coveralls that are anti-static and flame resistant. Each member also has a self-contained emergency breathing unit that holds about 10 minutes of air.

Following the Final Inspection Team's activities, Greg Katnik will meet with NASA Launch Director Mike Leinbach, the Mission Management Team, and engineering directors in the launch control center. Katnik will give the managers a full and detailed report on the team's inspections and findings at the pad 39B.

A full inspection of the vehicle and pad was performed yesterday and the external tank received a thorough check prior to fueling.

An inspection of the launch pad and beach will be made following launch. That inspection will be to look for anything unusual, particularly anything that could have fallen off of the vehicle during the first few seconds of flight. Later there will be a meeting to review high-speed videotape and film of the launch and early ascent to determine if there was any damage to the vehicle.

2258 GMT (5:58 p.m. EST)

A fire truck has been dispatched to pad 39B to put out a small grass fire. This fire is not endangering any of the pad equipment at this time, a NASA spokewoman says.

Meanwhile, the five astronauts are finishing with their suit-up process, donning the day-glow orange partial pressure suits inside the crew quarters here at Kennedy Space Center. They are due to depart for the launch pad in the next 15 minutes or so.

There are no technical problems being worked, the shuttle is fully fueled and the weather forecast is perfect for launch tonight at 10:06 p.m. EST.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2000
2235 GMT (5:35 p.m. EST)

The half-million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into Endeavour's external fuel tank has been completed. With tanking now in a stable replenish mode, the pad is being reopened so the Orbiter Closeout Crew and Final Inspection Team can be dispatched to the seaside complex to begin their work to ready Endeavour's cabin for the astronauts' ingress and perform an ice and debris inspection, respectively.

2220 GMT (5:20 p.m. EST)

Fueling of space shuttle Endeavour is nearing completion at launch pad 39B. The countdown is continuing towards tonight's planned 10:06 p.m. EST launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Activities are running nearly two hours behind schedule after a loose bracket was spotted on the Orbiter Access Arm of the pad and workers had to remove it. The lost time will be made up during the built-in hold at T-minus 3 hours, which began at 4:10 p.m.

The astronauts have had their final pre-launch snack and will be receiving a weather briefing before suiting up. Their departure to the pad may be delayed a few minutes by the delays in fueling and getting the pad reopened.

2018 GMT (3:18 p.m. EST)

Super-cold rocket fuel is now flowing into space shuttle Endeavour's giant orange external tank as the countdown continues for liftoff tonight at about 10:06 p.m. EST (0306 GMT) from Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39B.

Stationed in the safe quarters of the Launch Control Center some 3 1/2 miles from the pad, engineers began the of loading Endeavour's external fuel tank with 528,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at 2:51 p.m. EST. The process will take three-hours to complete as the cryogenics are pumped from storage spheres at the pad, through feed lines to the mobile launcher platform, into Endeavour's aft compartment and finally into the external fuel tank.

1936 GMT (02:36 p.m. EST)

NASA says workers hoisted on a crane were able to remove a loose bracket from launch pad 39B's orbiter access arm. Tanking is due to begin at 3:15 p.m EST. See a photo of the crane alongside the shuttle.

1931 GMT (02:31 p.m. EST)

Workers have reopened the shuttle's crew compartment hatch and are configuring the whiteroom for tanking. See our photo showing the location of the bracket.

1925 GMT (02:25 p.m. EST)

The orbiter access arm has been swung back in place along side the crew compartment hatch.

1923 GMT (02:23 p.m. EST)

The crane is now moving away from the orbiter access arm. We are awaiting word from NASA on whether the workers were able to remove the dangling bracket.

1923 GMT (02:23 p.m. EST)

The crane is now moving away from the orbiter access arm. We are awaiting word from NASA on whether the workers were able to remove the dangling bracket.

1912 GMT (02:12 p.m. EST)

Workers on a crane were hoisted into position alongside the orbiter access arm at launch pad 39B a short while ago in an attempt to remove the loose bracket hanging from a fire extinguishing system line.

1859 GMT (01:59 p.m. EST)

We have posted a photo showing the location of the loose bracket that threatens today's launch.

Meanwhile the orbiter access arm has been retracted away from the shuttle as workers attempt to remove the loose bracket.

1828 GMT (01:28 p.m. EST)

Fueling of Endeavour is being held up after an inspection team discovered a bracket dangling on the orbiter access arm used by the astronauts to board the shuttle. The fear is the bracket could break loose during the shuttle's lift off an strike the orbiter's left wing. Launch pad workers are rushing to get a hydraulic platform in place to remove the loose object. They need to remove it and start fueling by about 3 p.m. EST to meet the shuttle's planned launch window which opens at 10:06 p.m. EST.

1815 GMT (01:15 p.m. EST)

The countdown clocks resumed ticking from the T-6 hours mark as planned at 1:10 p.m. EST this afternoon, but tanking has not yet begun. NASA managers are discussing a potential issue. We will post more details as soon as we get them.

1415 GMT (09:15 a.m. EST)

Engineers have completed preparations for fueling the shuttle Endeavour and are in the process of evacuating launch pad 39B. NASA's mission management team is scheduled to meet at 12:15 p.m. to review contdown processing and to give a formal "go" to begin the three-hour fueling procedure. As of this writing, there are no technical problems of any significance and the weather appears ideal for a launch attempt at 0306 GMT Friday (10:06 p.m. EST today).

At 0723 GMT (2:23 a.m. EST), a protective gantry was pulled away from Endeavour and locked down in the park position, exposing the ship to view. Astronaut support personnel - ASPs - have completed a detailed cockpit switch list verification, last-minute middeck items have been stowed for flight and the crew's personal items are in place. Endeavour's five-man crew - commander Brent Jett, pilot Michael Bloomfield, Joseph Tanner, Marc Garneau and Carlos Noriega - were awakened at 9 a.m. to begin final preparations.

Engineers plan to begin pumping a half-million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel into Endeavour's external tank starting around 12:40 p.m. The tank should be full and in "stable replenish" by 3:40 p.m. NASA television coverage will begin at 4:30 p.m. - a half-hour earlier than originally scheduled - to accommodate the crew's desire to get a leg up on weather briefings and other preparations. A photo opportunity originally planned for 5:05 p.m. is now targeted for around 4:30 p.m.

Here is the remainder of today's countdown (in EST):

09:00 a.m. Crew wakeup
11:10 a.m. T-minus six hours: Begin a two-hour hold
11:10 a.m. Mission management team meets for fueling go/no-go
12:00 p.m. Crew gets ingress briefing
01:10 p.m. T-minus six hours: Resume countdown
01:10 p.m. Begin fueling
04:10 p.m. Fueling complete; external tank in stable replenish mode
04:10 p.m. T-minus three hours: Begin a two-hour hold
05:05 p.m. Crew snack/photo opportunity
05:35 p.m. Crew weather briefing; suit donning begins
06:10 p.m. T-minus three hours: Resume countdown
06:15 p.m. The astronauts depart crew quarters, head for launch pad
06:45 p.m. The astronauts begin strapping in for launch
08:00 p.m. The shuttle's cabin hatch is closed for flight
08:51 p.m. T-minus 20 minutes: Begin a 10-minute hold
09:01 p.m. T-minus 20 minutes: Resume countdown
09:02 p.m. Backup flight computer verification
09:12 p.m. T-minus nine minutes: Begin adjustable final hold
09:55 p.m. Mission management team gives go/no-go for launch
09:57 p.m. T-minus nine minutes: Resume countdown
10:01 p.m. Auxilliary power unit start
10:06 p.m. Launch of mission STS-97

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2000
2345 GMT (6:45 p.m. EST)

The countdown is currently in the midst of the lengthy built-in hold at T-minus 11 hours. The hold began at 5 p.m. and will last until 6:10 a.m. EST.

At launch pad 39B activities continue on schedule to ready space shuttle Endeavour for blastoff at 10:06 p.m. EST Thursday to begin its 11-day space station construction mission. The final flight preparation of the three liquid-fueled main engines began this morning and this afternoon engineers activated Endeavour's inertial measurement units and communication systems.

Tonight, the ground communications network will be brought online and workers will stow all late items of the astronauts' equipment into the shuttle. The rotating service structure is scheduled to be retracted from around Endeavour at about 1:30 a.m. EST. The pad area should be configured for launch and the hazard area cleared by 12 p.m. in preparation for fueling the shuttle's external tank with a half-million gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen starting at about 12:45 p.m. EST.

1420 GMT (9:20 a.m. EST)

Space shuttle Endeavour's three fuel cells have been loaded with their supplies of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as the countdown continues on schedule for blastoff Thursday evening.

The launch team is not working any significant technical problems with the shuttle or ground support systems, NASA Test Director Steve Altemus said this morning.

Weather forecasters remain hopeful with good conditions expected at Kennedy Space Center and abort landing sites in the U.S., Spain and Africa.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2000
1520 GMT (10:20 a.m. EST)

NASA managers have changed the flight rules for crosswind violations at emergency runways in Spain and Africa. The old rule limited peak crosswinds for overseas night landings to 12 knots. The new rule raises that limit to 15 knots, the same rule in place for contingency night landings at the Kennedy Space Center. A 12-knot limit for night time end-of-mission landings remains in force.

1500 GMT (10:00 a.m. EST)

Forecasters are predicting a 90 percent chance of good weather for Thursday's planned launching of the shuttle Endeavour. The only concern is a slight chance for low ceilings, but meteorologist Ed Priselac said he's optimistic about the shuttle's chances Thursday and Friday.

"It's kind of scary," he joked. "On Thursday, weather at every site looks good."

NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding told reporters today the countdown is proceeding smoothly at pad 39B and that engineers are not working any technical issues that might threaten an on-time liftoff.

"In summary, we're not working any significant issues at the pad, all the systems are performing well and we're looking forward to Thursday's launch and delivery of the P6 truss to the international space station."

The countdown began on time at 1 a.m. Here's the complete schedule for today:

12:30 a.m. Call to stations
01:00 a.m. Crew sleep period begins
01:00 a.m. The STS-97 countdown begins
01:00 a.m. Cockpit display and instrumentation tests and checkout
09:00 a.m. Crew wakeup
09:00 a.m. Instrumentation tests complete
09:00 a.m. Begin preps for loading fuel cell hydrogen and oxygen
09:30 a.m. Crew medical exams
10:30 a.m. Crew tagup with flight crew operations director
11:00 p.m. Flight crew equipment fit check
02:30 p.m. Crew makes T-38 jet trainer flights
05:00 p.m. Fuel cell preps complete; vehicle closeouts complete
05:00 p.m. T-minus 27 hours: Begin a 4-hour hold
06:00 p.m. Pyro initiator electrical resistance test
09:00 p.m. T-minus 27 hours: Resume countdown
09:00 p.m. Begin fuel cell reactant loading

See the Spaceflight Now countdown page for the schedule for Wednesday and Thursday.

Endeavour must be off the ground by Saturday or the flight will be delayed until at least Dec. 6, after launch of an Atlas rocket carrying a classified spy satellite.

0605 GMT (1:05 a.m. EST)

The countdown for the launch of space shuttle Endeavour has begun. Clocks started ticked down at 1 a.m. EST from the T-minus 43 hour mark. A series of planned holds in the countdown totaling 28 hours are scheduled leading up to Thursday's expected 10:06 p.m. EST liftoff. The countdown is being controlled from Firing Room 1 of the Complex 39 Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2000
2157 GMT (4:57 p.m. EST)

Space shuttle Endeavour's five-man crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center today just hours before the launch team begins the countdown for Thursday night's blastoff to deliver the first set of power-generating solar arrays to the international space station.

Commander Brent Jett, pilot Mike Bloomfield, flight engineer Marc Garneau and spacewalkers Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega flew from their homes near Houston, Texas, to the Cape in T-38 jet trainers. Touchdown on KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility runway occurred at 4:56 p.m. EST

Over the three days prior to launch, the astronauts will undergo their final medical examinations, review flight plans, receive periodic countdown, vehicle and weather status briefings, perform fit checks of the day-glow orange partial pressure suits to be worn during launch and landing and have some free time to relax with family members.

Meanwhile, final preparations are underway in the Complex 39 Launch Control Center where the STS-97 countdown is slated to begin at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) tomorrow.

Liftoff of the 101st space shuttle mission remains on schedule for Thursday at about 10:06 p.m. EST (0306 GMT Friday). The exact time will be refined in the final 90 minutes of the countdown based upon radar tracking of the international space station's orbit.

The early weather forecast looks favorable with a 90 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

Read our complete mission preview for a comprehensive look at Endeavour's flight.

0800 GMT (03:00 a.m. EST)

The crew of the international space station has resumed work today in preparation for arrival of the shuttle Endeavour on Dec. 2. Station commander William Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko and flight engineer Sergei Krikalev took Saturday and Sunday off. Today, the crew plans to service the station's toilet and to change out a condensate filter. Exercise sessions also are planned, along with a procedure to boost the oxygen content of the cabin air supply using supplies carried aloft aboard the Progress vehicle.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2000
1215 GMT (07:15 a.m. EST)

The Alpha astronauts, completing their third week in space, are working through the U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday, completing work to unload a Progress supply ship. As of Wednesday, the station fliers reported they were 70 percent complete and anticipated no problems wrapping up the job by Friday.

The Progress M1-4 vehicle must be undocked Dec. 1 to make way for arrival of the shuttle Endeavour Dec. 2. It is not yet clear whether the Progress will be deorbited at that time or whether Russian flight controllers will park it nearby for a manual redocking early next year.

In the meantime, it's business as usual aboard the international space station.

"Thanksgiving Day is a work day for the crew," lead flight director Jeff Hanley said last week. "It'll also be a work day for us here in the control center and we'll carry on with the flight program. We have certain days set aside for holidays, both Russian and U.S., (but) Thanksgiving Day was not one of those on this particular increment."

Even so, station commander Williams Shepherd, flight engineer Sergei Krikalev and pilot Yuri Gidzenko took time out Wednesday to send down holiday greetings to flight controllers in Houston and Moscow. All three appeared in a videoconferencing downlink, floating in the Zvezda command module.

"As you can see, we're up here on space station Alpha, putting things together and getting ready for a shuttle crew in about a week here to come up and bring us some electrical power," Shepherd said. "I'd just like to say, anytime you get to orbit with a good rocket and get on a good spaceship you have a lot to be thankful for. So I just want to wish everybody down there happy Thanksgiving from the crew of space station Alpha."

Krikalev: "We know a lot of people are working in mission controls on both sides of the ocean, doing the same job, trying to make space station alive. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you."

Gidzenko: "We wish you to be healthy and good luck."

Here is the latest NASA space station status report, issued Nov. 22:

Almost three weeks after arriving aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Expedition One Crew is continuing to activate support systems and unload supplies and equipment from a Progress supply ship that docked to the orbiting facility late last week.

During communication sessions with Mission Control, Expedition One Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev reported that they are about 70 per cent complete with their work to transfer the nearly two tons of food, clothing, hardware and holiday items from their families that were carried to the ISS. The unloading of the Progress is expected to be completed by Friday, well in advance of the launch of the Shuttle Endeavour next Thursday night on the STS-97 mission to deliver the large U.S. solar arrays to the orbiting outpost.

The Progress vehicle is expected to be undocked from the Station the day after Endeavour's launch to clear a path for the Shuttle to linkup December 2nd to a new docking port installed on the Unity module last month.

In the latter portion of their workday, the crew took a few minutes out from their chores to offer a Thanksgiving Day greeting to flight controllers who will be working both in Houston in the International Space Station Flight Control Room at the Johnson Space Center, and at the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow.

The crew expressed its appreciation for the hard work offered in support of the Expedition One mission, and extended best wishes to all people for a happy holiday season.

"When you ride a good rocket ship to orbit," said Shepherd, "you have a lot to be thankful for." Shepherd and his crew mates were launched on October 31st on a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Shepherd, Gidzenko and Krikalev are scheduled to have a normal workday tomorrow and Friday, before enjoying off-duty time over the weekend. Next week, they will complete preparations for the arrival of Endeavour and the STS-97 crew - the first of three shuttles that will visit the Expedition One crew members during their four-month stay on the Station.

The International Space Station continues to orbit the Earth in excellent shape at an altitude of 240 statute miles. The next ISS status report will be issued Wednesday, Nov. 29, or sooner if events warrant.

Expedition One commentary on NASA Television will continue on Thanksgiving Day and Friday. The JSC newsroom will be closed on Thursday but will reopen at 9 a.m. Eastern time on Friday.

The M1-4 spacecraft docked with the space station early Saturday (Friday night U.S. time). An automatic linkup using the ship's KURS navigation system failed, forcing Alpha cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko to take over manual control using a backup TORU remote control system in the station's Zvezda command module.

The Progress is docked to the nadir port of the station's Zarya module. It must be moved before the shuttle Endeavour can dock to the Unity module's nearby nadir port on Dec. 2. The original flight plan called for the M1-4 spacecraft to undock Dec. 1 and to deorbit later the same day.

But Russian flight planners are re-assessing that plan. They told the station crew early today they may elect to undock the Progress on Dec. 1 as planned and then move it into a parking orbit while Endeavour's crew carries out assembly mission 4A.

Under this scenario, the Progress would be redocked to the station in January or February. But any such redocking would have to be carried out under manual control. It is believed a KURS rendezvous antenna was retracted per the flight plan during the initial docking attempt Saturday and as such, the KURS system is no longer operational.

To make a manual docking easier for Gidzenko, Russian flight controllers said they may ask the Alpha crew to move their Soyuz launch-and-entry spacecraft from Zvezda's aft port to Zarya's nadir port where the Progress M1-4 vehicle is currently attached. That would free up Zvezda's aft port for a Progress redocking in January or February.

This proposal apparently caught NASA managers off guard. Senior flight director Jeff Hanley has said repeatedly that redocking the Progress under manual control would not be allowed because there are no backups to the manual TORU system.

During a status briefing last week, Hanley said the issue of manually redocking the Progress had been discussed earlier "and based on the limitations of the system, we don't think that's an option."

"There is the capability to bring it back but it would be a single string capability and we want to have redundancy when we have a cargo vehicle like that approach the station," he said. "So that wouldn't be an option."

Once again, it would appear NASA managers have been surprised by their Russian colleagues.

The Alpha astronauts, meanwhile, are pressing ahead with work to unload the Progress craft in time to support an undocking on Dec. 1. NASA mission control commentator Ed Campion said today the unloading is proceeding smoothly.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2000
0600 GMT (1:00 a.m. EST)

The automatic guidance system of an unmanned Progress supply ship failed during final approach late Friday, forcing cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko to take over manual control for a dramatic, remotely piloted docking with the international space station. Read our full story.

We have also posted a video clip that shows the view from Progress as it wildly rocked back and forth while searching for the station in automatic mode.

0446 GMT (11:46 p.m. EST Fri.)

Russian flight controllers just told the Expedition One crew they can relax a bit now because they earned it tonight with the manual docking of the Progress cargo ship. The hooks and latches have been verified to be closed, firmly mating the craft to the station for its two-week stay at the complex. Equalizing pressure in the passageway between the Progress and docking part is still to come before the hatches can be opened by the crew to enter the freighter.

0434 GMT (11:34 p.m. EST Fri.)

After some drama in the high frontier tonight, the Expedition One crew guided the Progress cargo freighter to successful docking to the station's Zarya module.

The first attempt at docking under automatic control was halted when the Progress failed to align itself with the docking port. An initial manual attempt was aborted in the final few meters after ice or frost on the Progress video camera needed by the crew to fly the craft prevent a good view of the docking target. The third try was the charm after the lighting conditions improved so pilot Yuri Gidzenko could safely fly the Progress to its attachment.

The cargo ship is carrying about two tons of equipment, fresh food, supplies, fuel and oxygen for the station's first residents. The three men will unload the craft over the next two weeks before it is jettisoned.

0431 GMT (11:31 p.m. EST Fri.)

Expedition One pilot Yuri Gidzenko reports that the Progress has successfully docked to the international space station while under manual control.

0429 GMT (11:29 p.m. EST Fri.)

Russian ground controllers should regain communications with the Expedition One crew in about one minute.

0425 GMT (11:25 p.m. EST Fri.)

NASA flight controllers report the space station remains in the free-drift, or indicator mode, as has been the case since it was first suspected that the docking had occurred. At this point, there still no firm confirmation that the Progress is attached to the station, however.

0423 GMT (11:23 p.m. EST Fri.)

Still awaiting a communications lock between the station and the orbiting TDRS satellite so NASA controllers can receive data.

0419 GMT (11:19 p.m. EST Fri.)

Data from the station may be received via NASA's TDRS satellite system in about another minute. If this occurs, flight controllers might be able to determine if the Progress has really docked to the station or not. The only information available so far tonight indicated that the station had contacted the docking port. But there was not confirmation that the hooks and latches captured the Progress.

0403 GMT (11:03 p.m. EST Fri.)

The next communications session between the station and ground is about 27 minutes away. The station is currently over South America on a northeast path headed on a trek over Russia.

0400 GMT (11:00 p.m. EST Fri.)

Ground controllers are looking to find a way to establish communications with the Expedition One crew. The station is currently out of range of ground stations and the early communications relay system is unavailable at the moment. For now, only the crew knows what is really happening aboard the station as flight controllers in Russia and Houston remain in the dark.

0357 GMT (10:57 p.m. EST Fri.)

NASA reports the telemetry data is inconclusive whether the Progress has completely docked to the space station. There was the initial indication of the craft had contacted the docking port but there is not enough information to determine if the hooks and latches have captured the Progress to firmly grasp the freighter.

0356 GMT (10:56 p.m. EST Fri.)

Flight controllers are trying to determine via data coming down from the station if the hooks and latches have driven closed to confirm the Progress is firmly docked to the Zarya module. That verification has not been made yet.

0353 GMT (10:53 p.m. EST Fri.)

The NASA flight controller in Houston who saw the indication from the station's motion control computer that the docking had occurred timed the event at 0347:42 GMT (10:47:42 p.m. EST) while the craft were flying over the South Pacific.

0351 GMT (10:51 p.m. EST Fri.)

Again, it appears the Progress was docked to the nadir port of the station's Zarya module under the manual control of Expedition One pilot Yuri Gidzenko. Officials say cosmonauts operate under the rules that they can perform dockings when prepared to do so and not while in live communications with the ground.

The docking appears to have occurred a few minutes before sunset, apparently when the crew felt comfortable with the lighting conditions.

0349 GMT (10:49 p.m. EST Fri.)

NASA reports telemetry data shows the Progress cargo ship has been manually docked to the international space station while out of range of communications with ground controllers.

0346 GMT (10:46 p.m. EST Fri.)

The international space station and Progress are orbiting about 214 miles above the South Pacific Ocean approaching an sunset. Resumption of the docking could occur shortly.

0342 GMT (10:42 p.m. EST Fri.)

Johnson Space Center Director George Abbey, NASA Chief Astronaut Charlie Precourt, Mission Operations Director Randy Stone and ISS Flight Director John Currey are huddled around a model of the station in the Houston mission control center.

0340 GMT (10:40 p.m. EST Fri.)

NASA flight controllers in Houston are discussing options available tonight, including maneuvering the station to improve the lightning conditions and even re-starting the automatic docking system if proper alignment can be achieved. Russian officials near Moscow are in charge, however.

0334 GMT (10:34 p.m. EST Fri.)

Earlier this week NASA Flight Director Jeff Hanley described the TORU manual docking system that would be available to the Expedition One crew to fly the Progress to a linkup with the station should the craft's automatic system fail.

"The TORU system is a control panel, a TV monitor and a set of hand controllers in the service module, just aft of the central post on the starboard side," Hanley said. "Yuri will be sitting at the controls of that system. They'll likely dim the lights to make sure that his eyes, that he has the best possible contrast with the TV monitor he'll be using to monitor the approach.

"He gets a TV signal from the approaching vehicle and can monitor what that vehicle sees and will be able to use that TV camera to guide the vehicle up to the station if that automated system does not work."

The Russian TORU system has had a couple of notable incidents in the past during the era of space station Mir, including the infamous collision of a Progress freighter with the outpost in 1997.

0324 GMT (10:24 p.m. EST Fri.)

The Progress has been backed away even further from the station under the manual control of Yuri Gidzenko from inside the international space station. The distance is estimated by the crew to be 30 to 40 meters.

It is worth noting that this Progress craft was originally due for launch in September but officials decided to delay its takeoff until after the Expedition One crew arrived on the station. The reason was to have a crew onboard the station to manually dock the Progress if the automatic system did not work. That is exactly what has transpired tonight.

0320 GMT (10:20 p.m. EST Fri.)

The Progress camera was turned off and then turned back on. The crew reports the picture did improve slightly.

0318 GMT (10:18 p.m. EST Fri.)

Speculation from the crew and flight controllers is there is something wrong with the Progress television camera. There is a halo-like blur in the center of the camera view. The crew uses that camera as its primary tool for guiding the Progress to a docking while under manual control, which is the case tonight.

The plan right now is to wait until the sun sets in about 40 minutes to improve the lighting conditions for the Progress camera before reattempting the docking.

0315 GMT (10:15 p.m. EST Fri.)

The space station has passed out of the coverage zone of Russian ground sites.

0314 GMT (10:14 p.m. EST Fri.)

Sunset is about 40 minutes away and Russian flight controllers are telling the crew they should wait until then before trying again to align the Progress with the station's docking port and to resume the final approach. The range between the two craft is about 10 meters.

0312 GMT (10:12 p.m. EST Fri.)

The crew is going to keep the Progress in its holding pattern a few meters away from the station as they wait for a better sun angle before attempt to dock the craft.

0310 GMT (10:10 p.m. EST Fri.)

The sun angle is making it virtually impossible for the Progress camera to see the docking port on the Zarya module. The craft is still not aligned with the station.

0309 GMT (10:09 p.m. EST Fri.)

The Progress is about five meters from the station and holding. The crew cannot see the docking port via the camera on the nose of the craft.

0308 GMT (10:08 p.m. EST Fri.)

The docking is running behind schedule tonight after the Expedition One crew was forced to take manual control after the automatic system aboard the Progress failed to align the craft with the station.

0307 GMT (10:07 p.m. EST Fri.)

The video from the Progress cargo ship has gotten very washed out. The crew reports the craft is 8 to 10 meters away. Fellow crewmates are watching out the window as the Progress approaches the station, helping pilot Yuri Gidzenko.

0305 GMT (10:05 p.m. EST Fri.)

The TORU docking system features a joystick and a television view from a Progress camera. That is what Gidzenko is using to manually fly the Progress to its docking.

0302 GMT (10:02 p.m. EST Fri.)

Pilot Yuri Gidzenko is now flying the Progress spacecraft towards a docking with the Zarya module. This is a trained-for procedure for incidents like this when a Progress' automatic docking system does not work.

0300 GMT (10:00 p.m. EST Fri.)

MANUAL MODE. The Expedition One crew is taking manual control of the Progress after its automatic docking system has failed to get the craft aligned with the station.

0300 GMT (10:00 p.m. EST Fri.)

The Progress is wildly searching for proper alignment to the station docking port. So far, it has not had any luck.

0259 GMT (9:59 p.m. EST Fri.)

The Progress is trying to lock up with the docking port on the Zarya module. Range is 150 meters.

0257 GMT (9:57 p.m. EST Fri.)

The television picture from a camera on the nose of the Progress ship has been breaking up and is not usable so far. The Expedition One pilot Yuri Gidzenko is at the ready to assume manual control of the Progress for docking if the craft's automatic system develops a problem.

0255 GMT (9:55 p.m. EST Fri.)

The final approach by the Progress to dock with the international space station has begun. The craft is about 180 meters away from the docking port on the Zarya module, closing at less than a tenth-of-a-meter per second.

0251 GMT (9:51 p.m. EST Fri.)

The Progress is in a stationkeeping position to ensure its docking mechanism is properly aligned with the port on the Zarya module where it will link up in about 17 minutes. This holding pattern is just another step in this pre-program rendezvous that the Progress ship is executing tonight.

0246 GMT (9:46 p.m. EST Fri.)

Communications between the Expedition One crew and ground controllers have been reestablished. The Progress has completed its flyaround of the international space station and is now aligning itself with the nadir docking port of the Russian Zarya module.

0230 GMT (9:30 p.m. EST Fri.)

The Progress continues its trek to the station, nearing a point in about nine minutes when it begins an automatic flyaround of the complex. The freighter's thrusters are being fired to refine its trajectory.

0225 GMT (9:25 p.m. EST Fri.)

It is dark inside the international space station has Expedition One pilot Yuri Gidzenko studies data coming from the Progress craft on a television screen. The lights have been dimmed in the living quarters as the crew readies for the upcoming docking. Gidzenko will be prepared to take over manual control the freighter to dock the Progress should its automatic system malfunction.

0221 GMT (9:21 p.m. EST Fri.)

A Progress cargo ship is on course its orbital linkup with the international space station. The Progress was launched Wednesday night (U.S. time) carrying two tons of supplies, equipment and food for the three-man Expedition One crew.

The spacecraft is about six kilometers away from the international space station as it nears docking with the outpost less than an hour from now at about 0308 GMT (10:08 p.m. EST). We will provide updates during this final phase of the rendezvous and docking.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2000
1920 GMT (02:20 p.m. EST)

In a weekly telecon with flight controllers in Moscow and Houston, the space station's three-man crew complained again about how long it's taking Russian engineers to resolve networking problems with the station's German-built inventory computer.

Commander William Shepherd, speaking to U.S. flight controllers, was clearly losing patience. The Weiner computer, a German laptop used to keep track of where everything is aboard the station, has had problems working through the station's on-board network and apparently is unable to share a network printer.

"We've been ready to fix the network, get the Weiner and the printer configured for a couple of days now," Shepherd said. "I don't know if you heard my comments to the SUP (Russian mission control center), but we could get some more timely response out of them to get on with it. I've asked for that and I'm hoping they will come through."

"I copy and we understand your comments," replied astronaut Sandy Magnus in Houston.

"OK. Just want to keep Sergei (Krikalev, the flight engineer) happy. He's one of the main guys on our team here, he's doing great work and I want to make sure he's fully utilized. Now (lead planner David Korth is) going to take care of that, right?"

"We understand completely, Shep, and we'll look into it, too," Magnus said.

The Alpha astronauts are gearing up for arrival of a Progress cargo ship early Saturday carrying two tons of supplies and equipment, including food, clothing, electronic gear, computer equipment and other supplies.

The station crew must get the Progress unloaded by Dec. 1, when the ship must be undocked to make way for arrival of the shuttle Endeavour on Dec. 2. The primary goal of Endeavour's mission, known as station assembly flight 4A, is to install and unfurl a huge set of solar arrays.

As it now stands, the station crew will be asleep during much of the shuttle crew's "day" and vice versa. NASA managers wanted their Russian counterparts to approve a plan to shift the station crew's sleep cycles to synch up better with the shuttle.

But the plan agreed to by both sides yesterday leaves the station crew's schedule intact except for one day when the two teams of astronauts must work together to move equipment and supplies into the station.

Sleep-shifting aside, Shepherd asked flight controllers to help him figure out the best way to utilize the crew's time during the upcoming shuttle visit.

"I'm kind of scratching my head as to how we're going to stay coordinated with the cargo transfer, the IMAX, the IWIS and all that," he said. "I would really appreciate the CAPCOMs just maybe looking at the plan and saying hey, here's what you need to be thinking about as far as getting ready to do this. Particularly, our hatch-is-open day is going to be real busy and I'm kind of trying to figure out now what we can do to get ahead of that."

Earlier, a Russian planner gave the crew a snapshot of the work on tap next week.

"ISS crew, hello, this is the planning group. Do you have radiogram 94 about the upcoming week?"

"We used to have it and we had to move around all the files so we don't have it right now in front of us," replied Krikalev.

"OK, I'll just let you know that on Monday we start Progress unloading with a few days allocated for that," the planner said. "Then we have outfitting tasks for service module systems, which will arrive with Progress. So that's a simple plan and words for the upcoming week.

"I'd like to tell you we have several video PAO events with you," she continued. "The good TV signal was during the docking day. As for the rest of the TV PAO opportunities, the quality was not very good. Therefore, Progress will bring a special (Russian) PAO camera, one or three TVs and if we have a chance next week we'll incorporate some tasks for camera outfitting.

"And I have a question related to that," she said. "Sometime in December, as part of a technical experiment, you have to take an image of the night, an image of a city, lights at night in a city. Do you think that's possible?"

"We don't have a ready made answer for you right now," Krikalev replied. "But we might try if we have highly sensitive film for that."

"Sergei, if you have any time available, maybe after Progress docking, can you look at the camera and see if that's feasible?"

"OK, we'll do that. But there might be some other issues involved, such as attitude issues, because plane number one is pointing toward the ground but then plane number one at night looks in the opposite direction. Therefore, the attitude might not be a very good one for filming. Where are you planning for us to take those pictures?"

"Somewhere in Europe. ... Before we sum up, I'd like to say a few words about ISS 4A. Yesterday, we came to an agreement that ISS-1 periods for work and rest will be changed only for one day, which is flight day No. 7. As for the rest of the time, you'll have nominal schedule for work and rest."

"Vera, a small question for you," Krikalev said. "How fast do we need to unload Progress? Do we have to do it during the first three days or will we have more time available, let's say a week or a week and a half, and we can take our time?"

"The thing is, Progress is docked to the station for a very limited time because we'll have to undock it on the (Dec.) first, before flight 4A (docks)."

"OK, copy. So if you undock on the first, then we'll have more time available," Krikalev said.

0345 GMT (10:45 p.m. EST, Wed.)

Here is the latest mission status report from NASA:

While the occupants of the International Space Station (ISS) slept, a new resupply vehicle sped to the orbiting outpost, carrying supplies and hardware for the three residents on board.

Launch of the second Progress spacecraft to the ISS occurred at 8:33 p.m. Eastern time (1:33 GMT Nov. 16) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. At the time of launch, the ISS was traveling off the West coast of Africa, just West of the nation of Gabon.

Within 10 minutes, the Progress had reached its preliminary orbit with its solar arrays and antennas successfully deployed, headed for a linkup to the Station on Friday night at 10:07 p.m. Eastern time (3:07 GMT Nov. 18). Shortly before docking Friday, the Progress will execute a flyaround of the ISS, aligning itself to the nadir, or downward facing docking port on the Zarya module. The actual linkup will occur within sight of Russian ground stations.

The Progress, which contains about 2 tons of clothing, food and spare parts for the crew, complements the Russian Soyuz vehicle, which is docked to the aft port of the Zvezda living quarters. The three crew members will unload the Progress over the next two weeks.

Expedition One Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev concentrated today on conducting an inventory of the hardware on board, ensuring that all equipment is well cataloged so that new items arriving on the Russian cargo ship can be properly distributed and accounted for.

The crew also simulated the operation of the manual docking system in the Zvezda module, called the TORU, which would be used as a backup by Gidzenko to bring the Progress vehicle in for docking in the unlikely event its automated docking system failed. Gidzenko and Krikalev conducted the simulation, which was completed with no problems.

Krikalev inspected a connector on one of the Zvezda's battery cables, confirming that its connector has a bent pin, which prevented the battery from accepting a normal charge. The component was disconnected after the inspection, allowing the crew manually charge the battery, if required. Seven of Zvezda's eight batteries and charging systems are functioning in excellent shape, providing more than ample power for Station operations.

The ISS remains in excellent shape, orbiting at an altitude of 240 statute miles as it completes an orbit of the Earth every 90 minutes.

The next Expedition One mission status briefing will be held on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time and will be broadcast live on NASA Television with question and answer capability from reporters at NASA Centers. The next written Expedition One status report will be issued on Friday night after the Progress docks to the ISS or sooner if developments warrant.

0158 GMT (8:58 p.m. EST, Wed.)

NASA has confirmed the successful liftoff of the Progress M1-4 spacecraft carrying supplies to the three-man crew aboard the International Space Station. Solar arrays and antenna were deployed shortly after the freighter arrived in orbit. The Progress lifted off from Baikonur at 0132:36 GMT and is scheduled to dock with the space outpost at 0307 GMT on November 18.

0135 GMT (8:35 p.m. EST, Wed.)

Live streaming video, provided by RKK Energia, appeared to show the liftoff of a Progress resupply ship from the Baikonur Cosmodrome a few moments ago. The freighter is bound for the International Space Station. We hope to provide NASA confirmation of the launch shortly.

Read our earlier status center coverage.