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STS-98
Ascent Timeline COMPILED BY WILLIAM HARWOOD Updated: February 5, 2001 Change History: 12/18: Posting initial ascent timeline 01/03: Updating to reflect 1/19 launch target 01/07: Fixing hold times 01/11: Adding STS-98 ascent events data from NASA 01/15: Launch delayed to at least February 6. The update below is based on an educated guess as to the eventual launch time 01/17: Adding NASA-projected launch time for February 6 01/22: Making two-second update to launch time/window 01/25: Reflecting launch slip to February 7 01/30: Adding one second to launch window 02/05: Adding one second to launch window Background: The
space shuttle can reach a runway or a lower-than-planned orbit in
the event of a single main engine failure at any point after liftoff.
An engine failure in the first two minutes
and 23 seconds or so of flight would result in a return-to-launch-site
- RTLS - abort. Between approximately 2:24 and 4:34, an engine failure
would result in a trans-Atlantic landing - TAL - in either Spain
or Africa. After 4:35, Atlantis would
be able to abort into a safe but lower-than-planned orbit, or ATO.
The only in-flight abort in shuttle history was an ATO on July 29,
1985, when Challenger's center engine shut down five minutes and
45 seconds into the 19th shuttle mission (STS-51F). |
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