Cockrell

Curbeam

Ivins

Jones

Polansky

---

STS-98 Credit - NASA

7 February 2001 23:13 GMT. Landing Date: 2001-02-20 20:33:00 PM. Flight Time: 12.89 days. Other Name: ISS-5A. Flight Up: STS-98. Flight Back: STS-98. Call Sign: Atlantis. Crew: Cockrell, Curbeam, Ivins, Jones, Polansky. Program: ISS.

Of note: Delivered Destiny module, making the ISS heavier than Mir. ISS Assembly flight. Launch delayed from January 18 and February 6. International Space Station assembly mission; delivered the Destiny and PMA-2 modules. Destiny was an American ISS module, an 8.4 meter long and 4.2 meter wide cylindrical structure with a mass of 15 tonnes. It was to function as a science and technology module and the primary control module for the ISS. The shuttle orbiter was placed in an initial 74 x 323 km x 51.6 deg orbit. At 2357 GMT the OMS engines fired for the OMS-2 burn which raised Atlantis' orbit to 204 x 322 km x 51.6 deg. Atlantis docked with the Station at 1651 GMT on February 9 at the PMA-3 port on Unity's nadir. At 1500 GMT on Feb 10 Marsha Ivins used the RMS arm to unberth the PMA-2 docking port from Unity. Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam then conducted three spacewalks on Februay 10 to 14 to attach the Destiny and PMA-2 modules to the station. The crew also delivered over a tonne of food, fuel and equipment to the ISS. Atlantis undocked from Alpha at 1406 GMT on February 16. Atlantis landed at Edwards AFB on February 20; plans to land on February 18 and 19 were called off due to persistent wind problems at Kennedy Space Center. The deorbit burn was at 1927 GMT and lowered the orbit from 370 x 386 km to about 50 x 380 km. The nominal entry interface at 122 km came at 2002 GMT and touchdown on runway 22 was at 20:33 GMT. On March 1 Atlantis was flown on the back of NASA's SCA 911 carrier aircraft to Altus AFB, Oklahoma, en route to Kennedy.

STS-98 Credit- www.spacefacts.de

• 2001 Feb 7 - STS-98  Crew: Cockrell, Polansky, Curbeam, Ivins, Jones. Spacecraft: Atlantis. Payload: Atlantis F23. Mass: 90,225 kg (198,912 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Duration: 12.89 days. Perigee: 183 km (113 mi). Apogee: 337 km (209 mi). Inclination: 51.30 deg. Period: 89.71 min.

  ISS Assembly flight. Launch delayed from January 18 and February 6. International Space Station assembly mission; delivered the Destiny and PMA-2 modules. Destiny was an American ISS module, an 8.4 meter long and 4.2 meter wide cylindrical structure with a mass of 15 tonnes. It was to function as a science and technology module and the primary control module for the ISS. The shuttle orbiter was placed in an initial 74 x 323 km x 51.6 deg orbit. At 2357 GMT the OMS engines fired for the OMS-2 burn which raised Atlantis' orbit to 204 x 322 km x 51.6 deg. Atlantis docked with the Station at 1651 GMT on February 9 at the PMA-3 port on Unity's nadir. At 1500 GMT on Feb 10 Marsha Ivins used the RMS arm to unberth the PMA-2 docking port from Unity. Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam then conducted three spacewalks on Februay 10 to 14 to attach the Destiny and PMA-2 modules to the station. The crew also delivered over a tonne of food, fuel and equipment to the ISS. Atlantis undocked from Alpha at 1406 GMT on February 16. Atlantis landed at Edwards AFB on February 20; plans to land on February 18 and 19 were called off due to persistent wind problems at Kennedy Space Center. The deorbit burn was at 1927 GMT and lowered the orbit from 370 x 386 km to about 50 x 380 km. The nominal entry interface at 122 km came at 2002 GMT and touchdown on runway 22 was at 20:33 GMT. On March 1 Atlantis was flown on the back of NASA's SCA 911 carrier aircraft to Altus AFB, Oklahoma, en route to Kennedy.

• 2001 Feb 7 - STS-98 Mission Status Report #01 

  Atlantis' five astronauts blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center at sunset tonight to deliver the U.S. Laboratory Destiny to the International Space Station (ISS), the cornerstone of scientific research on the complex and the new command and control center for Station operations.

  Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam, Marsha Ivins and Tom Jones rocketed away from Launch Pad 39-A at 5:13p.m. Central time, lighting up the central Florida skies as they began their pursuit of the international complex. The launch was delayed by about two minutes while ground controllers resolved a false reading from a sensor in a data relay unit on the Shuttle. Atlantis' flight is the 102nd Space Shuttle mission.

  At the time of launch, the three Expedition One crewmembers aboard the ISS were passing over the north Atlantic due east of St. John's, Newfoundland, about 1,500 statute miles ahead of Atlantis. They were notified of the launch minutes after Atlantis reached orbit by Spacecraft Communicator Dan Burbank in Mission Control, and a video of the launch was transmitted to the crew. Expedition Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev will be awakened shortly after 4 a.m. Central time Thursday, their 100th day in space, a little over an hour before an unmanned Progress resupply vehicle is scheduled to be undocked from the ISS at around 5:25 a.m. The Progress undocking will clear the way for Atlantis to link up to the station on Friday. The Progress will be commanded into a destructive deorbit several hours after undocking.

  Less than nine minutes after liftoff, Atlantis' astronauts went to work to prepare the Shuttle's systems for their planned 11-day mission. The first major task on the flight plan was to open Atlantis' cargo bay doors prior to receiving a "go" for orbital operations from Ascent Flight Director LeRoy Cain. The astronauts are expected to set up computers and flight deck gear before beginning an eight-hour sleep period at 10:11 p.m. Central time. The Shuttle crew will be awakened at 6:11 a.m. Friday to begin its first full day in space.

  With this evening's successful launch behind them, Atlantis' astronauts will turn their attention to their chase of the International Space Station, performing several firings of the ship's jet thrusters over the next two days to set up a docking with the outpost on Friday just before 11 a.m. Over the ensuing week, the crew will perform three space walks as they help to install and hook up the 16-ton Destiny research lab.

• 2001 Feb 8 - STS-98 Mission Status Report #02 

  The five-member crew of Atlantis is in its first full day in space continuing its pursuit of the International Space Station. After a slightly abbreviated sleep period, Atlantis' astronauts were awakened at 6:13 a.m. Central time as the Shuttle trailed the Station by approximately 2,000 statute miles (3,200 kilometers). The first wakeup call of the flight was "Where You At", a jazz selection by Pilot Mark Polansky's late uncle, Zoot Sims.

  The first full day in orbit for Astronauts Ken Cockrell, Polansky, Marsha Ivins, Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam will focus on preparations for the unberthing and installation of the Destiny laboratory to the International Space Station. Ivins and Cockrell will check out the 50-foot long robotic arm, and conduct a camera survey of the payload bay with the 16-ton Destiny laboratory housed inside. Curbeam and Jones, with assistance from Polansky, will test the space suits they will wear during three scheduled space walks, the first of which is planned for Saturday as Ivins uses the ship's robot arm to install Destiny onto the Unity module of the Station.

  Cockrell and Polansky will command a series of engine firings to refine Atlantis' approach to the station, positioning themselves for a Friday morning docking, just before 11 a.m. Central time.

  On board the station, the Expedition One crew - Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev - awoke just after 4 a.m. to mark its 100th day in orbit. From on board they kept tabs as an unmanned Progress resupply spacecraft, loaded with trash, undocked from the station at 5:26 a.m. Central time as the Station flew high over Asia. A series of engine firings on the Progress slowly increased the distance between the two vehicles. Just before 11 a.m., the Progress will be commanded to deorbit, causing it to burn up as it reenters the Earth's atmosphere.

  Today the Expedition One crew will review its plans for joint operations with Atlantis' crew following docking Friday morning, perform some basic housekeeping tasks, and enjoy a regularly-scheduled exercise session.

  Atlantis' crew will conduct a series of interviews with media representatives just after 4 p.m. this afternoon. The first Mission Status Briefing of the flight is planned for 5:30 p.m. on NASA Television.

• 2001 Feb 8 - STS-98 Mission Status Report #03 

  With the 16-ton, bus-sized Destiny laboratory now virtually weightless in its cargo bay, the Space Shuttle Atlantis today drew ever closer to Destiny's permanent home, the International Space Station, and the five shuttle astronauts prepared for the complex construction job to come.

  More than two thousand miles ahead, the three-member space station crew -- passing their 100th day in space - watched early this morning as ground controllers commanded a Progress cargo craft to undock from the outpost, clearing the way for Atlantis' arrival. A few hours after the undocking, the Progress craft, filled with trash, descended into the atmosphere and was destroyed. Atlantis is planned to dock with the station at about 10:50 a.m. Central Friday.

  Aboard Atlantis, astronauts Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam checked out the spacesuits they will wear for three spacewalks during the next week to finalize connections between the new laboratory and the station. The crew found the suits in good shape, but noted a preliminary indication of a possible oxygen tank leak in a third, spare spacesuit aboard the shuttle. Later, more precise checks of the spare suit showed that the preliminary finding was likely false. The spare suit is usable as well if needed. As suit checks were conducted on the lower deck of Atlantis, on the upper deck Astronaut Marsha Ivins powered up the shuttle's robotic arm and surveyed the cargo bay, finding everything in good shape. The arm will be used to lift the Destiny lab out of the shuttle bay on Saturday and maneuver it into position to attach to the station. Ivins also checked alignment aids and cameras that she will use to precisely maneuver the 28-foot long module.

  Periodically, Commander Ken Cockrell and Polansky fired Atlantis' thrusters to adjust the rate at which the shuttle is closing in on the International Space Station, maintaining a course toward Friday's docking. At present, Atlantis is about 950 statute miles behind the station, moving about 110 miles closer with each orbit of Earth. Atlantis is in a 227 by 192 statute mile orbit. The International Space Station is in a 229 by 214 statute mile orbit. Atlantis and the station crew will go to sleep at 8:13 p.m. Central today. Atlantis' crew will awaken at 4:13 a.m. Friday, and the station crew will awaken at 4:43 a.m.

  Both spacecraft are in excellent condition, ready for tomorrow's combined activities. The final phase of the rendezvous will begin with a terminal intercept engine firing by Atlantis at 8:24 a.m. Central, when the shuttle is about nine statute miles behind the station. Cockrell will take manual control of Atlantis' approach to the station at about 9:45 a.m., about a half-mile from the complex. After the 10:50 a.m. docking, the two crews will perform leak checks and open hatches between the spacecraft at 12:43 p.m.

• 2001 Feb 10 - EVA STS-98-1  Crew: Jones, Curbeam. EVA Type: Extra-Vehicular Activity. EVA Duration: 0.32 days. Spacecraft: International Space Station.

  Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam began the first STS-98 spacewalk from the ODS airlock on Atlantis, supervising the ISS/Destiny assembly operations. The airlock was depressurized at 1544 GMT. PMA-2 was berthed on Z1 at 1650 GMT; Destiny was unberthed from the payload bay at 1735 GMT and docked to Unity at 1900 GMT. At 1935 GMT Curbeam was connecting ammonia coolant lines when a leaking connector sprayed ammonia into space, contaminating his suit. He was ordered to stay in sunlight to bake off the ammonia. At around 2311 GMT the spacewalkers returned to the airlock, closing the hatch at 2318 GMT. A new depressurization for decontamination was begun at 2342 GMT, with the airlock fully depressurized at 2350 GMT. The hatch was then opened and closed quickly at 2351-2352 GMT, to flush the airlock of any ammonia residue. This last event was not counted as an EVA by NASA.

• 2001 Feb 12 - EVA STS-98-2  Crew: Jones, Curbeam. EVA Type: Extra-Vehicular Activity. EVA Duration: 0.28 days. Spacecraft: International Space Station.

  STS-98 EVA-2 began at 1555 GMT on February 12 with depressurization of the airlock. The astronauts went to battery power at 1559 GMT. The PMA-2 docking port was attached to Destiny at 1728 GMT. The Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF) was removed from its location on an adaptive payload carrier on the port side of the payload bay (probably bay 5P) and installed on Destiny. The PDGF will be used by the Station's robot arm, and is an improved grapple fixture with electrical power and data ports. The hatch was closed at 2240 GMT and the airlock was repressurized at 2249 GMT

• 2001 Feb 14 - EVA STS-98-3  Crew: Jones, Curbeam. EVA Type: Extra-Vehicular Activity. EVA Duration: 0.23 days. Spacecraft: International Space Station.

  On the third STS-98 EVA the airlock was depressurized at 1443 GMT, with hatch open at around 1445 and battery power at 1448. The spare SASA S-band antenna was unberthed from an adapter beam in the payload bay (around bay 4P?) and installed on Z1. The +X (starboard) TCS radiator on P6, launched on the previous mission, was deployed at 1649 GMT. The astronauts completed the spacewalk with repressurization of the airlock at 2013 GMT

• 2001 Feb 18 - STS-98 Mission Status Report #22 

  Atlantis' astronauts were awakened just before 4 a.m. Central time Sunday, ready for a homecoming to the Kennedy Space Center later today, weather permitting.

  With the U.S. Laboratory Destiny operating in excellent shape as the newest addition to the International Space Station, Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam, Marsha Ivins and Tom Jones began to perform a series of procedures which will lead to the firing of the Shuttle's braking rockets late this morning to begin their hour-long reentry back to Earth.

  There are two landing opportunities available today for Atlantis' return to Florida. The first begins with a deorbit firing of the Shuttle's orbital maneuvering system engines on Orbit 169 at 10:47 a.m. Central time, culminating in a landing at 11:53 a.m. Central time on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center. A backup opportunity one orbit later starts with a deorbit burn at 12:22 p.m., resulting in a 1:28 p.m. Central time landing. Weather forecasts for today are generally favorable with flight controllers watching the possibility of gusty winds in the vicinity of the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Cape. The backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, California was not called up for landing support today, but likely would be activated for backup landing support Monday if Atlantis' landing is blocked by the weather.

  A landing on the first opportunity of the day would wrap up a journey of 4.4 million miles for the astronauts and the first Shuttle mission of the year.

  Atlantis' astronauts begin their deorbit preparations at 6:50 a.m. today, configuring computers for reentry, deactivating the galley and installing seats on the flight deck and middeck. The payload bay doors should be closed at 8:07 a.m., and a final "go-no go" decision for the deorbit burn from Entry Flight Director Leroy Cain is expected about 10:30 a.m.

  When Atlantis' astronauts were awakened at 3:43 a.m. today, they were approximately 408 statute miles in front of the International Space Station. On board the Station, Expedition One Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev will relax today as they enjoy another day of light activities. The Expedition One crew began its day at Midnight this morning and will go to sleep about 3:30 p.m. This is the 110th day in space for the Expedition One crew and its 108th day aboard the orbiting outpost.

  Atlantis continues to orbit the Earth in excellent shape at an altitude of 237 statute miles as its astronauts gear up for landing.

• 2001 Feb 18 - STS-98 Mission Status Report #23 

  Atlantis' homecoming was delayed today until Monday as gusty winds at the Kennedy Space Center forced a waveoff of the Shuttle's landing at the Florida spaceport.

  Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam, Marsha Ivins and Tom Jones were ordered to stay in orbit for an extra day after Entry Flight Director LeRoy Cain concluded that crosswinds at the 3-mile long Shuttle Landing Facility were out of limits despite crystal clear skies. Atlantis' crew had only two opportunities today in which to return to Earth.

  The astronauts closed the Shuttle's cargo bay doors just after 8 a.m. Central time this morning as Cain and his team of flight controllers closely monitored the winds in Florida. Chief Astronaut Charlie Precourt provided real-time observations as he flew the Shuttle Training Aircraft over the landing strip, a Gulfstream jet modified to mimic the landing characteristics of Atlantis.

  Throughout the morning, winds were observed to be gusting in excess of the 15 knot crosswind limit for a daytime landing, and at 11:47 a.m. Central time, Cain called off today's landing efforts. Word of the waveoff was radioed up to Cockrell by Spacecraft Communicator Scott Altman in Mission Control.

  Atlantis will have two opportunities again tomorrow in which to land at the Kennedy Space Center. The first, on orbit 185, calls for a firing of Atlantis' braking rockets at 11:21 a.m. Central time with a landing on KSC's Shuttle runway at 12:27 p.m. Central time. Atlantis' cargo bay doors would be closed at around 8:40 a.m. Monday in preparation for that first landing opportunity. A backup opportunity is also available on the following orbit, with a deorbit firing of the orbital maneuvering system engines at 12:57 p.m. Central time and a landing at 2:03 p.m. Central time. The weather forecast for the Cape tomorrow is promising, with only scattered clouds, a possibility of one deck of broken clouds, and somewhat lighter winds which are predicted to be acceptable for landing.

  The backup landing site at California's Edwards Air Force Base is forecast to have unacceptable weather, with broken clouds, high winds and a chance of showers.

  Shortly after today's landing attempts were called off, Atlantis' astronauts reopened the Shuttle's payload bay doors and removed their launch and entry suits to begin their bonus day in space. The astronauts will begin an eight-hour sleep period at 7:43 p.m. Central time tonight and will be awakened at 3:43 a.m. Monday to begin their pre-landing preparations.

  Atlantis continues to orbit the Earth in excellent shape, completing an orbit of the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 237 statute miles.

  Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition One Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev spent a relaxing day off aboard the orbital outpost and will enjoy an off-duty day again on Monday.

• 2001 Feb 19 - STS-98 Mission Status Report #24 

  After an extra day in orbit, Atlantis' astronauts will try again to return to the Kennedy Space Center today to wrap up a 4.9 million mile mission to deliver the U.S. Laboratory Destiny to the International Space Station (ISS). Preliminary weather forecasts indicate the possibility of gusty winds and decks of broken clouds at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Cape this afternoon, similar to the conditions that forced a waveoff of the Shuttle's return yesterday.

  Atlantis has two opportunities today for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center. The first, on orbit 185, calls for a firing of Atlantis' braking rockets at 11:21 a.m. Central time with a landing on KSC's Shuttle runway 3-3 at 12:27 p.m. Central time. Atlantis' cargo bay doors would be closed at around 8:40 a.m. this morning in preparation for that first landing opportunity. A backup opportunity is also available on the following orbit, with a deorbit firing of the orbital maneuvering system engines at 12:57 p.m. Central time and a landing at 2:03 p.m. Central time. There are also two landing opportunities on the following orbits at the backup landing site for Atlantis at California's Edwards Air Force Base, which was activated for landing support. But gusty winds, low clouds and the chance of rain showers both today and tomorrow make Edwards a highly unlikely possibility for flight controllers to consider.

  Entry Flight Director LeRoy Cain will receive weather updates throughout the day from the Spaceflight Meteorology Group here at the Johnson Space Center and Chief Astronaut Charlie Precourt, who will be flying weather reconnaissance at the landing strip in a training jet modified to mimic the Shuttle's landing characteristics. A final "go-no go" decision for the deorbit burn for the first landing opportunity is expected around 11 a.m. Central time.

  Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam, Marsha Ivins and Tom Jones were awakened just after 4 a.m. Central time today to prepare once again for landing.

  At the time of crew wakeup on board Atlantis, the Shuttle was about 750 statute miles in front of the International Space Station. The Expedition One crewmembers, Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev, are enjoying a final day of light duty in their extended weekend before beginning their work week on Tuesday. That work will include preparations for the undocking, flyaround and redocking of their Soyuz capsule from the aft docking port of the Zvezda module to the nadir docking port of the Zarya module, clearing the way for the arrival of an unmanned Russian Progress resupply ship at the end of the month. The Soyuz relocation procedure is planned for early Saturday morning, U.S. time.

  Atlantis continues to orbit the Earth in flawless fashion at an altitude of 235 statute miles.

• 2001 Feb 19 - STS-98 Mission Status Report #25 

  For the second day in a row, Atlantis' astronauts were foiled in their attempt to land at the Kennedy Space Center by high winds which caused another 24-hour delay in their homecoming until Tuesday.

  As was the case on Sunday, flight controllers tried to bring Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam, Marsha Ivins and Tom Jones home during two landing opportunities which were available at the Florida spaceport, but winds continued to gust out of limits, higher than the 15- knot crosswind limit permissible for a Shuttle landing. Weather at the backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, California was also unacceptable with high winds and rainshowers in the area of the Mojave Desert.

  Finally, at 12:13 p.m. Central time, Entry Flight Director LeRoy Cain called off today's landing attempts and directed his team to try to bring Atlantis home on Tuesday to KSC when the forecast calls for slightly improved weather and lighter winds. There are two landing opportunities at the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday with the first opportunity calling for the firing of Atlantis' braking rockets on orbit 200 at 10:20 a.m. Central time, resulting in a landing at the Cape at 11:27 a.m. Central time. The second opportunity would begin with the deorbit burn maneuver on orbit 201 at 11:56 a.m. Central time and a landing at the Kennedy Space Center at 1:02 p.m. Central time.

  Two landing opportunities also are available on the next two orbits at Edwards. The first of the Edwards' opportunities would call for the deorbit burn at 1:27 p.m. Central time and a landing at 2:33 p.m. Central time. The final opportunity of the day on Tuesday for Edwards would involve a deorbit burn at 3:04 p.m. Central time and a landing at 4:09 p.m. Central time. The weather at Edwards is also expected to be better, with a chance of broken cloud decks and lighter winds than were observed today.

  Landing support will also be called up for the White Sands Space Harbor at Northrup Strip in New Mexico, which has three landing opportunities available, although all efforts will be made to try to bring Atlantis home in either Florida or California. After reopening Atlantis' cargo bay doors, the astronauts removed their launch and entry suits and will spend the rest of the day relaxing. They are scheduled to begin an eight-hour sleep period at 7:13 p.m. Central time tonight and will be awakened at 3:13 a.m. Tuesday to resume landing preparations.

  Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition One Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev wrapped up an extended weekend in which they relaxed in preparation for a busy week of work which begins Tuesday with the continuing activation of systems in the newly installed Destiny laboratory. The crew will also prepare for the undocking and redocking of its Soyuz vehicle Saturday from the aft end of the Zvezda module to the nadir port of the Zarya module, in anticipation of the arrival of an unmanned Progress resupply ship at the Station at the end of the month.

  Atlantis is orbiting the Earth in excellent shape at an altitude of 237 statute miles.

• 2001 Feb 20 - STS-98 Mission Status Report #26 

  Atlantis' astronauts are hoping that the third time will be the charm today as an improving weather forecast at the Kennedy Space Center holds hope for the Shuttle's return to the Florida spaceport following two consecutive days of weather related wave-offs.

  The Kennedy Space Center remains the primary target for today's landing, with two opportunities to bring Atlantis and its crew home. The initial forecast for today shows generally acceptable conditions for landing, with a slight concern for some clouds produced by offshore sea breeze and possible crosswinds at the three-mile long landing strip. The first opportunity for the day would call for a deorbit burn at 10:21 a.m. Central time, resulting in a landing at 11:27 a.m. Central time. The second opportunity would begin with a deorbit burn at 11:56 a.m. Central time with a landing at 1:02 p.m.

  Landing opportunities are also available on the following two orbits at the backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Weather conditions on the West Coast are marginal, however, with the possibility of rain within 30 miles of the landing site. The first of the Edwards' opportunities would call for the deorbit burn at 1:27 p.m. Central time and a landing at 2:33 p.m. The final opportunity of the day to Edwards would involve a deorbit burn at 3:04 p.m. and a landing at 4:09 p.m.

  The White Sands Space Harbor at Northrup Strip in New Mexico has three landing opportunities available as well, and may be considered as a possible landing site, although all efforts will focus on returning Atlantis either to Florida or California. Entry Flight Director LeRoy Cain intends to employ the three best opportunities of the day in an effort to bring the two-week flight to a close.

  Atlantis has enough propellent and consumables to stay aloft until at least Wednesday, if necessary.

  The STS-98 astronauts - Ken Cockrell, Mark Polansky, Bob Curbeam, Marsha Ivins and Tom Jones - were awakened at 3:13 a.m. to the sounds of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by the Clash, as they prepared for their return trip to Earth.

  Aboard the International Space Station, now about 1,100 miles behind Atlantis, Expedition One Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev started a busy work week today preparing for Saturday's relocation of their Soyuz vehicle. The crewmembers will deactivate key ISS systems early Saturday morning, then climb into their pressure suits to board the Soyuz capsule for a 40-minute maneuver in which the Soyuz will be undocked from its current location on the aft end of the Zvezda module and redocked to the nadir port of the Zarya module. That will make room for a Progress resupply vehicle due to arrive later this month.

  All systems on board Atlantis are performing well and ready to support today's landing efforts as the orbiter continues to circle the Earth at an altitude of 237 statute miles.

• 2001 Feb 20 - STS-98 Mission Status Report #27 

  Atlantis' astronauts glided to a belated but textbook touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base, California today, wrapping up a 5.3 million mile mission to deliver the U.S. Laboratory Destiny to the International Space Station (ISS).

  With Commander Ken Cockrell at the controls, Atlantis darted through high clouds over the Mojave Desert test center touch down at 2:33 p.m. Central time on concrete runway 2-2. The landing was the 47th at Edwards to bring the 102nd flight in program history to a close.

  Atlantis was diverted to California after broken clouds and precipitation formed over the landing strip at the Kennedy Space Center, preventing Atlantis from returning to the Florida spaceport in the two opportunities which were available today.

  Instead, Entry Flight Director LeRoy Cain ordered Atlantis to land 3000 miles to the West at Edwards, where the weather was deemed acceptable for landing. Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam, Marsha Ivins and Tom Jones were greeted by high, thin clouds at Edwards, but they posed no problem for Cockrell as he took over manual control of Atlantis a few minutes prior to landing.

  The astronauts were scheduled to leave the orbiter about an hour after landing and will spend the night at Edwards before returning to Houston Wednesday afternoon.

  After high winds thwarted Atlantis' homecoming Sunday and Monday, Cockrell and Polansky finally fired the ship's braking rockets at 1:27 p.m. Central time for the start of the Shuttle's hour-long descent back to Earth. Thirty-four minutes later, Atlantis and its astronauts reached the fringes of Earth's atmosphere and the first tug of gravity at an altitude of 400,000 feet.

  Atlantis soared over the Pacific Ocean and the southern California coast north of Los Angeles, its computers honing in on the desert runway at Edwards. About four minutes before landing, Atlantis heralded its arrival at the landing site with a pair of double sonic booms as it went subsonic. Atlantis kicked up a small cloud of dust as its main gear met the runway and rolled out to a smooth stop as more clouds gathered around the Edwards complex.

  Meanwhile, aboard the International Space Station, Expedition One Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev spent the day activating additional systems in the recently delivered Destiny Laboratory and began preparations for Saturday's undocking and redocking of their Soyuz capsule from the aft docking port of the Zvezda module to the Earthward facing docking port of the Zarya module.

  That relocation maneuver, which is scheduled to begin just after 4 a.m. Central time Saturday, will clear the Zvezda docking port for the arrival of an unmanned Progress resupply craft next week, delivering supplies for the next Expedition crew which will be launched on the Shuttle Discovery on March 8 on the STS-102 mission.

  Atlantis' astronauts are scheduled to return to Houston Wednesday afternoon for a welcome home ceremony at Hangar 990 at Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center at around 3:30 p.m. Central time.

• 2001 Feb 20 - Landing of STS-98 

  STS-98 landed at 20:33 GMT.