Astronaut Mohri's Training Report (4)

Astronaut Mohri's Training Report (4)

Launch postponed

Removing SRTM from the Shuttle cargo-bay for wiring inspections (August 18).

On August 12, NASA decided to postpone the launch of STS-99. The analysis of the electric system problem that occurred during the STS-93 mission indicated that a similar malfunction could happen during other Space Shuttle missions. Due to this incident, NASA decided to inspect wiring of all the Space Shuttle orbiters, which eventually led to the postponement of the launch of STS-99. So far, the launch of STS-99, which will carry astronaut Mohri, will be no earlier than November 19. NASA will decide the official launch date considering the progress of the inspection.

Joint Integrated Simulation
On August 17, the week after NASA decided to postpone the launch, the STS-99 crew and flight controll team conducted 4th Joint Integrated Simulation (JIS) as scheduled. During this training, operations planned for the final part of the mission, such as equipment shutdown and stowage simulation, were conducted. On August 31, 5th JIS was conducted from 7:00 in the morning to 2:00 the next morning, simulating activities from orbit insertion to mission equipment activation. JIS sessions divide the mission into several time segments, and will be continued until just prior to the launch. Since the STS-99 launch was postponed, several JIS sessions will be added to the predetermined schedule.

CREW DAY
The postponement of the launch was an unhappy incident for the STS-99 crew. In addition, since the new launch date has not been decided yet, the crew might be somewhat irritated. To cope with such a situation, commander Kevin R. Kregel consulted with the crew members and decided to have "CREW DAYs" in September. The "CREW DAYs" were inserted for September 3, 10, and 20 in the tightly packed (Monday to Friday, morning to night) crew schedule.

Each crew members spent those CREW DAYs as they wished, studying subjects that had been missed, processing clerical work that had piled up, or spending relaxed time with their family members. Astronaut Mohri spent his CREW DAYs, practicing High Definition TV Camera (HDTV) operation that will be used in the Space Shuttle for Earth observation, and reading books on Earth observation.

Furthermore after the postponement became official, the crew decided to have lunch together at least once a week. Due to the tight training schedule, they had been unable to have such opportunities. They negotiated with the training team and the schedule was adjusted to make lunch opportunities available. Having a meal together is fun for everybody all the time.

Proficiency Training
After the launch postponement, the training focus shifted to Proficiency Training. This is a kind of review training, conducted during the time made available by the launch delay, so crew members can maintain and improve the skill levels they accumulated during their training. During August and September, they received Shuttle orbiter operational training by using a simulator and SRTM payload operation training to maintain and improve their skills.

The next training report will be issued in early November.

Last Updated : October 15, 1999