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Following the scrub of Shuttle Endeavour's launch
yesterday, Shuttle managers decided in an overnight meeting to replace the
enhanced master events controller (EMEC) located in the orbiter's aft
compartment. During Monday's launch countdown, Endeavour's EMEC No. 2 failed a
standard preflight test.
Engineers have not been able to reproduce the
problem and are continuing their evaluation. Preliminary analysis and testing
indicates a possible hardware problem within the unit. The unit weighs 65
pounds, is approximately 20 inches long, 13 inches wide and 8 inches tall. A
spare is available at KSC and today workers are testing the replacement EMEC
unit.
Before workers can begin EMEC replacement efforts
at the launch pad, cryogenic reactants must be offloaded from the orbiter and
Space Shuttle ordnance disconnected. That work is planned for tomorrow. EMEC No.
2 removal begins late tomorrow and managers expect installation and retest
efforts to be complete late Thursday night. Friday, workers will reconnect
Shuttle ordnance and aft compartment close-outs will conclude over the weekend.
Launch controllers will be in a posture to begin the 43-hour launch countdown
Sunday morning and ready to support a launch as early as Feb. 9, pending
availability of the Eastern Range to support launch.
The STS-99 astronauts will return to Houston
tomorrow with departure currently planned for 10 a.m. Commander Kregel and Pilot
Gorie will depart from the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility and the rest of the crew
will depart from Patrick Air Force Base. The flight crew will return to KSC four
days prior to launch.
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