STS-77 Liftoff Status Page

Click here to see the launch countdown clock

Click here to follow the shuttle's progress after liftoff

Click here for the Space Shuttle Status Reports

Shuttle Endeavour Launch Status

Launch Sunday, May 19, 1996 at 6:30:00.066 a.m. EDT Launch window was 2 hours 30 min.

The countdown proceeded very smoothly. The crew suited up, ate breakfast and was transported to the space shuttle Endeavour on Launch Pad LC-39B. By 3:30am EDT 5/19/96 the crew was in the White Room boarding the shuttle and 6:22am the Countdown clock picked up at the T-9 minute mark. Crew visors closed at 6:29am EDT. Liftoff occured exactly on time. MECO at 6:40am. EDT.

On Friday, 5/17/96 the countdown was proceeding on schedule and cryogenic propellant loading operations began shortly before 10:00pm on Saturday 5/18/96. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 5/17/1996).

On Monday, 5/13/96, the access doors were installed on the orbiter's aft engine compartment. The launch countdown began at 4 a.m. Thursday, May 16th, 1996 and the crew arrived from the Johnson Space Center in Houston at 9 a.m. later that day.(Reference KSC Shuttle Status 5/13/1996).

On 5/7/96, the Mission Management Team met at the STS-77 Flight Readiness Review (FRR) and set May 19, 1996 as the official launch date. The original target date of May 16 was not available on the Eastern Range schedule.

On 4/30/96, hypergolic loading was completed. The SpaceHab, TEAMS and Spartan-207/IAE payload interface verification tests were completed. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 5/02/1996). And on 5/3/96, the payload bay doors were closed for flight. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 5/06/1996).

On 4/9/96, rollover of Endeavour occured from OPF Bay 3 to the VAB. The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's) have been stacked and mated with external tank. At 10:00am on 4/16/96, the shuttle began it's roll from the VAB to Launch Pad 39-B and arrived at 3:30pm (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 4/17/1996).

On 3/25/96, Payload premate testing was complete and the tunnel adapter was installed and leak checked. The external tank had been mated to the solid rocket boosters and close-out operations were underway. The Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) and the landing gear functional test was conducted 3/26/96. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 3/26/1996).

The Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME's) were installed on Endeavour in OPF bay 3 (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 3/13/1996).

The payload bay doors were opened on 1/24/96 for the first time since Endeavour landed from STS-72. The Japanese satellite retrieved during the mission and the OAST-Flyer were removed. Testing continued on the Flash Evaporator System (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 1/24/1996) and a decision was made to remove and retest the robotic arm prior to the next flight (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 1/29/1996)

STS-77 Movies and Images

STS-77 KSC Electronic Photo Archive
STS-77 KSC Electronic Movie Archive

Note:

The image on this page is from an NTSC video capture that is updated every minute from the T-5 hour mark on the countdown until launch. At all other times, the view is either connected to the NASA TV (NTV) feed (Click here for Video Advisories) or it is a static video capture of an Orbiter Television (OTV) camera that is updated a few times a day. If you have a WWW browser that caches images, you may need to select "Reload" periodically to see these images change. You may also want to look into getting your own live NASA Television Feed by loading CU-SeeMe on your system.

STS-77 Countdown Last Mission STS-76 Next Mission STS-78

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Developed under the direction of the NASA KSC Public Affairs Office
Author: Jim Dumoulin / NASA (dumoulin@titan.ksc.nasa.gov)
Coordinator: Paula Shawa (Paula.Shawa-1@ksc.nasa.gov) / SHER-10
Last Updated: Wednesday May 29 18:36:27 EDT 1996(J.Dumoulin)

A service of NASA/Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Office, Hugh Harris,Director (Hugh.Harris-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov)