STS-123 LAUNCH COUNTDOWN MILESTONES AND TIMES
March 4, 2008
Prepare for the start of the STS-123 launch countdown
Perform the call to stations (2:30 a.m.)
Countdown begins at the T-43 hour mark (3 a.m.)
Begin final vehicle and facility closeouts for launch
Check out backup flight systems
Review flight software stored in mass memory units and display systems
Load backup flight system software into Endeavour's general purpose computers
Mid-deck and flight-deck platform removal complete (11 a.m.)
Complete preparations to load power reactant storage and distribution system (2 p.m.)
Activate and test navigational systems (4 p.m.)
Flight deck preliminary inspections complete (7 p.m.)
Enter first built-in hold at T-27 hours for duration of 4 hours (7 p.m.)
Clear launch pad of all nonessential personnel
Perform test of the vehicle's pyrotechnic initiator controllers
Resume countdown (11 p.m.)
Launch-2 Days (Sunday, March 9)
Enter 4-hour built-in hold at T-19 hours (8 a.m.)
Begin operations to load cryogenic reactants into Endeavour's fuel cell storage tanks (7 a.m.)
Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit (9:30 p.m.)
Resume orbiter and ground support equipment closeouts
Resume countdown (12 p.m.)
Begin filling pad sound suppression system water tank (12 p.m.)
Final preparations of the shuttle's three main engines for main propellant tanking (12 p.m.)
Close out the tail service masts on the mobile launcher platform
Begin star tracker functional checks (7:50 p.m.)
Pad sound suppression system water tank filling complete (3 p.m.)
Enter planned hold at T-11 hours for 14 hours, 3 minutes (8 p.m.)
Activate the orbiter's communications systems
Install film in numerous cameras on the launch pad (8:55 p.m.)
Launch-1 Day (Monday, March 10)
Move Rotating Service Structure to the park position (6 a.m.)
Perform ascent switch list
Fuel cell flow-through purge complete
Activate orbiter's inertial measurement units
Resume countdown at T-11 hours (10:03 a.m.)
Activate the orbiter's fuel cells (11:13 a.m.)
Clear the blast danger area of all nonessential personnel
Switch Endeavour’s purge air to gaseous nitrogen (12:03 p.m.)
Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark (3:03 p.m.)
Launch team verifies no violations of launch commit criteria prior to cryogenic loading of the external tank
Clear pad of all personnel
Resume countdown (5:03 p.m.)
Chill down propellant transfer lines (5:03 p.m.)
Begin loading the external fuel tank with about 500,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants (about 5:13 p.m.)
Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants (about 8:03 p.m.)
Final Inspection Team proceeds to launch pad
Enter planned 2-hour, 30-minute built-in hold at T-3 hours (8:03 p.m.)
Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration
Align Merritt Island Launch Area tracking antennas
Perform open loop test with Eastern Range
Resume countdown at T-3 hours (10:33 p.m.)
Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad (10:38 p.m.)
Complete closeout preparations in the White Room
Check cockpit switch configurations
Flight crew begins entry into the orbiter (11:08 p.m.)
Astronauts perform air-to-ground voice checks with Launch and Mission Control
Launch Day (Tuesday, March 11)
Begin to close Endeavour's crew hatch (12:23 a.m.)
Begin Eastern Range final network open loop command checks
Perform hatch seal and cabin leak checks
Complete White Room closeout
Closeout crew moves to fallback area
Primary ascent guidance data is transferred to the backup flight system
Enter planned 10-minute hold at T-20 minutes (1:13 a.m.)
NASA test director conducts final launch team briefings
Complete inertial measurement unit preflight alignments
Resume countdown at T-20 minutes (1:23 a.m.)
Transition the orbiter's onboard computers to launch configuration
Start fuel cell thermal conditioning
Close orbiter cabin vent valves
Transition backup flight system to launch configuration
Enter estimated 45-minute hold at T-9 minutes (1:34 a.m.)
Launch director, Mission Management Team and NASA test director conduct final polls for "go/no go" to launch
Resume countdown at T-9 minutes (2:19 a.m.)
Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9 minutes)
Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30)
Start mission recorders (T-6:15)
Start auxiliary power units (T-5)
Arm solid rocket booster and external fuel tank range safety safe and arm devices (T-5)
Start liquid oxygen drainback (T-4:55)
Start orbiter aerosurface profile test (T-3:55)
Start main engine gimbal profile test (T-3:30)
Begin retracting the gaseous oxygen vent arm (T-2:50)
Pressurize liquid oxygen tank (T-2:55)
Fuel cells switched to internal reactants (T-2:35)
Pressurize liquid hydrogen tank (T-1:57)
Deactivate bi-pod heaters (T-1:52)
Deactivate solid rocket booster joint heaters (T-0:50 seconds)
Orbiter transfers from ground to internal power (T-0:50 seconds)
Ground launch sequencer go for auto sequence start (T-0:31 seconds)
Booster gimbal profile (T-0:21 seconds)
Ignition of three space shuttle main engines (T-6.6 seconds)
Booster ignition and liftoff (T-0)
For the latest information on the STS-123 crew and mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
