 This is Shuttle Launch Control. We now have the STS-69 flight crew. We've got mission specialist Mike Guernhardt flying for the first time today. He'll be one of the EVA crewmen. Jim Voss also one who will be performing EVA. Commander David Walker flying for the fourth time. Pilot Ken Cockrell and mission specialist Jim Newman flying for the second time today. If you'll notice the crew has dog food bowls in front of them. They've dubbed themselves the dog crew and they've had a lot of fun with that title. And just each of them have a dog name and this is just a fun thing that the crew has decided to do. The cake in the center of the table, traditional cake, has the STS-69 emblem. The insignia reflects the multifaceted objectives of the mission. We've got more than 60 experiments and pieces of hardware to be tested. Covering almost every scientific discipline. This is Shuttle Launch Control at T-minus three hours and holding. We now have the flight crew getting into their launch and entry suits. Commander David Walker. Commander's just been briefed on weather conditions here in Florida and at the TAL sites. There's overall responsibility for commanding the flight and his primary job is to oversee and coordinate all mission activities. Pilot Ken Cockrell, he will assist the commander in the oversight of the orbiter systems and vehicle maneuvers as required by the payload during this flight. Crew does need assistance getting into their gear. It's quite cumbersome and the checks are made. The suit technicians make checks of the suits to make sure they're functioning properly. They fill the suits with air to make sure there are no leaks and perform a test. I believe this is Mission Specialist Mike Gernhardt making his first flight today. He's designated as one of the space walkers on the mission. On the other side of the room, we've got the rest of the crew. Specialist Jim Voss. He's designated as one of the EVA crew members. He's also a payload commander on this flight. He's responsible for all of the diverse payload operations going on for STS-69. And we have Mission Specialist James Newman. There's Jim Voss posing with one of the suit technicians. Mission Specialist Newman flying for the second time today. He will be operating the remote manipulator system. He's signifying he's ready to go for STS-69. Also in the crew's suit up room was astronaut Bob Cabana who would be flying in the T-38 and the shuttle training aircraft later this morning checking out actual conditions for the weather here in Florida. Crew is scheduled to be leaving the operations and checkout building in about 20 minutes or so. All of the communication systems and headset gear inside of their spaces are checked out to make sure they're operating properly before the crew heads out to the launch pad. This is Shuttle Launch Control. We've got the STS-69 flight crew getting ready to depart the operations and checkout building. We have Commander David Walker and Pilot Ken Cockwell. The crew is now in the astronaut van. Crew will be walking across the robot or access arm to get to the white room which leads to the crew module. Again, it's very quiet here in the firing room. The launch team not tracking any technical issues. Weather conditions are very, very nice at the current time. And concern is that as the temperatures heat up that would cause some cloudiness and possible rain in the area. Commander David Walker now being assisted with the remainder of his flight crew equipment. And he has overall responsibility for the STS-69 mission. He recently described how the crew will deploy the Wake Shield facility which is one of the primary payloads in the Shuttle's payload bay. Pilot Ken Cockwell is now being assisted with his flight suit. He will assist Commander David Walker in the complex and delicate maneuvers endeavor must make during the deploy rendezvous and retrieval operations of the Wake Shield facility in the Spartan 201 platform. This is Shuttle launch control at T-minus 2 hours, 15 minutes and counting. Copy and work. Just heard Commander Walker performing voice checks with test conductors here in the launch control center and also with astronaut Eileen Collins who is the CAPCOM sitting in Houston at mission control today. Mission Specialist Mike Gernhardt is now being assisted with his flight suit. He'll be the next one to board the space shuttle. He is the only Shuttle rookie on the flight. He has spent many hours below the surface as a deep sea diver and project engineer on subsea oil field construction and repair projects. On this mission Gernhardt will get a different perspective of what it's like at about 190 nautical miles above the planet during his walk in space with Mission Specialist Voss. Now getting a view of payload commander James Voss. He's responsible for the diverse payload operations. He's also one of the designated space walkers on the planned 6 hour space walk set to occur on flight day 10. Mission Specialist Jim Newman will be the last to climb aboard Endeavour today. He will deploy the Wake Shield facility on flight day 5. He's also involved in operating the robot arm during the space walk. We've got the Shuttle training aircraft out of the Shuttle landing facility. Astronaut Bob Cabana in that aircraft. We're making a real time assessment of the weather conditions in this vicinity of the Kennedy Space Center. We always have an astronaut flying in the STA for weather reconnaissance during this time in our countdown. OTC, TBC, TTC and LTS verify fireman and console software configured properly. For T minus 20 minutes only the program listed may be active step 854. OTC verified. TTC verified. TTC verified. Help us verify. Copy. Countdown clock now has resumed. We'll march down to the next hold at the T minus 9 minute mark. That hold will last for 10 minutes. OTC, TTC. Go ahead. Step 1038 complete. Copy. ATD SRO on 212. Go SRO. Yes sir, I can give you step 1026. SRO is go. You have arranged clear launch. Copy that. Thank you. Boss Director ATD, your launch team is ready to see with resolution of the soil bar paper. Copy that. Thank you. We need to DSD. We just got a final go on the promoter on the flyway up at Phillip Bar and for out the yard both 126 and 127 engineers are ready to proceed. I copy. No constraints to launch that. Thank you. Launch Director, your launch team is ready to proceed. Copy that. This is Launch Director coming around for a poll for grand scale launch. Halo director. Halo's a go. Copy. Engineering Director. Engineering's go. Copy that. SNMA director. Safety and quality is go. Copy that. And range weather. Launch Director, we have no constraints to launch. Copy that. And Ops Manager clear to proceed. Ops Manager, Launch Director on 212. Jim, this is the Ops Manager and the MMP is third all issues you're clear to launch. Copy that. Thank you. And Endeavour looks like we're opening up the gate and we're going to turn you loose shortly to have a good hunt. We'll see you back here in about 11 days. And NTD. Okay Jim. NTD, Launch Director, you're clear to proceed. I copy that. We count on clock. We'll resume on my mark. 5, 4. We're at T minus 9 minutes and counting. The sequence has been initiated. The orbiter's access arm will be retracted away from the vehicle. This arm can be re-extended in just a few minutes if necessary. All items and concerns have been cleared up for launch today. Weather conditions again are go for launch and we have no technical issues. Just past the T minus 7 minute mark in our launch tour for Endeavour. In the next few minutes we will retract the gaseous oxygen vent hood away from the top of the tank. The screen's verified. No unexpected errors. Pilot will be closing their visors in the next few seconds at the T minus 2 minute mark. Clutch and warning memory is cleared. No one is expected to do it. Copy. Flight crew, close and lock your visors. The G802 is closed. Every dog has its day and today is your day on behalf of the launch team. We wish you good luck on your mission. You're welcome. At the T minus 31 second mark, Endeavour's onboard computers will have control of vehicle functions. Just seconds before launch, thousands of gallons of water will be dumped on the launch platform to help suppress the sound and shock. 11, 10, 9, we have a go for engine start. 2, 1, booster ignition and liftoff of Endeavour on the 71st flight of the flight shuttle on a multi-passed ignition. Houston now controlling the flight of Endeavour. Roger roll, Endeavour. Endeavour contains the roll to close the shuttle and it cuts down the ring as well as 25 seconds into the flight. Endeavour's three liquid fuel main engines begin to throttle back in a two-step fashion to 67% of rated performance that will dampen the stress on the shuttle's aero surfaces as it breaks through the sound barrier. 55 seconds into the flight, Endeavour passes through the sound barrier. The main engines begin to rip back up to full throttle while the engine's performing normally along with Endeavour's three power producing fuel cells and three hydraulic power units. Endeavour, go with throttle up. Roger, go with throttle up. Throttle up call acknowledged by Commander Dave Walker. He's joined on the flight deck by Pilot Ken Cockrell, Flight Engineer Jim Newman and Pilot Commander Jim Voss, Mission Specialist Mike Guernhardt seated alone down on the mid-deck. One minute, 35 seconds into the flight. Endeavour, more than 88,000 feet in altitude, traveling more than 3,000 feet per second, already 13 miles downrange from the Kennedy Space Center on a due east trajectory. One minute, 50 seconds into the flight, 15 seconds away from Salaraca booster separation that will be confirmed by the booster officer here in mission control. Endeavour now 155,000 feet in altitude, more than 26.5 miles downrange. Booster officer confirms a good solid rocket booster separation. Endeavour, performance, nominal. Spacecraft communicator Eileen Collins indicating a perfect ride this morning on the solid rocket boosters.