 This is shuttle launch control at two minus three hours and holding and we have our first look of our commander Michael Baker as he is being suited up for his fourth flight into space today crew members are being assisted With their launch and entry suits by suit technicians Pilot Brent Jed of course giving thumbs up. He's ready to make his second flight into space He last flew as a pilot aboard STS-72 Jerry Leninger is going to be going into space this on his Second trip, but it will certainly be as long as he'll be staying on the mirror space station For about four months until Atlantis goes back to pick him up in the spring of this year mission specialist Jeff Weiss off preparing for his third flight Jeff last flew on missions STS-57 and 68 mission specialist John Grunsfeld Making his second flight into space today John became an astronaut in 1992 and flew for 17 days on a mission STS-67 The longest spatial mission to date at that time That record has since been broken And the last member of the crew is mission specialist Marcia Ivins have about 30 seconds remaining in our hold Before we pick up the count at t-minus three hours again, everything continues to go according to plan Operations at the pad with the shuttle Atlantis are proceeding smoothly and the astronauts are preparing to Leave their crew quarters on time in just a few minutes And we're at t-minus three hours and counting at t-minus three hours and counting. This is shuttle launch control and we're seeing Pitches of the crew as they're walking down the hall on the third floor of the operations and checkout building getting into the elevator astronaut Dave Leesma is Joining them. He'll be overseeing the astronaut operations today and Outside the operations and checkout building Crew is being led by commander Michael Baker pilot Brent Jutt Mission specialist Jerry Leninger John Grunsfeld Jeff Weiss off Marcia Ivins This view from the 195 foot level of the elevator opening We expect the crew to be stepping out and Then to the top of the picture is the entry to the orbiter access arm Now that the crew is at the pad, of course Engineers continuing their operations. They're verifying that the external tank is properly topped off to its proper levels And they're verifying that the water spray system Which empties about 300,000 gallons of water on to the pad just seconds before liftoff Verifying that that water spray system is is operational And our first view of the white room close out crew members, of course have been on station for the past Two and a half hours or so making ready the orbiter and the white room for the crews arrival Okay, very good And Marcia's in her seat JSC Soup technician from the United Space Alliance or USA max candler will assist her For the next several minutes as she gets strapped in Meanwhile back in the white room our pilot Brent Jett is Going to be the next to enter the vehicle and he'll be taking his seat Next to commander Mike Baker and the orbiter access arm is now being retracted away from the vehicle This is the walkway used by the crew to gain entry into and out of the vehicle And it can be returned to position within seconds if need be as the access arm continues to be retracted We're at two minus seven minutes and counting and the three main engines are being gimbled as a final test before launch They will protest conductor is requested that pilot Brent Jett clear the caution and warning memory system Everything looks good, and we're cleared for launch today. No problems are being reported from the vehicle or the crew Like you close the launch device You Minus one minute forty five seconds and counting And all systems are go spatial Atlantis is about 90 seconds from beginning its 10-day mission to dock with the nearest base station T minus one minute 15 seconds T minus one minute and counting Everything is still looking good for launch of the shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center in Florida T minus 50 seconds, and we're transferring to orbiter internal power at this time Atlantis is now running off of its three on board fuel cells Coming up on a go for auto sequence start And we have a go for auto sequence start Atlantis is on board computers have primary control of all the vehicles critical functions T minus 20 seconds T minus 15 12 T minus 10 Hey, we have a go for main engine start main engines up and running three two one boost ignition and lift off of the spatial Atlantis on a 10-day mission to dock with russians orbiting help Houston now controlling the flight of Atlantis Atlantis into the role to place the shuttle and a head down wings level position for the eight and a half minute ride to orbit 30 seconds into the flight Atlantis is three liquid fuel main engines now throttling back in a three-step fashion to 67 percent of rated performance That will dampen the stress on the shuttle's aero surfaces as it breaks through the sound barrier One minute into the flight the main engines now beginning to rev up the full throttle 104 percent of rated performance the throttle up call coming up from spacecraft communicator Kevin Kreegel here in mission control One minute 20 seconds into the flight Atlantis traveling at 1500 miles per hour Now 10 miles downrange from the Kennedy Space Center 13 miles in altitude The shuttle's three main engines three auxiliary power units three power producing fuel cells all functioning normally one minute 50 seconds into the flight standing by for solid rocket booster shutdown and Jettison that command to come from the onboard computers through the master events controller on board Atlantis Booster officer confirms a clean solid rocket booster separation guidance now converging on Atlantis's three main engines as they begin To steer for a precise keyhole in space for main engine cutoff Those calls from spacecraft communicator Kevin Kreegel to commander Mike Baker aboard Atlantis indicating that the solid rocket boosters provided the desired performance during the first stage of This morning's ass into orbit and if one and if one main engine should fail Atlantis has enough inertia to make a trans oceanic abort to morone Spain However, all three main engines continue to function by the book Three minutes into the flight. I'm sure you have a go for the CWC number two. It's silver biocide only no samples as listed in the timeline and Any any bubbles you see let us know No need to respond we're with you there in the middeck. Yes, we'd like you to cut the laces on the second one and see I think you can get out over the top See the DC cables We need them to come through your side Should be two DC cables They need you to come out on your side so that we can then round them over the top John looks like the foot switch is working well like a charm for a simian like me They have Atlantis for bio rack. It says I'm nine green pistons on my mark Three feet point oh eight three feet point one I've been a point. Oh, you're good. You're good big one oh nine Capture I've got ring a line on Okay, they've settled 50 50 50 PCT's off to fly control power damping is on No, we had to wait until a lot dampens off No, I'm counting to the minute for the power. Okay, that's fine. We have a nice job big Key in that mic we love the sound quest someone to push and hold the battery power speaker mic button So we can hear what's going on also trying to catch up to Jeff looks like we made it to the node And I'm tending lots of cables at this time Right up and down. I see modules and they all look great. I'm trying to look all around Jeff is turning into base block where I see the US flag flying and Looks like they really prepared things for us. You've Larry up ahead Take sorry made it in I think John Blaha is bringing up the rear so that everyone Doesn't navigate make a long turn early on here Michael thank you Land is Houston We're in the process of enabling air to ground to to Moscow. That should be accomplished here in a few minutes We're crossing an international boundary We're on the US side now and now we're on the Russian beer space station Their order I'll switch orientations to make you more comfortable Jeff is currently holding a water bag. We're filling lots of these water bags for the mere crew members And they're better docking system. We'll be moving into the crystal module all of these air ducts You see provide fresh air throughout the modules This is one of the Hatches and used also as a docking system for the Russians. It's similar to the one that we use when we docked Feel like I'm exploring a cave We're in the crystal module now equipment stored on all sides Doing another orientation change Floor becomes the ceiling the ceiling the floor and the right is the greenhouse experiment John Blaha has been growing weed in there as did Shannon Lucid We're coming up to the central node hub of the air space station and this is where navigation gets particularly tricky. I Think our first stop will be in the base block The base block is sort of the center of operations or the family room of beer Okay, and now we're following John He's going to go into the central node and if he can find it. He's going to head over to parota Yes, I find it. He's looking a little confused, but I think he'll eventually sort it out The newest one help with the orientation Turning around Okay, and in here is the module where we brought all of our transfer items You can see them stacked up underneath John lots of bags In the foreground here, you can see a piece of the gyrodyne big large globe like structure that we transferred over You can see also a glove box here in the foreground Now John's making his way back further into the module Nuclear rock And he's found one of the radioactive samples that we transferred for an experiment He's looking anxious to get away from the radioactive sample that he was sitting on He's going to go floating past us here Larry say hello to Hello. All right. Oh, I'm sorry. No, that's okay. That's good Then we come to base walk. Oh Are we returning to the base block? We'll go back to the base block. Okay Now we're going to return to the base spot John Finish Sasha's inside base block now we're turning around Thank you This is the bio rack where Jeff and I have been working work space samples The whole storage out the window You see the bare space station My Don't know Go ahead Houston, Moscow reports, Mir is in attitude. Again, this view from long-range tracking cameras at the Kennedy Space Center. On energy approaching the HACF, the weather looks really good down here in Florida. Windsor 1505 peaked 8. Here you go for a nominal shoot deploy. A morning wake-up call for the residents of Central Florida Commander Mike Baker takes over manual control of the flying of Atlantis. He is initiating an overhead turn of 190 degrees around the heading alignment cylinder to align Atlantis with runway 33. Halfway around the heading alignment circle, everything looking good for Atlantis as the morning sun gleams off of its belly. Commander Mike Baker should see the runway in sight. Mike Baker preparing to flare up Atlantis' nose. Brent jet the pilot now deploying the landing gear. Landing gear down and locked. Main gear touchdown. Jet now deploying the drag shoot. Baker rotating the nose gear down to the deck. Nose gear touchdown. Atlantis now rolling out on runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center to wrap up its mission bringing astronaut John Blaha home after four months in orbit on the Russian Space Station mirror. Copy, we'll stop Atlantis. Welcome back after a super mission, fabulous way to start the year 1997. You guys are making the international mission seem easy and a special welcome back to John after his four months on mirror. Thank you very much.