WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

On hand in the Firing Room to watch the launch of STS-103 are (left to right) Joseph Rothenberg, associate administrator, Office of Space Flight; JoAnn Morgan, associate director for Advanced Development and Shuttle Upgrades; and Francois Bujon de L'Estang, ambassador of France. Behind the ambassador is his wife, Madam de L'Estang. One of the STS-103 crew, Mission Specialist Jean-Francois Clervoy, is from France, and a member of the European Space Agency (ESA). Other crew members are Commander Curtis L. Brown Jr. , Pilot Scott J. Kelly and Mission Specialists Steven L. Smith, C. Michael Foale (Ph.D.), John M. Grunsfeld (Ph.D.) and Claude Nicollier of Switzerland (also with ESA). The mission, to service the Hubble Space Telescope, is scheduled for launch Dec. 19 at 7:50 p.m. EST from Launch Pad 39B. Mission objectives include replacing gyroscopes and an old computer, installing another solid state recorder, and replacing damaged insulation in the telescope. After the 7-day, 21-hour mission, Discovery is expected to land at KSC Monday, Dec. 27, at about 5:24 p.m. EST