STS-104
Report # 01 
 Thursday, July 12, 2001 - 4:30 a.m. CDT 
 
 The Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off on time this morning at 4:04 a.m.
Central from the Kennedy Space Center, FL, and, after a smooth climb to
orbit, is now en route to deliver a new doorway to space to the
International Space Station later this week.

Atlantis Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Charlie Hobaugh and Mission
Specialists Janet Kavandi, Jim Reilly and Mike Gernhardt will install an
airlock named Quest on the station, increasing the orbiting complexís
onboard capabilities for maintenance and construction and completing a
major milestone in the stationís orbital construction. The International
Space Station crew - Commander Yuri Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss
and Susan Helms -- was informed of Atlantisí launch just minutes after
liftoff. The station crew spent the day preparing for the shuttleís visit.
Earlier in the week the station crew performed final checks of the
orbiting outpostís Canadian-built mechanical arm, an arm that will be used
to attach the airlock, and reported the arm in excellent condition.

Atlantis is planned to dock with the station at about 9:51 p.m. Central on
Friday. After opening Atlantis' payload bay doors and preparing the
shuttle for an extended stay in space,  Atlantisí crew will go to sleep at
9:04 a.m. Central today. The space station crew, now in their fourth month
aboard the complex, will begin their sleep period at about 5:30 a.m.
Central.

The station crew will awaken at 2 p.m. and Atlantis' crew will awaken at
5:03 p.m. today. When they awaken this afternoon, the shuttle crew will
spend their first full day in space checking out equipment in preparation
for the major events to come on their 11-day mission: Fridayís docking
with the station and three space walks, the first to begin on Saturday, to
install the new airlock.

The next mission status report will be issued at about 6 p.m. Central.

--end--