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Morning News

Shuttle Mission 100: Weather, Circuitry Problems Remain Obstacles to Today's Launch

Aired October 10, 2000 - 11:44 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The folks at NASA have their eyes on the skies again today. They're hoping this time to get the 100th space shuttle mission under way later today. So far, though, weather not looking so hot.

CNN space correspondent Miles O'Brien joining us now from Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the latest.

KAGAN: Miles, I was reading about the winds and this thing called the "beanie cap." What's the deal with the beanie cap and why is it important?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: What's the deal with the beanie cap? Well, that is a technical term, isn't it, Daryn? The beanie cap is actually the gaseous oxygen vent hood. Now you can see why we call it the "beanie cap." Essentially...

KAGAN: Better known to friends as the beanie cap.

O'BRIEN: Yes, yes, exactly. It doesn't have a little twirly thing on the top, but it is a beanie cap nonetheless. Imagine the space shuttle: At the top of that orange external tank, there's actually a thing which drops right on top of it, and that's why it's called the "beanie cap." And that allows -- when the gaseous oxygen kind of boils off, it captures all of that.

Yesterday, it was blowing so hard here, they couldn't even swing that beanie cap safely out and plop it on top of the external tank. That's why they didn't try yesterday.

KAGAN: Now, once the shuttle finally does get up in the air -- and we are assuming that, despite all the problems, is going to get up in the air -- what's the purpose of this mission?

O'BRIEN: Well, I'll tell you. I'm going to tell you about the purpose of the mission in just a second. I should tell you, before we bury the lead here, that there is a bit of a problem on the launch pad right now.

KAGAN: OK.

O'BRIEN: The weather is an issue. But there is a problem with some circuitry which fires off the explosive bolts which allows the shuttle to break free from the platform on which it sits. There's a team out there right now trying to figure out why one circuit breaker has tripped in the open position. It should be in the closed position. We'll keep you posted on that. That could be a problem. We don't know yet. That might be something that can be rectified.

KAGAN: What kind of delay? What kind of delay?

O'BRIEN: The weather also is kind of iffy...

KAGAN: Besides weather, what kind of delay can that technical problem cause?

O'BRIEN: It's uncertain. If it's just a matter of -- you know, imagine going to your breaker board in your basement, if you flip the breaker back and if goes back on, it's fine. If it trips again, then they've got a problem. I don't know how long that will take. We'll have to keep you posted on that one.

But as far as the mission goes, this is the fifth shuttle mission to the International Space Station. And they're bringing aboard two key pieces of the space station: a milk crate-like device which is part of a stanchion that will support the solar rays eventually, and then a new docking point, which will be used by later shuttle missions.

So this is the fifth of about 40 shuttle missions that are planned over the next five, six years to build this station.

KAGAN: Does that mean you don't get any vacation for five or six years, Miles?

O'BRIEN: I think I'm going to be spending a lot of time down here at the cape. Might just have to change my voter's registration or something.

KAGAN: Or absentee. Miles O'Brien at Kennedy Space Station in Florida...

O'BRIEN: Yes.

KAGAN: ... thank you very much.

Today's shuttle launch is -- it's still scheduled for 7:39 p.m. Eastern. If it does go as planned, and if we ever let Miles come home, you actually will see the launch right here on CNN.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Miles should have said, you're darn right I'm going to be my vacation. You bet your sweet...

KAGAN: And you're going to work for me, too, on the weekend.

HEMMER: You bet your sweet bippie (ph).

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

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