"Upon close inspection of the orbiter following touchdown, engineers noted that a black tile was missing on the right inboard elevon, next to the fuselage. The missing tile measures 9 inches by 41/2 inches. No significant damage to the orbiter was found and the flight crew was never in any danger due to the missing tile. Initial indications are the tile came off sometime just prior to final approach. Further analysis will take place over the next several days once the orbiter is in the Orbiter Processing Facility. "

"Discovery touched down at 6:01 p.m CST on Runway 33 at the three mile long Shuttle Landing Facility runway at KSC to complete a mission spanning almost 3.3 million miles. Pilot Scott Kelly, Flight Engineer Jean-Francois Clervoy and Mission Specialist Michael Foale joined Brown on the flight deck for entry and landing. Mission Specialists Steve Smith, John Grunsfeld and Claude Nicollier were seated down in the middeck. The end of the STS-103 mission marked the 20th consecutive landing at the Florida spaceport and the 13th night landing in the history of the Shuttle program.

Left behind in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope now features six new gyroscopes, six new voltage/temperature improvement kits, a new onboard computer, a new solid state recorder and new data transmitter, a new fine guidance sensor along with new insulation on parts of the orbiting telescope. "

Discovery landed at NASA Kennedy Space Center at 7:01 PM EST this evening.

NASA has delayed the landing due to unacceptable cross winds at the KSC landing site. Discovery will attempt to land at the next opportunity with wheels down at KSC to occur at 7:01 PM EST. Consideration is being given to landing at EAFB in California if tomorrow's weather at KSC is predicted to be similar to today's.

"On EVA Day 3, EVA astronauts Smith and Grunsfeld are scheduled to mate additional OCE-EK connectors to allow for the on-orbit alignment optimization of the replacement Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) adjustable, articulated, fold flat #3 mirror. They will replace an S-band single access transmitter (SSAT) that failed in 1998. An identical backup transmitter has functioned perfectly and HST's observing program has not been affected. The astronauts also will install an SSR in place of an ESTR. Finally, they will under-take MLI repairs over the doors on Bays five through ten."

"During EVA Day 2, EVA astronauts Nicollier (EV1) and Foale (EV2) are scheduled to replace HST''s DF-224 computer with a faster, more powerful unit called the Advanced Computer. They will also change out a degraded Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS). The astronauts' first servicing task for the day is to change out the DF-224 computer with the new Advanced Computer. Video closeout photos are performed prior to installing the FGS. The astronauts' second servicing task for the day is to swap ou FGS-1 with the new FGS-2 (Fine Guidance Sensor). Video closeout photos are performed prior to completion of the nightly Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA's)."

° Current location of the Shuttle and the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA MSFC.

Hubble Servicing EVA #1 has been completed according to plan. According to the EVA Timeline from NASA's STS-103 Press Kit: "...the first space walk will feature the replacement of all three Rate Sensor Units (RSU's) (two were replaced on the first servicing mission - STS 61). Each RSU houses two gyroscopes used to point the telescope for observations. In addition, Smith and Grunsfeld will then install voltage/temperature improvement kits (VIK) to protect Hubble's batteries from overheating as they get older. The VIK lowers each battery's charge termination voltage. They also will open coolant valves and remove caps on the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, which was installed on the second visit to Hubble in 1997. NICMOS was found to be leaking its super-cold coolant shortly after activation. Opening the valves will allow any residual coolant frozen in the line to dissipate in the vacuum of space in preparation for work scheduled on the next visit in 2001."

"Discovery astronauts completed the two highest priority tasks of their Hubble Space Telescope servicing Wednesday with a space walk that was the second longest in history. Astronauts Steve Smith and John Grunsfeld installed six new gyroscopes and six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits in the telescope during their 8 hour, 15 minute spacewalk."

Discovery's Remote Manipulator System (RMS) captured the Hubble Space Telescope this evening at 7:34 PM EST. After positioning Hubble over the Discovery's cargo bay, the telescope was secured to its work platform. After being secured, the RMS was detached from the telescope and began a methodical TV survey of the telescope's exterior surface.

The mission's first EVA is scheduled to start at 2:35 PM on Wednesday.

"The first of three planned space walks to repair and upgrade Hubble equipment is scheduled to begin at 1:40 p.m. [CST] Wednesday, though astronauts may get an early start. If they can get ahead of schedule, they may be able to perform some tasks that had been scheduled for the cancelled fourth spacewalk."

After a nearly flawless launch on Sunday, and a more or less uneventful day in orbit, the crew of Discovery began to close in on the Hubble Space Telescope. On Monday night, several firings of Discovery's Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) will slow the closure rate between Discovery and Hubble. If all goes according to plans, capture of Hubble by Discovery's Remote Manipulator System will occur at 7:41 PM EST Tuesday night.

° Current location of the Shuttle and the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA MSFC.

"I can't get the e-mail,'' radioed astronaut John Grunsfeld to Mission Control shortly after the crew woke up on Monday morning. ``It's just coming out as X's and O's.''

Grunsfeld struggled with the Windows-based application and a balky printer for much of the morning."

NASA launched Space Shuttle Discovery this evening at 7:50 PM EST.

"For NASA, the choice was one of losing some mission objectives or launching a month later and risking "the potential for the Hubble's system to deteriorate ... "faster than we could get to it and recover it to make repairs,'' said Don McMonagle, NASA's launch integration manager for the shuttle program.

"We traded those two risks,'' he said. ``We made a judgement call.''

NASA said all the vital work can be completed in this mission, with any unfinished work rescheduled for a routine Hubble service mission in 2001."

NASA will try to launch tonight at 7:50 PM EST. The crew is now in the orbiter and are preparing for launch.

Weather conditions are expected to provide an 80 percent chance of meeting launch criteria. If Sunday's launch attempt does not succeeed then STS-103 will not be launched until sometime in mid-January 2000.

The launch of STS-103 was scrubbed on Friday night at 8:52 PM EST due to unacceptable weather at the launch and emergency return landing site. The launch was scrubbed again on Saturday when weather conditions were expected to remain unsuitable.

"Tonight's weather forecast calls for improved conditions as the weak frontal boundary continues to drift north away from Central Florida. There is an 80 percent chance for acceptable weather conditions tonight."

NASA has decided not to attempt another launch tonight due to expected poor weather conditions - conditions similar to those twhich caused last night's launch attempt to be scrubbed. NASA now plans to try to launch tomorrow night (Sunday, 19 December) at 7:50 PM EST. Weather conditions are expected to improve somewhat by tomorrow night with a 60 percent chance of meeting launch criteria. If Sunday's launch attempt does not succeeed then STS-103 will not be launched until sometime in mid-January 2000.

The launch of STS-103 Was scrubbed at 8:52 PM EST due to unacceptable weather at the launch and emergency return landing site.

The next launch attempt will be tomorrow night. Tomorrow's launch window opens at 8:21 PM EST and extends 42 minutes until 9:03 PM EST. NASA expects that the weather will be similar tomorrow night.

If the launch does not occur tomorrow, some consideration is being given to a Sunday attempt. However, should there not be a launch this weekend, NASA will not make another launch attempt until January 2000. The prime reason for this delay is concern over possible Y2K issues with the Orbiter's avionics.

"Tomorrow's weather outlook is somewhat similar to tonight's. Forecasters are predicting a 70 percent chance of weather criteria violationwith the primary concerns being for low clouds and possible rain showers in the vicinity of the pad and the Shuttle Landing Facility. "

"Liftoff tonight was scheduled for 8:47 p.m., though NASA official said today there was an 80 percent chance the shuttle wouldn't launch because of bad weather. Even a launch tonight would mean that one day will be cut from what was supposed to be a 10-day mission."

"NASA today delayed the launch of space shuttle Discovery by another day because of possible problems with welds in critical fuel lines."

"The launch countdown for STS-103 began on schedule today at 1:30 a.m."

"Launch managers at KSC plan to begin the 43-hour countdown Tuesday at 1:30 a.m. EST. Weather forecasts indicate an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for Thursday's launch attempt at 9:18 p.m. "

Editor's note: NASA has decided upon replacement of the dented LH2 recirculation manifold in Space Shuttle Discovery. The schedule currently being worked shows a tentative launch date of 16 December 1999 at 9:18 PM EST. If the landing occurs at that time, the mission would land after a nominal 10 day flight on 26 December 1999 at around 6:40 PM EST .

If NASA is forced to slip the launch to 17 December, the mission will probably be shortened by at least 1 day. A launch slip to 18 December would lead to a mission shortened by 2 days - the main deletion being one of the four planned EVAs.

NASA is intent upon landing no later than 28 December 1999 so as to be able to complete all landing and servicing operations and shut off all computers by midnight New Year's Eve.

Editor's note: Word has it that an SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) wire harness problem has been identified. One of the wires that connects an SSME controller to an SSME actuator has a 1/8th inch section of insulation missing. A recommendation is being made to fix the wire and re-do some flight readiness tests. This would delay the STS-103 launch date by 1 day.