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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1995 (11:38 AM EDT)


MISSION: STS-73 -- U.S. MICROGRAVITY LABORATORY-2

VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
LOCATION: Pad 39B
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 14 at 9:46 a.m. EDT (NET & U/R)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 30 at 6:41 a.m. (EST)
MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes
CREW SIZE: 7
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 172 statute miles/39 degrees
(NET = no earlier than)
(U/R = under review)

NOTE: Mission managers today are discussing options available to
launch Columbia on mission STS-73. Launch was scrubbed Saturday at
the T-20 minute mark due to the failure of a Master Events Controller
(MEC).

	The MEC has been removed and replaced and successful retests
were completed early this morning. If launch remains on schedule for
Saturday, the countdown will begin at 4 a.m. Wednesday. Also, the
crew is scheduled to arrive in two groups Wednesday evening.

IN WORK TODAY:
* Begin aft engine compartment close-outs
* Extended scrub turnaround operations
* Ordnance connect operations

WORK COMPLETED:
* Off load cryogenic reactants from external tank and from onboard
  storage tanks
* Remove and replace Master Events Controller no. 1
* Destow spacelab experiments

KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES:
* Close-out aft engine compartment (Wednesday)
* Begin countdown (4 a.m. Wednesday)
* STS-73 crew arrival at KSC (Wednesday evening)
* Spacelab final stowage operations (Thursday)
* Begin cryogenic loading of external tank for flight (1:26 a.m. Saturday)


MISSION: STS-74 -- 2nd MIR DOCKING (Docking Module)

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
LOCATION: Vehicle Assembly Building
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Nov. 1 at 11:51 a.m. EST (NET & U/R)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 6 minutes
TARGET MIR DOCKING DATE: Nov. 4
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Nov. 9 at 9 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 7 days, 21 hours
CREW SIZE: 5
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 196-245 statute miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Operations continue on schedule to prepare Space Shuttle
Atlantis for launch as early as Nov. 1. The vehicle was rolled to the
Vehicle Assembly Building on Oct. 3 and is scheduled to be rolled out
to pad 39A Wednesday, Oct. 11. First motion is set for 2 a.m.
(Roll-out had been scheduled for today, but anticipated weather
concerns caused managers to postpone the move.) The Shuttle interface
verification test is currently in work in the VAB. Also, the Terminal
Countdown Demonstration Test has been postponed from this week until
Oct. 17-18.

	Today, mission managers are discussing the Atlantis launch
date. They will make a decision based on the firm launch date
selected for Columbia. If Columbia is launched on Saturday, then
Atlantis will likely be delayed about one week.

KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
* Move to Pad 39A (2 a.m. Oct. 11)
* Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Oct. 17-18)
* Flight Readiness Review (Oct. 19)


MISSION: STS-72 -- SFU-Retrieval & OAST-Flyer

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Jan. 11 at 5:04 a.m. EST
LAUNCH WINDOW: 38 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 20 at 3:14 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 8 days, 22 hours, 11 minutes
CREW SIZE: 6
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 184 statute miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: The main engines have been removed. Functional checks of the
auxiliary power units and orbital maneuvering system are now
underway. In the Vehicle Assembly Building, solid rocket booster
stacking for mission STS-72 is underway.