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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1995 (11:14 AM EDT)

LAUNCH - 2 DAYS


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
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

NOTE: The countdown for launch of Columbia continues on schedule
today for liftoff on Saturday, Oct. 14. The 2 1/2 hour window opens
at 9:46 a.m.  Columbia is scheduled to land at KSC’s Shuttle Landing
Facility at 6:41 a.m. Oct. 30.

	This morning, Pad 39-B was cleared for loading the onboard
cryogenic tanks with the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants.
Reactant loading was finished at about 10 a.m. The reactants provide
electricity for the orbiter and crew while in space and drinking
water as a by-product during their 16-day mission.

	At this time, preparations are being made to demate the
orbiter’s mid-body umbilical and retracte it into the fixed service
structure. Final vehicle and facility close-outs are also underway.
Final mid-deck payload loading operations and spacelab experiment
stowage operations will begin this afternoon and continue through
tomorrow morning.

	On Friday, the rotating service structure will be retracted
to launch position at about 2:30 p.m., pending weather. Loading of
the external tank with cryogenic propellants is scheduled to begin at
about 1:26 a.m. Saturday.

	Air Force weather forecasters are currently indicating a 20
percent probability of weather prohibiting launch on Saturday.
Onshore winds from the Atlantic will possibly create morning showers.
During Saturday’s launch window, the winds at Pad 39B are expected to
be from the southeast at 12 -16 knots; temperature 83 degrees F;
visibility 7 miles; humidity 77 percent; and clouds scattered at
2,500 and 10,000 feet and broken at 25,000 feet. The 24-hour-delay
forecast reveals slightly worsening conditions and a 40 percent
chance of violation.

	The STS-73 crew arrived at KSC yesterday in two groups. The
Red Team (Bowersox, Rominger, Thornton and Sacco) flew in at 4 p.m.
The Blue Team (Coleman, Lopez-Alegria and Leslie) arrived at about
10:30 p.m.


SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-73 (Run 3)

T-TIME        LENGTH OF HOLD               HOLD BEGINS             HOLD ENDS
T-27 hours	4 hours	               8:00 p.m. Wednesday   12 midnight Wednesday
T-19 hours	8 hours	               8:00 a.m. Thursday     4:00 p.m. Thursday
T-11 hours     19 hours, 26 minutes   12:01 a.m. Friday	      7:26 p.m. Friday
T-6  hours	1 hour	              12:26 a.m. Saturday     1:26 a.m. Saturday
T-3  hours	2 hours	               4:26 a.m. Saturday     6:26 a.m. Saturday
T-20 minutes   10 minutes	       9:06 a.m. Saturday     9:16 a.m. Saturday
T-9  minutes   10 minutes	       9:27 a.m. Saturday     9:37 a.m. Saturday


CREW FOR MISSION STS-73

Ken Bowersox	        Commander (CDR)			Red Team
Kent Rominger           Pilot (PLT)			Red Team
Catherine Coleman	Mission Specialist (MS1)	Blue Team
Michael Lopez-Alegria	Mission Specialist (MS2)	Blue Team
Kathryn Thornton	Mission Specialist (MS3)	Red Team
Fred Leslie	        Payload Specialist (PS1)	Blue Team
Albert Sacco	        Payload Specialist (PS2)	Red Team


SUMMARY OF STS-73 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES

Friday, Oct. 13

7:00 p.m. 	Wake up (Blue Team)
7:30 p.m.	Breakfast (Blue Team)

Saturday, Oct. 14

  12:30 a.m.	Lunch (Blue Team)
   4:00 a.m.	Wake up (Red Team)
*  5:11 a.m.	Breakfast/Dinner and Crew Photo
   5:41 a.m.    Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
   5:41 a.m.	Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, PS1, PS2)
   5:51 a.m.	Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
*  6:10 a.m.	Crew suiting photo
*  6:21 a.m.	Depart for Launch Pad 39B
*  6:51 a.m.	Arrive at white room and begin orbiter ingress
*  8:06 a.m.	Close crew hatch
*  9:46 a.m.	Launch

* Televised events (times may vary slightly)
All times Eastern

NOTE: For additional details regarding STS-73 countdown milestones,
please refer to KSC Release No. 99-95.


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

NOTE: Atlantis remains scheduled for launch as early as Nov. 1. The
official launch date will be adjusted about one week once Columbia is
launched this weekend. The Shuttle stack was rolled out of the
Vehicle Assembly Building beginning at 12:06 a.m. today. It was
hard-down on Pad 39A at about 5:30 a.m.