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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1995 (11:52 AM EDT)

LAUNCH - 2 DAYS


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

VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
LOCATION: Pad 39B
LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 20 at 9:50 a.m. (EDT)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Nov. 5 at 6:45 a.m. (EST)
MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes
CREW SIZE: 7
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 172 statute miles/39 degrees

NOTE: Following Sunday’s launch scrub of mission STS-73 at T-5
minutes due to low clouds and rain, the next launch attempt has now
been reset for Friday, Oct. 20. (The no-earlier-than date of
Thursday, Oct. 19 is now unavailable due to the Atlas rocket 24-hour
launch delay.) Today, Columbia’s countdown remains at the T-11 hour
hold. The clock will begin counting again at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, for
a scheduled T-0 at 9:50 a.m. on Friday. The launch window extends for
2 1/2 hours. (The available launch period extends until 1:30 p.m.
Friday and could be utilized if a decision is made to delay crew
entry into the orbiter.)

	No technical issues or concerns are being discussed by the
mission management team or by NASA engineers at pad 39B. (Mission
managers will hold a standard launch minus one day meeting at 11:30
a.m. Thursday at KSC to formalize Friday’s launch attempt.)

	At this time, final vehicle and facility close-outs are
continuing. Final mid-deck payload loading operations will begin
tomorrow. The onboard cryogenic storage tanks have been replenished
and the orbiter mid-body umbilical unit retracted into the fixed
service structure.

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

	Air Force weather forecasters are currently indicating an 70
percent probability of weather prohibiting launch on Friday. A
stationary front and upper level low pressure system in south Florida
are producing extensive clouds, wind and rain over the southern half
of the state. An approaching cold front is expected to move through
the KSC area late Friday or Saturday. There is less than a 10 percent
chance of weather violating tanking constraints during tanking
operations early Friday morning.

	During Friday’s launch window, the winds at Pad 39B are
expected to be from the east at 15-20 knots; temperature 78 degrees
F; visibility 7 miles; humidity 91 percent; and clouds broken at
3,500 feet, 10,000 feet and 25,000 feet. The 24-hour-delay forecast
reveals slightly better conditions and a 60 percent chance of
violation.

	The STS-73 crew have remained at KSC since Sunday’s launch
attempt. Today they are reviewing their flight plans.

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


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

T-TIME        LENGTH OF HOLD       HOLD BEGINS             HOLD ENDS
T-11 hours			7:30 p.m. Thursday
T-6  hours	 1 hour	       12:30 a.m. Friday	1:30 a.m. Friday
T-3  hours	 2 hours	4:30 a.m. Friday	6:30 a.m. Friday
T-20 minutes	10 minutes	9:10 a.m. Friday	9:20 a.m. Friday
T-9  minutes	10 minutes	9:31 a.m. Friday	9:41 a.m. Friday


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

Thursday, Oct. 19

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

Friday, Oct. 20

  12:30 a.m.	Lunch (Blue Team)
   4:00 a.m.	Wake up (Red Team)
*  5:15 a.m.	Breakfast/Dinner and Crew Photo
   5:45 a.m.    Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
   5:45 a.m.	Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, PS1, PS2)
   5:55 a.m.	Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
*  6:15 a.m.	Crew suiting photo
*  6:25 a.m.	Depart for Launch Pad 39B
*  6:55 a.m.	Arrive at white room and begin orbiter ingress
*  8:10 a.m.	Close crew hatch
*  9:50 a.m.	Launch

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