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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
Friday, April 5, 1996

George H. Diller


Vehicle: OV-105/Endeavour
Mission number: STS-77
Location: OPF Bay 3
Primary payload:  Spacehab 4/Spartan 207
Astronauts: 6
Orbital altitude: 176 statute miles
Inclination: 39 degrees
Mission Duration: 10 days, 0 hours, 37 minutes
Launch date:   May 16   6:32 a.m. EDT
Landing date:  May 26   7:09 a.m. EDT

STS-77 IN WORK TODAY:
 -  Weight and center of gravity determination

STS-77 WORK SCHEDULED:
 -  Installation onto orbiter transporter (Monday)
 -  Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building  (Monday night/Tuesday morning)
 -  Mate orbiter to external tank/solid rocket booster stack  (Tuesday)
 -  Spacehab payload to Pad 39-B  (Apr. 15)
 -  Endeavour rollout to Pad 39-B  (Apr. 17)
 -  Spacehab payload installation into Endeavour  (Apr. 18)
 -  Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test  (Apr. 24)

 STS-77 WORK COMPLETED:
 -   Crew cabin closeouts
 -   Crew cabin leak checks


STS-78/OV-102/Columbia
Life and Microgravity Science Laboratory
OPF Bay 2

     Leak and functional checks of the liquid oxygen side of the main 
propulsion system is complete.  The liquid hydrogen side is underway today. 
Preparations are underway to remove and replace one of the orbiter's S-band 
transponders which did not pass testing.  Functional testing of the external 
tank door and the orbital maneuvering system is complete.  Servicing the 
auxiliary power units with lube oil is also complete.  Potable water 
servicing and polishing of windows No. 3 and 4 continues.  The payload bay 
continues to be prepared for the Spacelab Life and Microgravity Science 
Laboratory (LMS).  In the Vehicle Assembly Building, stacking of the left 
solid rocket booster will be complete tonight.  Work to begin stacking the 
right solid rocket booster will begin on Monday.

     In the Operations and Checkout Building, closeouts of LMS are beginning 
in preparation for installation into the payload canister on or about Apr. 
22.  Pending readiness of the orbiter's payload bay, LMS will be transported 
to OPF Bay 2 and installed into Columbia on or about Apr. 23.


STS-76

     Atlantis is in the mate-demate device at NASA's Dryden Flight Research 
Facility at Edwards Air Force Base in California.  The ferry flight tail 
cone was installed last night.  Mating to the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 
is underway today.  Departure is scheduled for no earlier than Saturday 
morning.  Due to weather concerns, the route of flight and the arrival time 
in Florida is uncertain.

     Inspections of the nozzles and nozzle joints from the STS-76 solid 
rocket booster have been completed with no issues or concerns.

                                                                              

KSC 24-Hour Weather Summary
Shuttle Landing Facility - 7:00 a.m.

Today's minimum temperature: 63 degrees
Yesterday's maximum temperature: 77 degrees
Lowest relative humidity: 52 percent
Peak wind speed/direction: 21 mph/SE
Precipitation: 0
Total April precipitation: 0
Barometric pressure: 30.04