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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1996  (11:58 AM EDT)

KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham (fax 407-867-2692)
E-mail: Bruce.Buckingham-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov


MISSION: STS-79 -- 4th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM (image)

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104 (image)
LOCATION: Pad 39A
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: (no earlier than) Sept. 12 at about 6:26 a.m. (EDT)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Sept. 21 at about 11:30 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 5 hours
CREW (image) SIZE: 6
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 196-245 statute miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: The Flight Readiness Review began this morning at KSC and is
expected to last most of the day. One issue to be discussed is the
launch date and a scheduling conflict with the Eastern Range. If this
conflict remains, the earliest Atlantis (image) could launch is Sept. 14 at
about 5:39 a.m.

	Also, managers continue to watch Hurricane Edouard as it
moves northwest toward Florida. Weather forecasters are growing more
confident the storm will begin to move on a more northerly track
later today. Still, preparations are underway to allow for a possible
rollback of the Shuttle to the Vehicle Assembly Building this
weekend. The more likely threat, however, may be from Hurricane Fran,
which is a couple of days behind Edouard but taking a more southerly
track. If Edouard does move on to the north and Fran maintains a
southerly course toward Florida, a rollback could occur as early as
Monday morning.

	At this time, rollback preparations are being made. Following
work today which involves the loading of hypergolic reactants into
the orbiter's reaction control system and auxiliary power units, the
orbiter mid-body umbilical unit will be disconnected, the crew hatch
closed and the orbiter powered down. Workers will then wait for a
call from the launch director to proceed with contingency rollback
plans. No work will be performed that would impact the critical path
for launch next month unless a call to rollback becomes imminent.

KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Begin aft close-outs (Tuesday)
Begin ordnance operations (Sept. 6)


MISSION: STS-80 -- WAKE SHIELD FACILITY-3 and ORFEUS-SPAS-2 (image)

VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: (no earlier than) Oct. 31 at 2:40 p.m. (EST)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 20 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: (no earlier than) Nov. 16 at 7:25 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 16 days
CREW SIZE: 5
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 218 statute miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Options are being discussed today regarding when to begin
stacking the solid rocket boosters (image) for STS-80. Stacking will likely
begin early next week but be based on a pending rollback decision in order
to keep a high bay in the VAB available for Atlantis' return to the
VAB, if necessary. Today, leak checks are being conducted on main
engines no. 1 and no. 2.

KEY STS-80 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Begin stacking solid rocket boosters in VAB (no earlier than Tuesday)
Crew equipment interface test  (Sept. 13-14)
Final payload bay door closure (Sept. 23)
Roll to Vehicle Assembly Building (Sept. 30)

NOTE: MISSION STS-81, ATLANTIS, IS TARGETED FOR LAUNCH ON JAN. 12,
1997. SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS WILL BE ISSUED FOLLOWING MISSION
STS-79.


MISSION: STS-82 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING MISSION-2

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
LOCATION:  Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: February 13, 1997
LAUNCH WINDOW: 61 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE: February 23, 1997
MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 22 hours
CREW SIZE: 7
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 360 statute miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Orbital maneuvering system verifications continue and leak and
functional checks of the auxiliary power units are underway. The
payload bay doors will be closed tomorrow as a precaution for
possible hurricane conditions this weekend.

KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Install and checkout drag chute (image) (Sept. 4-5)
Deliver forward reaction control system to OPF (Sept. 16)
Complete installation of the forward reaction control system (Sept. 18)
-- end --
	
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