VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
LOCATION: Pad 39B
TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Jan. 12, 1997 at about 4:22 a.m. EST
LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 22, 1997 at about 8:32 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 4 hours
CREW: Baker, Jett, Grunsfeld, Ivins, Wisoff, Linenger (up) Blaha (down)
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 184 statute miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: The hot fire of the auxiliary power units was completed yesterday with good results. The Rotating Service Structure was placed around the vehicle by early yesterday afternoon and the payload bay doors were opened. The Spacehab will be transferred from the pad's payload change-out room to the orbiter's payload bay today. The payload interface verification test is scheduled to begin Saturday.

Work is now underway to remove and recycle all six airlock actuators on Atlantis as a result of on orbit problems with the airlock hatch (image) during Columbia's last mission. The gear-box type actuators, which are critical for hatch operations, will all be removed beginning with the side-hatch actuator today. All actuators are expected to be out by the end of the week and sent to the Logistics Depot in Cape Canaveral where they will be disassembled and thoroughly inspected. All of the internal screws will be inspected and re-installed with a lock-tight compound that will prevent them from becoming loose during launch. A schedule for work necessary to accomplish this task is being discussed by managers today. Preliminary assessments indicate the work will last through the end of the year, but allow Atlantis to remain on its current launch schedule.

KEY STS-81 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Install Spacehab into payload bay (today)
Payload interface verification test (Dec. 14)
Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Dec. 16-17)
Close payload bay doors for flight (Dec. 16) Pre-launch propellant load (Dec. 18)

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: February 13, 1997 at 2:59 a.m.
LAUNCH WINDOW: 61 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: February 23, 1997 at 1:35 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 22 hours
CREW: Bowersox, Horowitz, Lee, Hawley, Harbaugh, Smith, Tanner
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 360 statute miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Checks of the main propulsion system and the Ku-band antenna continue today. Also, the commander and pilot seats were not installed as scheduled yesterday but will be installed tomorrow. The external tank was mated to the solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building yesterday and close-outs are continuing today.

Managers are also assessing schedules for work on Discovery's airlock hatch actuators and the requirements necessary to remove and recycle them for flight.

KEY STS-82 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Close payload bay doors (Dec. 16)
Roll to VAB (Jan. 8)

VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: March 27 at 2:19 p.m. EST
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: April 12 at 7:47 a.m. EST
MISSION DURATION: 16 days
CREW: Halsell, Still, Voss, Thomas, Gernhardt, Linteris, Crouch
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 184 statute miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: The ORFEUS-SPAS and Wake Shield Facility payloads were removed from the orbiter's payload bay yesterday and delivered to the Operations and Checkout Building for post-flight assessments. Work continues today to remove the inertial measurement unit which exhibited problems on orbit. A functional check of the forward reaction control system will be performed tomorrow.

KEY STS-83 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Close payload bay doors (Dec. 20)

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