NOTE: This is the last KSC Space Shuttle status for 1996. Status reports will resume after the holidays. (There was no status report issued yesterday, Dec. 17.)

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Pad 39B
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Jan. 12, 1997 at about 4:27 a.m. EST
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 22, 1997 at about 8:40 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 4 hours, 10 minutes
• CREW: Baker, Jett, Grunsfeld, Ivins, Wisoff, Linenger (up), Blaha (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 184 statute miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: The STS-81 crew successfully completed the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test yesterday and returned to their homes in Houston. Inertial measurement unit calibrations are also complete. The pad is closed to normal access today as work begins to load the hypergolic propellants into the orbiter. This hazardous operation is scheduled to be complete tomorrow afternoon. Once the pad is opened again, efforts will resume to complete the installation and functional checks of the newly reworked airlock hatch actuators. All actuators will be installed by this weekend and the leak and functional checks wrapped-up by Christmas Eve.

KEY STS-81 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Complete pre-launch propellant load (tomorrow)
• Launch Readiness Review (tomorrow)
• Complete actuator hatch installation and leak checks (Dec. 24)
• Close payload bay doors for flight (Jan. 2)
• Flight Readiness Review (Jan. 6)
• Begin countdown (Jan. 9)

• 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: Work on the airlock hatch actuators continues this week. The Ku-band deployable assembly (DA) will be removed and replaced with the DA from Columbia. A retest of the antenna is scheduled for later in the week. Due to this additional work, roll over to the Vehicle Assembly Building will now occur on Jan. 10. The payload bay doors are scheduled to be closed for the holidays on Saturday.

KEY STS-82 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Close payload bay doors for holidays (Saturday)
• Roll to VAB (Jan. 10)
• Roll out to Pad 39A (Jan. 17)

• 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 remote manipulator system was removed from the orbiter yesterday. The Ku-band antenna deployable assembly will be removed today and delivered to Discovery for installation. Work to locate a leak on or near fuel cell No. 2 will begin today. The payload bay doors will be closed for the holidays on Friday. Preparations are underway in the Vehicle Assembly Building to begin stacking the solid rocket boosters later this week.

KEY STS-83 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Close payload bay doors for holidays (Friday)

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