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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1996 (11:57 AM EDT) KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham (fax 407-867-2692) E-mail: Bruce.Buckingham-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov MISSION: STS-78 -- LIFE AND MICROGRAVITY SPACELAB (LMS) Flight Day 14 VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102 LOCATION: Orbit OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE/TIME: June 20 at 10:49 a.m. (EDT) TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 7 at about 8:38 a.m. MISSION DURATION: 16 days, 21 hours, 49 minutes CREW SIZE: 7 ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 statute miles/39 degrees Note on STS-78 Boosters: While disassembling the STS-78 Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) at KSC on Monday, engineers observed that hot gas had seeped into the J-joints in the motors field joints. In some areas, the hot gas had penetrated through the J-joint to, but not past, the capture feature O-Ring. This potential condition was anticipated during motor design and certification, and was completely tested during the redesign activity. The flight safety of the STS-78 was not compromised by this occurrence and all aspects of the motor's performance completely met design specification requirements. The STS-78 motors are the first occurrence with combustion product penetration into the J-joint. As with all first occurrences in the RSRM program, engineers and managers are assessing this situation closely to understand the cause. At the present time, we are continuing with normal preparations for STS-79. This issue will be addressed at today's 2:30 p.m. Mission Status Briefing. MISSION: STS-79 -- 4th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104 LOCATION: Pad 39A TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: July 31 at about 11:29 p.m. (EDT) LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: August 9 at about 8:05 p.m. MISSION DURATION: 8 days, 20 hours, 35 minutes CREW SIZE: 6 ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 196-245 statute miles/51.6 degrees NOTE: Launch pad validations and the main engine flight readiness test are complete. Work on Atlantis today includes final hydraulic testing and the frequency response test. KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): Helium signature leak checks (July 8) Install Spacehab Double Module into orbiter (July 9) STS-79 Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (July 18-19) Close payload bay doors for flight (July 18) 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: Preparations have begun to remove the ferry flight equipment from Discovery. The tail cone will be removed next week. Access to the aft, mid-body and crew module continues. KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): Initial power-up (July 9) Remove tail cone (July 9) Open payload bay door (July 16) PREPARATIONS FOR ORBITER MAINTENANCE DOWN PERIOD VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105 LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 NOTE: Preparations continue on Endeavour for its first Orbiter Maintenance Down Period (OMDP). Delivery to Palmdale, where Endeavour will remain for about eight months, will occur around the first of August. Once Endeavour returns to KSC, its next mission will be the first International Space Station assembly Space Shuttle flight, scheduled for launch from KSC in late 1997. KEY PRE-OMDP OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): Final payload bay closing (July 12) Rollout to SLF for ferry flight to Palmdale, CA (July 29) Depart KSC (July 30)-- end -- For automatic e-mail subscriptions to this daily Shuttle status report or KSC originated press releases, send an Internet electronic mail message to: domo@news.ksc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) type the words "subscribe shuttle-status" or "subscribe ksc-press-release" (do not use quotation marks). The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription. To remove your name from the list at any time, send an e-mail address to domo@news.ksc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line), type (no quotes) "unsubscribe shuttle-status" or "unsubscribe ksc-press-release." Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports are now available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to jscnews-request@listserver.jsc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe" (no quotes). This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription. Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail.