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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT THURSDAY, JULY 11, 1996 (12:32 PM EDT) KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham (fax 407-867-2692) E-mail: Bruce.Buckingham-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov NOTE: KSC employees were instructed to return to their normal work schedules today following yesterday’s evacuation due to the possible threat from Hurricane Bertha. KSC went into Hurcon (Hurricane Condition) I at noon yesterday which indicated possible hurricane conditions at KSC within 12 hours. All employees were evacuated except about 200 hurricane rideout team members. Efforts are now underway to return to work schedules for processing all four orbiters, reopening and powering-up various launch support facilities, and preparing to return Atlantis to Pad 39A, pending a final management decision expected tomorrow. MISSION: STS-79 -- 4th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104 LOCATION: Vehicle Assembly Building 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: Atlantis was rolled back to the VAB yesterday as a precautionary measure to avoid possible high winds and rain from Hurricane Bertha, which threatened east central Florida yesterday. First motion from the pad occurred at 7:49 a.m. yesterday with the vehicle hard down in the VAB at about 1:25 p.m. Given a decision to return to the pad -- which is expected tomorrow -- Atlantis will be ready to roll back out to the pad by 11 p.m. Friday. This would allow the vehicle to remain on schedule for launch later this month. Meanwhile, managers continue their discussions regarding the hot gas penetration on both of the STS-78 boosters field joints (see July 3 Shuttle status). If the decision is made to roll back out to the pad, next week’s activities include the Spacehab interface verification test and the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): * Roll out to Pad 39A (no earlier than Friday night) * Spacehab Double Module interface verification test (Tuesday-Wednesday) * STS-79 Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (July 18-19. ) MISSION: STS-80 -- WAKE SHIELD FACILITY-3 and ORFEUS-SPAS-2 VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102 LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 31 at 2:40 p.m. (EST) LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 20 minutes TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: 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: The payload bay doors on Columbia were not opened due to possible threats from Hurricane Bertha. The doors will be opened tomorrow. Also, operations to stack the solid rocket boosters for STS-80 have been accelerated and will begin this weekend. KEY STS-80 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): * Begin stacking solid rocket boosters in the VAB (Saturday) * Remove and replace auxiliary power unit no. 1 (July 26) * Begin removing Space Shuttle main engines (July 30) 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 are underway again today to prepare the vehicle for opening the payload bay doors next week and to install the orbital maneuvering system pods later in the month. KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): * Open payload bay doors (July 16) * Install right hand orbital maneuvering system pod (about July 26) PREPARATIONS FOR ORBITER MAINTENANCE DOWN PERIOD VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105 LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 NOTE: The payload bay doors on Endeavour were closed as a result of Hurricane Bertha threats. Those doors will be reopened later today. Preparations continue for the vehicle’s first Orbiter Maintenance Down Period in Palmdale, CA. KEY PRE-OMDP OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): * Rollover to Shuttle Landing Facility (July 29) * Depart KSC for ferry flight to Palmdale, CA (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. 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