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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1996  (2:02 PM 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

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
LOCATION:  Vehicle Assembly Building
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: September 12 at about 6:26 a.m. (EDT)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: September 21 at about 11:30 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 5 hours
CREW SIZE: 6
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 196-245 statute miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Atlantis is in the Vehicle Assembly Building while stacking
operations of the replacement set of solid rocket boosters continues
in the adjacent high bay. Booster stacking operations are expected to
be completed this weekend and the external tank is scheduled to be
mated to the new stack about Aug. 1. Atlantis will be demated next
week and moved to OPF bay 3 where some power-on operations will be
conducted. Access to the mid-body will be set-up through the crew
compartment and some perishable items in the Spacehab will be
replaced. The payload bay doors will not be opened and limited work
will be conducted in the aft engine compartment. Atlantis will remain
on the orbiter transporter until it returns to the VAB on or about
Aug. 13.

KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Mate external tank to solid rocket boosters (Aug. 1)
Demate orbiter from current SRB stack and move to OPF bay 3 (about July 31)
Roll over to VAB and mate with new set of solid rocket boosters
  (about Aug. 13)
Roll out to Pad 39A (Aug. 20)
STS-79 Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Aug. 27-28)


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: (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: Fuel cell checks are complete and main propulsion system checks
are in work. Preparations continue to remove and replace auxiliary
power unit no. 1 later this week.

KEY STS-80 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Remove and replace APU no. 1 (Friday)
Begin removing Space Shuttle main engines (July 30)
Install main engines (about Aug. 12)


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 continue for installation of the reaction control
system pods.

KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Install right hand orbital maneuvering system pod (about July 31)
Install remote manipulator system (Aug. 20)
Install forward reaction control system (about Aug. 28)


ENDEAVOUR -- PREPARATIONS FOR ORBITER MAINTENANCE DOWN PERIOD (OMDP)

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3

NOTE: The protective ferry flight tailcone was installed on Endeavour
yesterday as preparations continue on schedule for the vehicle's
first Orbiter Maintenance Down Period in Palmdale, CA. Current plans
call for Endeavour's ferry flight to include a stop over at Ft.
Campbell, KY. The trip will continue the next day with an expected
arrival at Palmdale early Wednesday afternoon.

KEY PRE-OMDP OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Rollover to Shuttle Landing Facility (July 29 at about 5 a.m.)
Depart KSC for ferry flight to Palmdale, CA (July 30)


NOTE: MISSION STS-81, ATLANTIS, IS TARGETED FOR LAUNCH ABOUT JAN. 16,
1997. SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS WILL BE ISSUED FOLLOWING MISSION
STS-79.
-- end --
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