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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1996  (9:51 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)

VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
LOCATION: Pad 39B
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: June 20 at 10:49 a.m. (EDT)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 7 at about 8:39 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 22 hours (+1 day)
CREW SIZE: 7
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 statute miles/39 degrees

NOTE: The helium signature test on the main propulsion system is in
work today following the successful completion of the flight
readiness test on the main propulsion system.

	The crew of mission STS-78 is at KSC for the Terminal
Countdown Demonstration Test. The TCDT is a countdown rehearsal for
the crew and launch team and is conducted at KSC prior to each
flight. Today, the crew will take part in emergency egress exercises
at the pad. The test will end at about 11 a.m. Wednesday with a
simulated main engine shut down at the pad. The STS-78 crew are:
Commander Tom Henricks; Pilot Kevin Kregel; Mission Specialists Susan
Helms, Richard Linnehan and Charles Brady; and Payload Specialists
Jean-Jacques Favier (French Space Agency) and Robert Brent Thirsk
(Canadian Space Agency).

KEY STS-78 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (today-Wednesday)
Flight Readiness Review (Thursday)
Begin countdown at the T-43 hour mark (June 17)


MISSION: STS-79 -- 4th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
LOCATION:  Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: July 31 at about 11:42 p.m. (EDT)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE: August 9 at about 8:17 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: A functional check of the orbiter docking system is in work
today. Tomorrow, the tunnel adapter will be installed into the
payload bay. In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the external tank will
be mated to the solid rocket boosters on Thursday.

KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Install Spacehab tunnel adapter (Wednesday)
Mate external tank with solid rocket boosters in VAB (Thursday)
Close payload bay doors for flight (June 19)
Roll Atlantis to Vehicle Assembly Building (June 24)


PREPARATIONS FOR ORBITER MAINTENANCE DOWN PERIOD

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

NOTE: Post-mission servicing continues in the Orbiter Processing
Facility. The Spacehab payload has been removed and work to remove
the tunnel adapter in underway today. The tunnel adapter will be
delivered to OPF bay 1 tonight and installed into the orbiter
Atlantis tomorrow.

	Endeavour is being prepared for its first Orbiter Maintenance
Down Period (OMDP) which involves sending the orbiter to Palmdale,
CA, for about eight months of major modifications and structural
inspections. Delivery to Palmdale will occur during the first week of
August. Endeavour's 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):
Remove tunnel adapter (today)
Remove Space Shuttle main engines (June 18-19)
Remove right hand orbital maneuvering system pod (June 26)
Remove forward reaction control system (June 27)
Remove left hand orbital maneuvering system pod (July 1)

NOTE on DISCOVERY: The orbiter Discovery, currently undergoing a
series of modifications and thorough inspections in Palmdale, CA, is
scheduled to be delivered back to KSC later this month. The vehicle
is targeted to be rolled out of the Palmdale facility on June 25,
begin the ferry flight on June 26 and arrive back at KSC June 27. 
The Orbital Maintenance Down Period (OMDP) is a routinely scheduled
operation that periodically removes all orbiters from flight
operations. Once Discovery is back at KSC, preparations will begin
for its next flight, mission STS-82, the second Hubble Space
Telescope servicing mission, set for launch in February 1997.
-- end --
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