GO TO THE PREVIOUS SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

GO TO THE NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1996  (10:31 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: Mission managers concluded yesterday's Flight Readiness Review
raising no issues or concerns for the launch of Columbia on June 20.

	At the pad, hypergolic reactants loading onboard the orbiter
continues. Reactant loading began yesterday and will continue through
tonight. On Monday, work will begin to close-out the aft engine
compartment for flight.

KEY STS-78 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Begin aft engine compartment close-outs (Monday)
Begin launch countdown preparations (Monday)
Ordnance operations and pressurize hypergolic system (Tuesday-Wednesday)
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: The orbiter docking system functional checks continue today in
the OPF. In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the external tank has been
mated to the twin solid rocket boosters and close-out operations are
in work today. On Saturday, the crew equipment interface test will be
conducted by members of the STS-79 crew. They will visit the orbiter
in the OPF and inspect the configuration of the Spacehab and orbiter
docking system in the payload bay.

KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Crew equipment interface test (Saturday)
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 and the tunnel adapter have been
removed. The payload bay doors are closed for a structural test to be
conducted this weekend. On Monday, the doors will be opened again.

	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 Space Shuttle main engines (June 18)
Remove right hand orbital maneuvering system pod (June 26)
Remove forward reaction control system (June 29)
Remove left hand orbital maneuvering system pod (July 2)


MISSION: STS-82 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING MISSION - 2

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
LOCATION: Palmdale, CA

NOTE: Discovery is currently undergoing a series of modifications and
thorough inspections in Palmdale, CA. The vehicle is scheduled to be
delivered back to KSC later this month. The Orbiter Maintenance Down
Period (OMDP) is a routinely scheduled operation that periodically
removes all orbiters from flight operations. When Discovery returns
to KSC it will be towed to OPF bay 3. There, preparations will begin
for its next flight, mission STS-82, the second Hubble Space
Telescope servicing mission, set for launch in February 1997.

KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Palmdale rollout (June 25)
Begin ferry flight (June 26)
Expected arrival at KSC, weather permitting (June 27 or 28)
-- 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."