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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1996 (1:11 PM EDT) LAUNCH - 2 DAYS 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 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 8:51 a.m. MISSION DURATION: 16 days, 22 hours, 2 minutes CREW SIZE: 7 ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 statute miles/39 degrees NOTE: Following a management decision, technicians today are preparing to re-enter the aft main engine compartment and X-ray the power drive units (PDU) for the orbiter's external tank doors. The units are suspected of having possible loose screws in the PDU terminal circuitry boards. X-rays will determine if the screws are properly installed. Access platforms are being installed in the engine compartment and X-rays will begin early this afternoon. Once the X-rays are developed, engineering evaluations will begin and the aft compartment will be closed again for flight. Given no additional work on the PDUs, launch remains scheduled for 10:49 a.m. Thursday. Loading cryogenic reactants into the power reactant storage and distribution system and the extended duration orbiter pallet was completed this morning. Payload technicians are also preparing for late stowage of experiments into the Life and Microgravity Spacelab. Mid-deck stowage will begin tomorrow. Air Force weather forecasters are currently indicating a 40 percent probability of weather prohibiting launch on Thursday. The concern is with an upper level low pressure system that may produce showers in the vicinity of the pad. During Thursday's launch window, the winds at Pad B are expected to be from the west-southwest at 8-13 knots; temperature 80 degrees F; visibility 7 miles; humidity 82 percent; and clouds scattered to broken at 2,000 feet and 3,500 feet; and broken at 30,000 feet. The 24-hour-delay forecast reveals similar conditions and a 30 percent chance of delay. KEY STS-78 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES: Move Rotating Service Structure to launch position (4 p.m. Wednesday) Begin external tank loading for launch (2 a.m. Thursday) SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-78 T-TIME LENGTH OF HOLD HOLD BEGINS HOLD ENDS T-27 hours 4 hours 8:00 p.m. Mon. 12 midnight Mon. T-19 hours 8 hours 8:00 a.m. Tues. 4:00 p.m. Tues. T-11 hours 20 hours, 29 minutes 12 midnight Wed. 8:29 p.m. Wed. T-6 hours 1 hour 1:29 a.m. Thurs. 2:29 a.m. Thurs. T-3 hours 2 hours 5:29 a.m. Thurs. 7:29 a.m. Thurs. T-20 minutes 10 minutes 10:09 a.m. Thurs. 10:19 a.m. Thurs. T-9 minutes 10 minutes 10:30 a.m. Thurs. 10:40 a.m. Thurs. CREW FOR MISSION STS-78 Commander (CDR): Tom Henricks Pilot (PLT): Kevin Kregel Mission Specialist (MS1): Richard Linnehan Mission Specialist/Payload Commander (MS2): Susan Helms Mission Specialist (MS3): Charles Brady Payload Specialist (PS1): Jean-Jacques Favier (French Space Agency) Payload Specialist (PS2): Robert Brent Thirsk (Canadian Space Agency) SUMMARY OF STS-78 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES Thursday, June 20 5:39 a.m. Wake up (Payload Crew) 5:54 a.m. Wake up (Flight Crew) * 6:24 a.m. Breakfast and Crew Photo 6:54 a.m. Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2) 6:54 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, PS1, PS2) 7:04 a.m. Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2) * 7:15 a.m. Crew suiting photo * 7:34 a.m. Depart for launch pad 39B * 8:04 a.m. Arrive at white room and begin ingress * 9:19 a.m. Close crew hatch *10:49 a.m. Launch * Televised events (times may vary slightly) All times Eastern-- 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."