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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1996  (2:24 PM EDT)

KSC Public Affairs Contact: Joel Wells (fax 407-867-2692)
E-mail: J.Wells-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov


MISSION: STS-78 -- LIFE AND MICROGRAVITY SPACELAB (LMS)
Flight Day 7

VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
LOCATION: Orbit
OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE/TIME: June 20 at 10:49 a.m. (EDT)
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 7 at about 8:43 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 16 days, 22 hours
CREW SIZE: 7
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 statute miles/39 degrees

The crew of mission STS-78 are: Commander Tom Henricks; Pilot Kevin
Kregel; Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Susan Helms and Charles
Brady; and Payload Specialists Jean-Jacques Favier (French Space
Agency) and Robert Brent Thirsk (Canadian Space Agency).

Mission status reports are issued daily by Johnson Space Center,
Houston, TX and status reports on the progress of the LMS experiments
are issued from Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL.


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

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
LOCATION: VAB
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: July 31 at about 11:29 p.m. (EDT)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE: 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 hard mated to the external tank yesterday and work
to connect the umbilical system is ongoing.  The orbiter is scheduled
to be powered up tomorrow for a series of routine tests.  The
Spacehab payload, currently located in the Space Station Processing
Facility, will be placed into the payload canister today for
transport to Pad 39A.

Engineers have been evaluating a noise that was heard during the
lifting of the orbiter in the VAB.  Yesterday, workers operated the
lift equipment trying to duplicate the noise, but heard nothing.  An
inspection of Atlantis’ aft compartment revealed no foreign objects
and a review of log sheets showed all tools and equipment accounted
for.  The sound may have been background noise in the VAB, but
engineers will continue to work the issue until they isolate the
cause.

KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
* Transfer Spacehab double module to Pad 39A (June 28)
* Roll Atlantis to Pad 39A (July 1)
* Install Spacehab into orbiter at pad (July 9)
* STS-79 Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (July 18-19)


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

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

NOTE: Discovery is currently in Palmdale, CA, where it has undergone
a series of modifications and thorough inspections as part of a
regularly scheduled Orbiter Maintenance Down Period (OMDP).  Weather
concerns have delayed Discovery’s departure from Palmdale, which was
planned for early this morning.  Thunderstorms in the New Mexico and
Arizona areas are being watched closely by ferry flight managers to
determine a departure time and flight plan.  If Discovery and the
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft take off at first light tomorrow they will
arrive at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility no earlier than 7 p.m. EDT. 
A weather briefing is scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT today to review the
possibility of a Thursday departure. Discovery’s next flight, mission
STS-82, the second Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, is set
for launch in February 1997.

* KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
* Begin ferry flight  (June 27)
* Expected arrival at KSC, weather permitting (June 27)


PREPARATIONS FOR ORBITER MAINTENANCE DOWN PERIOD

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

NOTE:  Work to disconnect Endeavour’s orbital maneuvering system
(OMS) is ongoing and work to drain the OMS cross feed system is
complete.

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 around the first 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 forward reaction control system (June 28)
* Remove right hand orbital maneuvering system pod (June 29)
* Remove left hand orbital maneuvering system pod (July 1)
* Final payload bay closing (July 12)
* Rollout for ferry flight (July 29)
-- end --
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