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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1996  (11:50 AM 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 8

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: All work to mate Atlantis to the external tank is complete. 
The orbiter was powered up at about 1 a.m. EDT today and the shuttle
interface test is ongoing.  The Spacehab payload was placed into the
payload canister yesterday.

Engineers continue to evaluate a noise that was heard during the
lifting of the orbiter in the VAB.  Workers that heard the sound are
being interviewed and engineers will examine the orbiter’s payload
bay today in search of the sound’s origin.  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.

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
TARGET LAUNCH DATE:  Feb. 1997
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 again. 
Stationary thunderstorms in the New Mexico and Arizona areas are
blocking the flight path.  A weather briefing is scheduled for 4 p.m.
EDT today to help ferry flight managers decide the flight plan for
Discovery’s return home.

* KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
* Begin ferry flight  (June 28)
* Expected arrival at KSC, weather permitting (June 28)


PREPARATIONS FOR ORBITER MAINTENANCE DOWN PERIOD

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
NEXT MISSION: STS-88, ISS - 1
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3
TARGET LAUNCH DATE:  Late 1997
DELIVERY TO PALMDALE, CA:  Early August

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.

NOTE:  Work to disconnect Endeavour’s orbital maneuvering system
cross feeds is complete. Preparations are underway to remove  the
Forward Reaction Control System.

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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