GO TO THE PREVIOUS SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

GO TO THE NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
Friday, March 15, 1996

George H. Diller
E-mail:  george.diller-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov


Mission number: STS-76

Vehicle: OV-104/Atlantis
Location: Pad 39-B
Primary payload:  MIR-3, Spacehab
Astronauts: 6   (5 down)
Orbital altitude: 245 statute miles at MIR rendezvous
Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Mission Duration: 9 days, 4 hours, 29 minutes
Launch date:   March 21    3:35 a.m. EST
Landing date:  March 30    8:04 a.m. EST

STS-76 IN WORK TODAY:
· Checkout of EVA spacesuits
· Aft main engine compartment closeouts

STS-76 WORK SCHEDULED:
· Installation of aft compartment flight doors  (Saturday)
· Aft main engine compartment confidence test  (Saturday)
· Astronaut arrival  (12:01 a.m. Monday)
· Begin countdown  (2 a.m. Monday)

STS-76 WORK COMPLETED:
· Installation of EVA spacesuits into orbiter airlock
· Pressurization of storable propellant tanks
· Test of pyrotechnic electrical circuitry and firing chain
· External tank closeouts
· Solid rocket booster thermal curtain installation


STS-77/OV-105 - Endeavour
OPF Bay 3
(Spacehab 4/Spartan 207)

	Mid-body electrical work continues.  Closeouts of the aft
main engine compartment are also in work.  Installation of the three
main engines is complete and final securing is being performed today.
Electrical connections will follow.

	In the Vehicle Assembly Building, stacking of the right solid
rocket booster was completed yesterday.


OV-102/Columbia
OPF Bay 2

	Offloading of residual cryogenic reactants was completed
earlier this week.  Residual hypergolics were offloaded overnight.

	The photo survey of the Tethered Satellite System (TSS)
hardware was completed yesterday as planned and removal of the TSS
and USMP-2 payloads from the payload bay is scheduled for today. 
They will be installed in test stands at the Operations and Checkout
Building on Saturday and ordnance circuits will be safed.  Activities
directed by the failure board will begin next week.
                                                             
         
KSC 24-Hour Weather Summary
Shuttle Landing Facility-7:00 a.m.

Today’s minimum temperature: 46 degrees
Yesterday’s maximum temperature: 71 degrees
Lowest relative humidity: 27 percent
Peak wind speed/direction: 14 mph/NNE
Precipitation: 0 inches
Total March precipitation: 7.26 inches
Barometric pressure: 30.11