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March 20, 1996
9:00 p.m.

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center

	The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-76 has been
postponed 24 hours due to the weather prediction of high wind.

	The combination of the wind direction and speed are the
primary reasons for the 80% chance of not meeting the weather
criteria for a launch attempt on Thursday morning.  This poses a 
threat for a significant cross wind at the Shuttle Landing Facility
in the event of a return to launch site by Atlantis.  Also,
associated high seas in the solid rocket booster retrieval area
concerned engineers that there was a chance the boosters could be
damaged at splashdown.

	The wind and seas are expected to gradually diminish over the
next two days, and the chance of not meeting the weather criteria on
Friday is only 10% due to a slight chance of a cross wind and a
possible ceiling below 6,000 feet.  The wind  will be Northwesterly
10 to 18 knots, a temperature near 43 degrees with skies partly
cloudy.  Over the weekend the chance of not meeting the launch
weather criteria is 20%.

	Tanking of Atlantis with the half million gallons of liquid
hydrogen and liquid oxygen is scheduled to begin at approximately
5:45 p.m. on Thursday.  The launch window on Friday opens at 3:13
a.m. and lasts for 7 minutes.