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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1996 (11:30 AM EST)

LAUNCH MINUS 1 DAY

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


MISSION: STS-76 -- 3rd MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
LOCATION: Pad 39B 
LAUNCH DATE/TIME: March 22 at about 3:13 a.m. EST
LAUNCH WINDOW: 7 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 3 hours, 50 minutes
MIR DOCKING: March 23 at about 9:34 p.m.
BEGIN SIX HOUR SPACEWALK: March 27 at about 12:45 a.m.
MIR UNDOCKING: March 28 at about 8:08 p.m.
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: March 31 at about 7:03 a.m. EST 
CREW SIZE: 6 up -- 5 down
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 184 statute miles/51.6 degrees
**All times are EST

NOTE: The launch of Atlantis on mission STS-76 was postponed 24-hours yesterday 
as mission managers determined the high winds expected at KSC overnight would 
violate RTLS constraints at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Winds at the pad were also 
approaching red-line limits. The postponement was announced yesterday at about 6:30 
p.m. EST prior to the beginning of tanking operations at the pad.  Launch has been 
rescheduled for Friday, March 22, at about 3:13 a.m. at the opening of a 7-minute 
window.

	(The launch team will target launch for no earlier than 3:12 a.m. on Friday. The exact 
time of launch will be announced about 90 minutes prior to lift-off, following final 
computation of the location of the Mir space station.)

	Prior to cryogenic loading operations today, the Mission Management Team is 
scheduled to meet at 5:15 p.m. to discuss tomorrow’s launch weather outlook. A final 
decision to proceed with tanking operations is expected at about 5:45 p.m. The three-
hour tanking operation is scheduled to begin at about 5:50 p.m.  Also, the solid rocket 
booster recovery ships have been deployed and will arrive on station later today.

	Air Force weather forecasters are currently indicating only a 10 percent probability of 
weather prohibiting launch on Friday. The only concern is for the slight possibility of 
violating launch temperature constraints. 

	During Friday’s 7-minute launch window, the winds at Pad B are expected to be from 
the west-northwest at 8-12 knots; temperature 43 degrees F; visibility 7 miles; humidity 
60 percent; and stratocumulus cloud bases scattered at 5,000 feet. The 24-hour delay 
forecast indicates a 20 percent chance of violation.


CREW FOR MISSION STS-76

Commander (CDR): 		 Kevin Chilton
Pilot (PLT): 			 Richard Searfoss
Mission Specialist (MS1):	 Ronald Sega
Mission Specialist (MS2):	 Rich Clifford
Mission Specialist (MS3):	 Linda Godwin
Mission Specialist (MS4):	 Shannon Lucid


SUMMARY OF STS-76 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES

Thursday, March 21 

   4:30 p.m.	Wake up
   5:00 p.m.	Breakfast
* 10:08 p.m.	Lunch and crew photo
  10:38 p.m.	Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
  10:38 p.m.	Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, MS4)
  10:48 p.m.	Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
* 11:05 p.m.	Crew suiting photo (estimated)
* 11:18 p.m.	Depart for launch pad 39B
* 11:58 p.m.	Arrive at white room and begin ingress

Friday, March 22 

*  1:13 a.m.	Close crew hatch
*  3:13 a.m.    Launch

* Televised events (times may vary slightly)
All times Eastern