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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1996  (11:19 AM EDT)

LAUNCH - 3 DAYS

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


MISSION: STS-77 -- SPACEHAB-4 & SPARTAN 207

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
LOCATION: Pad 39B
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: May 19 at 6:30 a.m. (EDT)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: May 29 at 7:07 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 0 hours, 37 minutes
CREW SIZE: 6
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 176 statute miles/39 degrees

NOTE: The countdown for launch of Endeavour began on time at 4 a.m.
today at the T-43 hour mark. No technical issues are being discussed
by the management team at this time. Also, the six-member crew
arrived at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility today at about 9:10 a.m.
Preparations are currently underway to ready the orbiter for loading
the power reactant storage and distribution system tanks with
cryogenic reactants early tomorrow morning. Final stowage of
experiments into the Spacehab remains on schedule to begin at about 2
p.m. Friday. Weather forecasters are currently indicating only a 20
percent chance of weather violating launch constraints Sunday
morning.

IN WORK TODAY:
* Final vehicle close-outs for launch
* Stowage of flight crew equipment
* Start preparations for servicing fuel cell storage tanks
* Review flight software stored in mass memory units

WORK COMPLETED:
* Aft engine compartment close-outs
* Check-out of contingency spacesuits
* Countdown preparations
* Begin countdown (4 a.m. today)
* Crew arrival (9:10 a.m. today)

KEY STS-77 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES:
* Begin loading of cryogenic reactants into Endeavour’s fuel cell
  storage tanks (midnight - 7 a.m. Friday)
* Move Rotating Service Structure to launch position (12 p.m. Saturday)
* Begin fueling of external tank (about 9:40 p.m. Saturday)


SUMMARY OF BUILT-IN HOLDS FOR STS-77

T-TIME        LENGTH OF HOLD            HOLD BEGINS           HOLD ENDS
T-27 hours	4 hours			8:00 p.m. Thurs.   12:00 midnight Thurs.
T-19 hours	4 hours			8:00 a.m. Fri.	   12:00 noon Fri.
T-11 hours     20 hours, 10 minutes	8:00 p.m. Fri.	    4:10 p.m. Sat.
T-6  hours	1 hour			9:10 p.m. Sat.	   10:10 p.m. Sat.
T-3  hours	2 hours			1:10 a.m. Sun.	    3:10 a.m. Sun.
T-20 minutes   10 minutes		5:50 a.m. Sun.	    6:00 a.m. Sun.
T-9  minutes   10 minutes		6:11 a.m. Sun.	    6:21 a.m. Sun.


CREW FOR MISSION STS-77

Commander (CDR): 		John Casper
Pilot (PLT): 			Curt Brown
Mission Specialist (MS1): 	Andy Thomas
Mission Specialist (MS2): 	Dan Bursch
Mission Specialist (MS3): 	Mario Runco
Mission Specialist (MS4): 	Marc Garneau (CSA)


SUMMARY OF STS-77 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES

Sunday, May 19

  1:30 a.m.	Wake up
* 2:00 a.m.	Breakfast and Crew Photo
  2:30 a.m.	Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
  2:30 a.m.	Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, MS4)
  2:40 a.m.	Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
* 2:55 a.m.	Crew suiting photo
* 3:10 a.m.	Depart for launch pad 39B
* 3:40 a.m.	Arrive at white room and begin ingress
* 5:00 a.m.	Close crew hatch
* 6:30 a.m.     Launch

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