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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1996  (11:06 AM EDT)

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


MISSION: STS-79 -- 4th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM (image)

VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104 (image)
LOCATION: Vehicle Assembly Building
LAUNCH DATE/TIME: TBD
LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
MIR DOCKING: TBD
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: TBD
MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 4 hours
CREW SIZE: 6
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 196-245 statute miles/51.6 degrees
All times are EST

NOTE: The Space Shuttle Atlantis was returned to the VAB today
because of the threat from Hurricane Fran, which continues on a
northwest track several hundred miles off the coast of Florida. KSC
remains in Hurricane Condition 3 (HurCon 3) which indicates the space
center may see sustained winds of 50 knots or greater within 48
hours.

	First motion off Pad 39A occurred at about 5:21 a.m. today.
Atlantis is expected to be hard down in the VAB by noon. The rollback
decision came from the Launch Director at midnight last night after
discussions with Shuttle weather forecasters and the National
Hurricane Center in Miami. The vehicle will remain in the VAB today
and could be ready to return to the pad as early as tomorrow morning,
depending on forecast weather associated with Hurricane Fran.

	Discussions will be held throughout the day to assess the
impact to STS-79's launch date but managers indicate at this time an
impact to the schedule of a couple of days.

	If conditions worsen, KSC could go to HurCon 2 sometime
today. This call would be made if high winds are expected at KSC
within 24 hours.


MISSION: STS-80 -- WAKE SHIELD FACILITY-3 and ORFEUS-SPAS-2

VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: (no earlier than) Oct. 31 at 2:40 p.m. (EST)
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 20 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: (no earlier than) Nov. 16 at 7:25 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 16 days
CREW SIZE: 5
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 218 statute miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Options remain under discussion as to when to begin stacking
the solid rocket boosters for STS-80. Stacking remains unlikely
earlier than Friday and is based on the track of Hurricane Fran. The
payload bay doors will remain closed until the threat of hurricane
force winds at KSC passes. The doors could be opened later today,
weather permitting.

KEY STS-80 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Begin stacking solid rocket boosters in VAB (no earlier than Friday)
Crew equipment interface test  (Sept. 13-14)
Final payload bay door closure (Sept. 23)
Roll to Vehicle Assembly Building (Sept. 30)


NOTE: MISSION STS-81, ATLANTIS, IS TARGETED FOR LAUNCH ON JAN. 12,
1997. SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS WILL BE ISSUED FOLLOWING MISSION
STS-79.


MISSION: STS-82 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING MISSION-2

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
LOCATION:  Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: February 13, 1997
LAUNCH WINDOW: 61 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE: February 23, 1997
MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 22 hours
CREW SIZE: 7
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 360 statute miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: The payload bay doors will remain closed as a precaution for
possible hurricane conditions this week. The doors could be opened
later today, weather permitting.

KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Install and checkout drag chute (Sept. 4-5)
Deliver forward reaction control system to OPF (Sept. 16)
Complete installation of the forward reaction control system (Sept. 18)
-- end --	
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