GO TO THE PREVIOUS SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

GO TO THE NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1996  (10:36 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: Pad 39A
LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 16 at about 4:54 a.m.
LAUNCH WINDOW: about 7 minutes (possibly less)
MIR DOCKING: Sept. 18 at 11:17 p.m.
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Sept. 26 at about 8:12 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes
CREW: Readdy, Wilcutt, Akers, Blaha (up), Lucid (down), Apt, Walz (image)
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 196-245 statute miles/51.6 degrees
All times are EDT

NOTE: Aft engine compartment close-outs continue and are expected to
be complete on Thursday. The spacesuits have been installed and were
successfully checked-out for flight yesterday. Ordnance installation
and connection operations were held up briefly for weather yesterday
but will be complete by this afternoon.

	As Hurricane Hortense continues to track northwest through
the Caribbean, forecasters believe the storm will eventually turn
north over the next day or two. Managers will watch the storm closely
for signs of strengthening and course changes. Impacts to
preparations to launch Atlantis will be evaluated today and tomorrow.

KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Complete aft engine compartment close-outs (Thursday)
Begin countdown at T-43 hours (12:01 a.m. Friday)
Flight crew arrival at KSC (12:01 a.m. Friday)
Begin fueling external tank for launch  (7:33 p.m. Sunday)


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

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: Cockrell, Rominger, Jernigan, Jones, Musgrave
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 218 statute miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Stacking of the solid rocket boosters began yesterday and will
continue for the next two weeks. Preparations are in work for final
checks of the main propulsion system and the rudder speed brake. Main
engine heatshield installation continues.

KEY STS-80 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Crew equipment interface test  (Friday-Saturday)
Landing gear functional checks (Sept. 17)
Final payload bay door closure (about Sept. 23)
Mate external tank to solid rocket boosters (Oct. 2)
Roll to Vehicle Assembly Building (about Oct. 5)

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: Bowersox, Horowitz, Lee, Hawley, Harbaugh, Smith, Tanner
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 360 statute miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Ammonia boiler servicing is in work today. Preparations are
also underway to install the remote manipulator system next week.

KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Install remote manipulator system (Sept. 16)
Deliver forward reaction control system to OPF (Sept. 19)
Complete installation of the forward reaction control system (Sept. 22)
Begin fuel cell no. 3 replacement (about Sept. 23)
Complete installation of main engines (about Oct. 1)
-- end --	
	For automatic e-mail subscriptions to this daily Shuttle
status report or KSC originated press releases, send an Internet
electronic mail message to domo@news.ksc.nasa.gov. In the body of the
message (not the subject line) type the words "subscribe
shuttle-status", or "subscribe ksc-press-release" (do not use
quotation marks). The system will reply with a confirmation via
e-mail of each subscription.

	To remove your name from the list at any time, send an e-mail
address to domo@news.ksc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not
the subject line), type (no quotes) "unsubscribe shuttle-status", or
"unsubscribe ksc-press-release."

	Status reports and other NASA publications are available on
the World Wide Web at: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/kscpao.htm