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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1996  (11:45 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
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 196-245 statute miles/51.6 degrees
All times are EDT

NOTE: Pressurization of the hypergolic propellant system and ordnance
installation operations are complete. Aft engine compartment
close-outs continue and are expected to be complete on Thursday.
Countdown preparations are in work with the countdown set to begin at
12 a.m. Friday.

	Hurricane Hortense continues on a track to the northwest and
at this time it is not likely to impact launch operations or launch
recovery operations on Monday. Managers will continue to watch the
storm closely for signs of course changes. In the event an unexpected
turn is made toward Florida, managers will be in a position to order
a rollback of Atlantis to the VAB as early as Thursday. If the storm
continues on its projected path away from Florida, countdown
operations will proceed on schedule.

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 2:39 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 continues in the VAB. On
the orbiter, the rudder speed brake continues to undergo checks.
Orbital maneuvering system pod checks and payload bay
reconfigurations are also in work. The crew of mission STS-80 is
scheduled to arrive at KSC tomorrow for the crew equipment interface
test (CEIT) set for Friday and Saturday.

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 complete. Preparations are underway
to install the remote manipulator system next week. The RMS will be
delivered to the OPF Thursday.

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 --	
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