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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1996  (2:50 PM 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: Aft engine compartment close-outs continue today and are
expected to be complete late tonight. Countdown preparations are in
work with the clock set to begin ticking at the T-43 hour mark at
midnight tonight. The six-member crew for mission STS-79 are
scheduled to arrive at KSC tonight around midnight.

	Purges of the external tank are complete and stowage of crew
equipment into the orbiter's mid-body continues today.

	Hurricane Hortense will not pose a threat to KSC and no
contingency plans are in effect.

KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
Complete aft engine compartment close-outs (tonight)
Begin countdown at T-43 hours (midnight tonight)
Flight crew arrival at KSC (about midnight tonight)
Retract Rotating Service Structure from vehicle at pad (11 a.m. Sunday)
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: Orbital maneuvering system pod leak checks and payload bay
reconfigurations are in work today. Also, main engine and main
propulsion system integrated tests are underway. The crew of mission
STS-80 is scheduled to arrive at KSC today 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: Preparations are underway to install the remote manipulator
system next week. The RMS was delivered to the OPF today.

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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