MISSION: STS-83 -- Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (image)

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102 (image)
• LOCATION: Pad 39A
• LAUNCH DATE/TIME: April 4, under review
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: April 20, time to be determined
• MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes
• CREW: Halsell, Still, Voss, Thomas, Gernhardt, Linteris, Crouch (image)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: NASA today decided to postpone for 24-hours the launch of Columbia on mission STS-83. Following a review earlier today, managers determined that a water coolant line in the orbiter's payload bay was not properly insulated. Additional insulation is required to prevent this line from possibly freezing during Columbia's 16 days in space.

Technicians will open the payload bay doors tonight and install the thermal insulation over the line which is located on the forward bulkhead in the payload bay. The work should be completed tomorrow afternoon and the doors closed for flight soon after that.

The launch time on Friday, April 4, is under review but could be as early as 1:07 p.m. EST. The exact launch time will be determined tomorrow. Additional information will be provided at a press briefing scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

         Commander (CDR):  Jim Halsell (Red Team)
             Pilot (PLT):  Susan Still (Red Team)
Mission Specialist (MS1):  Janice Voss (Blue Team)
Mission Specialist (MS2):  Michael Gernhardt (Blue Team)
Mission Specialist (MS3):  Donald Thomas (Red Team)
Mission Specialist (PS1):  Roger Crouch (Blue Team)
Mission Specialist (PS2):  Greg Linteris (Red Team)

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

Information about the countdown and mission can be accessed electronically via the Internet at: http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/ and at http://shuttle.nasa.gov/