MISSION: STS-85 -- CRISTA-SPAS-2 (image)

Index of STS-85 images

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: On orbit
• OFFICIAL KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Aug. 7 at 10:41 a.m.
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Aug. 18 at 7:14 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 20 hours, 33 minutes
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/57 degrees

NOTE: Mission STS-85 continues successfully on this final day of robot arm testing. With Discovery's landing slated for Monday, Commander Curt Brown and Pilot Kent Rominger conducted routine communication checks with the Florida and California landing sites. Forecasters are predicting favorable weather conditions for the single KSC landing opportunity on Monday at about 7:14 a.m. The landing time is likely to change following tomorrow's rendezvous and retrieval of the CRISTA-SPAS satellite.

At Hangar AF, the solid rocket motor nozzles are removed from the boosters and will be shipped to Utah today.

STS-85 crew members: Commander Curtis Brown, Pilot Kent Rominger, Mission Specialists Jan Davis, Robert Curbeam and Stephen Robinson; and Payload Specialist Bjarni Tryggvason

MISSION: STS-86 -- 7th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM

Index of STS-86 images

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Vehicle Assembly Building
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than Sept. 22 at about 12:08 a.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 2 at about 4:17 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 4 hours, 9 minutes
• CREW: Wetherbee, Bloomfield, Parazynski, Titov, Chretien, Lawrence, Wolf (up), Foale (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: In the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians are wrapping up orbiter/external tank mating activities and Shuttle interface testing concludes today as well. Atlantis begins first motion to Pad 39A at 2 a.m. Monday and should be hard down at 8 a.m. The Spacehab payload is scheduled to arrive at the launch pad on Aug. 28.

STS-86 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Roll Space Shuttle out to Pad 39A (Aug. 18)
• Spacehab payload transfer to Pad 39A (Aug. 28)

MISSION: STS-87 -- U.S. MICROGRAVITY PAYLOAD-4

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
• LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Nov. 19 at 2:18 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 5 at 6:51 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 16 hours, 33 minutes
• CREW: Kregel, Lindsey, Scott, Chawla, Doi, Kadenyuk
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 150 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Functional testing of the Shuttle's aft propulsion system continues. Replacement of a flow valve on fuel cell No. 2 is in work. In Columbia's crew module a fuel cell monitoring modification is underway. Removal of the Shuttle's oxidizer cross-feed line from the orbiter maneuvering system is scheduled for tomorrow. Once the line is isolated and draining activities are complete leak checks and repair work will follow next week.

STS-87 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Power reactant storage and distribution system testing (Aug. 20)
• Auxiliary power unit servicing and checkout (Aug. 20)

MISSION: STS-89 -- 8th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM

Index of STS-89 images

• VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
• LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Jan. 15, 1998 at about 1:03 a.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 24, 1998 at about 4:47 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 3 hours, 44 minutes
• CREW: Wilcutt, Edwards, Dunbar, Anderson, Reilly, Wolf (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Testing of Endeavour's Ku-band system and installation of auxiliary power units No. 2 and No. 3 are complete. Helium leak checks on the orbiter's main propulsion system continue. Modifications of the left and right-hand elevon coves conclude next week and body flap repair work continues through the weekend.

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