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

STS-86 images

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Pad 39A
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 25 at about 10:31 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 5, time TBD
• 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: At Pad 39A, pad validations continue and the engine Flight Readiness Test began at about 5 a.m. today. Hydraulic testing and preparations for Monday's loading of hypergolic reactants are under way. Atlantis' Helium Signature Test is scheduled for Friday. Inspections of the small scuff on the outer surface insulation of the right-hand payload bay door revealed only minor damage. As a precaution, technicians will inspect the door's hinges. Earlier this week the door made contact with a hoist while the doors were being opened.

Removal of El Paso Community College's get away special payload from Atlantis' midbody is complete. The Spacehab payload is slated to join the orbiter at the pad Aug. 28.

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

• Spacehab payload transfer to Pad 39A (Aug. 28)
• Vertical payload installation (Aug. 29)
• Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Sept. 9-10)
• STS-86 Flight Readiness Review (Sept. 12)

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: Crew module fuel cell monitoring modifications are complete and the same work will pick up in Columbia's midbody on Monday. Final draining of the Shuttle's oxidizer cross-feed line is complete and leak checks on the line begin today. Auxiliary power unit leak and functional testing is in work this week.

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

• Power reactant storage and distribution system testing (Aug. 21)
• Remote Manipulator System installation (August 27)
• Shuttle main engine installation begins (Sept. 8)

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

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: Main propulsion system leak and functional checks and auxiliary power unit close-outs continue. Ku band and audio system testing is in work. Flushing of the ammonia boiler is set for Saturday. Body flap and elevon modifications continue and window polishing is under way.

MISSION: STS-85 -- CRISTA-SPAS-2

STS-85 images

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: OPF Bay 3
• KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Aug. 7 at 10:41 a.m.
• KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Aug. 19 at 7:08 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 20 hours, 27 minutes

NOTE: Following Discovery's safe landing on KSC's runway 33, the Shuttle was towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility to OPF 3 and was spotted there shortly after noon yesterday. Post-flight inspections are currently under way and preliminary results show normal damage to the Shuttle's thermal protection system. The orbiter sustained a total of 102 hits, of which 13 had a major dimension of 1-inch or larger. No tile damage from micrometeorites or on-orbit debris was identified during the initial inspection and the tires were reported to be in good condition for a landing on the concrete runway. Deservicing of the onboard cryogenic system is in work today. The orbiter's payload bay doors will be opened on Friday and payload removal is slated for Tuesday.

Processing will now begin for Discovery's next mission, STS-91, targeted for launch on May 28, 1998.

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