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 10:34 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• MIR DOCKING TIME: Sept. 27 at 5:30 p.m. EDT
• UNDOCKING TIME: Oct. 3 at 11:46 a.m. EDT
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 5 at 6:56 p.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 20 hours, 19 minutes
• CREW: Wetherbee, Bloomfield, Parazynski, Titov, Chretien, Lawrence, Wolf (up), Foale (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Loading of hypergolic reactants into Atlantis' power reactant storage and distribution system begins tonight. The orbiter's midbody umbilical unit will be mated Friday. In the Shuttle's aft compartment, the pyrotechnic canister assemblies will be installed at the external tank/orbiter attach points later this week.

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

• Spacehab payload transfer to Pad 39A (Sept. 3)
• 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: Leak checks and X-rays of Columbia's oxidizer cross-feed line continue, following the line's recent repair. Work to install the Shuttle's drag chute is complete and structural leak checks are in work. Midbody fuel cell monitoring modifications are under way in an effort to improve accessibility to voltage readings in the crew module. Leak checks of the orbiter's main propulsion system are in work and will be accelerated to accommodate installation of Shuttle main engines No. 1 and No. 2 on Sept. 6. Installation of the remote manipulator system concludes tomorrow.

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

• Remote Manipulator System installation complete (August 27)
• Shuttle main engine installation begins (Sept. 6)

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 testing continues. Modifications of Endeavour's left and right elevon coves continue through next week and body flap repair work concludes tomorrow. Preparations continue for installation of fuel cell No. 2 on Thursday. Gaseous nitrogen purging of the ammonia boiler continues today.

MISSION: STS-91 -- 9th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: OPF Bay 3
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: May 28 at 8:33 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 7 at 12:17 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 3 hours, 44 minutes
• CREW: TBD
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Removal of the CRISTA-SPAS payload from Discovery's payload began early this morning. Deservicing of the Shuttle's orbiter maneuvering system begins Thursday and preparations are under way for draining of the auxiliary power unit catch bottles.

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/