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

STS-87 images

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
• LOCATION: KSC Shuttle Landing Facility
• OFFICIAL KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Nov. 19 at 2:46 p.m.
• OFFICIAL KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 5 at about 7:20 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes
• CREW: Kregel, Lindsey, Scott, Chawla, Doi, Kadenyuk
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 150 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: The Space Shuttle Columbia touched down on KSC runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility this morning at 7:20 a.m. EST. With favorable weather expected at landing time, mission managers gave Commander Kevin Kregel the go ahead for deorbit burn which occurred at about 6:20 a.m.

Completing the USMP-4 mission objectives and executing two space walks to demonstrate equipment and techniques that will be used during International Space Station assembly, the six member flight crew spent 15 days and 16 hours in space. Columbia traveled 6.5 million statute miles and orbited Earth 252 times.

After KSC ground crews complete safing and post-flight activities, Columbia is scheduled to be towed to Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at about 1 p.m. today. Processing will now begin for Columbia's next mission targeted for April.

MAIN GEAR TOUCHDOWN -- 15:16:34:04 MET / 7:20:04 A.M. EST
NOSE GEAR TOUCHDOWN -- 15:16:34:14 MET / 7:20:14 A.M. EST
WHEELS STOP -- 15:16:35:01 MET / 7:21:01 A.M. EST

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 1:01 a.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 24, 1998 at about 4:45 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 3 hours, 44 minutes
• CREW: Wilcutt, Edwards, Dunbar, Anderson, Reilly, Sharipov, Thomas (up), Wolf (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Endeavour's structural leak checks are complete and today technicians will complete payload bay door cycling activities. Saturday, orbiter weight and center of gravity tests will precede final preparations to transport Endeavour to the Vehicle Assembly Building Sunday morning.

STS-89 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Orbiter towed to VAB for mate to external tank (Dec. 7)
• SPACEHAB payload moved to pad 39A (Dec. 11)
• Shuttle transferred to pad 39A (Dec. 12)
• Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Dec. 17-18)

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

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: OPF bay 2
• 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 about 12:17 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 3 hours, 44 minutes
• CREW: Precourt, Gorie, Lawrence, Chang-Diaz, Kavandi, Thomas (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Fuel cell monitoring modifications proceed in Discovery's midbody. Checks of the orbiter's water spray boiler and main propulsion system testing continue. Thermal protection system tiles are being replaced near the forward reaction control system and main landing gear doors. Servicing of the orbiter's flash evaporator system is also in work.

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