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. 20, 1998 at 10:31 p.m. EST (under review)
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• MIR DOCKING DATE/TIME: Jan. 22 at about 4:49 p.m. EST
• MIR UNDOCKING DATE/TIME: Jan. 27 at about 3:18 p.m. EST
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 30, 1998 at 3:43 a.m. EST
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days
• CREW: Wilcutt, Edwards, Dunbar, Anderson, Reilly, Sharipov, Thomas (up), Wolf (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: With NASA reviewing an option to launch Endeavour Jan. 20, the orbiter's roll over to the Vehicle Assembly Building is now slated for Thursday afternoon. Today, technicians have begun efforts to repair the orbiter's left payload bay door damaged when a ground support device that externally braces the cargo bay doors contacted the left door. Any repair efforts not completed in the OPF will be finished at the launch pad. Endeavour is scheduled to be transported to pad 39A on Dec. 16.

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

• Orbiter towed to VAB for mate to external tank (Dec. 11)
• SPACEHAB payload moved to pad 39A (Dec. 13)
• Shuttle transferred to pad 39A (Dec. 16)
• Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Jan. 6-7 under review)

MISSION: STS-90 -- NEUROLAB

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
• LOCATION: OPF bay 3
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: April 2, 1998 at 1:19 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: April 18, l998 at 12:09 p.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 21 hours, 50 minutes
• CREW: Searfoss, Atlman, Linnehan, Williams, Hire, Buckey, Pawelczyk
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 150 nautical miles/39 degrees

NOTE: Residual cryogenic reactants in Columbia's power reactant storage and distribution system have been off-loaded and post-flight deconfiguration is in progress. Preparations are under way for forward reaction control system functional testing and engine heat shield removal will begin tomorrow. Shuttle main engine removal follows on Saturday.

Preparations are also in work for payload bay door opening Wednesday morning. USMP-4 and the Spartan payload are currently scheduled to be removed from Columbia's cargo bay early Friday morning. Managers continue investigation of the unusual amount of damage to Columbia's thermal protection system tiles. Post flight inspections revealed more than 300 impacts to the orbiter's exterior surface.

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: Removal of Discovery's window No. 8 is complete and replacement occurs this week. Functional checks of the orbiter maneuvering system continue and replacement of a check valve on the main propulsion system is in work. Fuel cell monitoring modifications continue in Discovery's midbody.

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