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: Preparations continue for Endeavour’s rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building, with first motion slated for midnight tonight pending acceptable weather conditions. Endeavour is installed on the orbiter transport system and efforts to fill the small indention located on the left payload bay door with epoxy are complete. Technicians will add a "doubler" or reinforced patch to the surface of the repaired area today. Workers are also adjusting a "microswitch" to assure proper closure of a landing gear door. With orbiter rollover to the VAB moved to midnight, the Shuttle is now scheduled for transfer to Pad 39A early Dec. 17.

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

• Orbiter towed to VAB for mate to external tank (midnight Dec. 11)
• SPACEHAB payload moved to pad 39A (Dec. 13)
• Shuttle transferred to pad 39A (Dec. 17)
• Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Jan. 8-9)

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: Removal of Columbia’s engine heat shields is ongoing and main engine removal is set for Saturday. Checks of fuel cell No. 1 revealed a oxygen leak that will result in the replacement of that fuel cell after the holidays. Fuel cell No. 3 was already slated for replacement during this processing flow. Initial health checks of the STS-87 payloads are complete, and both USMP-4 and Spartan are scheduled for removal tomorrow morning. Technicians have completed about 45 percent of the overall, post-flight thermal protection system inspections.

STS-90 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• USMP-4 and Spartan payloads removed (Dec. 12)
• Engine heat shield removal (Dec. 12)
• Shuttle main engine removal (Dec. 13)

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: Checks on Discovery’s freon coolant loop No. 2 are complete. Functional tests on the orbiter maneuvering system continue with checks of a helium valve in work today. Water spray boiler servicing and replacement of a check valve on the main propulsion system continue. Fuel cell monitoring modifications continue in Discovery’s midbody.

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