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

STS-89 images

• VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
• LOCATION: Vehicle Assembly Building
• 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: The orbiter Endeavour was transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at about 6 a.m. today. Yesterday, technicians completed work to install a "doubler" or reinforced patch to the damaged area on the left payload bay door. Workers will install a thermal blanket over the repair area when Endeavour arrives at the launch pad next week, completing their repair efforts. Endeavour will be lifted to VAB high bay 1 and mated to the external tank this weekend.

With investigations on the cause of Shuttle Columbia's unusual tile damage still underway, engineers are considering the possibility that pieces of thermal foam debris from the external tank may have caused the damage during ascent. Because of this possibility, technicians will access the STS-89 external tank in the VAB after umbilical mate and sand down portions of the thermal foam "rind" located on the ribbed intertank. Work will be focused 15 ft. aft of the external tank nose, on two thruster panels which measure 10 ft. wide and 15 ft. long. Sanding the foam will not compromise the tank's thermal protection, but may reduce the probability of foam debris.

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

• SPACEHAB payload moved to pad 39A (Dec. 13)
• Shuttle Interface Test (Dec. 14)
• 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 complete and main engine removal begins tomorrow. Functional tests on the forward reaction control system begin today. The USMP-4 and Spartan payloads were removed from the orbiter's cargo bay this morning and placed in the payload canister for transfer to the Vertical Processing Facility. Technicians have completed about 65 percent of the overall, post-flight thermal protection system inspections to date.

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

• Engine heat shield removal complete (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: Functional tests on the orbiter maneuvering system (OMS) have revealed the need to change out valves on the right-hand OMS pod. Close-outs are in work following the replacement of a check valve on the main propulsion system. Fuel cell monitoring modifications continue in Discovery's midbody.

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