KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
      WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1997 (3:01 PM EST)

      KSC Public Affairs Contact: Joel Wells (fax 407-867-2692)
      E-mail: Joel.Wells-1@ksc.nasa.gov

      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 3:28 p.m. EST
      • MIR UNDOCKING DATE/TIME: Jan. 27 at about 12:08 p.m. EST
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 29, 1998 at 7:18 p.m. EST
      • MISSION DURATION: 8 days, 20 hours and 47 minutes
      • CREW: Wilcutt, Edwards, Dunbar, Anderson, Reilly, Sharipov, Thomas (up), Wolf (down)
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Shuttle Interface Test has been successfully completed. Sanding operations on a thin layer of the STS-89 external tank foam insulation are approximately 65% complete. Some additional work has been identified which may require an additonal one to two shifts of work. Managers are targeting Endeavour’s rollout from the VAB to Pad 39A for sometime Friday or perhaps early Saturday. The SPACEHAB payload is in the Payload Changeout Room at the pad awaiting Endeavour’s arrival. Once the Shuttle is on the launcher pedestals at the pad, electrical connections will be established and Endeavour’s payload bay doors will be opened. SPACEHAB installation is planned for this weekend.

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

      • Shuttle transferred to pad 39A (Dec. 19)
      • SPACEHAB installed into orbiter (Dec. 20)
      • Payload Interface Verification Test (Jan. 4-5)
      • Flight Readiness Review (Jan. 7)
      • Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Jan. 9-10)

      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: Last night, technicians completed work to off-load Columbia’s residual hypergolic propellants. Functional tests on the forward reaction control system and remote manipulator system check-outs continue in work today. The RMS will be removed after testing is completed. Preparations will also begin at that time to remove and replace one of the payload bay floodlights. Post-flight inspections continue on Columbia’s thermal protection system (TPS), with more than 70 percent of the inspections complete. Managers expect to have an assessment on total tile damage and replacement requirements this week.

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

      • Removal of remote manipulator system (Dec. 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: Functional tests on the orbiter maneuvering system continue on schedule. Radiator functional checks have been completed. Fuel cell monitoring modifications continue, water spray boiler servicing and body flap corrosion repairs also continue. Preparations are in work for aft flight deck reconfiguration and Modular Auxiliary Data System verifications.

      --end--

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