MISSION: STS-83 -- Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (image)

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102 (image)
• LOCATION: Pad 39A
• LAUNCH DATE/TIME: April 3 at 2:01 p.m. EST
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: April 19 at about 7:37 a.m. EDT
• MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes
• CREW: Halsell, Still, Voss, Thomas, Gernhardt, Linteris, Crouch (image)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Loading the hypergolic propellants into the orbiter’s reaction control system began as scheduled yesterday and will continue through all of today. Once the pad is reopened for other work, aft engine compartment close-outs and launch countdown preparations will begin. The countdown is scheduled to begin at the T-43 hour mark at 2 p.m. Monday, March 31.

STS-83 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

* Ordnance installation (March 26)

* Begin launch countdown (2 p.m. March 31)

* Crew arrival (2:30 p.m. March 31)

MISSION: STS-84 -- 6th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM (image)

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: May 15 at about 4:07 a.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: May 24 at about 7:52 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 3 hours, 45 minutes
• CREW: Precourt, Collins, Foale, Noriega, Lu, Clervoy, Kondakova
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Space Shuttle main engine No. 3 has been reinstalled and the crew equipment and interface test, involving the STS-84 crew members, is complete. The forward reaction control system has been removed from Atlantis for X-rays. A concern arose last week that indicated thruster seal savers may have been incorrectly installed. No impact to the overall schedule is expected at this time. In the VAB, the external tank is being mated to the solid rocket boosters today.

STS-84 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

* Close payload bay doors for roll to VAB (March 31)

* Roll over to the VAB (April 9)

MISSION: STS-85 -- CRISTA-SPAS-2

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2
• TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: July 17 at 10:06 a.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour, 54 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 28 at about 6:54 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 20 hours, 48 minutes
• CREW: Brown, Rominger, Davis, Curbeam, Robinson, Tryggvason
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/57 degrees

NOTE: The forward reaction control system functional checks continue today. Also, the Space Shuttle main engines are being removed today.

STS-85 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

* Complete removal of Space Shuttle main engines (March 25)

* Remove and replace fuel cell No. 2 (March 25)

NOTE ON ENDEAVOUR: The orbiter Endeavour is scheduled to return to Kennedy Space Center, FL, on Wednesday, March 26. Endeavour has been at Palmdale, CA, since July 1996 for extensive inspections and modifications that will give the Shuttle the capability to dock with Russia’s Mir Space Station and the planned International Space Station. Endeavour will be turned back over to NASA later today after it is rolled out of the Palmdale orbiter processing facility. Endeavour will be mated to the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) this afternoon and prepared for departure Tuesday morning. A two-day ferry flight is scheduled to feature an overnight stop at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, TX, weather permitting. The orbiter will depart Corpus Christi Wednesday morning, make a brief refueling stop at Ellington Field in Houston, TX, then continue on to KSC Wednesday afternoon.

For automatic e-mail subscriptions to this daily Shuttle status report or KSC originated press releases, send an Internet electronic mail message to domo@news.ksc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) type the words "subscribe shuttle-status", or "subscribe ksc-press-release" (do not use quotation marks). The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription.

To remove your name from the list at any time, send an e-mail address to domo@news.ksc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line), type (no quotes) "unsubscribe shuttle-status", or "unsubscribe ksc-press-release."

Status reports and other NASA publications are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/kscpao.htm

Information about the countdown and mission can be accessed electronically via the Internet at: http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/ and at http://shuttle.nasa.gov/