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: Columbia's aft close-outs and launch countdown preparations continue on schedule. The aft compartment doors are scheduled to be installed this weekend. The countdown will begin at the T-43 hour mark at 2 p.m. Monday, March 31.

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

* Complete aft engine compartment close-outs (March 29)

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

* Crew arrival (1:30 p.m. March 31)

* Begin external tanking operations (5:11 a.m. April 3)

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: Work continues to install new thruster seals in Atlantis' aft reaction control system. The forward reaction control system is scheduled to be returned to the OPF this weekend and reinstalled on the orbiter later. Close-outs of the orbiter's midbody continue today and main propulsion system vacuum line leak checks are in work.

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

* Reinstall FRCS (March 31)

* Close payload bay doors for roll to VAB (April 1)

* Roll over to the VAB (April 10)

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: Preparations are underway to remove Discovery's forward reaction control system to allow inspection of the thrusters' seals. X-rays of the seals on the left and right orbiter maneuvering systems will continue through the middle of next week.

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

* Install main engines (April 18)

NOTE ON ENDEAVOUR: The orbiter Endeavour, riding atop the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), landed at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility at about 9:45 a.m. yesterday, completing is cross-country ferry flight from Palmdale, CA. (image) Operations at the Mate De-mate Device went very well and Endeavour arrived at OPF bay 1 at 1:30 a.m. While work platforms were being lowered around Endeavour, a ground support hydraulic hose became disconnected. Hydraulic fluid from the line spilled onto one of the work platforms, dripped to a second level of platforms and a small amount dripped off contacting the orbiter's right wing and elevons. The minor spill is being cleaned up today and Shuttle managers expect no impact to planned operations. Preparations to remove the tail cone are also underway.

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/