MISSION: STS-87 -- U.S. MICROGRAVITY PAYLOAD-4

STS-87 images

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
• LOCATION: Pad 39B
• KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Nov. 19 at 2:46 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 5 at about 7:20 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes
• CREW: Kregel, Lindsey, Scott, Chawla, Doi, Kadenyuk
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 150 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Over the weekend, workers completed efforts to replace eight fuel valve seals on propellant lines at Pad 39B. Loading of hypergolic fuel into Columbia was completed Sunday and hypergolic servicing close-outs are in work today. Also today, the Shuttle main engines will undergo flight readiness testing. Columbia’s payload bay doors will be opened today to allow secondary payload servicing.

STS-87 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Begin aft engine compartment close-outs (Nov. 11)
• Ordnance installation (Nov. 12)
• STS-87 crew arrives at KSC (Nov. 16 at about 3:30 p.m.)
• Launch countdown begins (Nov. 16 at 3 p.m.)

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. 15, 1998 at about 1:03 a.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 24, 1998 at about 4:47 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 3 hours, 44 minutes
• CREW: Wilcutt, Edwards, Dunbar, Anderson, Reilly, Sharipov, Thomas (up), Wolf (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: The midbody crew equipment interface test concluded Friday and testing of the replaced reaction control system thruster is complete. Endeavour’s fuel cell voltage tests are in work. Close-outs on the orbiter’s aft compartment and main propulsion system are ongoing. Preparations are under way for transfer-tunnel installation this week.

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

• Transfer-tunnel installation (Nov. 14)
• Crew compartment CEIT (Nov. 15)

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: Technicians continue to work Discovery’s "chin panel" modifications and body flap removal is slated for mid-week. The payload bay doors are open and workers are gaining access to the midbody to begin fuel cell monitoring modifications in that area.

STS-91 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Removal of the forward reaction control system complete (Nov. 30)

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Shuttle Landing Facility
• TARGET OMDP FERRY DATE: Nov. 11
• TARGET RETURN TO KSC: August 1998
• NEXT MISSION: STS-92 ISS-03-3A (3rd ISS flight)

NOTE: Atlantis rolled out of OPF bay 3 today at about 9:40 a.m. bound for KSC’s Mate-Demate Device at the SLF. Work to mate the orbiter to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, will continue through tonight. The SCA and orbiter departure for Palmdale, CA is planned for about 8 a.m. tomorrow, pending acceptable weather.

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