MISSION: STS-86 -- 7th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM

STS-86 images

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: On orbit
• OFFICIAL KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 25 at 10:34 p.m.
• OFFICIAL MIR DOCKING TIME: Sept. 27 at 3:58 p.m. EDT
• UNDOCKING TIME: Oct. 3 at 11:46 a.m. EDT
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 5 at about 7:00 p.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 20 hours, 22 minutes
• CREW: Wetherbee, Bloomfield, Parazynski, Titov, Chretien, Lawrence, Wolf (up), Foale (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: At Hangar AF, solid rocket booster aft skirt assembly removal is complete and forward skirt removal is in work. The booster nozzles will also be removed today for shipment to Utah tomorrow.

Atlantis continues to perform very well on orbit with most of the Mir transfer activities complete.

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

STS-87 images

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
• LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2
• TARGET 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 7:19 a.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 16 hours, 33 minutes
• CREW: Kregel, Lindsey, Scott, Chawla, Doi, Kadenyuk
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 150 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Today the STS-87 crew arrived at KSC to participate in mission familiarization activities. Tomorrow they will take part in the Crew Equipment Interface Test in Columbia's crew module and midbody. Integrated testing of the main propulsion system continues. A faulty connector on the fuel cell monitoring system in the orbiter's midbody will be changed out and retested this week. Fuel cell voltage tests and payload premate testing are slated for next week.

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

• Crew Equipment Interface Test (Oct. 3)
• Final payload bay door closure (Oct. 14)
• Orbiter roll over to VAB (Oct. 20)

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, Wolf (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Leak and functional checks of Endeavour's three auxiliary power units will conclude tomorrow. Main propulsion system testing is underway. The orbiter's forward reaction control system arrived in the OPF at 10:30 a.m. today and following inspections will be installed into the orbiter tonight. In the Hypergolic Maintenance Facility, work continues on the right hand orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod in preparation for its delivery to the OPF tomorrow.

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

• Forward reaction control system installation complete (Oct. 3)
• Right-hand OMS pod installation (Oct. 4)

MISSION: STS-91 -- 9th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB-SM

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: Vehicle Assembly Building
• 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: TBD
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Yesterday at about 1:30 p.m. Discovery arrived in VAB high bay 2 to make room in OPF bay 3 for Atlantis' return. Portable purge systems have been hooked-up and the orbiter will remain in temporary storage until Oct. 27.

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