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

STS-87 images

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
• LOCATION: Vehicle Assembly Building
• 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: Space Shuttle Columbia is mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters in VAB high bay 3. The Shuttle interface test will conclude today and Columbia's roll out to Pad 39B is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Wednesday. The U.S. Microgravity Payload has been transferred to the pad's payload change-out room and the payload canister will return to the Operations and Checkout Building today.

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

• Orbiter rollout to Pad 39B (Oct. 29 at 7 a.m.)
• Install USMP into orbiter (Nov. 1)
• Flight Readiness Review (Nov. 3)
• Crew arrival for TCDT (Nov. 3 at 9:30 a.m.)
• Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Nov. 4 and 5)

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: Endeavour's heat shield installation resumes today following final tests of the orbiter maneuvering system. Technicians will replace a seal on the crew module's vacuum vent purge valve today and perform leak checks tomorrow. A combined leak check of the orbiter's crew module and crew hatch is slated for Sunday. Solid rocket booster stacking operations continue in VAB high bay 1.

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

• Heat shield installation complete (Oct. 29)
• Payload premate test (Oct. 30)
• Midbody Crew Equipment Interface Test (Nov. 7)

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: Precourt, Gorie, Lawrence, Chang-Diaz, Kavandi, Thomas (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Discovery is in temporary storage in VAB high bay 2 awaiting transport to OPF bay 2 on Oct. 30 at about 9 a.m. Orbiter processing for mission STS-91 will resume once the orbiter is moved to the OPF.

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: OPF bay 3
• TARGET OMDP FERRY DATE: Nov. 12
• TARGET RETURN TO KSC: August 1998
• NEXT MISSION: STS-92 ISS-03-3A (3rd ISS flight)

NOTE: Deservicing of Atlantis' ammonia system and removal of fuel cells No.2 and No. 3 are complete. Technicians will remove fuel cell No. 1 later this week. Preparation of the orbiter's main propulsion system for the ferry flight to Palmdale, CA, continues. Ferry flight preparations overall are proceeding very well and Atlantis is expected to depart the Shuttle Landing Facility atop the Being 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft no later than Nov. 12.

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