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

STS-86 images

• VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
• LOCATION: Pad 39A
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 25 at about 10:34 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• MIR DOCKING TIME: Sept. 27 at 5:30 p.m. EDT
• UNDOCKING TIME: Oct. 3 at 11:46 a.m. EDT
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 5 at 6:56 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 pad 39A, the Rotating Service Structure was extended around Atlantis at about 10:20 p.m. yesterday and the payload bay doors were opened at about 12:45 a.m. today. Installation of the Spacehab payload into the Shuttle's cargo bay is in work. Mating of the orbiter midbody umbilical unit is also scheduled for today. Engineers expect to conclude their evaluations of the rudder speed brake sector seals on Atlantis, Endeavour and Columbia by Monday.

STS-86 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (Sept. 9-10)
• STS-86 Flight Readiness Review (Sept. 12)

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

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
• LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Nov. 19 at 2:18 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 5 at 6:51 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: Servicing of Columbia's freon coolant loop No. 2 is underway. Work to connect the oxidizer cross-feed line to the orbiter maneuvering system is complete and leak checks are in work. Fuel cell monitoring modifications continue through this weekend. The installation of Shuttle main engines No. 1 and No. 2 will be postponed pending conclusion of the Shuttle Program's block II engine evaluations (see NASA Headquarters press release 97-187). The orbiter's payload bay is being configured to support the United States Microgravity Payload-4 (USMP-4).

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: Auxiliary power unit No. 1 inspections are complete and installation into the orbiter is slated for this afternoon. Fuel cell and power reactant storage and distribution system testing is in work through Saturday. In the Hypergol Maintenance Facility, technicians replaced four transducers on Endeavour's forward reaction control system yesterday and the final transducer will be replaced Monday.

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

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: OPF Bay 3
• 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: Work is underway to remove Discovery's cryogenic heater controller for use on Endeavour. Preparations continue for removal of the Shuttle's main engines on Monday. Functional tests of the orbiter's forward reaction control system are in work.

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