KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
      THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1998 (3:58 PM EST)
      MISSION: STS-88 -- 1ST FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
      UNITY CONNECTING MODULE
      FLIGHT DAY 8

      STS-88 images

      • VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
      • LOCATION: On orbit
      • KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Dec. 4 at 3:35:34 a.m. EST
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 15 at about 10:56 p.m. EST
      • MISSION DURATION: 11 days, 19 hours and 20 minutes
      • CREW: Cabana, Sturckow, Currie, Ross, Newman, Krikalev
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: All systems aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour continue to perform very well on orbit. Inspections of the solid rocket boosters at Hangar AF continue and nozzle removal is in work today. Managers plan to ship the nozzles to Utah tomorrow.

      MISSION: STS-93 -- Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF)

      STS-93 images

      • VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 3
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: no earlier than March 25, time TBD
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: no earlier than March 30, time TBD
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 47 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 5 days
      • CREW: Collins, Ashby, Hawley, Coleman, Tognini
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 153 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

      NOTE: Workers are performing a routine modification on orbiter Columbia, by shimming the payload bay's aft bulkhead to ensure proper payload bay door closure. Leak tests of the orbiter's crew compartment continue. Auxiliary power unit No. 2 fuel tank pressurization is scheduled today. In the Vehicle Assembly Building, external tank and solid rocket booster closeouts continue on schedule.

      STS-93 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

      • Payload bay doors closed (Dec. 21)
      • Orbiter weight and center of gravity testing (Jan. 9)
      • Orbiter transferred to VAB for mate to external tank (Jan. 11)
      MISSION: STS-96 -- 2nd U.S. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLIGHT
      SPACEHAB DOUBLE MODULE

      STS-96 images

      • VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 1
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: May 13, 1999 at 12:33 p.m. EST
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: May 24, 1999 at 8:47 a.m. EST
      • MISSION DURATION: 11 days (+1)
      • CREW: Rominger, Husband, Ochoa, Jernigan, Barry, Payette, Malenchenko
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: Removal of Discovery's auxiliary power unit No. 2 is complete and that unit will be sent to the vendor this week for servicing. Shuttle main engine removal is in progress with engine No. 2 already removed. Engines No. 3 and No. 1 are being removed today. Orbiter pyrotechnic initiator controller testing continues.

      STS-96 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

      • Forward reaction control system installation complete (Dec. 18)
      • Payload bay doors closed for holiday downtime (Dec. 22)
      MISSION: STS-101 -- 3rd INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLIGHT
      SPACEHAB DOUBLE MODULE/ICC
      • VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
      • LOCATION: VAB bay 2
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: August 5, 1999
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: August 15, 1999
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 10 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 10 days
      • CREW: Halsell, Horowitz, Weber, Lu, Williams
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: Orbiter maneuvering system bleedline removal has been rescheduled to follow Atlantis' VAB storage. Atlantis began its transfer to the VAB at about 1:20 p.m. today and is being stored in VAB high bay 2 on hydraulic jacks. This move makes way for Shuttle Endeavour's return from mission STS-88. Atlantis will be transferred to OPF bay 3 following Columbia's planned rollover to the VAB in January.

      --end--

      For automatic e-mail subscriptions to these Shuttle status reports 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/

      Author: Joel Wells / NASA Public Affairs
      Curator: Kay Grinter (kay.grinter-1@ksc.nasa.gov) / Information Dynamics, Inc.
      Go to the Previous Space Shuttle Status Report
      Go to the Next Space Shuttle Status Report
      Go to the Status Reports Home Page