MISSION: STS-89 -- 8TH MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM
Flight Day 9

STS-89 images

• VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
• LOCATION: On orbit
• KSC OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Jan. 22, 1998 at 9:48:15 p.m. EST
• OFFICIAL MIR DOCKING DATE/TIME: Jan. 24 at 3:14 p.m.
• OFFICIAL MIR UNDOCKING DATE/TIME: Jan. 29 at 11:56 a.m.
• KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 31, 1998 at 5:35 p.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 8 days, 19 hours, 17 minutes
• CREW: Wilcutt, Edwards, Dunbar, Anderson, Reilly, Sharipov, Thomas (up), Wolf (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Endeavour continues to perform very well as the STS-89 flight crew secure the items transferred from Mir and make final preparations for tomorrow’s Shuttle landing in Florida. Saturday, mission managers will make a go/no go decision for deorbit burn at about 4:10 p.m., with the burn taking place at 4:28 p.m. Touchdown at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. A second landing opportunity at KSC is available at 7:11 p.m. and with favorable weather conditions predicted through the weekend, Edwards Air Force Base is not being called to support tomorrow’s landing operations. At Hangar AF, solid rocket booster disassembly and nozzle removal are in work and nozzle shipment to Utah is slated for Monday. Booster segment disassembly will proceed through next week.

Forecasters expect favorable weather conditions for Saturday’s planned Shuttle landing at KSC. Early predictions indicate few clouds at 2,000 feet and at 25,000 feet; visibility at 7 miles; winds from the north at 8-14 mph; temperature 65 degrees and relative humidity 48 percent.

MISSION: STS-90 -- NEUROLAB

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
• LOCATION: OPF bay 3
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: April 2, 1998 at 1:19 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: April 19, l998 at 12:07 p.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 16 days, 21 hours, 48 minutes
• CREW: Searfoss, Atlman, Linnehan, Williams, Hire, Buckey, Pawelczyk
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 150 nautical miles/39 degrees

NOTE: Following the replacement of three thrusters on Columbia’s orbiter maneuvering system yesterday, thruster leak checks are in work today. Preparations to replace a relief valve on auxiliary power unit No. 2 are under way and Spacelab water line leak checks are in work.

STS-90 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

• Payload premate test begins (Feb. 3)
• Shuttle main engine installation complete (Feb. 4)
• Payload installed into orbiter (Feb. 9)
• Shuttle main engine heat shield installation begins (Feb. 11)
• Payload interface verification test (Feb. 12)

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

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: OPF bay 2
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: May 28 at 8:05 p.m.
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 7 at about 3:36 p.m.
• MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes
• CREW: Precourt, Gorie, Lawrence, Chang-Diaz, Kavandi, Thomas (down), Ryumin
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 160 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Pressure and leak checks on Discovery’s flash evaporator system are complete. Preparations for today’s fuel cell voltage tests are also complete. Work on the orbiter’s airlock, body flap and super lightweight tank instrumentation modification continue.

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

• External airlock installation (Feb. 4)

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/