MISSION: STS-91 -- 9TH AND FINAL MIR DOCKING, SPACEHAB-SM

STS-91 images

• VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
• LOCATION: Launch Pad 39A
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: June 2 at about 6:10 p.m. EDT
• LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
• MIR DOCKING DATE/TIME: June 4 at about 12:59 p.m.
• MIR UNDOCKING DATE/TIME: June 8 at about 12:01 p.m.
• TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 12 at about 2:03 p.m. EDT
• MISSION DURATION: about 9 days, 19 hours, 53 minutes
• CREW: Precourt, Gorie, Lawrence, Chang-Diaz, Kavandi, Ryumin, Thomas (down)
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Space Shuttle Discovery rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building Saturday May 2 at 3:26 a.m. and arrived at Pad 39A at about 9:30 a.m. Once at the pad, hotfire testing of Discovery's three auxiliary power units was completed and launch pad validations began. Yesterday, the payload was installed into the payload changeout room. The Rotating Service Structure has been extended to the vehicle and the orbiter's payload bay doors are slated to be opened later today. Pad validations continue and payload installation is scheduled for tomorrow. The STS-91 flight crew is scheduled to arrive at KSC at 3:30 p.m. today for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test set for Wednesday and Thursday.

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

• Payload installed into orbiter (May 5)
• Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (May 6-7)
• Tanking test of first super lightweight external tank (May 18)
• Flight Readiness Review (May 20)

MISSION: STS-88 -- FIRST FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
(NODE-1, PMAs 1 and 2)

STS-88 images

• VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
• LOCATION: OPF bay 1
• TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than Sept. 3 (under review)
• MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 19 hours, 18 minutes
• CREW: Cabana, Sturckow, Currie, Ross, Newman
• ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Leak and functional tests on Endeavour's main propulsion system are complete. Following last week's installation of the remote manipulator system, verification testing of the system is under way. Endeavour's window No. 1 is scheduled for installation today and replacement of window No. 3 occurs this week. The right-hand orbiter maneuvering system's helium system continues to undergo verification tests.

MISSION: STS-90 -- NEUROLAB

STS-90 images

• VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
• LOCATION: OPF bay 3
• OFFICIAL KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: April 17, 1998 at 2:19 p.m. EDT
• OFFICIAL KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: May 3 at 12:09 p.m. EDT
• EXPECTED MISSION DURATION: 15 days, 21 hours, 50 minutes
• CREW: Searfoss, Altman, Linnehan, Williams, Hire, Buckey, Pawelczyk

NOTE: Following Columbia's on-time landing at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility yesterday and after payload deservicing was completed at the SLF, Columbia was towed to OPF bay 3 arriving at about midnight. Postflight draining of cryogenic reactants from the orbiter's power reactant storage and distribution system is under way. Preliminary inspections of Columbia's lower surface revealed no significant damage with only 73 total "debris hits" of which 11 measured 1 inch or greater.

The STS-90 flight crew departed from Florida at about 9 a.m. today, headed back to their homes in Houston, TX.

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/