- 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
- Prelaunch propellant loading begins (May 11)
- Tanking test of first super lightweight external tank (May 18)
- Flight Readiness Review (May 20)
- 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
- VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
- LOCATION: OPF bay 3
- TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: no earlier than Dec. 3 at 2:50 p.m.
- TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 8 at 1:57 p.m.
- LAUNCH WINDOW: 43 minutes
- MISSION DURATION: 4 days, 23 hours, 7 minutes
- CREW: Collins, Ashby, Hawley, Coleman, Tognini
- ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 153 nautical miles/28.45 degrees
- Neurolab removal from payload bay (May 11)
- Tunnel adapter removal (May 14)
- Main engine heat shield removal (May 20)
- Shuttle main engine removal (May 21)
 THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1998 (3:04 PM EDT)  STS-91 -- 9TH AND FINAL MIR DOCKING, SPACEHAB-SM
NOTE: The Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test concluded at about 11 a.m. today with a simulated main engine cut-off at the pad. Following the test, the flight crew was set to return to Houston, TX, later this afternoon. On the Shuttle Discovery, helium signature testing is complete. Cleaning of the gaseous nitrogen (GN2) system on the mobile launch platform and reassembly of the Shuttle main engine GN2 purge panel concluded yesterday. Technicians will replace multiplexer demultiplexer (MDM) No. 4 this week because of an internal card failure. MDM No. 4 is one of 23 MDMs on board the orbiter that convert and format data from the vehicle for transfer to the Shuttle's general purpose computers. STS-91 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):  STS-88 -- FIRST FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION(NODE-1, PMAs 1 and 2) NOTE: Verification of Endeavour's right hand orbiter maneuvering system helium system is complete. Replacement of window No. 3 is complete and windows No. 1 and No. 4 are slated for replacement later this week. Drag chute installation and hydraulic checks of Endeavour's main landing gear continue.  STS-93 -- Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF)
NOTE: Postflight inspections of Columbia's main engines are under way. Work to destow the flight crew equipment is in work. Fuel cell and water spray boiler evaluations continue. Tomorrow workers begin efforts to deconfigure the Neurolab payload and Spacelab removal is slated for Monday. STS-93 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): For automatic e-mail subscriptions to this daily Shuttle status report 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/ |