KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
      THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1998 (4:24 PM EDT)

      KSC Public Affairs Contact: Joel Wells (fax: 407-867-2692)

      Launch Viewing Information
      MISSION: STS-95 -- SPACEHAB-SM, SPARTAN & HOST

      STS-95 images

      • VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
      • LOCATION: Launch Pad 39B
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. EST
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Nov. 7 at 12:04 p.m. EST
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours and 30 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 8 days, 22 hours and 4 minutes
      • CREW: Brown, Lindsey, Parazynski, Robinson, Duque, Mukai, Glenn
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 300 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

      NOTE: The KSC test team assembled in the launch control room this morning to begin the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test and the simulated countdown clock began at 10 a.m. today. The STS-95 flight crew will participate in orbiter and payload familiarization activities today. Tomorrow morning, they will don their launch and entry suits for a full dress rehearsal of launch day activities, including entry and egress from the orbiter’s crew compartment. Loading of hypergolic propellant into Discovery’s onboard storage tanks was completed earlier this week. A cavity purge of the orbiter’s main propulsion system concluded last night. Loading of the orbiter’s mass memory unit (MMU) is complete and replacement of MMU No. 2 is scheduled.The payload bay doors are currently open and the payload interface verification test is complete.

      STS-95 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

      • Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test complete (Oct. 9 at 11 a.m.)
      • Flight Readiness Review (Oct. 13)
      • SPACEHAB early stow (Oct. 16)
      • Orbiter aft compartment closeouts begin (Oct. 19)
      • Payload bay doors closed for flight (Oct. 22)
      • SPACEHAB late stow (Oct. 26)
      • Launch countdown begins (Oct. 26)
      MISSION: STS-88 -- FIRST FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
      UNITY CONNECTING MODULE

      STS-88 images

      • VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 1
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Dec. 3 at 4:45 a.m. EST
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 14 at 11:14 p.m. EST
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 5 - 10 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 11 days, 18 hours and 29 minutes
      • CREW: Cabana, Sturckow, Currie, Ross, Newman, Krikalev
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: Endeavour’s aft compartment closeouts continue with adjustments to the main engine No. 2 yaw actuator planned this week. A final hydraulic check of the orbiter’s main landing gear is slated today. Preparations to transfer Endeavour from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building are under way. Closeouts of the orbiter’s payload bay are in work and the cargo bay doors will be closed Saturday. Vehicle pressurization tests occur Sunday and orbiter weight and center of gravity tests are set for Monday. Endeavour will roll to the VAB on Tuesday morning and be mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters stacked in VAB high bay 3.

      STS-88 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

      • Payload bay door closure (Oct. 10)
      • Orbiter weight and center of gravity testing (Oct. 12)
      • Orbiter transfer to Vehicle Assembly Building (Oct. 13)
      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: Jan. 21, 1999 at 11:26 a.m. EST
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Jan. 26, 1999 at 10:33 a.m. EST
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 47 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

      NOTE: Columbia’s mechanical systems are undergoing checks this week. Technicians are connecting the auxiliary power unit fuel lines today. Shuttle main engine installation is scheduled for next week and engine heat shield installation follows.

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

      • Payload premate test (Oct. 13)
      • Shuttle main engine installation complete (Oct. 15)
      • Engine heat shield installation complete (Oct. 28)
      MISSION: STS-101 -- 3rd FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
      SPACEHAB-DM/ICC
      • VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
      • LOCATION: OPF 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
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: Access platforms continue to be installed in and around Atlantis as technicians proceed with standard receiving inspections. The orbiter was powered up yesterday for the first time since its 10- month overhaul. The new multifuctional electronic display system or "glass cockpit" is being tested this week.

      --end--

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