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: 310 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Yesterday evening, KSC managers decided to keep Shuttle Discovery at Launch Pad 39B. Though preparations to roll back to the Vehicle Assembly Building due to Hurricane Georges were complete, local weather posed a threat of lightning that exceeded rollback weather criteria. With the rollback first motion on hold, managers monitoring the progress of Hurricane Georges determined that the threat to flight hardware was greater from lightning during a rollback than that of the hurricane. As a result, the rollback was canceled and the rotating service structure returned to position around Discovery.

Hurricane Georges is expected to remain on a northwest path near the west coast of Florida and gusting winds at KSC are not expected to exceed 40 mph. Launch pad weather protection will provide Discovery the necessary shelter from heavy rain and wind gusts. The lightning protection system at the pad will provide additional defense for the Shuttle through the weekend. All activities planned for launch of mission STS-95 remain on schedule.

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 remains secure in the OPF today and the rudder speed brake shaft has been installed. Tunnel adapter aft hatch opening and main propulsion system leak and functional testing are complete. Window No. 8 replacement and payload bay door closing are also complete. Shuttle managers today are evaluating the possibility of reopening the orbiter's payload bay doors and resuming scheduled midbody work.

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 remains secured in the OPF today with the payload bay doors closed. Overboard waste tank valve leak checks are complete following recent valve replacement efforts. Ku-band electronic assembly installation is scheduled for today.

OV-104 Atlantis - Return to KSC

NOTE: Shuttle Atlantis remains in Ft. Campbell, KY, atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Ferry flight managers are monitoring the progress of Hurricane Georges and plan for Atlantis to remain in Kentucky until weather permits its return to KSC. Sunday, KSC workers are scheduled to begin efforts to reconfigure the Mate/Demate Device (MDD) from its current hurricane ready configuration. The MDD, located at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), is used to remove the orbiter from the top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft before workers tow the orbiter to the OPF hangar. Currently, Shuttle managers expect Atlantis to arrive at KSC on Monday, pending favorable weather assessments.

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/