KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
      THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1999 (3:54 PM EDT)
      MISSION: STS-96 -- 2nd U.S. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLIGHT
      SPACEHAB DOUBLE MODULE
      • VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 1
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: May 20, 1999 at 9:32 a.m. EDT
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: May 30, 1999 at 5:27 a.m. EDT
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 10 minutes
      • ISS DOCKING DATE: May 22, 1999 at 4:01 a.m. EDT
      • ISS UNDOCKING DATE: May 27, 1999 at 10:07 p.m. EDT
      • MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 19 hours and 55 minutes
      • CREW: Rominger, Husband, Ochoa, Jernigan, Barry, Payette, Tokarev
      • ADDITIONAL PAYLOADS: ICC, STARSHINE, SVF AND IVHM
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: Shuttle managers are now targeting May 20 for the launch of Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-96. That date on the Eastern Range became available after Delta FUSE managers announced a slip in their launch date. Shuttle processing managers at KSC have been protecting a May 20 launch option and are ready to support.

      Discovery's Ku band system interface testing is complete. Auxiliary power unit lubrication servicing is under way today and checks of the integrated vehicle health monitoring system continue. Orbiter aft and midbody compartment close-outs proceed on schedule. External tank and solid rocket booster close-outs continue in the Vehicle Assembly Building and workers have completed thermal foam venting on the external tank.

      STS-96 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):

      • Orbiter rolls to Vehicle Assembly Building (April 14)
      • Shuttle rolls to Launch Pad 39B (April 21)
      • Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (April 29)
      MISSION: STS-93 -- Chandra X-ray Observatory (formerly AXAF)

      STS-93 images

      • VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
      • LOCATION: Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 2
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: July 9, 1999 at 1:19 a.m. EDT
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 14, 1999 at 12:20 a.m. EDT
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 46 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 4 days, 23 hours
      • CREW: Collins, Ashby, Hawley, Coleman, Tognini
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 153 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

      NOTE: Columbia is jacked and leveled in Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 2 undergoing system observation during a temporary storage period. Columbia will remain in the VAB until April 14, when Shuttle Discovery rolls out of Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1. Columbia will then be transferred to OPF bay 1 to complete STS-93's orbiter prelaunch preparations.

      MISSION: STS-99 -- SHUTTLE RADAR TOPOGRAPHY MISSION (SRTM)
      • VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 2
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 16, 1999 at 8:47 a.m. EDT
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Sept. 27, 1999 at 12:52 p.m. EDT
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours and 30 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 11 days, 4 hours and 5 minutes
      • CREW: Kregel, Gorie, Kavandi, Voss, Mohri, Thiele
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 126 nautical miles/57 degrees

      NOTE: Removal of Endeavour's left orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engine is complete. Fuel cells No. 1 and No. 2 have been replaced. Leak checks on freon coolant loop No. 1 revealed an alternate power converter unit leak and technicians are currently troubleshooting the issue. Preparations are now in work for next week's removal of the right hand OMS pod.

      MISSION: STS-101 -- 3rd INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLIGHT
      SPACEHAB DOUBLE MODULE/ICC
      • VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 3
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: December 2, 1999
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: December 13, 1999
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 5-10 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 10 days and 19 hours
      • CREW: Halsell, Horowitz, Weber, Lu, Williams, Malenchenko, Morukov
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

      NOTE: Atlantis' external airlock has been removed to provide workers additional access to the orbiter's midbody. Main propulsion system leak and functional tests continue. Replacement of the strut and attach bolt for the power reactant storage and distribution system oxygen tanks is ongoing.

      --end--

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      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/

      Author: Joel Wells / NASA Public Affairs
      Curator: Kay Grinter (kay.grinter-1@ksc.nasa.gov) / Information Dynamics, Inc.
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