KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
      TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1999 (5:09 PM EDT)
      MISSION: STS-93 -- Chandra X-ray Observatory (formerly AXAF)

      STS-93 images

      • VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
      • LOCATION: Launch Pad 39B
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than July 20, 1999 at 12:36 a.m. EDT (under review)
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 24, 1999 at 11:31 p.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: Today, Shuttle managers approved a plan that will have Columbia ready for launch no earlier than July 20. As always, an official launch date will be announced at the STS-93 Flight Readiness Review scheduled for July 8.

      Space Shuttle Columbia rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at about 2 a.m. yesterday and was hard down at Launch Pad 39B at about 10 a.m. Launch pad validations are in work through this evening. Auxiliary power unit hot fire testing and main engine tests are scheduled this week.

      The Chandra/Inertial Upper Stage end-to-end test was successfully completed today in the Vertical Processing Facility. The Chandra/IUS combination will be placed into the transportation canister on June 18. The payload will be moved to the launch pad on June 19 and installed inside Columbia's cargo bay on June 24.

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

      • Shuttle Main Engine testing complete (June 6)
      • Chandra payload transferred to Pad 39B (June 19)
      • Payload installed inside cargo bay (June 24)
      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: Checks on Endeavour's power reactant storage and distribution system are complete. Interface verification tests of the recently installed right hand orbital maneuvering system pod are also complete. Shuttle main engine installation is scheduled to begin tomorrow. Modifications to the main engine dome heat shields continue. Wireless video installation efforts proceed on schedule. Modifications to the freon coolant loop No. 2 isolation valve are in work.

      MISSION: STS-103 -- 3rd HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING MISSION

      • VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
      • LOCATION: OPF bay 1
      • TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 14, 1999 at 5:42 a.m. EDT
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 23, 1999 at 3:09 a.m. EDT
      • LAUNCH WINDOW: 10 minutes
      • MISSION DURATION: 8 days, 21 hours and 27 minutes
      • CREW: Brown, Kelly, Smith, Foale, Grunsfeld, Nicollier, Clervoy
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 317 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

      NOTE: After Shuttle Discovery's Sunday landing at KSC, workers conducted routine inspections of the orbiter's thermal protection system and landing gear. TPS inspections revealed 160 debris hits to the orbiter's lower surface with 66 hits measuring 1-inch or greater. The orbiter's tires are reported to be in excellent condition following a landing with notable cross winds. The drag chute functioned normally, having flown for the first time with upgraded inconel shear pins on the drag chute door.

      Draining of the power reactant storage and distribution system is complete and orbiter access installation is in work in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1. Preparations are under way to open the payload bay doors.

      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: Replacement of Atlantis' flash evaporator system controller is complete. Wireless video modifications continue. Mass spectrometer leak checks on the orbiter's fuel cell power plant continue. Ammonia system leak and functional testing proceeds this week.

      --end--

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