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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1996 (12:02 PM EDT) KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham (fax 407-867-2692) E-mail: Bruce.Buckingham-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov MISSION: STS-79 -- 4th MIR DOCKING & SPACEHAB DM VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104 LOCATION: Pad 39A LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Sept. 16 at about 4:54 a.m. LAUNCH WINDOW: about 7 minutes (possibly less) MIR DOCKING: Sept. 18 (late evening) TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Sept. 26 at about 8:49 a.m. MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 4 hours CREW: Readdy, Wilcutt, Akers, Blaha (up), Lucid (down), Apt, Walz ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 196-245 statute miles/51.6 degrees All times are EST NOTE: The Space Shuttle Atlantis was returned to Pad 39A today following mission managers determination that the threat of Hurricane Fran to central Florida had passed. First motion from the Vehicle Assembly Building back to the pad occurred at about 2:51 a.m. The vehicle was hard-down on the pad at about 8:30 a.m. Because of the delay in processing experienced when Atlantis was sent back to the VAB, managers have reassessed the time it will take to prepare the vehicle for launch. The new official launch date for mission STS-79 is Sept. 16. The launch window opens at about 4:54 a.m. The Rotating Service Structure has been placed around the vehicle and orbiter power-up is scheduled for about noon today. Later this afternoon, operations will begin for early stowage of equipment and supplies in the Spacehab double module. Also, orbiter aft engine compartment close-outs will begin today. Work to complete hypergolic propellant loading will begin this weekend. This is the third time Atlantis has been rolled-out to the pad for this mission. Atlantis was returned twice to the VAB due to two separate hurricanes. The first return to the VAB was due to Hurricane Bertha which threatened the east coast of Florida on July 10. Two days later, managers decided to keep Atlantis off the pad in order to replace the solid rocket boosters before launch. STS-79 roll-out dates are: July 1, Aug. 20, and Sept. 5. KEY STS-79 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): Complete hypergolic propellant loading (Saturday) Complete aft engine compartment close-outs (Sept. 12) Begin countdown at T-43 hours (12:01 a.m. Sept. 13) Flight crew arrival at KSC (Sept. 13) MISSION: STS-80 -- WAKE SHIELD FACILITY-3 and ORFEUS-SPAS-2 VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102 LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: (no earlier than) Oct. 31 at 2:40 p.m. (EST) LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 20 minutes TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: (no earlier than) Nov. 16 at 7:25 a.m. MISSION DURATION: 16 days CREW: Cockrell, Rominger, Jernigan, Jones, Musgrave ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 218 statute miles/28.45 degrees NOTE: Solid rocket booster stacking operations are currently expected to begin on Monday following the return of the Mobile Launcher Platform to the VAB. The orbiter's payload bay doors have been opened and deservicing of the gaseous nitrogen system is scheduled to begin today. KEY STS-80 OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): Arrival of Wake Shield Facility at Hangar AE (Saturday) Begin stacking solid rocket boosters in VAB (Monday) Crew equipment interface test (Sept. 13-14) Final payload bay door closure (Sept. 23) Roll to Vehicle Assembly Building (Sept. 30) NOTE: MISSION STS-81, ATLANTIS, IS TARGETED FOR LAUNCH ON JAN. 12, 1997. SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS WILL BE ISSUED FOLLOWING MISSION STS-79. MISSION: STS-82 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING MISSION-2 VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103 LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 TARGET LAUNCH DATE: February 13, 1997 LAUNCH WINDOW: 61 minutes TARGET KSC LANDING DATE: February 23, 1997 MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 22 hours CREW: Bowersox, Horowitz, Lee, Hawley, Harbaugh, Smith, Tanner ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 360 statute miles/28.45 degrees NOTE: The payload bay doors have been opened and payload bay reconfiguration is continuing in work today. Also, the drag chute will be installed, connected and checked-out today. KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): Deliver forward reaction control system to OPF (Sept. 16) Complete installation of the forward reaction control system (Sept. 18) -- end -- 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." 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