baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) (03/22/91)
Mark Hess/Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. March 21, 1991
(Phone: 202/453-8536)
RELEASE: 91-44
NASA ISSUES MODIFICATIONS TO SHUTTLE MANIFEST
NASA managers today announced adjustments to modify the February 1991
Mixed Fleet Manifest. The modifications to the manifest were necessary after
the STS-39 mission, scheduled for March with Space Shuttle Discovery, was
postponed due to cracks on the orbiter's external tank door drive mechanism
housing.
The flights now projected for calendar year 1991 begin with Space
Shuttle Atlantis and the Gamma Ray Observatory flying in April. Following
repairs to the door drive mechanism housing, Discovery will fly the STS-39
mission in May. The projected date for STS-40/Spacelab Life Sciences mission
aboard Shuttle Columbia remains in May. Columbia will be taken off line as
planned for structural inspections and modifications for Extended Duration
Orbiter capability following completion of the STS-40 mission.
The Tracking Data Relay Satellite mission originally scheduled to fly
on Discovery in July is now on Atlantis in August. The Defense Support Program
mission remains on Atlantis but will move from August to December. These two
adjustments preserve the agency's capability to fly Discovery with the Upper
Atmosphere Research Satellite payload during its required science window with
launch projected now for October.
The International Microgravity Laboratory mission which was planned
for December 1991 will become the first flight in calendar year 1992. The
mixed cargo flight of the Tethered Satellite System and the European Space
Agency's European Retrievable Carrier originally scheduled for February on
Shuttle Discovery will move to August 1992 and will fly on Space Shuttle
Atlantis.
Flights in the mid-1992 time frame remain in their original
manifested positions with Atlas-1 in April, the Intelsat reboost mission in
May which will involve the first flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour and the U.S.
Microgravity Laboratory in June. Spacelab-J and the mixed cargo flight of the
U.S. Microgravity Payload and the Laser Geodynamics Satellite also remain as
scheduled for September 1992. The Canadian Experiments payload also is
joining this mission.
Adjustments to the manifest beyond September 1992 are still being
examined and will be announced at a later date.
1991 Shuttle Launches
DATE MISSION VEHICLE PAYLOAD
April 1991 STS-37 Atlantis GRO
May 1991 STS-39 Discovery AFP-675/IBSS
May 1991 STS-40 Columbia SLS-1
August 1991 STS-43 Atlantis TDRS-E
October 1991 STS-48 Discovery UARS
December 1991 STS-44 Atlantis DSP
1992 Shuttle Launches
DATE MISSION VEHICLE PAYLOAD
February 1992 STS-42 Discovery IML-1
April 1992 STS-45 Atlantis ATLAS-1
May 1992 STS-49 Endeavour INTELSAT-R
June 1992 STS-50 Columbia USML-1
August 1992 STS-46 Atlantis TSS-1/EURECA
Sept. 1992 STS-47 Endeavour Spacelab-J
Sept. 1992 STS-52 Columbia USMP/LAGEOS/CANEX
___ _____ ___
/_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov
| | | | __ \ /| | | | Jet Propulsion Lab |
___| | | | |__) |/ | | |___ M/S 301-355 | Change is constant.
/___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 |
|_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ |