yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (12/16/89)
Mark Hess Headquarters, Washington, D.C. December 15, 1989 Karl Kristofferson Kennedy Space Center, Fla. NASA LAUNCH ADVISORY NASA is targeting a launch date of no earlier than Dec. 21 for the launch of STS-32. "There's still a lot of work to do between now and then, but we are reasonably confident of launch on the 21st," said Robert L. Crippen, director of the Space Shuttle Program. Over the weekend, in additional to normal pre-launch activities, technicians will perform an internal inspection of a section of Columbia's number 2 main engine. It is estimated that the inspection and any required work can be done in about one 8- hour shift in parallel with other pre-launch work and would not impact the planned launch. Liftoff time for a Dec. 21 launch would be about 6:04 p.m. EST with a window extending 44 minutes.