yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (04/23/89)
Sarah Keegan
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. April 21, 1989
RELEASE: 89-59
NASA TO FLY ONE SHUTTLE MISSION BETWEEN MAGELLAN AND GALILEO
NASA today announced that STS-28, but not STS-33, will be
flown between the upcoming Magellan mission (STS-30), scheduled
for April 28, and Galileo (STS-34), currently targeted for
Oct. 12, 1989.
This change to the flight schedule has been made to protect
the opportunity to launch the Galileo mission early in its launch
window and to return the orbiter Columbia to flight status as
soon as possible.
STS-28 will be flown around the beginning of August.
STS-33, which originally had been planned for August, will be
flown after Galileo (STS-34). Launch dates for both missions
will be set at their respective flight readiness reviews.
In making the announcement, Adm. Richard H. Truly, NASA
associate administrator for Space Flight and nominee for NASA
Administrator, said: "NASA management has become increasingly
concerned that the work involved in preparing the orbiter
Columbia for its first flight in over 3 years is taking long
enough that it might endanger the option to launch Galileo at the
opening of its launch window. Our overriding objectives in this
situation are to protect the Galileo window and to fly Columbia
as early as we can. We currently are assessing manifest options
downstream of Galileo."