yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (09/17/88)
Sarah Keegan September 16, 1988
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
RELEASE: 88-127
NASA SETS TARGET DATE FOR SHUTTLE LAUNCH
NASA today set a target launch date of Sept. 29 for STS-26,
the next Space Shuttle flight. The opening of the launch window
is approximately 9:59 a.m. EDT.
The establishment of a launch date followed an updated
assessment of the projected impact of Hurricane Gilbert on
mission control and training facilities at the Johnson Space
Center (JSC), Houston. Latest information from the weather
service predicts that the storm will make landfall in the early
evening tonight south of Brownsville, Texas. Forecasts for the
Houston area call for potential rainfall of 1.5 to 2 inches
tonight, but maximum sustained winds of only 25-30 miles per
hour. Based on these updated predictions, no threat to JSC
facilities is projected if Gilbert continues on its current path.
In connection with the announcement, Adm. Richard H. Truly,
NASA associate administrator for space flight, said, "NASA's
decision to set this launch date is based on over two years of
persistence and dedication by NASA and contractor personnel,
culminating in the STS-26 flight readiness review held at the
Kennedy Space Center Sept. 13 and 14. I'm delighted to have
reached this point and my hat is off to all members of the
Shuttle team whose tireless efforts have brought us here to the
brink of America's return to manned spaceflight."