alb@alice.UUCP (Adam L. Buchsbaum) (07/15/85)
Workers today replaced the faulty valve in the Challenger's Number 2 Engine and rescheduled its launch for 1500 EDT, 29 July. That could be changed by two days either way. The change in schedule maintains a 24 August launch date for the Discovery but pushes a test firing of Atlantis' main engines from 30 July to 12 September. Atlantis' maiden launch, originally scheduled for 19 September now slips to late September or early October. Challenger's 30 October launch was moved to early November, but the 27 November Atlantis and 20 December Columbia flights are preserved. If the problem with Challenger turns out to be more severe than the one suspected, its mission may be delayed until next year; as a purely scientific flight, it has lower priority than commericial and DoD flights. A second launch pad, 39B, will become available at KSC in January, helping NASA to meet its tight schedule. Also next year will be the first launch from VAFB, scheduled for March; the Discovery is expected to be assigned there permanently.