January 6, 1997 KSC Contact: Joel Wells KSC Release No
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January 6, 1997 KSC Contact: Joel Wells KSC Release No. 1-97 Note to Editors/News Directors: KSC TO CELEBRATE GRAND OPENING OF APOLLO/SATURN V CENTER JAN. 8 On Wednesday, Jan. 8, news media representatives will have several opportunities to interview former Apollo astronauts, NASA and KSC officials, and Space Shuttle astronauts at the new Apollo/Saturn V Center. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. members of the media will be able to interview several former Apollo astronauts at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Media interested in conducting interviews during this time block must contact Melissa Tomasso, KSC Visitor Center, at (407) 449-4254 by close of business on Jan. 7. She will schedule all interview appointments. Media members should arrive at the KSC Press Site 30 minutes before their scheduled interview time for transport to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. In addition, a formal grand opening gala is planned for Wednesday evening. Several Apollo astronauts will also be available for interview at 6 p.m. at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Media interested in this opportunity must be at the KSC Press Site by 5:30 p.m. for transport to the new facility. Invited guests and media wishing to attend the gala at the regular time will meet at the KSC Visitor Center (KSCVC) between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. for transport to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. A tour of the new facility’s shows and exhibits is included. A ceremony featuring presentations from NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, KSC Director Jay Honeycutt, and former astronauts John Young and Eugene Cernan will begin at 8 p.m. The gala is a formal event and media should dress accordingly. Transportation will be provided from the gala for news media interested in covering the 10 p.m. STS-81 crew arrival at the Shuttle Landing Facility, or to the Press Site or the Visitor Center parking lot. GO TO THE KSC PRESS RELEASES HOME PAGE January 8, 1997 KSC Contact: Lisa Malone KSC Release No. 2-97 Notice to Editors/News Directors: MISSION STS-81 EVENTS, NEWS CENTER OPERATING HOURS SET News conferences, events and operating hours for KSC's News Center have been set for the Jan. 12 launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on Mission STS-81, the 81st launch in the Shuttle program. These events are scheduled to be carried live on NASA Television unless noted (please refer to the STS-81 TV schedule for exact times). At 7 a.m. EST Thursday, the launch countdown will begin at the T-43-hour mark. Launch is currently set for 4:27 a.m. EST on Sunday, Jan. 12. The launch window is open for about seven minutes. The six STS-81 crew members are scheduled to arrive at KSC on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 10 p.m. EST. News media representatives wishing to cover the event must be at the News Center by 9 p.m. Wednesday (in the event of a possible early crew arrival) for transportation to the Shuttle Landing Facility. News media attending the Apollo/Saturn V Center gala will be transported directly to the runway for crew arrival. News media representatives with proper authorization may obtain STS-81 mission credentials at the Pass and Identification Building on State Road 3 on Merritt Island. The hours during which media may obtain mission credentials are listed at the end of this document. # # # # STS-81 BRIEFING & EVENTS SCHEDULE (all times are in EST and conferences are held inside the KSC Press Site auditorium) L-4 Days - Wednesday, Jan. 8 STS-81 fight crew arrival (live) ----- 10:00 p.m. L-3 Days - Thursday, Jan. 9 Launch countdown begins ----- 7:00 a.m. Countdown Status Briefing ----- 9:00 a.m. John Guidi, Shuttle Test Director Sharon Walchessen, STS-81 Payload Manager Ed Priselac, Shuttle Weather Officer STS-81 fight crew arrival (replay) ----- 9:30 a.m. L-2 Days - Friday, Jan. 10 Countdown Status Briefing ----- 9:00 a.m. Doug Lyons, Shuttle Test Director Sharon Walchessen, STS-81 Payload Manager Ed Priselac, Shuttle Weather Officer Pre-launch News Conference ----- 4:00 p.m. (or immediately following the management team's meeting) Wil Trafton, Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight, NASA HQ Dr. Arnauld Nicogossian, Associate Administrator (acting), Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences, NASA Headquarters Tommy Holloway, NASA Shuttle Program Manager, Johnson Space Center Frank Culbertson, NASA Phase One Program Manager, Johnson Space Center Valery Ryumin, Russia Phase One Manager, RSC Energia Bob Sieck, Director of Shuttle Operations, KSC USAF Capt. Scott Jacobs, Launch Weather Officer L - 1 Day - Saturday, Jan. 11 Rotating Service Structure moves (press departure at 9:00 a.m.) ----- 8:30 a.m. Countdown Status Briefing ----- 9:00 a.m. Mark Gordon, NASA Test Director Sharon Walchessen, STS-81 Payload Manager Ed Priselac, Shuttle Weather Officer Remote Camera Setup at Pad ----- 10:30 a.m. News media orientation tour (optional depending on interest) ----- 1:00 p.m. Tanking begins ----- approx. 7:00 p.m. NASA Television live launch programming begins ----- 11:00 p.m. Launch Day - Sunday, Jan. 12 Launch of Atlantis ----- 4:27 a.m. Post-launch press conference ----- L + 1 hour Loren Shriver, Manager of Space Shuttle Launch Integration Jim Harrington, KSC Launch Director KSC News Center office hours for STS-81 (hours may be adjusted for in-flight events) (Launch minus 3 days) Thursday, Jan. 9 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Launch minus 2 days) Friday, Jan. 10 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Launch minus 1 day) Saturday, Jan. 11 8:00 a.m. - around-the- (Launch day) Flight day 1, Sunday, Jan. 12 clock - 2:00 p.m. (Office hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday, however hours may be adjusted depending on mission events and timelines.) News media representatives may obtain STS-81 mission credentials at the Pass and Identification Building at Gate 2 on State Road 3, Merritt Island, during the following times: Thursday, Jan. 9 -- 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 -- 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 -- 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 -- Midnight to 3:30 a.m. News media with annual Shuttle credentials are reminded to sign the log book at the photo and interview counter in the News Center. The 1996 annual badges will be effective through launch day. Qualifying news media representatives may obtain the 1997 annual badge at the News Center. NEWS MEDIA ARE REQUIRED TO BE UNDER PUBLIC AFFAIRS ESCORT EXCEPT WHEN DRIVING TO THE NEWS CENTER OR THE COMPLEX 39 CAFETERIA. NEWS MEDIA ARE ALLOWED AT THE PRESS SITE ONLY WHEN PUBLIC AFFAIRS PERSONNEL ARE ON DUTY AND THE NASA NEWS CENTER IS OPEN. THIS IS NOT A 24-HOUR DAY OPERATION. GO TO THE KSC PRESS RELEASES HOME PAGE January 8, 1997 KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham KSC Release No. 3-97 SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-81 LAUNCH COUNTDOWN TO BEGIN JAN. 9 NASA will begin the countdown for launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the fifth mission to dock with Russia's space station Mir on Jan. 9 at 7 a.m. at the T-43 hour mark. The KSC launch team will conduct the countdown from Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center. The countdown includes 26 hours and 27 minutes of built-in hold time leading to the opening of the launch window at about 4:27 a.m. (EST) on Jan. 12. The launch window extends for about 7 minutes. The exact time of launch will be determined about 90 minutes before liftoff based on the location of the Mir space station. In order to accommodate the short window necessary to rendezvous and dock with Mir, some changes have been made to the standard launch countdown. Most significant is the addition of an extra 30 minutes to the normal 10 minute built-in hold at T-9 minutes. Tanking is scheduled to begin at about 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. STS-81 is the first Space Shuttle mission of 1997. This will be the 18th flight of the orbiter Atlantis and the 81st flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program. Atlantis last flew on the fourth Shuttle/Mir docking flight in September 1996. Atlantis was rolled out of Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 on Dec. 5 and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The Shuttle stack was then transported to Pad 39B on Dec. 10. The vehicle was processed for flight without any significant or unexpected techincal difficulities. However, due to problems experienced with Columbia's airlock hatch actuator on the previous Space Shuttle mission, all six of Atlantis' airlock hatch actuators were removed and recertified for flight. On mission STS-81, Atlantis will carry into orbit a six member crew. Mission Specialist Jerry Linenger will replace John Blaha on the Mir space station. Blaha will return to Earth with the rest of the STS-81 crew. Linenger will remain on Mir until Atlantis again docks with the space station in May. The STS-81 crew are: Commander Michael Baker, Pilot Brent Jett, and Mission Specialists Jeff Wisoff, John Grunsfeld, Marsha Ivins and Jerry Linenger. All members of the STS-81 crew are veteran Shuttle flyers. The crew are scheduled to arrive at KSC at about 10 p.m., Jan. 8. Their activities at KSC prior to launch will include equipment fit checks, medical examinations and opportunities to fly in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.