SPACE.com -- Shuttle Missions Back on Track; Hubble First

Shuttle Repairs, Inspections Keep Fleet Grounded

Which Comes First, STS-99 or STS-103?


	Shuttle Missions Back on Track; Hubble First By Irene Brown Cape Canaveral Bureau Chief posted: 05:35 pm ET 09 September 1999

NASA sets target dates for two shuttle missions

CAPE CANAVERAL Although shuttle wiring inspections and repairs are continuing, NASA will try to launch shuttle Discovery on a servicing call to the Hubble Space Telescope on October 28, then fly shuttle Endeavour on a radar mapping mission on November 19.

"Theres a lot more work to be done on both vehicles," said Kennedy Space Center spokesman Bruce Buckingham, "but theres quite a bit already behind us, too."

The Hubble servicing call is moving ahead of the radar-mapping mission, which had been scheduled for launch September 16, because Endeavour needs more work to prepare it for flight, said Buckingham.

"It all boiled down to which vehicle was going to be ready to fly first," he said. "It was a real neck-and-neck race, but Endeavour is a little behind."

In a prepared statement, shuttle program manager Ron Dittemore said, "We've established these planning dates so that those involved in flight preparations can establish the proper order of priority for work on each mission."

However, the schedules may be revised again if warranted to accommodate ongoing wiring inspections and repairs. The entire shuttle fleet was grounded after an electrical short circuit knocked out two main engine computers during Columbias launch on July 23. The cause of the short was traced to a damaged wire. After an additional damaged wire was discovered on Columbia, NASA decided to take a closer look at all four spaceships.

NASA will have about a week to launch Discovery at the end of October. If the shuttle is not off the ground by early November, the flight will have to be rescheduled again to avoid having the shuttle in orbit during the Leonids meteor shower, which peaks on November 18.