Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/STSKITS/STS_26.PRE

Text File | 1992-10-20 | 129KB | 2,934 lines

NASA
SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-26
PRESS KIT

SEPTEMBER 1988

                            CONTACTS

                   Sarah Keegan/Barbara Selby
                     Office of Space Flight
                 Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
                     (Phone:  [phone])

                        Geoffrey Vincent
                   Office of Space Operations
                 Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
                     (Phone:  [phone])

                           Lisa Malone
                   Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
                     (Phone:  [phone])

                          Kyle Herring
                  Johnson Space Center, Houston
                     (Phone:  [phone])

                            Ed Medal
         Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
                     (Phone:  [phone])

                          Mack Herring
           Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Miss.
                     (Phone:  [phone])

                          Nancy Lovato
      Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif.
                     (Phone:  [phone])

                           Jim Elliott
           Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
                     (Phone:  [phone])


                            CONTENTS

GENERAL RELEASE...........................................      1
GENERAL INFORMATION.......................................      3
STS-26 -- QUICK LOOK......................................      4
LAUNCH PREPARATIONS, COUNTDOWN AND LIFTOFF................      5
MAJOR COUNTDOWN MILESTONES................................      9
SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES...............................     11
STS-26 TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS......................     12
SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES.................................     13
LANDING AND POST-LANDING OPERATIONS.......................     14
TRACKING AND DATA RELAY SATELLITE SYSTEM..................     15
INERTIAL UPPER STAGE......................................     20
SECONDARY PAYLOADS........................................     22
     Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids...........     22
     Protein Crystal Growth Experiment....................     24
     Infrared Communications Flight Experiment............     27
     Automated Directional Solidification Furnace.........     29
     Aggregation of Red Blood Cells.......................     31
     Isoelectric Focusing Experiment......................     33
     Mesoscale Lightning Experiment.......................     35
     Phase Partitioning Experiment........................     36
     Earth-Limb Radiance Experiment.......................     38
     Space Shuttle Student Program........................     39
     Weightlessness Effects On Grain And Metal............     40
OASIS INSTRUMENTATION.....................................     41
STS-26 PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS........................     43
MAJOR ORBITER MODIFICATIONS...............................     44
SOLID ROCKET MOTOR REDESIGN...............................     45
SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE IMPROVEMENTS....................     49
SPACEFLIGHT TRACKING AND DATA NETWORK.....................     50
NASA-CONTROLLED TRACKING STATIONS.........................     52
HUNTSVILLE OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER......................     53
STS-26 MENU...............................................     54
CREW BIOGRAPHIES..........................................     60
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT..........................     63
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS................................     67


GENERAL RELEASE

RELEASE:  88-121

STS-26 -- THE RETURN TO FLIGHT                    September, 1988

     The Space Shuttle will return to flight when the orbiter
Discovery is launched on its seventh flight now scheduled for no
earlier than late September, 1988.

     STS-26 will have as its primary payload the Tracking and
Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-C) that will complete the
constellation needed to communicate with spacecraft in low-Earth
orbit.  TDRS-B was lost in the 51-L Challenger accident.  A third
TDRS will be launched on a later Shuttle mission to replace the
first TDRS, which then will be used as an on-orbit spare in the
event that one of the two operational satellites fails.

     Commander of the five-man crew is Frederick H. (Rick) Hauck,
captain, USN, a veteran of two Shuttle missions -- 51-A and STS-
7.  Pilot for the mission is Richard O. (Dick) Covey, a colonel
in the USAF and veteran of the 51-I Shuttle mission.

     Three mission specialists are assigned to the crew:  John M.
(Mike) Lounge, David C. Hilmers, lt. colonel, USMC, and George D.
(Pinky) Nelson.  STS-26 will be the second flight for Lounge and
Hilmers who previously flew on missions 51-I and 51-J,
respectively.  Nelson has flown two previous Shuttle missions --
41-C and 61-C.

     Discovery is scheduled to be launched from the Kennedy Space
Center, Fla., Launch Pad 39-B, into a 160-nautical-mile, 28.5
degree orbit.  Liftoff is planned for (TBD) a.m. EDT.  Nominal
mission duration is 4 days and 1 hour, with landing at Edwards
Air Force Base, Calif., on Sept. (TBD), 1988, at (TBD) a.m. EDT.

     TDRS-C will be deployed 6 hours, 13 minutes into the mission
on flight day one.  There are two additional deploy times
available on that day and one the following day.  The 5,000-pound
satellite will join the first TDRS, deployed on STS-6 in April
1983, to provide communications and data links between Earth and
the Shuttle, as well as other spacecraft.

     TDRS-A is now in geosynchronous orbit (22,300 mi.) over the
Atlantic Ocean east of Brazil (41 degrees west longitude).
Following deployment from Discovery, TDRS-C will undergo testing
and will be moved to its operational position over the Pacific
Ocean south of Hawaii (171 degrees W. longitude).

     An Air Force-developed inertial upper stage (IUS) will boost
the TDRS to geosynchronous orbit.  The IUS is mated to the TDRS-C
and the combination spacecraft and upper stage will be spring
ejected from the orbiter payload bay.

     Following deployment, Discovery will maneuver to a position
36 nautical mi. behind and 16 nautical mi. above the TDRS-C/IUS
before the two-stage motor ignites about 60 minutes after
deployment.  The three-axis, stabilized upper stage will maneuver
the TDRS to the desired attitude.  TDRS then will be configured
for operation by the White Sands Ground Terminal, N.M.

     CONTEL, Atlanta, Ga., owns and operates the TDRS system for
NASA.  TRW's Defense and Space Systems Group, Redondo Beach,
Calif., built the satellites.

     The Orbiter Experiments Program Autonomous Supporting
Instrumentation System (OASIS) will be flown on STS-26 to record
environmental data in the orbiter payload bay during STS flight
phases.  OASIS will measure TDRS vibration, strain, acoustics and
temperature during orbiter ascent, using transducers affixed
directly to the payload.

     OASIS flight hardware consists of signal conditioning,
multiplexing and recording equipment mounted on a Shuttle
adaptive payload carrier behind the TDRS.  Command and status
interface is achieved through the standard mixed cargo harness
and the general purpose computers.

     In addition to TDRS-C and OASIS, Discovery will carry 11
secondary payloads, including two student experiments, involving
microgravity research, materials processing and electrical storm
studies.

     After landing at Edwards, Discovery will be towed to the
NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, hoisted atop the
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and ferried back to the Kennedy Space
Center to begin processing for its next flight.


     (END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.)


                      GENERAL INFORMATION

NASA Select Television Transmission

     The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter
and for the change-of-shift briefings from Johnson Space Center,
Houston, will be available during the mission at Kennedy Space
Center, Fla.; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.;
Johnson Space Center; and NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
The television schedule will be updated daily to reflect changes
dictated by mission operations.  NASA Select television is
available on RCA Satcom F-2R, Transponder 13, located at 72
degrees west longitude.

Special Note to Broadcasters

     Beginning in September and continuing throughout the
mission, approximately 7 minutes of audio interview material with
the crew of STS-26 will be available to broadcasters by calling
202/269-6572.

Status Reports

     Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on-orbit
activities and landing operations will be produced by the
appropriate NASA news center.

Briefings

     An STS-26 mission press briefing schedule will be issued
prior to launch.  During the mission, flight control personnel
will be on 8-hour shifts.  Change-of-shift briefings by the off-
going flight director will occur at approximately 8-hour
intervals.


                      STS-26 -- QUICK LOOK

Crew:  Frederick H. (Rick) Hauck, commander
       Richard O. Covey, pilot
       John M. (Mike) Lounge, mission specialist (MS-1)
       David C. Hilmers, mission specialist (MS-2)
       George D. (Pinky) Nelson, mission specialist (MS-3)

Orbiter:  Discovery (OV-103)

Launch Site:  Pad 39-B, Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Launch Date/Time:  Late September, 1988, (TBD) a.m. EDT

Launch Window:  3 hours

Orbital Inclination:  28.45 degrees

Altitude:  160 nautical miles

Mission Duration:  4 days, 1 hour

Landing Date/Time:  Sept. (TBD), 1988, (TBD) a.m. EDT

Primary Landing Site:  Edwards AFB, Calif.
  Weather Alternate:  White Sands Space Harbor, N.M.
  Trans-Atlantic Abort:  Ben Guerir, Morocco
  Abort-Once-Around:  Edwards AFB

Primary Payload:  Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-C)

Secondary Payloads:
  Automatic Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF)
  Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids (PVTOS)
  Infrared Communications Flight Experiment (IRCFE)
  Protein Crystal Growth Experiment (PCG)
  Isoelectric Focusing Experiment (IEF)
  Phase Partitioning Experiment (PPE)
  Aggregation of Red Blood Cells (ARC)
  Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE)
  Earth-Limb Radiance Experiment (ELRAD)
  2 Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) Experiments


                   STS-26 MISSION OBJECTIVES

     The primary objective of STS-26 is to deliver NASA's second
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite to orbit.  The TDRS-C
deployment will occur 6 hours, 6 minutes into the flight on Orbit
5.  Day 2 is reserved for backup deployment opportunities.
Experiments will be activated and performed throughout the
flight.


           LAUNCH PREPARATIONS, COUNTDOWN AND LIFTOFF

     Discovery was selected as the Space Shuttle for the STS-26
mission in 1986.  At the time of the 51-L accident, Discovery was
in temporary storage in the KSC Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)
awaiting transfer to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) for
preparation for the first Shuttle flight from Vandenberg Air
Force Base, Calif., scheduled for later that year.  Discovery
last flew in August 1985 on Shuttle mission 51-I, the orbiter's
sixth flight since it joined the fleet in November 1983.

     In January 1986, the Shuttle Atlantis was in the OPF,
prepared for the Galileo mission and ready to be mated to the
boosters and tank in the VAB.  The orbiter Columbia had just
completed the 61-C mission a few weeks prior to the accident and
was also in the OPF undergoing post-flight deconfiguration.

     Various Shuttle manifest options were being considered, and
it was determined that Atlantis would be rolled out to Launch Pad
39-B for fit checks of new weather protection modifications and
for an emergency egress exercise and a countdown demonstration
test.  During that year it also was decided that Columbia would
be flown to Vandenberg for fit checks.  Discovery was then
selected for the STS-26 mission.

     Discovery was moved from the VAB High Bay 2, where it was in
temporary storage, into the OPF the last week of June 1986.
Power up modifications were active on the orbiter's systems until
mid-September 1986 when Discovery was transferred to the VAB
while facility modifications were performed in Bay 1 of the OPF.

     Discovery was moved back into the OPF bay 1 on Oct. 30,
1987, a milestone that initiated an extensive modification and
processing flow to ready the vehicle for flight.  The hiatus in
launching offered an opportunity to "tune-up" and fully check out
all of the orbiter's systems and treat the orbiter as if it was a
new vehicle.  Most of the orbiter's major systems and components
were removed and sent to the respective vendors for modifications
or to be rebuilt.

     After an extensive powered-down period of 6 months, which
began in February 1987, Discovery's systems were awakened when
power surged through its electrical systems on Aug. 3, 1987.

     Discovery remained in the OPF while workers implemented over
200 modifications and outfitted the payload bay for the Tracking
and Data Relay Satellite.

     Flight processing began in mid-September during which the
major components of the vehicle were reinstalled and checked out,
including the main engines, the right and left hand orbital
maneuvering system pods and the forward reaction control system.

     In January 1988, Discovery's three main engines arrived at
KSC and were installed.  Engine 2019 arrived Jan. 6, 1988, and
was installed in the number one position Jan. 10.  Engine 2022
arrived Jan. 15 and was installed in the number 2 position Jan.
24.  Engine 2028 arrived Jan. 21 and was installed in the number
3 position also on Jan. 24.

     The redesigned solid rocket motor segments began arriving at
KSC March 1, and the first segment, the left aft booster, was
stacked on Mobile Launcher 2 in VAB High Bay 3 on March 29.
Technicians started with the left aft booster and continued
stacking the four left hand segments before beginning the right
hand segments on May 5.  The forward assemblies/nose cones were
attached May 27 and 28.  The SRB field joints were closed out
prior to mating the external tank to the boosters on June 10.  An
interface test between the boosters and tank was conducted a few
days later to verify the connections.

     The OASIS payload was installed in Discovery's payload bay
on April 19.

     The TDRS arrived at the Vertical Processing Facility on May
16, and its Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) arrived May 24.  The
TDRS/IUS mechanical mating was accomplished on May 31.

     Discovery was moved from the OPF to the VAB June 21, where
it was mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters.  A
Shuttle Interface Test was conducted shortly after the mate to
check out the mechanical and electrial connections between the
various elements of the Shuttle vehicle and the function of the
onboard flight systems.

     The assembled Space Shuttle vehicle aboard its mobile
launcher platform was rolled out of the VAB on July 4, 4.2 miles
to Launch Pad 39-B for a few major tests and final launch
preparations.

     A few days after Discovery's orbital manuevering system pods
were loaded with hypergolic propellants, a tiny leak was detected
in the left pod (June 14).  Through the use of a small, snake-
like, fiber optics television camera, called a Cobra borescope,
workers pinpointed the leak to a dynatube fitting in the vent
line for the reaction control system nitrogen tetroxide storage
tank, located in the top of the OMS pod.

     The tiny leak was stabilized and controlled by "pulse-
purging" the tank with helium - an inert gas. Pulse-purge is an
automatic method of maintaining a certain amount of helium in the
tank. In addition, console operators in the Launch Control Center
firing room monitored the tank for any change that may have
required immediate attention.  It was determined that the leak
would not affect the scheduled Wet Countdown Demonstration Test
(WCDDT) and the Flight Readiness Firing (FRF) and repair was
delayed until after these important tests.

     The WCDDT, in which the external tank was loaded with liquid
oxygen and liquid hydrogen, was conducted August 1.  A few
problems with ground support equipment resulted in unplanned
holds during the course of the countdown.

     A leak in the hydrogen umbilical connection at the Shuttle
tail service mast developed while liquid hydrogen was being
loaded into the external tank.  Engineers traced the leak to a
pressure monitoring connector.  During the WCDDT, the leak
developed again. The test was completed with the liquid hydrogen
tank partially full and the special tanking tests were deleted.
Seals in the 8-inch fill line in the tail service mast were
replaced and leak checked prior to the FRF.

     In addition, the loading pumps in the liquid oxygen storage
farm were not functioning properly.  The pumps and their
associated motors were repaired.

     After an aborted first attempt, the 22-second flight
readiness firing of Discovery's main engines was conducted Aug.
10.  The first FRF attempt was halted inside the T-10 second mark
due to a sluggish fuel bleed valve on the number 2 main engine.
This valve was replaced prior to the FRF.  This firing verified
that the entire Shuttle system - including launch equipment,
flight hardware and the launch team - were ready for flight.
With over 700 pieces of instrumentation installed on the vehicle
elements and launch pad, the test provided engineers with
valuable data, including characteristics of the redesigned solid
rocket boosters.

     After the test, a team of Rockwell technicians began repairs
to the OMS pod leak.  Four holes were cut into two bulkheads with
an air powered router on Aug. 17.  A metal "clamshell" device was
bolted around the leaking dynatube fitting.  The clamshell was
filled with Furmanite - a dark thick material which consists of
graphite, silicon and heavy grease and glass fiber.  After an
initial leak check was successfully performed, covers were bolted
over the holes Aug. 19, and the tank was pressurized to monitor
any decay.  No leakage or decay in pressure was noted and the fix
was deemed a success.

     TDRS-C and its IUS upper stage were transferred from the VPF
to Launch Pad 39-B on August 15.  The payload was installed into
Discovery's payload bay August 29.

     A Countdown Demonstration Test, a dress rehearsal for the
STS-26 flight crew and KSC launch team, is designed as a practice
countdown for the launch.  At press time, it was planned for
September 8.

     Launch preparations scheduled the last two weeks prior to
launch countdown include final vehicle ordnance activities, such
as power-on stray-voltage checks and resistance checks of firing
circuits; loading the fuel cell storage tanks; pressurizing the
hypergolic propellant tanks aboard the vehicle; final payload
closeouts; and a final functional check of the range safety and
SRB ignition, safe and arm devices.

     The launch countdown is scheduled to pick up at the T-minus-
43 hour mark, leading up to the first Shuttle liftoff since Jan.
28, 1986.  The STS-26 launch will be conducted by a joint
NASA/industry team from Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control
Center.


                      MAJOR COUNTDOWN MILESTONES

Count Event             Event

T-43 Hrs                Power up the Space Shuttle

T-34 Hrs                Begin orbiter and ground support
                        equipment closeouts for launch

T-30 Hrs                Activate Discovery's navigation aids

T-25 Hrs                Load the power reactant storage and
                        distribution system with liquid oxygen

T-22 Hrs                Load liquid hydrogen into the power
                        reactant storage and distribution system

T-20 Hrs                Activate and warm up the three inertial
                        measurement units (IMU)

T-19 Hrs                Perform interface check between Houston-
                        Mission Control and the Merritt Island
                        Launch Area (MILA) tracking station

T-13 Hrs                Perform pre-ingress switch list in the
                        flight and middecks

T-11 Hrs                Start 8 hour, 40 minute built-in hold
                        (This time could be adjusted based on day
                        of launch)

T-11 Hrs (counting)     Retract Rotating Service Structure away
                        from vehicle to launch position

T-9 Hrs                 Activate orbiter's fuel cells

T-8 Hrs                 Configure Mission Control communications
                        for launch; clear blast danger area

T-7 Hrs                 Perform Eastern Test Range open loop
                        command test

T-6 Hrs                 Start external tank chilldown and
                        propellant loading

T-5 Hrs                 Start IMU pre-flight calibration

T-4 Hrs                 Perform MILA antenna alignment

T-3 Hrs                 Begin 2-hour built-in hold; external tank
                        loading complete; ice team goes to pad
                        for inspections; wake flight crew (launch
                        minus 4 hours, 20 minutes)

T-3 Hrs (counting)      Weather briefing; closeout crew has "go"
                        to proceed to the White Room to begin
                        preparing Discovery's cockpit for the
                        flight crew's entry

T-2 Hrs, 30 Min         Flight crew departs O&C Building for
                        Launch Pad 39-B (launch minus 2 hours, 50
                        minutes)

T-2 Hrs                 Crew enters orbiter vehicle (launch minus
                        2 hours, 20 minutes)

T-61 Min                Start pre-flight alignment of IMUs

T-20 Min                Begin 10-minute, built-in hold

T-20 Min (counting)     Configure orbiter computers for launch

T-9 Min                 Begin 10-minute, built-in hold; perform
                        status check and receive launch director
                        "go"

T-9 Min (counting)      Start ground launch sequencer

T-7 Min, 30 Sec         Retract orbiter access arm

T-5 Min                 Pilot starts auxiliary power units; arm
                        range safety, SRB ignition systems

T-3 Min, 30 Sec         Orbiter goes on internal power

T-2 Min, 55 Sec         Pressurize liquid oxygen tank for flight
                        and retract gaseous oxygen vent hood

T-1 Min, 57 Sec         Pressurize liquid hydrogen tank

T-31 Sec                "Go" from ground computer for orbiter
                        computers to start the automatic launch
                        sequence

T-6.6 Sec               "Go" for main engine start

T-3 Sec                 Main engines at 90 percent thrust

T-0                     SRB ignition, holddown post release and
                        liftoff

T+7 Sec                 Shuttle clears launch tower and control
                        switches to Johnson Space Center


                   SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES

DAY 1

Ascent
Post-insertion checkout
TDRS-C/IUS deploy
ADSF, PCG, PVTOS, ARC activation

DAY2

Backup TDRS-C/IUS deploy opportunity
PPE

DAY 3

ELRAD
SSIP
Deorbit prep rehearsal

DAY 4

PPE
Flight control systems checkout
Cabin stowage
Landing preparations

DAY 5

Deorbit preparations
Deorbit burn
Landing at EAFB


               STS-26 TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS


-------------------------------------------------------------------------

EVENT                                      MET                INERTIAL
                                        (d:h:m:s)             VELOCITY
                                                                    (fps)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Launch                                00:00:00:00

Begin roll maneuver                   00:00:00:07                   1,346

End roll maneuver                     00:00:00:14                   1,418

Begin SSME throttle down to 65%       00:00:00:27                   1,728

Begin SSME throttle up to 104%        00:00:00:59                   2,404

Maximum dynamic pressure (Max Q)      00:00:01:04                   2,551

SRB staging                           00:00:02:04                   5,326

Negative return                       00:00:04:04                   8,275

Main engine cutoff (MECO)*            00:00:08:31                  25,783

Zero thrust                           00:00:08:38                  25,871

OMS 2 burn**                          00:00:39:55

TDRS/IUS deploy                       00:06:13:00

Deorbit burn                          03:23:56:00

Landing                               04:00:56:00


 * Apogee, perigee at MECO:  156 x 35 nautical miles
** Direct insertion ascent:  no OMS 1 required
   Apogee, perigee post-OMS 2:  161 x 160 nm


                      SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES

     Space Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims toward safe and
intact recovery of the flight crew, orbiter and its payload.
Abort modes include:

     * Abort-to-Orbit (ATO) -- Partial loss of main engine thrust
       late enough to permit reaching a minimal 105-nautical-mile
       orbit with orbital maneuvering system engines.

     * Abort-Once-Around (AOA) -- Earlier main engine shutdown
       with the capability to allow one orbit around before
       landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; White Sands
       Space Harbor, N.M.; or the Shuttle Landing Facility at
       Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

     * Trans-Atlantic Abort Landing (TAL) -- Loss of two main
       engines midway through powered flight would force a
       landing at Ben Guerir, Morocco; Moron, Spain; or Banjul,
       The Gambia.

     * Return to Launch Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or
       more engines and without enough energy to reach Ben
       Guerir, would result in a pitch around and thrust back
       towards KSC until within gliding distance of the KSC
       Shuttle Landing Facility.

     STS-26 contingency landing sites are Edwards AFB, White
Sands Space Harbor, Kennedy Space Center, Ben Guerir, Moron and
Banjul.


              LANDING AND POST-LANDING OPERATIONS

     Kennedy Space Center is responsible for ground operations of
the orbiter once it has rolled to a stop on the runway at Edwards
Air Force Base.  Those operations include preparing the Shuttle
for the return trip to Kennedy.

     After landing, the flight crew aboard Discovery begins
"safing" vehicle systems.  Immediately after wheel stop,
specially garbed technicians will determine that any residual
hazardous vapors around the orbiter are below significant levels,
before proceeding to other safing operations.

     Once the initial safety assessment is made, access vehicles
are positioned around the rear of the orbiter so that lines from
the ground purge and cooling vehicles can be connected to the
umbilical panels on the aft end of Discovery.

     Freon line connections are completed and coolant begins
circulating through the umbilicials to aid in heat rejection and
protect the orbiter's electronic equipment.  Other lines provide
cooled, humidified air to the payload bay and other cavities to
remove any residual fumes and provide a safe environment inside
Discovery.

     A mobile white room is moved around the crew hatch once it
is verified that there are no concentrations  of toxic gases
around the forward part of the vehicle.  The crew is expected to
leave Discovery about 30 to 40 minutes after landing.  As the
crew exits, technicians enter the orbiter to complete the vehicle
safing activity.

     A tow tractor will be connected to Discovery to pull it off
the runway at Edwards and position it inside the Mate/Demate
Device (MDD) at the nearby Dryden Flight Research Facility.
After the Shuttle has been jacked and leveled, residual fuel cell
cryogenics are drained and unused pyrotechnic devices are
disconnected prior to returning the orbiter to Kennedy.

     The aerodynamic tail cone is installed over the three main
engines, and the orbiter is bolted on top of the 747 Shuttle
Carrier Aircraft for the ferry flight back to Florida.  The 747
is scheduled to leave California about 6 days after landing.  An
overnight stop is scheduled for refueling and the ferry flight
continues the next day.

     Once back at Kennedy, Discovery will be pulled inside the
hangar-like facility for post-flight inspections and in-flight
anomaly trouble shooting.  These  operations are conducted in
parallel with the start of routine systems reverification to
prepare Discovery for its next mission.


           TRACKING AND DATA RELAY SATELLITE SYSTEM

     The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-C) is the third
TDRS advanced communications spacecraft to be launched aboard the
Space Shuttle.  TDRS-1 was launched during Challenger's maiden
flight in April 1983.  The second, TDRS-B, was lost during the
Challenger accident of January 1986.

     TDRS-1 is now in geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic
Ocean just east of Brazil (41 degrees west longitude).  It
initially failed to reach its desired orbit, following successful
Shuttle deployment, because of booster rocket failure.  A NASA-
industry team conducted a series of delicate spacecraft maneuvers
over a 2-month period to place TDRS-1 into the desired 22,300
mile altitude.

     Following arrival at geosynchronous altitude, TDRS-C (TDRS-3
in orbit) will undergo a series of tests prior to being moved to
its operational geosynchronous position over the Pacific Ocean
south of Hawaii (171 degrees W. longitude).

     TDRS-3 and its identical sister satellite will support up to
23 user spacecraft simultaneously, providing two basic types of
service -- a multiple access service which can simultaneously
relay data from as many as 19 low-data-rate user spacecraft, and
a single access service which will provide two high-data-rate
communication relays from each satellite.

     TDRS-3 will be deployed from the orbiter approximately 6
hours after launch.  Transfer to geosynchronous orbit will be
provided by the solid propellant Boeing/U.S. Air Force Inertial
Upper Stage (IUS).  Separation from the IUS occurs approximately
13 hours after launch.

     The next TDRS spacecraft, currently targeted for launch in
January 1989, will replace the partially-degraded TDRS-1 over the
Atlantic.  TDRS-1 will be moved to a location between the two
operational TDRS spacecraft and serve as an on-orbit spare.

     The concept of using advanced communications satellites was
developed following studies in the early 1970s which showed that
a system of communication satellites operated, from a single
ground terminal, could support Space Shuttle and other low Earth-
orbit space missions more effectively than a worldwide network of
ground stations.

     NASA's Space Tracking and Data Network ground stations will
be significantly reduced in number.  Three of the network's
present ground stations -- Madrid, Spain; Canberra, Australia;
and Goldstone, Calif. -- already have been transferred to the
Deep Space Network managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, Calif.

     The remaining ground stations, except those necessary for
launch operations, will be closed or transferred to other
agencies after the successful launch and checkout of the next two
TDRS satellites.

     The ground station network, managed by the Goddard Space
Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., provides communications support
for only a small fraction (typically 15-20 percent) of a space
craft's orbital period.  The TDRSS network, when established,
will provide coverage for almost the entire orbital period of
user spacecraft (about 85 percent).

     A TDRSS ground terminal has been built at White Sands, N.M.,
a location that provides a clear view to the TDRSS satellites and
weather conditions generally good for communications.

     The NASA ground terminal at White Sands provides the inter
face between the TDRSS and its network elements, which have their
primary tracking and communication facilities at Goddard.  Also
located at Goddard is the Network Control Center, which provides
system scheduling and is the focal point for NASA communications
with the TDRSS satellites and network elements.

     The TDRSS satellites are the largest, privately-owned tele
communications spacecraft ever built, each weighing about 5,000
lbs.  Each satellite spans more than 57 ft., measured across its
solar panels.  The single-access antennas, fabricated of molyb
denum and plated with 14K gold, each measure 16 ft. in diameter
and, when deployed, span more than 42 ft. from tip to tip.

     The satellite consists of two modules.  The equipment module
houses the subsystems that operate the satellite.  The telecom
munications payload module has electronic equipment for linking
the user spacecraft with the ground terminal.  The TDRS has 7
antennas and is the first designed to handle communications
through S, Ku and C frequency bands.

     Under contract, NASA has leased the TDRSS service from
CONTEL, Atlanta, Ga., the owner, operator and prime contractor
for the system.

     TRW Space and Technology Group, Redondo Beach, Calif., and
the Harris Government Communications System Division, Melbourne,
Fla., are the two primary subcontractors to CONTEL for spacecraft
and ground terminal equipment, respectively.  TRW also provided
the software for the ground segment operation and integration and
testing for the ground terminal and the TDRSS, as well as the
systems engineering.

     Primary users of the TDRSS satellite have been the Space
Shuttle, Landsat Earth resources satellites, the Solar Mesosphere
Explorer, the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, the Solar Maximum
Mission satellite and Spacelab.

     Future users include the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled
for launch in mid-1989, the Gamma Ray Observatory and the Upper
Atmosphere Research Satellite.


                  TDRS Spacecraft Configuration


                           TDRS System


                      INERTIAL UPPER STAGE

     The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) will be used to place NASA's
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-C) into geosynchronous
orbit during the STS-26 Space Shuttle mission.

     The STS-26 crew will deploy the combined IUS/TDRS-C payload
approximately 6 hours, 13 minutes after liftoff, at a low-Earth
orbit of 160 nautical miles.  Upper stage airborne support equip
ment, located in the orbiter payload bay, positions the combined
IUS/TDRS-C into its proper deployment attitude -- an angle of 58
degrees -- and ejects it into low-Earth orbit.  Deployment from
the orbiter will be by a spring-ejection system.

     Following the deployment, the orbiter will move away from
the IUS/TDRS-C to a safe distance.  The IUS first stage will fire
about 1 hour after deployment.

     After the first stage burn of 145 seconds, the solid fuel
motor will shut down.  After coasting for about 5 hours, 15
minutes, the first stage will separate and the second stage motor
will ignite at 12 hours, 29 minutes after launch to place the
spacecraft in its desired orbit.  Following a 103-second burn,
the second stage will shut down as the IUS/TDRS-C reaches the
predetermined, geosynchronous orbit position.

     Thirteen hours, 7 minutes after liftoff, the second stage
will separate from TDRS-C and perform an anti-collision maneuver
with its onboard reaction control system.

     After the IUS reaches a safe distance from TDRS-C, the
second stage will relay performance data to a NASA tracking
station and then shut itself down 13 hours, 17 minutes after
launch.

     The IUS has a number of features which distinguish it from
previous upper stages.  It has the first completely redundant
avionics system developed for an unmanned space vehicle.  It can
correct in-flight features within milliseconds.

     Other advanced features include a carbon composite nozzle
throat that makes possible the high-temperature, long-duration
firing of the IUS motors and a redundant computer system in which
the second computer is capable of taking over functions from the
primary computer, if necessary.

     The IUS is 17 ft. long, 9 ft. in diameter and weighs more
than 32,000 lbs., including 27,000 lbs. of solid fuel propellant.

     The IUS consists of an aft skirt, an aft stage containing
21,000 lbs. of solid propellant which generates 45,000 lbs. of
thrust, an interstage, a forward stage containing 6,000 lbs. of
propellant generating 18,500 lbs. of thrust and an equipment
support section.  The equipment support section contains the
avionics which provide guidance, navigation, telemetry, command
and data management, reaction control and electrical power.

     The IUS is built by Boeing Aerospace, Seattle, under con
tract to the U.S. Air Force Systems Command.  Marshall Space
Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., is NASA's lead center for IUS
development and program management of NASA-configured IUSs
procured from the Air Force.

     TDRS-A was placed into an elliptical Earth orbit by an IUS
in April 1983 during mission STS-6.  TDRS-B and its IUS were lost
in the Challenger accident in January 1986.


                      SECONDARY PAYLOADS

Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids

     3M Company scientists will fly an experiment on STS-26 to
produce organic thin films with ordered crystalline structures
and to study their optical, electrical and chemical properties.

     They call the experiment the Physical Vapor Transport of
Organic Solids (PVTOS), a name derived from the method which is
employed to produce organic crystals -- vapor transport.

     Engaged in a long-term space research program that will
extend into the Space Station era, 3M's primary objective with
the STS-26 experiment is to build upon the knowledge gained from
an earlier flight of the apparatus aboard Discovery in 1985.

     For more than a decade, 3M scientists have conducted
research into ordered organic thin films with an emphasis on
controlling the film's physical structure properties so as to
affect the film's optical, electrical and chemical behavior.

     Using the physical vapor transport technique in the micro
gravity environment of low-Earth orbit allows 3M scientists a
unique opportunity to investigate certain materials of interest.
The results could eventually be applied to production of
specialized thin films on Earth or in space.

     The PVTOS experiment consists of nine independent cells 12
inches long and 3 inches in diameter.  Each cell contains a test
tube-like ampule containing organic material.  During space
flight, the organic material is vaporized.  Migrating through a
buffer gas, the vaporized material forms a highly ordered thin
film on a flat surface.  After the samples are returned to Earth,
3M scientists will study the films produced in space.

     The PVTOS experiment, sponsored by NASA's Office of
Commercial Programs, is being conducted by 3M's Space Research
and Applications Laboratory, headed by Dr. Christopher N. Chow.
Dr. Mark Debe is principal investigator with Dr. Earl Cook as co-
investigator.


PVTOS art


Protein Crystal Growth Experiment

     Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiments to be conducted
during STS-26 are expected to help advance a technology attract
ing intense interest from major pharmaceutical houses, the bio
tech industry and agrichemical companies.

     A team of industry, university and government research
investigators will explore the potential advantages of using
protein crystals grown in space to determine the complex, three-
dimensional structure of specific protein molecules.

     Knowing the precise structure of these complex molecules
provides the key to understanding their biological function and
could lead to methods of altering or controlling the function in
ways that may result in new drugs.

     It is through sophisticated analysis of a protein in
crystalized form that scientists are able to construct a model of
the molecular structure.  The problem is that protein crystals
grown on Earth are often small and flawed.  Protein crystal
growth experiments flown on four previous Space Shuttle missions
already have shown promising evidence that superior crystals can
be obtained in the microgravity environment of space flight.

     To further develop the scientific and technological founda
tion for protein crystal growth in space, NASA's Office of Com
mercial Programs and Microgravity Science and Applications
Division are co-sponsoring the STS 26 experiments which are being
managed through the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville,
Ala.

     During the flight, 60 different crystal growth experiments,
including as many as ten distinct proteins, will be attempted in
an experiment apparatus that fits into one of the Shuttle
orbiter's middeck lockers.

     Shortly after achieving orbit, astronauts will initiate the
crystal growing process, which will continue for several days.
The experiment apparatus, being flown for the first time on STS-
26, differs from previous protein crystal payloads in that it
provides temperature control and automation of some processes.

     After Discovery's landing, the experiment hardware and pro
tein crystals will be turned over to the investigating team for
analysis.  Lead investigator for the research team is Dr. Charles
E. Bugg of the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB).  Dr. Bugg
is director of the Center for Macromolecular Crystallography, a
NASA-sponsored Center for the Commercial Development of Space
located at UAB.

     Five industrial affiliates of the Center will provide samples
to investigate the quality of protein crystals grown in space.
Following post-flight analysis, crystals produced on the flight
will be used by the participating industrial scientists for applied
research.

     The industrial participants and their experiments are:

     Burroughs Wellcome Co., Research Triangle Park, N.C., is
experimenting with the enzyme reverse transcriptase.  The enzyme is
a chemical key to the replication of the AIDS virus.  More detailed
knowledge of its three-dimensional structure could lead to new drug
treatments for AIDS.  The investigators are Dr. Tom Krenitsky,
Burroughs Wellcome Co. and Dr. David Stammers, Wellcome Research
Laboratories.

     The Du Pont Company, Wilmington, Del., is conducting two
experiments aimed at growing crystals of proteins important to life
science research.  One is isocystrate lyase, a target enzyme for
fungicides.  Better understanding of this enzyme should lead to
more potent fungicides to treat serious crop diseases such as rice
blast.  The other protein is alpha 1-B, the first totally synthetic
peptide which was recently synthesized by Du Pont to mimic ion
channels in cell membranes.  Research on alpha 1-B will lead to a
better understanding of the manner in which cells selectively
regulate the flow of ions such as potassium, sodium, and calcium in
and out of the cell.  It has important potential in therapeutics and
diagnostics.  Du Pont's principal investigator is Dr. Ray Salemme.

     Merck, Rahway, N.J., will fly a sample of elastace, an enzyme
associated with the degradation of lung tissue in people suffering
from emphysema.  A more detailed knowledge of this enzyme's
structure will be useful in studying the causes of this debilitating
disease. The company's principal investigator is Dr. Manuel Navia.

     Schering-Plough, Madison, N.J., will experiment to grow
crystals of alpha interferon. Interferon, a protein, stimulates the
body's immune system.  Marketed as "Intron A," the company's alpha
interferon is approved in the U.S. for treating a cancer, hairy cell
leukemia, and a viral infection, genital warts.  It is also approved
overseas for treating these and a number of other cancers and
ailments.  The principal investigator is Dr. T.J. Nagabhushan.

     Upjohn, Kalamazoo, Mich., is flying two protein samples:
genetically-engineered human renin and phospholipase A2, found in
the venom of the cottonmouth snake.  Human renin is produced by the
kidneys and plays a major role in the chemical reaction that
controls blood pressure.  Phospholipase performs functions
associated with cell membranes, and a better understanding of it
could lead to improved medications for pain and inflammation.
Upjohns principal investigator is Dr. Howard Einspahr.


PCG art


Infrared Communications Flight Experiment

     Using the same kind of invisible light that remotely controls
our home TV sets and VCRs, mission specialist George "Pinky" Nelson
is to conduct experimental voice communications with his STS-26
crewmates via infrared, rather than standard radio frequency waves.

     On a non-interfering basis and during non-critical normal crew
activities requiring voice operations, Nelson will unstow the
Infrared Communications Flight Experiment (IRCFE) from the middeck
locker and begin a minimum of 2 hours of experimentation from both
flight- and middeck locations.

     Six small infrared transmitters and receivers (three each) will
be attached by velcro to Discovery's walls:  two each on the flight
deck and one each on the middeck.  The transmitters and receivers
are connected by cable to a base unit which also will be attached by
velcro to a middeck wall.  Nelson will plug his standard lightweight
headset into a belt-mounted unit which will transmit his voice via
infrared lightwaves through the receivers to the base unit.  There,
the signal will be relayed to other crew members using the standard
Orbiter audio distribution system.  Communications back to Nelson
from the other astronauts will travel by the reverse path.

     One major objective of the experiment is to demonstrate the
feasibility of the secure transmission of information via infrared
light.  Unlike radio frequency (RF) signals, infrared waves will not
pass through the orbiter's windows;  thus, a secure voice
environment would be created if infrared waves were used as the sole
means of communications within the orbiter.  Infrared waves also can
carry data as well as voice (e.g., biomedical information).  Future
infrared systems are expected to be smaller, lighter weight and
produce better voice quality than their RF counterparts.

     A clear line-of-sight path is not required between transmitter
and receiver to insure voice transmission.  Infrared light will
reflect from most surfaces and therefore, quality voice can be
transmitted even after multiple bounces.  As Nelson moves around the
vehicle, another major objective is to demonstrate a "flooded volume
approach," that is, to see if the wall-mounted
transmitters/receivers will pick up and deliver infrared signals
without the need for him to precisely align his transmitter with a
target receiver.

     The amount of coverage and/or blockage which occurs during the
experiment under microgravity conditions is a critical objective of
the experiment.  Comments by Nelson and his crewmates on the
effectiveness and quality of the system will be relied on heavily.
Post-flight analysis of the infrared system's voice quality also
will be made through tape comparisons.


IRCFE art


     While the IRCFE calls for a minimum of 2 hours of experimenta
tion, there are no constraints on continuing use of the system
beyond that time.  However, the experiment must be restowed in its
locker prior to descent.  The 20-lb. IRCFE package, which includes a
complete back-up unit, fits in less than 1/2 of a 2-cubic-ft.
middeck locker.

     If proven effective, the technique of using infrared light as a
voice and information carrier could have widespread application
including incorporation in the Shuttle, Spacelab and the Space
Station as well as potential non-NASA uses in military aircraft,
naval ships and Army combat vehicles.

     The IRCFE was developed at a cost of approximately $500,000 by
Johnson Space Center, Houston, and its contractor, Wilton
Industries, Danbury, Conn.  Project manager and principal inves
tigator for the experiment is Joseph L. Prather, of the Engineering
Directorate's Tracking and Communications Division at JSC.


Automated Directional Solidification Furnace

     The Automated Directional Solidification Furance (ADSF) is a
special space furnace developed and managed by Marshall Space Flight
Center.  It is designed to demonstrate the possibility of producing
lighter, stronger and better-performing magnetic composite materials
in a microgravity environment.

     Four furnace modules are included in the ADSF, each processing
a single sample.  The samples being used during the STS-26 mission
are manganese and bismuth composites.  They will be processed at a
constant melting and resolidification speed of one about a third of
an inch an hour.  The total process times will be 10.5 hours per
sample.

     Material processed during the mission will be compared with
samples of the same metallic alloys processed in laboratories on
Earth, as well as from previous Shuttle and sounding rocket
flights.  Thermal, X-ray, chemical, structural and magnetic analysis
will be made following the flight to determine differences in the
various samples.

     The furnace is specially designed to melt along a plane in a
long, slim, magnetic composite sample and then cool the molten metal
behind the melt.  The furnace module traverses the sample in a
single direction, melting and then resolidifying the material as it
goes.

     The ADSF flight hardware is housed in three separate containers
connected by power and data cables.  The four furnaces are housed in
one container; another container has the electronic assembly which
controls furnace operations and yet another houses the control
switches, status indicators and a system which records data produced
during the operation of the furnaces.


ADSF art


     The total flight package weighs about 250 lbs. and occupies the
space of five crew lockers in the orbiter middeck.  The equipment is
highly automated and requires crew interaction only to initiate the
operation of the furnaces.

     All the ADSF hardware is reusable.  The furnace apparatus was
first flown aboard sounding rockets.  It has been modified to be
compatible with the orbiter and crew interface requirements and to
increase the furnace operating time.

     Each furnace can now operate up to 20 hours, compared to a
total of 5 minutes during the sounding rocket flights.  The exper
iment most recently flew aboard STS 51-G.

     Principal investigator for this experiment is Dr. David Larson,
Grumman Aerospace Corp.  MSFC manages the development of the
hardware and provides mission integration management for NASA.
Project manager is Fred Reeves, MSFC, and mission manager is Richard
E. Valentine, also MSFC.


Aggregation of Red Blood Cells

     Blood samples from donors with such medical conditions as heart
disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer will fly in an experiment
called Aggregation of Red Blood Cells (ARC) developed by Australia
and managed by MSFC.

     The experiment is designed to provide information on the
formation rate, structure and organization of red cell clumps, as
well as on the thickness of whole blood cell aggregates at high and
low flow rates.  It will help determine if microgravity can play a
beneficial role in new and existing clinical research and medical
diagnostic tests.

     The first ARC experiment flew aboard STS 51-C in January
1985.  The STS-26 experiment differs from its predecessor only in
the samples tested.  The experiment hardware is unchanged.

     The flight hardware weighs about 165 lbs. and is installed in
three middeck lockers in the crew cabin.  The experiment consists of
a blood pump and storage subsystem, thermal control system, pressure
transducer and an electronics equipment package to provide automated
control and data acquisition.

     The ARC experiment uses eight experiment blood samples main
tained at about 40 degrees F.  Each flows one sample at a time, into
a viscometer, two optically transparent polished glass plates
separated by a spacer of platinum foil.

     Two 35mm cameras, located on either side of the viscometer,
photograph the samples through 10x and 300x power microscopes.  The
10x power microscope uses black and white film and the 300x power
uses color.


ARC art


     After taking the photographic and low-rate data, the sample is
discarded in a waste container.  A saline solution, stored in
syringes identical to those containing the blood samples, is then
used to flush the system prior to running the next sample.

     All procedures are operated by the electronic equipment package
except activation which is performed by one of the crew. Running
time is about 8 hours.

     Results obtained in the Shuttle microgravity environment will
be compared with results from a ground-based experiment to determine
what effects gravity has on the kinetics and morphology of the
sampled blood.  The ground-based experiment will be conducted
simultaneously with the flight experiment using samples identical in
origin to the flight samples and functionally identical hardware.

     The experiment and hardware were developed by Dr. Leopold
Dintenfass of the Kanematsu Institute, Department of Medical
Research, Sydney, Australia.  Richard E. Valentine, MSFC, is mission
manager.


Isoelectric Focusing

     Isoelectric Focusing (IEF) is a type of electrophoresis
experiment which separates proteins in an electric field according
to their surface electrical charge.

     Three other electrophoresis experiments have flown before on
Shuttle missions.  They were the McDonnell Douglas Continuous Flow
Electrophoresis System, NASA's Electrophoresis Equipment
Verification Test and an earlier version of the IEF.

     The isoelectric focusing technique applies an electric field to
a column of conducting liquid containing certain molecules which
create a pH gradient in the column (alkalinity at one end, acidity
at the other end).  This pH gradient causes the biological sample to
move to a location in the column where it has a zero charge - its
isolectric point.

     Protein and fluid-filled experiment columns are provided by the
University of Arizona.  The remainder of the flight hardware was
designed and built by laboratory personnel at MSFC, which is
providing mission management.

     The 65-pound experiment consists of eight glass columns
containing protein, hemoglobin and albumen, with solutions which
form the pH gradient column of conducting liquid.

     The columns are arranged in a row in the field of view of a 35
mm camera.  The experiment is housed in a 9-inch-high, 19 by 21-inch
rectangular metal container and is installed in place of a middeck
locker in the crew cabin.


IEF art


     A crewmember will activate the equipment 23 hours into the
flight.  The experiment will operate for 90 minutes with pictures of
the separations being taken every 2 or 3 minutes.  The crew member
will return to the experiment hardware at the end of the running
time to verify that it has successfully turned itself off.

     The film from the experiment camera will be removed for
processing upon orbiter landing.  The samples themselves are not
required for post-mission analysis.

     Principal investigator on the experiment is professor Milan
Bier of the University of Arizona.  Co-investigator is Dr. Robert
Snyder of the Separation Processes Branch at MSFC's Space Science
Laboratory.  Richard E. Valentine, MSFC, is the mission manager and
Brian Barnett, MSFC, is the experiment coordinator.


Mesoscale Lightning Experiment

     Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE) is an experiment designed
to obtain night time images of lightning in an attempt to better
understand the effects of lightning discharges on each other, on
nearby storm systems and on storm microbursts and wind patterns and
to determine interrelationships over an extremely large geographical
area.

     The experiment will use Shuttle payload bay cameras to observe
lightning discharges at night from active storms.  The experiment
uses color video cameras and a 35mm hand-held film camera and will
provide synoptic coverage of an area roughly 200 by 150 miles
directly below the Shuttle.

     Shuttle crewmembers also will document mesoscale storm systems
that are oblique to the Shuttle but near NASA ground-based lightning
detection systems at Marshall Space Flight Center, Kennedy Space
Center, Stennis Space Center (formerly National Space Technology
Laboratories), and the National Oceanic and Atmosphere
Administration Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Okla.

     The Shuttle payload bay camera system provides camera orien
tation data so that the locations and dimensions of the lightning
discharges recorded can be easily determined from the video and film
images.  The imagery will be analyzed for the frequency of flashes,
the size of the lightning and its brightness.

     Three co-investigators will analyze the lightning data taken
from the Shuttle as well as corroborate information received from
the ground-based lightning monitoring network.  They are Dr. Bernard
Vonnegut, State University of New York, Albany; Dr. Max Brook, New
Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro; and Otha H.
Vaughan Jr., MSFC.  Richard E. Valentine, MSFC, is the mission
manager.


Phase Partitioning Experiment

     One of the most important aspects of biotechnical and bio
medical technology involves separation processes.  Cell types
producing important compounds must be separated from other cell
types.  Cells with important biomedical characteristics must be iso
lated to study those characteristics.  This experiment involves a
separation method termed two-phase partitioning.

     The Phase Partitioning Experiment (PPE) is designed to fine
tune understanding of the role gravity and other physical forces
play in separating, i.e., partitioning biological substances between
two unmixable liquid phases.

     Most people are use to the two-phase systems formed by mixing
oil and water.  In PPE, the systems are simple saline solutions
containing two different polymers.  When the polymers are dissolved
in solution, they separate.  On Earth this results in the lighter
phase floating on top of the heavier one.  In space the demixed
phases exhibit more complex behavior, looking somewhat like an egg
which has a yolk floating inside of the egg white.

     Phase partitioning has been shown on Earth to yield more
effective, large-scale cell separations than any other method,
differentiating cells on the basis of their surface properties.
Space experiments should improve efficiency of Earth-bound par
titioning and may allow scientists to carryout cell separations
unobtainable on Earth.

     The experiment is part of a category of handheld microgravity
experiments designed to study the effects of the low gravity of
spaceflight on selected physical processes.

     The experiment consists of an 18-chambered experimental module
filled with small quantities of two-phase systems, each differing in
various physical parameters (e.g. viscosity).  The module will be
shaken to mix the phases and the separation of the phases will be
photographed periodically by a mission specialist.

     The experiment will last approximately 2 hours.  The 0.7
kilogram module is completely self-contained and will be stored in
one of the middeck storage lockers.

     Photos of the separation will be taken with a 35mm Nikon camera
equipped with an hour/minute/second time-tag using a 35-70mm
macrozoom lens.  The photos will be studied when they are returned
to Earth and analyzed by computer-aided densitometry for demixing-
versus-time-kinetic information.

     A 15-chamber version of the PPE was successfully flown on STS
51-D, and the experiment is being considered for at least two more
flights.


PPE art


     The experiment was developed and is being managed by the
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.  The project is
sponsored by NASA's Microgravity Science and Applications
Division.

     The PPE scientific team includes Drs. Donald E. Brooks,
principal investigator, University of British Columbia; J. Milton
Harris, University of Alabama-Huntsville; James M. Van Alstine,
Universities Space Research Associates at Marshall; Stephen
Bamberger, National Research Council; and Robert S. Snyder,
Marshall.  Richard E. Valentine is the mission manager for PPE at
Marshall.


Earth-Limb Radiance Experiment

     Earth Limb Radiance Experiment (ELRAD) is an experiment
developed by the Barnes Engineering Co., designed to photograph the
Earth's "horizon twilight glow" near sunrise and sunset.

     The experiment is expected to provide photographs of the
Earth's horizon that will allow scientists to measure the radiance
of the twilight sky as a function of the sun's position below the
horizon.  This information should allow designers to develop better,
more accurate horizon sensors for geosynchronous communications
satellites.

     Communications satellites routinely use the Earth's horizon or
"limb" as a reference for attitude control.  Barnes Engineering is
developing an advanced horizon sensor that uses visible light to
sense the Earth's limb.  Near the spring and fall equinoxes,
however, the Earth eclipses the sun once a day (as seen from the
satellites' orbit), often for as long as 70 minutes.

     During these eclipses, the Earth's horizon is invisible to a
visible light horizon sensor.  However, the Earth's upper atmosphere
scatters sunlight to produce a thin ring of blue and ultaviolet
light that would still be visible even during an eclipse.  This ring
of light is what ELRAD will photograph.

     ELRAD consists of a 35mm Nikon camera, an 85mm lens, a blue
lens filter and a timing device known as a intervalometer.
Astronauts onboard the Space Shuttle will mount ELRAD in one of the
Shuttle's windows and point it toward the Earth's horizon.  The
intervalometer will be set to take one photograph every 10
seconds.  Three sequences of photographs will be taken, one just
before sunrise and two just after sunset.  After the mission, the
exposed film will be developed by NASA and provided to Barnes
Engineering, along with a sensitivity curve.  Barnes Engineering
will then compute the radiance of the scattered light as recorded on
the film.

     Principal investigator for ELRAD is William Surette, Barnes
Engineering.  Johnson Space Center manages the mission integration
for NASA.  The payload integration manager is Ed Jung and the
mission manager is Willie Beckham, both from Johnson.


                 SHUTTLE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM

Utilizing a Semi-Permeable Membrane to Direct Crystal Growth

     This is an experiment proposed by Richard S. Cavoli, formerly
of Marlboro Central High School, Marlboro, N.Y.  Cavoli is now
enrolled at State University of New York, Buffalo School of
Medicine, Buffalo, N.Y.

     The experiment will attempt to control crystal growth through
the use of a semi-permeable membrane.  Lead iodide crystals will be
formed as a result of a double replacement reaction.  Lead acetate
and potassium iodide will react to form insoluble lead iodide
crystals, potassium ions and acetate ions.  As the ions travel
across a semi-permeable membrane, the lead and iodide ions will
collide, forming the lead iodide crystal.

     Cavoli's hypothesis states that the shape of the semi-permeable
membrane and the concentrations of the two precursor compounds will
determine the growth rate and shape of the resultant crystal without
regard to other factors experienced in Earth-bound crystal growing
experiments.

     Following return of the experiment aparatus to Cavoli, an
analysis will be performed on the crystal color, density, hardness,
morphology, refractive index and electrical and thermal
characteristics.  Crystals of this type are useful in imaging
systems for detecting gamma and X-rays and could be used in
spacecraft sensors for astrophysical research purposes.

     Cavoli's high school advisor is Annette M. Saturnelli of
Marlboro Central High School, and his college advisor and experiment
sponsor is Dr. Charles Scaife of Union College.


Effects of Weightlessness on Grain Formation and Strength
in Metals

     This experiment was proposed by Lloyd C. Bruce formerly of
Sumner High School, St. Louis.  Bruce is now a senior at the
University of Missouri.

     The experiment proposes to heat a titanium alloy metal filament
to near the melting point to observe the effect that weightlessness
has on crystal reorganization within the metal.  It is expected that
heating in microgravity will produce larger crystal grains and
thereby, increase the inherent strength of the metal filament.  The
experiment uses a battery supply, a timer and thermostat to heat a
titanium alloy filament to 1,000 degrees Celsius.

     At a temperature of 882 degrees C, the titanium-aluminum alloy
crystal lattice network undergoes a metamorphosis from closely
packed hexagonal crystals to centered cubic crystals.

     Following return of the experiment gear to Bruce, he will
compare the space-tested alloy sample with one heated on Earth to
analyze any changes in strength, size and shape of the crystal
grains and any change in the homogeneity of the alloy.  If necessary
microscopic examination, stress testing and X-ray diffraction
analysis also will be used.  Any changes between the two samples
could lead to variations on this experiment to be proposed for
future Shuttle flights.  A positive test might lead to a new,
lightweight and stronger titanium-aluminum alloy or a new type of
industrial process.

     Bruce's student advisor is Vaughan Morrill of Sumner High
School.  His sponsor is McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, and his
experiment advisor is Dr. Diane Chong of McDonnell Douglas.


                        OASIS INSTRUMENTATION

     Special instrumentation to record the environment experienced
by Discovery during the STS-26 mission is aboard the orbiter mounted
in the payload bay.

     The Orbiter Experiments Autonomous Supporting Instrumentation
System (OASIS) is designed to collect and record a variety of
environmental measurements during various in-flight phases of the
orbiter.  The primary device is a large tape recorder which is
mounted on the aft, port side of the orbiter.  The OASIS recorder
can be commanded from the ground to store information at a low,
medium or high data rate.  After Discovery's mission is over, the
tapes will be removed for analysis.

     The information will be used to study the effects on the
orbiter of temperature, pressure, vibration, sound, acceleration,
stress and strain.  It also will be used to assist in the design of
future payloads and upper stages.

     OASIS is about desk-top size, approximately 4 ft. long, 1 ft.
wide, 3 ft. deep and weighs 230 lbs.  It was installed for flight in
the payload bay on April 18.

     The OASIS data is collected from 101 sensors mounted on three
primary elements.  The sensors are located along the sills on either
side of the payload bay, on the airborne support equipment of the
Inertial Upper Stage and on the tape recorder itself.  These sensors
are connected to accelerometers, strain gauges, microphones,
pressure gauges and various thermal devices on the orbiter.

     OASIS was exercised during the flight readiness firing of the
Space Shuttle Discovery in August and data was collected for
analysis.

     On STS-26 launch day, the system will be turned on 9 minutes
before Discovery's liftoff to begin recording at high speed and
recover high fidelity data.  Following the first burn of the orbital
maneuvering system, it will be switched to the low data rate.  It
will be commanded again to high speed for subsequent Shuttle OMS
burns.

     Different data rates are to be commanded from the ground to
OASIS at various times during the on-orbit operations.  If tape
remains, the recorder will operate during descent.

     NASA is flying OASIS aboard Discovery in support of the IUS
program office of the Air Force Space Division.  The system was
developed by Lockheed Engineering and Management Services Co. under
a NASA contract.  Development was sponsored by the Air Force Space
Division.


STS-26 Cargo Configuration


               STS-26 PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS

                                                           Pounds

Orbiter Empty                                            176, 019

IUS                                                        32,618

TDRS-C                                                      4,905

OASIS I                                                       223

ADSF                                                          266

ARC                                                           168

ELRAD                                                           3

IEF                                                            66

IRCFE                                                           9

IUS Support Equipment                                         176

MLE                                                            15

PCG                                                            97

PPE                                                             2

PVTOS                                                         184

SSIP (2)                                                       42

Orbiter Including Cargo at SRB Ignition                   253,693

Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition                           4,521,762

Orbiter Landing Weight                                    194,800


                  MAJOR ORBITER MODIFICATIONS

     More than 100 mandatory modifications to the orbiter Discovery
were completed before returning to flight.  Major modifications
include:

     * Brake Improvements -- This included changes to eliminate
mechanical and thermally-induced brake damage, improve steering
margin and reduce the effects of tire damage or failure.
Modifications for first flight are the thicker stators, stiffened
main landing gear axles, tire pressure monitoring and anti-skid
avionics.

     * 17-Inch Disconnect -- A positive hold-open latch design
feature for the main propulsion system disconnect valves between the
orbiter and the external tank (ET) was developed to ensure that the
valve remains open during powered flight until nominal ET separation
is initiated.

     * Reaction Control System Engines -- The RCS engines provide
on-orbit attitude control and have been modified to turn off
automatically in the event any combustion instability were to cause
chamber wall burnthrough.

     * Thermal Protection System -- The TPS was improved in areas on
the orbiter in the wing elevon cove region, nose landing gear door,
lower wing surface trailing edge and elevon leading edge.

     * Auxiliary Power Unit -- An electrical interlock has been
added to the APU tank shutoff valves to preclude electrical failures
that could overheat the valves and cause decomposition of the fuel
(hydrazine).

     * Orbital Maneuvering System -- To prevent development of leaks
as a result of improper manufacturing processes, bellows in critical
OMS propellant line valves have been replaced.

     * Crew Escape System -- A pyrotechnically jettisoned side
hatch, crew parachutes and survival gear and a curved telescoping
pole to aid the crew in clearing the wing, have been added to give a
bail-out capability in the event of a problem where runway landing
is not possible.  An egress slide has been added to facilitate rapid
post-landing egress from the vehicle under emergency conditions.


                   SOLID ROCKET MOTOR REDESIGN

     On June 13, 1986, the President directed NASA to implement the
recommendations of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle
Challenger Accident.  As part of satisfying those recommendations,
NASA developed a plan to provide a redesigned solid rocket motor
(SRM).

     The primary objective of the redesign effort was to provide an
SRM that is safe to fly.  A secondary objective was to minimize the
impact on the launch schedule by using existing hardware, to the
extent practical, without compromising safety.

     A redesign team was established which included participation
from Marshall Space Flight Center; Morton Thiokol, NASA's prime
contractor for the SRM; other NASA centers; contractors and experts
from outside NASA.

     All aspects of the existing SRM were assessed.  Design changes
were deemed necessary in the field joint, case-to-nozzle joint,
nozzle, factory joint, local propellant grain contour, ignition
system and ground support equipment.  Design criteria were
established for each component to ensure a safe design with an
adequate margin of safety.

Design

     Field Joint -- The field joint metal parts, internal case
insulation and seals were redesigned and a weather protection system
was added.

     In the STS 51-L design, the application of actuating pressure
to the upstream face of the o-ring was essential for proper joint
sealing performance because large sealing gaps were created by
pressure-induced deflections, compounded by significantly reduced o-
ring sealing performance at low temperature.

     The major motor case change is the new tang capture feature
which provides a positive metal-to-metal interference fit around the
circumference of the tang and clevis ends of the mating segments.
The interference fit limits the deflection between the tang and
clevis o-ring sealing surfaces due to motor pressure and structural
loads.  The joints are designed so the seals will not leak under
twice the expected structural deflection and rate.

     External heaters with integral weather seals were incorporated
to maintain the joint and o-ring temperature at a minimum of 75
degrees F.  The weather seal also prevents water intrusion into the
joint.

     The new design, with the tang capture feature, the interference
fit and the use of custom shims between the outer surface of the
tang and inner surface of the outer clevis leg, controls the o-ring
sealing gap dimension.

     The sealing gap and the o-ring seals are designed so there is
always a positive compression (squeeze) on the o-rings.  The minimum
and maximum squeeze requirements include the effects of temperature,
o-ring resiliency and compression set and pressure. The clevis o-
ring groove dimension has been increased so the o-ring never fills
more than 90 percent of the o-ring groove, enhancing pressure
actuation.

     The new field joint design also includes a new o-ring in the
capture feature and an additional leak check port to assure that the
primary o-ring is positioned in the proper sealing direction at
ignition.  This new or third o-ring also serves as a thermal barrier
should the sealed insulation be breached.  Although not demanded by
the specification, it has proved to be an excellent hot gas seal.

     The field joint internal case insulation was modified to be
sealed with a pressure actuated flap called a J-seal, rather than
with putty as in the STS 51-L configuration.

     Longer field joint case mating pins, with a a reconfigured
retainer band, were added to improve the shear strength of the pins
and increase the margin of safety in the metal parts of the joint.

     Case-to-Nozzle Joint -- The SRM case-to-nozzle joint, which
experienced several instances of o-ring erosion in flight, has been
redesigned to the same criteria imposed upon the case field joint.

     Similar to the field joint, case-to-nozzle joint modifications
have been made in the metal parts, internal insulation and o-
rings.  Radial bolts with "Stato-O-Seals" were added to minimize the
joint sealing gap opening.

     The internal insulation was modified to be sealed adhesively
and a third o-ring included.  The third o-ring serves as a dam or
wiper in front of the primary o-ring to prevent the polysulfide
adhesive from being extruded into the primary o-ring groove.  It
also serves as a thermal barrier should the polysulfide adhesive be
breached.  Like the third o-ring in the field joint, it has proven
to be an effective hot gas seal.

     The polysulfide adhesive replaces the putty used in the 51-L
joint.  Also, an additional leak check port was added to reduce the
amount of trapped air in the joint during the nozzle installation
process and aid in the leak check procedure.

     Nozzle -- The internal joints of the nozzle metal parts have
been redesigned to incorporate redundant and verifiable o-rings at
each joint.  The nozzle steel fixed housing part has been redesigned
to permit incorporation of 100 radial bolts that attach the fixed
housing to the case aft dome.

     Improved bonding techniques are used for the nozzle nose inlet,
cowl/boot and aft exit cone assemblies.  The nose inlet assembly
metal part to ablative parts bondline distortion has been eliminated
by increasing the thickness of the aluminum nose inlet housing and
improving the bonding process.  The tape wrap angle of the carbon
cloth fabric in the areas of the nose inlet and throat assembly
parts were changed to improve the ablative insulation erosion
tolerance.

     Some of these ply angle changes were in progress prior to the
STS 51-L accident.  The cowl and outer boot ring has additional
stuctural support with increased thickness and contour changes to
increase their margins of safety.  Additionally, the outer boot ring
ply configuration was altered.

     Factory Joint -- Minor modifications were made in the case
factory joints by increasing the insulation thickness and altering
the lay-up to increase the margin of safety on the internal in
sulation.  Longer pins also were added, along with a reconfigured
retainer band and new weather seal to improve the factory joint
performance and increase the margin of safety.  The o-ring and o-
ring groove size also were changed consistent with the field joint.

     Propellant -- The motor propellant forward transition region
was recontoured to reduce the stress fields between the star and
cylindrical portions of the propellant grain.

     Ignition System -- Several minor modifications were
incorporated into the ignition system.  The aft end of the igniter
steel case, which contains the igniter nozzle insert, was thickened
to eliminate a localized weakness.  The igniter internal case
insulation was tapered to improve the manufacturing process.

     Ground Support Equipment -- The Ground Support Equipment (GSE)
has been redesigned to minimize the case distortion during handling
at the launch site; to improve the segment tang and clevis joint
measurement system for more accurate reading of case diameters to
facilitate stacking; to minimize the risk of o-ring damage during
joint mating; and to improve leak testing of the igniter, case and
nozzle field joints.

     Other GSE modifications include transportation monitoring
equipment and lifting beam.


Test Program

     An extensive test program was conducted to certify the
redesigned motor for flight.  Test activities included laboratory
and component tests, subscale tests, simulator tests and full scale
tests.

     Laboratory and component tests were used to determine component
properties and characteristics.  Subscale tests were used to
simulate gas dynamics and thermal conditions for components and
subsystem design.  Simulator tests, consisting of motors using full
size flight type segments, were used to verify joint design under
full flight loads, pressure and temperature.  Full scale tests were
used to verify analytical models; determine hardware assembly
characteristics; determine joint deflection characteristics;
determine joint performance under full duration, hot gas tests
including joint flaws and flight loads; and determine redesigned
hardware structural characteristics.

     Five full scale, full duration motor static firing tests were
conducted prior to STS-26 to verify the redesigned solid rocket
motor performance.  These included two development motor tests, two
qualification motor (QM) tests, and a production verification motor
test.  Additionally, one post-STS-26 QM test is scheduled in late
December to certify the redesigned motor for cold weather operation.


            SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE IMPROVEMENTS

     The main engines for Space Shuttle flight STS-26 incorporate
numerous improvements over those on previous flights.  Through an
extensive, ongoing engine test program, NASA has identified,
developed, certified and implemented dozens of modifications to the
Space Shuttle main engine.

     In terms of hardware, areas of improvement include the
electronic engine controller, valve actuators, temperature sensors,
main combustion chamber and the turbopumps.

     In the high pressure turbomachinery, improvements have focused
on the turbine blades and bearings to increase margin and
durability.  The main combustion chamber has been strengthened by
nickel-plating a welded outlet manifold to give it extended life.

     Margin improvements also have been made to the five hydraulic
actuators to preclude a loss in redundancy -- a situation which
occurred twice on the launch pad.  To address several instances of
flight anomalies involving a temperature sensor in the critical
engine cutoff logic, the sensor has been redesigned and extensively
tested without problems.

     Along with hardware improvements, several major reviews were
conducted on requirements and procedures.  These reviews dealt with
topics such as possible failure modes and effects, and the
associated critical items list.  Another review involved having a
launch/abort reassessment team examine all launch-commit criteria,
engine redlines and software logic.  A design certification review
also was performed.  In combination, these reviews have maximized
confidence for successful engine operation.

     A related effort saw Marshall engineers, working with their
counterparts at the Kennedy Space Center, accomplish a comprehensive
launch operations and maintenance review.  This ensured that engine
processing activities at the launch site are consistent with the
latest operational requirements.

     In parallel with the various reviews, the most aggressive
ground testing program in the history of the main engine was
conducted.  Its primary purposes were to certify the improvements
and demonstrate the engine's reliability and operating margin.  It
was carried out at NASA's Stennis Space Center (formerly National
Space Technology Laboratories) in Mississippi and at Rocketdyne's
Santa Susana Field Laboratory in California.

     The other vital area of ground testing activity was checkout
and acceptance of the three main engines for the STS-26 mission.
Those tests, also at Stennis, began in August 1987 and all three
STS-26 engines were delivered to Kennedy by January 1988.


              SPACEFLIGHT TRACKING AND DATA NETWORK

     One of the key elements in the Space Shuttle mission is the
capability to track the spacecraft, communicate with the astronauts
and obtain the telemetry data that informs ground controllers of the
condition of the spacecraft and the crew.

     The hub of this network is NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md., where the Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network
(STDN) and the NASA Communications Network (NASCOM) are located.

     The STDN is a complex NASA worldwide system that provides
realtime communications with the Space Shuttle orbiter and crew.
The network is operated by Goddard.  Approximately 2,500 personnel
are required to operate the system.

     The NASA-controlled network consists of 14 ground stations
equipped with 14-, 30- and 85-ft. S-band antenna systems and C-band
radar systems, augmented by numerous Department of Defense (DOD)
stations which provide C-band support and several DOD 60-ft. S-band
antenna systems.  S-band systems carry telemetry radio frequency
transmissions.  C-band stations conduct radar tracking.

     In addition, there are several major computing interfaces
located at the Network Control Center and at the Flight Dynamics
Facility, both at Goddard; at Western Space and Missile Center
(WSMC), Vandenberg AFB, Calif.; at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.;
and at Eastern Space and Missile Center (ESMC), Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station, Fla.  They provide realtime network computational
support for the generation of data necessary to point antennas at
the Shuttle.

     The network has agreements with the governments of Australia,
(Canberra and Yarragadee); Spain (Madrid); Senegal (Dakar); Chile
(Santiago); United Kingdom (Ascension Island); and Bermuda to
provide NASA tracking station support to the National Space
Transportation System program.

     Should the Mission Control Center in Houston be seriously
impaired for an extended period of time, the NASA Ground Terminal
(NGT) at White Sands becomes an emergency Mission Control Center,
manned by Johnson Space Center personnel, with the responsibility of
safely returning the orbiter to a landing site.  During the
transition of the flight control team from Johnson to the White
Sands NASA Ground Terminal, Goddard would assume operational control
of the flight.

     The Merritt Island, Fla., S-band station provides the
appropriate data to the Launch Control Center at Kennedy and the
Mission Control Center at Johnson during pre-launch testing and the
terminal countdown.


     During the first minutes of launch and during the ascent phase,
the Merritt Island and Ponce de Leon, Fla., S-band and Bermuda S-
band stations, as well as the C-band stations located at Bermuda;
Wallops Island, Va.; Antigua; Cape Canaveral; and Patrick Air Force
Base, Fla., provide appropriate tracking data, both high speed and
low speed, to the Kennedy and Johnson control centers.

     During the orbital phase, all the S-band and some of the C-band
stations, which acquire the Space Shuttle at 3 degrees above the
horizon, support and provide appropriate tracking, telemetry, air-
ground and command support to the Mission Control Center at Johnson
through Goddard.

     During the nominal entry and landing phase planned for Edwards
Air Force Base, Calif., the NASA/Goldstone and Dryden Flight
Research Facility, Calif., sites, and the S-band and C-band stations
at the WSMC and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.,
provide highly-critical tracking, telemetry, command and air-ground
support to the orbiter and send appropriate data to the Johnson and
Kennedy control centers.


               NASA-CONTROLLED TRACKING STATIONS

Location                                          Equipment

Ascension Island (ACN) (Atlantic Ocean)           S-band, UHF A/G

Bermuda (BDA) (Atlantic Ocean)                    S- and C-band,
                                                  UHF A/G

Goldstone (GDS) (California)                      S-band, UHF
                                                  A/G, TV

Guam (GWM) (Pacific Ocean)                        S-band, UHF A/G

Hawaii (HAW) (Pacific Ocean)                      S-band, UHF
                                                  A/G, TV

Merritt Island (MIL) (Florida)                    S-band, UHF
                                                  A/G, TV

Santiago (AGO) (Chile)                            S-band

Ponce de Leon (PDL) (Florida)                     S-band

Madrid (RID) (Spain)                              S-band

Canberra (CAN) (Australia)                        S-band

Dakar (DKR) (Senegal, Africa)                     S-band, UHF A/G

Wallops (WFF) (Virginia)                          C-band

Yarragadee (YAR) (Australia)                      UHF  A/G

Dryden (DFRF) (California)                        S-band, UHF
                                                  A/G, C-band

     The Canberra, Goldstone and Madrid stations are part of the
Deep Space Network (DSN) and come under the management of NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Personnel:  Tracking Stations; 1,100 (500+ are local residents)
            Goddard Space Flight Center; 1,400


               HUNTSVILLE OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER

     The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) is a facility
at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center which supports launch
activities at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.  The operations center also
supports powered flight and payload operations at the Johnson Space
Center.

     During pre-mission testing, countdown, launch and powered
flight toward orbit, Marshall and contractor engineers and
scientists man consoles in the support center to monitor realtime
data being transmitted from the Shuttle.  Their purpose is to
evaluate and help solve problems that might occur with Space Shuttle
propulsion system elements, including the Space Shuttle main
engines, external tank and solid rocket boosters.  They also will
work problems with the range safety system.

     The data, providing information on the "health" of these
systems, are gathered by sensors aboard the Shuttle and are
instantaneously transmitted from the launch site to the 2-story
HOSC.  There the information is processed by computers and displayed
on screens and other instruments at 15 stations in the Engineering
Console Room.  More than 3,000 temperature, pressure, electrical
voltage and other measurements are made every second.  During the 10
hours of peak activity before and during launch, more that 11
million measurements are assessed by teams of experts in the support
center.

     Approximately 150 Marshall support center personnel have access
to more than 25 direct communications lines that link them with the
launch site at Kennedy Space Center, Mission Control at Johnson
Space Center and with Shuttle propulsion system contractor plants.

     If a problem is detected by the experts at one of the stations
in the support center console room, engineers on the consoles
immediately alert appropriate individuals at the Kennedy and Johnson
centers, and operations center managers in the Shuttle action
center, a conference room adjacent to the console room.  They also
pass the information to the appropriate teams of specialists in the
nearby operations center working area.  There are separate teams to
work Space Shuttle main engine, external tank, solid rocket booster,
main propulsion system and Range Safety System difficulties.

     In addition to launch support, payload services are provided by
teams of scientists operating out of specially equipped payload
support rooms.


                              STS-26 MENU

FREDRICK H. (RICK) HAUCK, CDR - (RED)

Day 1*, 5**                  Day 2

Meal A                       Meal A
Pears, Dried (IM)            Peaches, Dried (IM)
Sausage Patty (R)            Granola (R)
Scrambled Eggs (R)           Mexican Scrambled Eggs (R)
Bran Flakes (R) Cocoa (B)    Orange-Grapefruit Drink (B)
Orange-Pineapple Drink (B)

Meal B                       Meal B
Ham (T)                      Dried Beef (IM)
Bread (NF)                   Bread (NF)
Peaches, Diced (T)           Pears, Diced (T)
Shortbread Cookies (NF)      Butter Cookies (NF)
Lemonade w/A/S (2X)(B)       Lemonade (2X)(B)

Meal C                       Meal C
Teriyaki Chicken (R)         Beef w/BBQ Sauce 8 oz (T)
Rice & Chicken (R)           Potatoes au Gratin (R)
Asparagus (R)                Green Beans w/Mushrooms (R)
Fruit Cocktail (T)           Pears, Diced (T)
Orange Mango (B)             Citrus Drink (B)


Day 3                        Day 4

Meal A                       Meal A
Apricots, Dried (IM)         Pears, Dried (IM)
Seasoned Scrambled Eggs (R)  Beef Patty (R)
Bran Flakes (R)              Bran Flakes (R)
Cocoa (B)                    Grapefruit Drink (B)
Orange-Grapefruit Drink (B)

Meal B                       Meal B
Peanut Butter (IM)           Ham (T)
Jelly (IM)                   Bread (NF)
Bread (NF)                   Pineapple (T)
Fruit Cocktail (T)           Cashews (NF)
Fruitcake (T)                Tea w/Lemon & A/S (2X)(B)
Tea w/Lemon & A/S (2X)(B)

Meal C                       Meal C
Shrimp Cocktail (R)          Meatballs w/BBQ Sauce 8 oz (T)
Beef & Gravy 8 oz (T)        Rice Pilaf (R)
Macaroni & Cheese (R)        Italian Vegetables (R)
Green Beans w/Mushrooms (R)  Peaches, Diced (T)
Peach Ambrosia (R)           Apple Drink (B)
Lemonade (B)

 * Day 1 consists of meals B and C                T- Thermostablized
** Day 5 consists of Meal A only                 NF- Natural Form
                                                 B - Beverage
                                                 R - Rehydratable
                                                IM - Intermediate Moisture

RICHARD O. COVEY, PLT (YELLOW)

Day 1*, 5**                  Day 2

Meal A                       Meal A
Peaches, Diced (T)           Peaches, Diced (T)
Sausage Patty (R)            Granola (R)
Seasoned Scrambled Eggs (R)  Granola Bar (NF)
Breakfast Roll (NF)          Breakfast Roll (NF)
Orange-Mango Drink (B)       Orange-Grapefruit Drink (B)

Meal B                       Meal B
Tuna Salad Spread (T)        Shrimp Creole (R)
Bread (NF)                   Pears, Diced (T)
Peaches, Diced (T)           Butter Cookies (NF)
Shortbread Cookies (NF)      Lemonade (2X)(B)
Lemonade (2X) (B)

Meal C                       Meal C
Chicken ala King 8 oz (T)    Turkey & Gravy 8 oz (T)
Rice & Chicken (R)           Potatoes au Gratin (R)
Asparagus (R)                Green Beans w/Mushrooms (R)
Chocolate Pudding (T)        Butterscotch Pudding (T)
Tea (B)                      Tea (B)


Day 3                        Day 4

Meal A                       Meal A
Dried Beef (IM)              Pears, Diced (T)
Seasoned Scrambled Eggs (R)  Beef Patty (R)
Bran Flakes (R)              Bran Flakes (R)
Breakfast Roll (NF)          Breakfast Roll (NF)
Orange-Mango Drink (B)       Grapefruit Drink (B)

Meal B                       Meal B
Chicken Salad Spread (T)     Beef Almondine (T)
Bread (NF)                   Pineapple (T)
Fruit Cocktail (T)           Macadamia Nuts (NF)
Almonds (NF)                 Lemonade (2X)(B)
Lemonade (2X)(B)

Meal C                       Meal C
Teriyaki Chicken (R)         Beef w/BBQ Sauce 8 oz (T)
Potato Patty (R)             Rice Pilaf (R)
Creamed Spinach (R)          Italian Vegetables (R)
Candy Coated Peanuts (NF)    Chocolate Pudding (T)
Vanilla Pudding (T)          Tea (B)
Tea (B)


 * Day 1 consists of Meals B and C                T - Thermostabilized
** Day 5 consists of Meal A only                 NF - Natural Form
                                                  B - Beverage
                                                  R - Rehydratable

JOHN M. (MIKE) LOUNGE, MS-1- (BLUE)

Day 1*, 5**                   Day 2,9

Meal A                        Meal A
Pears                         Peaches, Dried (IM)
Beef Patty (R)                Granola w/Blueberries (R)
Seasoned Scrambled Eggs (R)   Breakfast Roll (NF)
Granola w/Raisins (R)         Vanilla Instant Breakfast (B)
Cocoa (B)                     Grapefruit Drink (B)
Orange-Mango Drink (B)

Meal B                        Meal B
Peanut Butter (IM)            Tuna Salad Spread (T)
Bread (NF)                    Bread (NF)
Peaches, Diced (T)            Pears, Diced (T)
Shortbread Cookies (NF)       Butter Cookies (NF)
Apple Drink (2X) 9B)          Lemonade w/A/S(2X) (B)

Meal C                        Meal C
Meatballs w/BBQ Sce 8 oz (T)  Beef w/BBQ Sauce 8 oz. (T)
Rice &  Chicken (R)           Potatoes au Gratin (R)
Asparagus (R)                 Green Bean w/Mushrooms (R)
Chocolate Pudding (T)         Butterscotch Pudding (T)
Grape Drink (B)               Orange Drink (B)


Day 3                         Day 4

Meal A                        Meal A
Apricots, Dried (IM)          Fruit Cocktail (T)
Seasoned Scrambled Eggs (R)   Beef Patty (R)
Bran Flakes (R)               Oatmeal w/Raisins & Space (R)
Cocoa (B)                     Breakfast Roll (NF)
Orange Drink Mix (B)          Grapefruit Drink (B)

Meal B                        Meal B
Salmon (T)                    Ham (T)
Bread (NF)                    Cheddar Cheese Spread (T)
Fruit Cocktail (T)            Bread (NF)
Fruitcake (T)                 Pineapple (T)
Tea w/Lemon & A/S (2X) (B)    Cashews (NF)
                              Lemonade w/A/S (2X) (B)

Meal C                        Meal C
Grd Beef w/Spice Sce 8 oz (T) Meatballs w/BBQ Sauce 8 oz (T)
Potato Patty (R)              Rice Pilaf (R)
Green Beans & Broccoli (R)    Italian Vegetables (R)
Strawberries (R)              Chocolate Pudding (T)
Vanilla Pudding (T)           Apple Drink (B)
Tropical Punch w/A//S (B)


 * Day 1 consists of Meals B and C                  IM - Intermediate Moisture
** Day 5 consists of Meal A only                     R - Rehydratable
                                                     B - Beverage
                                                    NF - Natural Form
                                                     T - Thermostabilized
                                                   A/S - Artificial Sweetener

DAVID C. HILMERS, MS-2 - (GREEN)

Day 1*, 5**                   Day 2

Meal A                        Meal A
Applesauce (T)                Peaches, Diced (T)
Bran Flakes (R)               Scrambled Eggs (R)
Granola Bar (NF)              Granola (R)
Orange-Mango Drink (B)        Granola Bar (NF)
                              Orange-Grapefruit Drink (B)

Meal B                        Meal B
Tuna Salad Spread (T)         Turkey Salad Spread (T)
Bread (NF)                    Bread (NF)
Peaches, Diced (T)            Pears, Diced (T)
Shortbread Cookies (NF)       Trail Mix (NF)
Grapefruit Drink (2X) (B)     Grapefruit Drink (2X) (B)

Meal C                        Meal C
Chicken ala King 8 oz (T)     Turkey Tetrazzini (R)
Corn, Grn Bean & Pasta (R)    Potatoes au Gratin (R)
Creamed Spinach (R)           Green Bean w/Mushrooms (R)
Fruit Cocktail (T)            Fruit Cocktail (T)
Chocolate Pudding (T)         Apricots (IM)
Orange-Grapefruit Drink       Orange Drink (B)


Day 3                         Day 4

Meal A                        Meal A
Applesauce (T)                Peaches, Diced (T)
Scrambled Eggs (R)            Scrambled Eggs (R)
Granola Bar (NF)              Oatmeal w/Brown Sugar (R)
Orange Drink Mix (B)          Granola Bar (NF)

Meal B                        Meal B
Turkey Salad Spread (T)       Cheddar Cheese Spread (T)
Bread (NF)                    Bread (NF)
Fruit Cocktail (T)            Applesauce (T)
Shortbread Cookies (NF)       Granola Bar (NF)
Dried Peaches (IM)            Apricots (IM)
Grapefruit Drink (2X) (B)     Orange Drink (2X) (B)

Meal C                        Meal C
Teriyaki Chicken (R)          Turkey & Gravy 8 oz (T)
Potato Patty (R)              Rice Pilaf (R)
Green Beans & Broccoli (R)    Italian Vegetables (R)
Strawberries (R)              Fruit Cocktail (T)
Pineapple (T)                 Almonds (NF)
Grapefruit Drink (B)          Grapefruit Drink (B)


 * Day 1 consists of Meals B and C                  T - Thermostabilized
** Day 5 consists of Meal A only                   NF - Natural Form
                                                    B - Beverage
                                                    R - Rehydratable

GEORGE D. (PINKY) NELSON, MS-3 (ORANGE)

Day 1*, 5**                    Day 2

Meal A                         Meal A
Pineapple (T)                  Fruit Cocktail (T)
Sausage Patty (R)              Sausage Patty (R)
Mexican Scrambled Eggs (R)     Mexican Scrambled Eggs (R)
Granola w/Raisins (R)          Orange Drink (B)
Cocoa (B)                      Kona Coffee (B)
Orange-Pineapple Drink (B)
Kona Coffee (B)

Meal B                         Meal B
Ham Salad Spread (T)           Frankfurters (T)
Tortillas (NF)                 Tortillas (NF)
Chocolate Pudding (T)          Chocolate Pudding (T)
Candy Coated Chocolates (NF)   Life Savers (NF)
Apple Cider (2X) (B)           Apple Cider (2X) (B)

Meal C                         Meal C
Shrimp Cocktail (R)            Shrimp Cocktail (R)
Sweet & Sour Chicken (R)       Beef w/BBQ Sauce 8 oz (T)
Rice Pilaf (R)                 Potato Patty (R)
Green Beans & Broccoli (R)     Italian Vegetables (R)
Strawberries (R)               Peaches, Diced (T)
Orange Drink Mix (B)           Vanilla Pudding (T)
Kona Coffee (B)                Peach Drink (B)
                               Kona Coffee (B)


Day 3                          Day 4

Meal A                         Meal A
Pineapple (T)                  Fruit Cocktail (T)
Sausage Patty (R)              Beef Patty (R)
Mexican Scrambled Eggs (R)     Mexican Scrambled Eggs (R)
Orange Drink Mix (B)           Breakfast Roll (NF)
Kona Coffee (B)                Grapefruit Drink (B)
                               Kona Coffee (B)

Meal B                         Meal B
Chicken Salad Spread (T)       Frankfurters (T)
Bread (NF)                     Bread (NF)
Fruit Cocktail (T)             Applesauce (T)
Chocolate Covered Cookies (NF) Cashews (NF)
Orange-Mango Drink (B)         Apple Drink (2X) (B)
Kona Coffee (B)

Meal C                         Meal C
Shrimp Cocktail (R)            Shrimp Cocktail (R)
Ham (T)                        Meatballs w/BBQ Sauce 8 oz (T)
Potato Patty (R)               Italian Vegetables (R)
Green Beans & Broccoli (R)     Chocolate Pudding (T)
Strawberries (R)               Apple Drink (B)
Vanilla Pudding (T)            Kona Coffee (B)
Tropical Punch (B)
Kona Coffee (B)


 * Day 1 consists of Meals B and C                  T - Thermostabilized
** Day 2 consists of Meal A only                    R - Rehydratable
                                                    B - Beverage
                                                   NF - Natural Form


                      STS 26 CONTINGENCY/PANTRY

REHYDRATABLE BEVERAGES         QTY       REHYDRATABLE FOOD           QTY
Apple Cider                      5       Soup Kit
Cocoa                            5        Chicken Consomee             8
Coffee, Black                   15        Rice & Chicken Soup          8
Kona Coffee, Black              10       Broccoli au Gratin            3
Grapefruit Drink                15       Shrimp Cocktail              10
Lemonade                        10       Turkey Tetrazzini             7
Lemonade w/A/S                  10       TOTAL                        36
Orange-Grapefruit Drink          5
Orange-Mango Drink              15
Tea                              5       THERMOSTABILIZED FOOD
Tea w/Lemon & A/S                5       Beef & Gravy (8 oz)           5
Tropical Punch                   5       Chicken Salad Spread          2
TOTAL                          105       Frankfurters                  3
                                         Ham Salad Spread              3
SNACKS                                   Peaches, diced                4
Almonds (NF)                    15       Tuna Salad Spread             2
Butter Cookies (NF)              5       Turkey & Gravy (8 oz)         5
Candy Coated Chocolates (NF)    20       TOTAL                        23
Candy Coated Peanuts (NF)       20
Cashews (NF)                    10
Dried Beef (IM)                 15
Granola Bars (NF)                5       FRESH FOOD
Macadamia Nuts (NF)             10       Apples, Red Delicious         2
Peanut Butter, Crunchy (Jar) (1M)1       Apples, Granny Smith          3
Soda Crackers                   10       Bread, Whole Wheat            2
Trail Mix (IM)                   5       Breakfast Rolls, Menu plus    6
TOTAL                          116       Carrot Sticks                 2
                                         Celery Sticks                 2
                                         Cheddar Cheese, 2 oz          5
                                         Crackers, Goldfish, Plain     1
                                         Crackers, Wheat Thins         1
                                         Tortillas                     2

Drinking Water Containers       20       Life Savers - 5 fruit flavor
In-Suit Food Bars                2
Reentry Kit
  5 Salt Tablets (8)
 20 Long Straws
 20 Drinking Water Containers

A/S - Artificial Sweetner
NF  - Natural Form
IM  - Intermediate Moisture


                        CREW BIOGRAPHIES

     FREDERICK H. (RICK) HAUCK, 47, captain, USN, is mission
commander.  Born in Rochester, N.Y., he considers Winchester,
Mass., and Washington, D.C., as his hometowns.  Hauck was
selected as an astronaut in January 1978.

     He was Shuttle pilot for the seventh Space Shuttle mission
(STS-7) aboard the orbiter Challenger in June 1983.  During the
flight, Hauck operated the Canadian-built remote manipulator
system (RMS) arm, performing the first deployment and retrieval
exercise with the Shuttle Pallet Satellite.

     He also served as commander of Shuttle Discovery's second
mission, STS 51-A, in November 1984, the first mission to
retrieve satellites and return them to Earth.  Hauck has logged
more than 339 hours in space.

     Hauck received a B.S. degree in physics from Tufts
University in 1962 and an M.S. degree in nuclear engineering from
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1966.

     A Navy ROTC student at Tufts, Hauck was commissioned in 1962
and served 20 months as a communications officer aboard the USS
Warrington.  He received his wings in 1968 and has since logged
almost 5,000 hours flying time.  Hauck flew 114 combat and combat
support missions in Southeast Asia.


     RICHARD O. (DICK) COVEY, 42, colonel, USAF, is the STS-26
pilot.  He was born in Fayetteville, AR, but considers Fort
Walton Beach, Fla., his hometown.  Covey was selected as an
astronaut in January 1978.

     He served as pilot on Shuttle mission 51-I aboard Discovery
in August/September 1985.  During that mission, the crew deployed
three satellites and retrieved, repaired and re-deployed the
ailing Leasat/Syncom IV-F3 satellite that failed to activate
following deployment on STS 51-D earlier that year.  Covey has
logged more than 170 hours in space.

     Covey received a B.S. degree in engineering sciences from
the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1968 and an M.S. degree in
aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University in 1969.

     A fighter pilot from 1970 to 1974, Covey flew 339 combat
missions during two tours in Southeast Asia, was director and
pilot for electronic warfare testing of the F-15 Eagle, and has
flown more than 4,000 hours in more than 25 types of aircraft.


     JOHN M. (MIKE) LOUNGE, 38, is mission specialist 1 (MS-1) on
STS-26.  Born in Denver, Colo., he considers Burlington, Colo.,
his hometown.  Lounge was selected as an astronaut in 1980.

     He was a mission specialist on Shuttle Discovery's last
flight, STS 51-I, in August/September 1985.  During this mission,
Lounge's duties included deployment of the Australian Aussat
communications satellite and operation of the remote manipulator
system (RMS) arm.  He has logged more than 170 hours in space.

     Lounge received a B.S. degree in physics and mathematics
from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1969 and an M.S. degree in
astrogeophysics from the University of Colorado in 1970.

     Following graduation from the Naval Academy, Lounge
completed naval flight officer training at Pensacola, Fla., and
took advanced training as radar intercept officer in the F-4J
Phantom; completed a 9-month Southeast Asia cruise aboard the USS
Enterprise, participating in 99 combat missions; then transferred
to the Navy Space Project Office in Washington, D.C., for a 2-
year tour as staff project officer.


     DAVID C. HILMERS, 38, lt. colonel, USMC, is mission
specialist 2 (MS-2) on STS-26.  He was born in Clinton, Iowa, but
considers DeWitt, Iowa, as his hometown.  Hilmers was selected as
an astronaut in July 1980.

     He served as a mission specialist on orbiter Atlantis' first
flight, STS 51-J, a dedicated Department of Defense mission, in
October 1985.  Hilmers has logged more than 98 hours in space.

     Hilmers received a B.S. degree in mathematics from Cornell
College in 1972, an M.S. degree in electrical engineering (with
distinction) in 1977, and the degree of electrical engineer from
the Naval Postgraduate School in 1978.

     Following basic training and flight school, he was assigned
to Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N.C., flying the A-6
Intruder.  Hilmers then served as an air liaison officer with the
1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.  He
was stationed with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in El Toro,
Calif., at the time of his selection by NASA.  Hilmers has logged
more than 1,500 hours flying time in 16 different types of
aircraft.


     GEORGE D. (PINKY) NELSON, 38, is mission specialist 3 (MS-3)
on STS-26.  Born in Charles City, Iowa, he considers Willmar,
Minn., his hometown.  He was selected as an astronaut in January
1978.

     Nelson was a mission specialist on STS 41-C in April 1984,
the fourth flight of orbiter Challenger.  During that flight, the
crew deployed the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and
retrieved, repaired and re-deployed the Solar Maximum Mission
(SMM) satellite.  Nelson logged 9 hours of extravehicular
activity (EVA) during the SMM repair.

     He also flew as a mission specialist on Columbia's seventh
flight, STS 61-C in January 1986.  During that mission, the crew
deployed the Satcom KU satellite and conducted experiments in
astrophysics and materials processing.  With the completion of
that flight, Nelson has logged more than 314 hours in space.

     Nelson received a B.S. degree in physics from Harvey Mudd
College in 1972 and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in astronomy from the
University of Washington in 1974 and 1978, respectively.

     He was involved in astronomical research projects at the
Sacramento Peak Solar Observatory, Sunspot, N.M.; the
Astronomical Institute at Utrecht, The Netherlands; the
University of Gottingen Observatory, West Germany; and at the
Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics in Boulder, Colo.


                SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

NASA HEADQUARTERS

Dr. James C. Fletcher         Administrator

Dale D. Myers                 Deputy Administrator

RADM Richard H. Truly         Associate Administrator
                              for Space Flight

George A.S. Abbey             Deputy Associate Administrator
                              for Space Flight

Arnold D. Aldrich             Director, National Space
                              Transportation System

Richard H. Kohrs              Deputy Director, NSTS Program
                              (located at Johnson Space Center)

Robert L. Crippen             Deputy Dirctor, NSTS Operations
                              (located at Kennedy Space Center)

David L. Winterhalter         Director, Systems Engineering
                              and Analysis

Gary E. Krier                 Acting Director, Operations
                              Utilization

Joseph B. Mahon               Deputy Associate Administrator
                              for Space Flight (Flight Systems)

Charles R. Gunn               Director, Unmanned Launch Vehicles
                              and Upper Stages

George A. Rodney              Associate Administrator for Safety,
                              Reliability, Maintainability and
                              Quality Assurance

Robert O. Aller               Associate Administrator for
                              Operations

Eugene Ferrick                Director, Tracking and Data Relay
                              Satellite System

Robert M. Hornstein           Acting Director, Ground Networks
                              Division


JOHNSON SPACE CENTER

Aaron Cohen                   Director

Paul J. Weitz                 Deputy Director

Richard A. Colonna            Manager, Orbiter and GFE Projects

Donald R. Puddy               Director, Flight Crew Operations

Eugene F. Kranz               Director, Mission Operations

Henry O. Pohl                 Director, Engineering

Charles S. Harlan             Director, Safety, Reliability
                              and Quality Assurance


KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

Forrest McCartney             Director

Thomas E. Utsman              Deputy Director; Director, Shuttle
                              Management and Operations

Robert B. Sieck               Launch Director

George T. Sasseen             Shuttle Engineering Director

John J. Talone                STS-26 Flow Director

James A. Thomas               Director, Safety, Reliability
                              and Quality Assurance

John T. Conway                Director, Payload Management
                              and Operations


MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

James R. Thompson, Jr.        Director

Thomas J. Lee                 Deputy Director

William R. Marshall           Manager, Shuttle Projects Office

Dr. J. Wayne Littles          Director, Science and Engineering

Gerald W. Smith               Manager, Solid Rocket Booster
                              Project

Joseph A. Lombardo            Manager, Space Shuttle Main
                              Engine Project

G.P. Bridwell                 Manager, External Tank Project


STENNIS SPACE CENTER

I. Jerry Hlass                Director

Roy Estess                    Deputy Director

A.J. Rogers Jr.               Manager, Engineering & Propulsion
                              Test Support

John L. Glasery Jr.           Manager, Safety/Quality & Health


AMES RESEARCH CENTER

Dr. Dale L. Compton           Acting Director

Victor L Peterson             Acting Deputy Director


AMES-DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH FACILITY

Martin A. Knutson             Site Manager

Theodore G. Ayers             Deputy Site Manager

Thomas C. McMurtry            Chief, Research Aircraft
                              Operations Division

Larry C. Barnett              Chief, Shuttle Support Office


GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

Dr. John W. Townsend Jr.      Director

Gerald W. Longanecker         Director, Flight Projects

Robert E. Spearing            Director, Operations and Data
                              Systems

Daniel A. Spintman            Chief, Networks Division

Paul E. Brumberg              Chief, Communications Division

Dr. Dale W. Harris            TDRS Project Manager

Charles M. Hunter             TDRS Deputy Project Manager

Gary A. Morse                 Network Director


             GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ADSF     Automated Directional Solidification Furnace
AFSCN    Air Force Satellite Control Network
A/L      Approach and Landing
ALT      Approach and Landing Test (Program)
AMU      Astronaut Maneuvering Unit
AOA      Abort Once Around
APS      Alternate Payload Specialist
APU      Auxiliary Power Unit
ARC      Aggregation of Red Blood Cells
ASE      Airborne Support Equipment
ATE      Automatic Test Equipment
ATO      Abort to Orbit

BFC      Backup Flight Control (System)
BOC      Base Operations Contract

CAPCOM   Capsule Communicator
CCAFS    Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
CCMS     Checkout, Control and Monitor Subsystem
CCTV     Closed Circuit Televison
CDR      Commander
CDMS     Command & Data Management Systems Officer
CDS      Central Data System
CFES     Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System
CIC      Crew Interface Coordinator
CIE      Communications Interface Equipment
CITE     Cargo Integration Test Equipment
CTS      Call to Stations

DCC      Data Compution Complex
DCR      Design Certification Review
DCS      Display Control System
DIG      Digital Image Generation
DFI      Development Flight Instrumentation
DFRF     Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Facility
DMC      Data Management Coordinator
DMOS     Diffusive Mixing of Organic Solutions
DOD      Department of Defense
DOP      Diver Operated Plug
DPS      Data Processing System

EAFB     Edwards Air Force Base
ECLSS    Environmental Control & Life Support System
EECOMP   Electrical, Environmental & Consumables Systems Engineer
EI       Entry Interface
ELRAD    Earth Limb Radiance
EMU      Extravehicular Mobility Unit
ESA      European Space Agency
ESMC     Eastern Space and Missile Center
ET       External Tank
EVA      Extravehicular Activity

FAO      Flight Activities Officer
FAWG     Flight Assignment Working Group
FBSC     Fixed Base Crew Stations
F/C      Flight Controller
FCT      Flight Crew Trainer
FCTS     Flight Crew Trainer Simulator
FD       Flight Director
FDF      Flight Data File
FDO      Flight Dynamics Officer
FOD      Flight Operations Directorate
FOE      Flight Operations Engineer
FOPG     Flight Operations Planning Group
FOSO     Flight Operations Scheduling Officer
FR       Firing Room
FRC      Flight Control Room
FRCS     Forward Reaction Control System
FRF      Flight Readiness Firing
FRR      Flight Readiness Review
FSE      Flight Simulation Engineer
FSS      Fixed Service Structure

GAS      Getaway Special
GC       Ground Control
GDO      Guidance Officer
GLS      Ground Launch Sequencer
GN       Ground Network
GNC      Guidance, Navigation & Control Systems Engineer
GPC      General Purpose Computer
GSE      Ground Support Equipment
GSFC     Goddard Space Flight Center

HAC      Heading Alignment Circle
HB       High Bay
HMF      Hypergolic Maintenance Facility
HPPF     Horizontal Payloads Processing Facility
HUS      Hypergolic Umbilical System

IECM     Induced Environment Contamination Monitor
IEF      Isoelectric Focusing Experiment
IG       Inertial Guidance
ILS      Instrument Landing System
IMF      In Flight Maintenance
IMU      Inertial Measurement Unit
INCO     Instrumentation & Communications Officer
IRCFE    Infrared Communications Flight Experiment
IRIG     Interrange Instrumentation Group
ISP      Integrated Support Plan
IUS      Inertial Upper Stage
IVA      Intravehicular Activity

JPL      Jet Propulsion Laboratory
JSC      Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

KSC      John F. Kennedy Space Center

LC       Launch Complex
LCC      Launch Control Center
LCS      Launch Control System
LDEF     Long Duration Exposure Facility
LETF     Launch Equipment Test Facility
LOX      Liquid Oxygen
LPS      Launch Processing System
LSA      Launch Services Agreement
LWG      Logistics Working Group

MBCS     Motion Base Crew Station
MCC      Mission Control Center
MD       Mission Director
MDD      Mate/Demate Device
ME       Main Engine
MECO     Main Engine Cutoff
MET      Mission Elapsed Time
MLE      Mesoscale Lightning Experiment
MLP      Mobile Launch Platform
MLR      Monodisperse Latex Reactor
MLS      Microwave Landing System
MMACS    Maintenance, Mechanical Arm & Crew Systems Engineer
MMPSE    Multiuse Mission Payload Support Equipment
MMSE     Multiuse Mission Support Equipment
MMU      Manned Maneuvering Unit
MOD      Mission Operations Directorate
MOP      Mission Operations Plan
MPGHM    Mobile Payload Ground Handling Mechanism
MPPSE    Multipurpose Payload Support Equipment
MPS      Main Propulsion System
MS       Mission Specialist
MSBLS    Microwave Scanning Beam Landing System
MSCI     Mission Scientist
MSFC     George C. Marshall Space Flight Center
MSS      Mobile Service Structure
MST      Mobile Service Tower
MUM      Mass Memory Unit Manager

NASCOM   NASA Communications Network
NBT      Neutral Buoyancy Facility
NIP      Network Interface Processor
NOCC     Network Operations Control Center
NSRS     NASA Safety Reporting System
NSTL     National Space Technology Laboratories
NSTS     National Space Transportation System

OAA      Orbiter Access Arm
OC       Operations Coordinator
O&C      Operations and Checkout (Building)
OAST     Office of Aeronautics & Space Technology
OFI      Operational Flight Instrumentation
OFT      Orbiter Flight Test
OMBUU    Orbiter Midbody Umbilical Unit
OMRF     Orbiter Maintenance & Refurbishment Facility
OMS      Orbital Maneuvering System
OPF      Orbiter Processing Facility
OSF      Office of Space Flight
OSS      Office of Space Science
OSSA     Office of Space Science and Applications
OSTA     Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications
OV       Orbiter Vehicle

PACE     Prelaunch Automatic Checkout Equipment
PAM      Payload Assist Module
PAYCOM   Payload Command Coordinator
PCG      Protein Crystal Growth Experiment
PCR      Payload Changeout Room
PDRS     Payload Deployment & Retrieval System
PGHM     Payload Ground Handling Mechanism
PHF      Payload Handling Fixture
PIP      Payload Integration Plan
PLSS     Portable Life-Support Subsystem
PLT      Pilot
POCC     Payload Operations Control Center
POD      Payload Operations Director
PPE      Phase Partitioning Experiment
PRC      Payload Changeout Room
PRF      Parachute Refurbishment Facility
PRSD     Power Reactant Storage & Distribution
PS       Payload Specialist
PVTOS    Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids

R&D      Research Development
RCS      Reaction Control System
RMS      Remote Manipulator System
RPS      Record Playback Subsystem
RSS      Rotating Service Structure
RTLS     Return to Launch Site

SAEF     Spacecraft Assembly & Encapsulation Facility
SAIL     Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory
SCA      Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
SCAMMA   Station Conferencing & Monitoring Arrangement
SCAPE    Self-Contained Atmospheric Protection Ensemble
SID      Simulation Interface Device
SIP      Standard Interface Panel
SIT      Shuttle Interface Test
SL       Spacelab
SLF      Shuttle Landing Facility
SMAB     Solid Motor Assembly Building
SMCH     Standard Mixed Cargo Harness
SMS      Shuttle Mission Simulator
SN       Space Network
SPIF     Shuttle Payload Integration Facility
SPOC     Shuttle Portable On-Board Computer
SRB      Solid Rocket Booster
SRBDF    Solid Rocket Booster Dissassembly Facility
SRM      Solid Rocket Motor
SRM&QA   Safety, Reliability, Maintainability & Quality Assurance
SSC      John C. Stennis Space Center
SSCP     Small Self-Contained Payload
SSIP     Shuttle Student Involvement Program
SSP      Standard Switch Panel
SSME     Space Shuttle Main Engines
SST      Single System Trainer
STA      Shuttle Training Aircraft
STS      Space Transportation System

T        Time
TACAN    Tactical Air Navigation
TAEM     Terminal Area Energy Management
TAL      Trans-Atlantic Abort Landing
TDRS     Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
TPAD     Trunnion Pin Acquisition Device
TPS      Thermal Protection System
TSM      Tail Service Mast

UHF      Ultra-high Frequency
UV       Ultra-violet

VAB      Vehicle Assembly Building
VLF      Very Low Frequency
VPF      Vertical Processing Facility

WCS      Waste Collection System
WSMC     Western Space & Missile Center
WSMR     White Sands Missile Range
WSSH     White Sands Space Harbor