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4/1/93: SPACE STATION REDESIGN ADVISORY MEMBERS NAMED





Jeff Vincent
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
April 1, 1993


RELEASE:  93-59

        Along with Dr. Charles M. Vest, recently named by Vice President Albert
Gore to head the Advisory Committee on the Redesign of the Space Station, NASA
has announced the names of representatives from government and industry and
academic experts from across the country to participate in an independent
review of the redesign options being developed by NASA.

        "I am extremely honored to have been selected to lead this important
review panel.  America's future in science and technology and as a world leader
in space demands our utmost attention and care," said Vest. "We have assembled
a diverse panel of experts that, I believe, will bring the appropriate measures
of insight, integrity and objectivity to this critical task."

        The Advisory Committee is charged with independently assessing various
redesign options of the space station presented by NASA's redesign team, and
proposing recommendations to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the space
station program.  Space station international partners also are being asked to
participate and will be named at a later date.  The Advisory Committee will
submit its recommendations in June.

        Advisory committee members named today include:




Dr. Bobby Alford                                    Mr. Frederick Hauck
Exec. Vice President & Dean of Medicine                      President
Baylor College of Medicine                     International Technical
                                                          Underwriters


Mr. Jay Chabrow                                      Dr. Lou Lanzerotti
President                                Chairman, Space Sciences Board
JMR Associates                                National Research Council


Dr. Paul Chu                                           Mr. William Lilly
Director, Texas Center for                    National Academy of Public
 Superconductivity                                        Administration
University of Houston


Dr. Ed Crawley                                          Mr. Duane McRuer
Professor of Aeronautics & Astronautics                       President
Massachusetts Institute of Technology         Systems Technology, Inc.


Dr. John Fabian                                     Dr. Brad Parkinson
President & CEO                    Prof. of Astronautics and Aeronautics
ANSER                                                Stanford University


Maj. Gen. James Fain                                      Dr. Robert Seamans
Deputy Chief of Staff for Requirements     Former Deputy Administrator
Headquarters USAF Materials Command                               NASA


Dr. Edward Fort                                          Dr. Lee Silver
Chancellor                               W. M. Keck Foundation Professor
North Carolina A&T State University                 for Resource Geology
                                      California Institute of Technology


Dr. Mary Good                                 Dr. Albert "Bud" Wheelon
Senior Vice President of Technology                       Retired CEO
Allied Signal, Inc.                                    Hughes Aircraft

- end -
     Source:NASA Spacelink    Modem:205-895-0028  Internet:192.149.89.61
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KSC SHUTTLE STATUS 4-2









        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                      Friday, April 2, 1993


KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham
407-867-2468 (fax [phone])


Mission: STS-56/ATLAS-2/SSBUV      Orbital altitude: 184 sm
Vehicle: Discovery/OV-103          Inclination: 57 degrees
Location: Launch Pad 39-B          Crew Size: 5
Mission Duration: 8 days/6 hours   KSC Landing: April 14, 7:30am
Launch Date: April 6               Launch Window: 1:32 - 3:57am


IN WORK TODAY:
*  Aft engine compartment closeouts (scheduled to be completed by
   4:00 p.m. Saturday)
*  Orbiter midbody umbilical leak checks
*  External tank purges and inspections
*  Hypergolic quick disconnect closeouts
*  Launch countdown preparations

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Crew arrives 10:00 p.m. tonight
*  Countdown begins 5:00 a.m. Saturday
*  Removal of main engine protective covers (Saturday)
*  Install aft compartment doors (Saturday)
*  Orbiter aft confidence test (Saturday)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Leak checks on check valves on main engines complete and good
*  Crew cabin electrical system test
*  Temperature sensor checks on OMS crossfeed line
*  Hydraulic circulation pump tests
*  Ordnance installation
*  Hypergolic fuel tank pressurization



NOTE: The extended weather forecast for launch of Discovery on
April 6 indicates a 50 percent chance of violating launch
constraints due to cloud ceilings below 8000 feet, a chance of
showers and thick clouds. The 24 hour delay predicts a 30 percent
chance of violation, 48 hour delay a 20 percent chance.


Mission: STS-55/SL-D2                  Orbital Altitude: 160 nm
Vehicle: Columbia/OV-102               Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Location: Launch Pad 39-A              Crew Size: 7
Mission Duration: 8 days/22 hours      KSC Landing: May 3
Target Launch Date: NET April 24

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Securing of main engines following replacement
*  Hydraulic operations
*  Close rudder speed brake
*  Cavity purges
*  Preparations to open payload bay doors today to replace GAUSS
   camera film

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Continue electrical checks on main engines
*  Reaction control system regulator flow checks (Tuesday)
*  Preparations to enter spacelab to service experiments
   (Thursday)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Main engine installation
*  Thruster drying and inspections
*  Liquid hydrogen actuator hose leak checks

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

Mission: STS-57/Spacehab/EURECA-Retrieval  Orbital Alt.: 250 nm
Vehicle: Endeavour/OV-105                 Inclination: 28 degrees
Location: Vehicle Assembly Building      Crew Size: 6
Mission Duration: 7days/23 hours       Target KSC Landing: May 26
Target Launch Date: May 18


IN WORK TODAY:
*  Shuttle interface test
*  T-0 umbilical closeouts and leak checks and cavity purge
*  Reposition body flap and rudder speed brake

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  SRB hydraulic tests
*  Begin main engine installation April 12
*  Rollout to pad 39-B targeted for NET April 19

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Electrical mates between orbiter and external tank
*  Hydraulic circulation and sampling
*  Liquid oxygen monoball closeouts

                          #   #   #   #
     Source:NASA Spacelink    Modem:205-895-0028  Internet:192.149.89.61
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Daily News/TV Sked 4/2/93

Daily News
Friday, April 2, 1993   Two Independence Square, Washington, D.C..
Audio Service: 202/358-3014


 % Briefing on Space Station Redesign to be held;
 % NASA's FY' 94 Budget Briefing;
 % A Challenge to the Galaxy Evolution Theories.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On Monday, April 5, 1993 at 1:00 pm EDT Bryan O'Conner, Deputy Director of the
Space Station Redesign Team will meet with media representatives to provide a
status briefing of the Station Redesign Team activities to date and answer
media questions.  Please note that this event will not be carried on NASA TV.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NASA's fiscal year 1994 budget request briefing is scheduled for 11:00 am EDT,
Thursday, April 8.  The briefing will be held in the NASA Headquarters
auditorium.

NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and Acting Comptroller Gary B. Allison will
participate in the briefing.  A summary of the budget request will be available
before the briefing.

The briefing will be carried live on NASA TV.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Scientists at the Ames Research Center have made discoveries that challenge the
theories of how galaxies evolve.  What they have found are huge amounts of
microscopic diaforming clouds in the Milky Way galaxy.  This discovery
conflicts with the prevalence of softer hydrocarbons they observed in the thin
space between clouds.  The observations of these two independent and very
different types of interstellar hydrocarbon dust suggest that the materials are
not mixing as generally assumed.

Instead of finding the expected simpler hydrocarbon, scientists found large
quantities of micro diamonds dominating every star-forming cloud that was
observed.  This finding challenges the premise of galactic chemical evolution
theories.

Also the team's findings have eliminated specific sources for the diamond
flecks found in meteorites.  Observations from Hawaii's Mauna Kea infrared
telescope found micro diamonds to be widespread and very abundant.  This
finding suggests that uncommon star types or relatively rare supernova are not
uniquely responsible for their formation.

The results from these various observations are published in the current issue
of Science magazine.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


         Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA TV.
Note that all events and times may change without notice and that all times
listed are Eastern. Live indicates a program is transmitted live.


Friday, April 2, 1993

                12:00 pm                NASA Today News Show.
                12:15 pm                Aeronautics & Space Report.
                12:30 pm                Research Project X-15.
                  1:00 pm               Apollo 8: Go for TLI.
                  1:30 pm               Universe.
                  2:00 pm               Launch Box #1.
                  2:30 pm               Possible Futures in Space.
                  3:00 pm               TQM #70.

NASA TV is carried on GE Satcom F2R, transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees West
Longitude, transponder frequency is 3960 MHz, audio subcarrier is 6.8 MHz,
polarization is vertical.
     Source:NASA Spacelink    Modem:205-895-0028  Internet:192.149.89.61
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4/2/93: STS-56 PRE-LAUNCH BRIEFINGS & PARTICIPANTS





Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
April 2, 1993

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N93-18

ALL TIMES EASTERN

LAUNCH - 3 Days - Saturday, April 3, 1993 - (Local Only)

10:00 a.m.           Countdown Status
Briefers:             Mike Leinbach, Shuttle Test Director
                          Mike Kinnan, STS-56 Payload Processing Manager

LAUNCH - 2 DAYS - Sunday, April 4, 1993 - (NASA Select)

10:00 a.m.           Countdown Status
Briefers:             Mike Leinbach, Shuttle Test Director
                          Mike Kinnan, STS-56 Payload Processing Manager
                          Ed Priselac, Launch Weather Officer

LAUNCH - 1 DAY - Monday, April 5, 1993 - (NASA Select)

9:00 a.m.             Countdown Status
Briefers:             Eric Redding, NASA Test Director
                          Mike Kinnan, STS-56 Payload Processing Manager

9:30 a.m.            ATLAS Science Update
Briefers:              Dr. Jack Kaye, Program Scientist, NASA HQ
                          Dr. Tim Miller, Mission Scientist, MSFC
                          Teresa Vanhooser, Mission Manager, MSFC

10:30 a.m.          Commercial Payloads
Briefer:               Dr. Louis Stedieck, BioServe

11:30 a.m.          SUVE Briefing
Briefers:             Tom Dixon, Mission Manager, GSFC
                         Chris Koehler, University of Colorado

Noon.                 Air Force Briefing
Briefers:             TBD

2:00 p.m.           Pre-Launch Press Conference
Briefers:            Dr. Shelby Tilford, Office of Mission to Planet Earth,
                         NASA Headquarters
                         Leonard S. Nicholson, Space Shuttle Director
                         Robert Sieck, KSC Launch Director
                          Capt. Dean Hazen, USAF/KSC Weather Liaison Officer


LAUNCH DAY - Tuesday, April 6, 1993

L + 60 min.        Post Launch News Conference (NASA Select)
Briefers:             Brewster Shaw, Deputy Space Shuttle Program Manager
                          Robert Sieck, KSC Launch Director


-end-
     Source:NASA Spacelink    Modem:205-895-0028  Internet:192.149.89.61
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=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930402B.REL

4/2/93: STS-56 COUNTDOWN SCHEDULED TO BEGIN APRIL 3

Bruce Buckingham

KSC Release No. 31 - 93

     The countdown to launch Space Shuttle Discovery on mission
STS-56 is scheduled to begin at 5:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, April
3, at the T-43 hour mark. This will be the 16th launch for the
orbiter Discovery and the 54th overall in the Space Shuttle
program. The countdown includes 24 hours and 32 minutes of
built-in hold time leading to the opening of the launch window at
1:32 a.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, April 6. The launch window extends
until 3:57 a.m.

     Discovery will carry into orbit the ATLAS-2 payload on an 8
day, 6 hour mission. ATLAS-2 is the second in a series of
missions which will track variations in solar activity and in
Earth's atmospheric composition.

     At the beginning of the countdown, the KSC launch team in
Firing Room 3 of the Launch Control Center will verify systems
indicating the Shuttle is powered up and that the data processing
and backup flight control systems are operating trouble free.

     Verifications will occur to ensure a review of the flight
software stored in the orbiter's twin memory banks is being
conducted, computer controlled display systems are being
activated, and the backup flight system general purpose computer
is being loaded.

     This week, final ordnance operations were conducted at the
pad and the orbiter's aft engine compartment will be closed for
flight on Saturday. Following countdown commencement at 5:00 a.m.
Saturday, operations will begin to prepare the main propulsion
system and the orbiter's main engines for cryogenic loading.
Orbiter navigation aids will be turned on and tested and the
inertial measurement units will be activated.

     Also on Saturday, ground crews will make the final storage
of mid-deck and flight deck supplies and payloads. They will also
perform microbial samplings of the flight crew's drinking water
and check water levels in the crew waste management system.

     At T-27 hours, the countdown will enter its first built-in
hold. This is a four hour hold lasting from 9:00 p.m. EST
Saturday to 1:00 a.m. EDT Sunday. (The time change from EST to
EDT at 2:00 a.m. Sunday has been accounted for in the countdown.)

     When the countdown resumes, the launch pad will be cleared
of all personnel in preparation for cryogenic fuel loading of the
power reactant and storage distribution system tanks located
under the payload bay lining. These tanks hold the super-cold
liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants used by the fuel
cells to provide electricity to the orbiter and drinking water
for the crew.

     Cryogenic flow is scheduled to start at the T-27 hour mark.
Servicing activities will take approximately 8 hours.

     As servicing of the cryogenic tanks concludes, the clock
will enter another built-in hold at the T-19 hour mark. This hold
will last for four hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

     Following cryogenic loading operations, the pad will be
reopened for normal work and the orbiter mid-body umbilical unit
used to load the super-cold reactants in the orbiter's fuel cell
tanks will be demated and retracted into the launch structure.

     When the countdown resumes, technicians will complete final
vehicle and facility closeouts and begin activating the orbiter's
communications systems and configuring Discovery's cockpit for
flight. The orbiter's flight control system and navigation aids
will be activated. The stowable crew seats will be installed in
the flight and mid-decks.

     The countdown will enter a standard built-in hold at the
T-11 hour mark at 10:00 p.m. Sunday. This 13 hour, 12 minute hold
will last until 11:12 a.m. Monday. During this hold, time
critical equipment will be installed in the orbiter's cockpit and
the inertial measurement units will be activated and warmed up.

     At 4:30 a.m. Monday, the Rotating Service Structure is
scheduled to be moved away from the vehicle and placed in launch
position.

     At T-9 hours, or at about 1:12 p.m. Monday, the onboard fuel
cells will be activated. At T-8 hours, the launch team will begin
evacuating the blast danger area and clear the pad. At T-7 hours,
30 minutes, conditioned air that is flowing through the orbiter's
payload bay and other areas on the orbiter will be switched to
gaseous nitrogen in preparation for loading the external tank
with super-cold liquid propellants. The inertial measurement
units will transition from the warm up stage to the
operate/attitude determination mode at T-6 hours, 45 minutes.

     The countdown will enter another planned built-in hold at
the T-6 hour mark at 4:12 p.m. Monday. During this one-hour hold,
final preparations for loading the external tank will be
completed and a pre-tanking weather briefing will be conducted.

     Chilldown of the lines that carry the cryogenic propellants
to the external tank begins when the clock starts counting again
at 5:12 p.m. Filling and topping of the external tank should be
complete at the beginning of the next planned hold at T-3 hours,
or 8:12 p.m. Monday.

     During the two-hour hold at T-3 hours, an ice inspection
team will perform a survey of the tank's outer insulation, and
the closeout crew will begin configuring the crew module and
white room for the flight crew's arrival. Liquid oxygen and
liquid hydrogen will be in a stable replenish mode during this
time to replace any propellant that "boils" off.

     During the hold at T-3 hours, the five-member STS-56 crew
will be awakened at about 8:37 p.m. Monday.

     Following dinner/breakfast, the crew will receive a briefing
on weather conditions both at KSC and around the world via
satellite from Mission Control, Houston.

     The flight crew will suit up in their partial-pressure
suits, then leave the Operations and Checkout Building at about
10:17 p.m., at T-2 hours, 55 minutes. They will arrive at the
pad's white room at about 10:47 p.m. where they will be assisted
by white room personnel in getting into the crew cabin.

     Just prior to the T-1 hour mark, the test team and the
flight crew will get another weather update, including
observations from an astronaut flying in a Shuttle Training
Aircraft in the KSC area.

     The last two built-in holds will be 10 minutes in duration
and will occur at the T-20 minute mark, or at 12:52 a.m. and at
the T-9 minutes mark at 1:13 a.m. During the final hold, the
flight crew and ground team receive the NASA launch director's
and the mission management team's final "go" for launch.

     Milestones after the T-9 minute mark include start of the
ground launch sequencer, retraction of the orbiter access arm at
T-7 minutes, 30 seconds; start of the orbiter's auxiliary power
units at T-5 minutes; pressurization of the liquid oxygen tank
inside the external tank at T-2 minutes, 55 seconds;
pressurization of the liquid hydrogen tank at T-1 minute, 57
seconds; and the electronic "go" to Discovery's onboard computers
to start their own terminal countdown sequence at T-31 seconds.
The orbiter's three main engines will start at T-6.6 seconds.


                      COUNTDOWN MILESTONES

               Launch - 3 Days (Saturday, April 3)

     Prepare for the start of the STS-56 launch countdown and
perform the call-to-stations at the T-43 hour mark. Countdown
will begin at 5:00 a.m. All members of the launch team will
report to their respective consoles in Firing Room 3 in the
Launch Control Center for the start of the countdown.

     Enter the first planned built-in hold at T-27 hours for a
duration of four hours.

     Check out back-up flight system and review flight software
stored in mass memory units and display systems. Load backup
flight system software into Discovery's general purpose
computers.

     Begin stowage of flight crew equipment. Inspect the
orbiter's mid-deck and flight-deck and remove crew module
platforms. Start external tank loading preparations and prepare
the Shuttle's main engines for main propellant tanking and
flight.

                Launch - 2 Days (Sunday, April 4)

     Resume countdown. Start preparations for servicing fuel cell
storage tanks and begin final vehicle and facility closeouts for
launch.

     Clear launch pad of all personnel and begin loading liquid
oxygen and liquid hydrogen reactants into Discovery's fuel cell
storage tanks.

     After loading operations, the pad will be reopened for
normal work. Orbiter and ground support equipment closeouts will
resume.

     Enter planned built-in hold at T-19 hours for a duration of
4 hours.

     Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit.

     Resume countdown. Activate orbiter communications systems,
flight control and navigation systems. Install mission and
payload specialists' seats in crew cabin. The tail service masts
on the mobile launcher platform will be closed out for launch.

     Enter planned hold at T-11 hours for a duration of 13 hours,
12 minutes.

                Launch - 1 Day (Monday, April 5)

     Perform orbiter ascent switch list in crew cabin. During
this hold at T-11 hours, the orbiter's inertial measurement units
will be activated and kept in the "warm up" mode and film will be
installed in the numerous cameras on the launch pad. In addition,
safety personnel will conduct a debris walkdown and the pad sound
suppression system water tank will be filled.

     The Rotating Service Structure will be moved to the park
position during this hold at about 4:30 a.m.

     Resume countdown. Install time critical flight crew
equipment and perform the pre-ingress switch list. Start fuel
cell flow-through purge.

     Activate the orbiter's fuel cells. Configure communications
at Mission Control, Houston, for launch. Clear the blast danger
area of all non-essential personnel and switch Discovery's purge
air to gaseous nitrogen.

     Enter planned one-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark

     Resume countdown. Launch team verifies there are no
violations of launch commit criteria prior to cryogenic loading
of the external tank. Clear pad of all personnel. Loading the
external tank with cryogenic propellants is scheduled to begin at
5:12 p.m. Monday.

     Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of
liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. Perform open loop
test with Eastern Space and Missile Center and conduct gimbal
profile checks of orbital maneuvering system engines.

     Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration and
align Merritt Island Launch Area tracking antennas.

     Enter two-hour hold at T-3 hours.

     Wake flight crew. Closeout crew and ice inspection team
proceeds to Launch Pad 39-B.

     Resume countdown at T-3 hours. Complete closeout
preparations in the white room and cockpit switch configurations.
Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad.

     Flight crew enters orbiter. Astronauts perform air-to-ground
voice checks with Mission Control, Houston. Close Discovery's
crew hatch. Begin Eastern Space and Missile Center final network
open loop command checks.

                  Launch Day (Tuesday, April 6)

     Perform hatch seal and cabin leak checks. The white room is
closed out and the closeout crew moves to fallback area. Primary
ascent guidance data is transferred to the backup flight system.

     Enter planned 10-minute hold at T-20 minutes.

     NASA Test Director conducts final briefing.

     Resume countdown. Transition orbiter onboard computers to
launch configuration and start fuel cell thermal conditioning.
Close orbiter cabin vent valves. Backup flight system transitions
to launch configuration.

     Enter planned 10 minute hold at T-9 minutes.

     Launch Director and Mission Management Team complete final
polls for launch.

     Resume countdown.

Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9 minutes)
Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30)
Start mission recorders (T-5:30)
Start Auxiliary Power Units. (T-5:00)
Arm SRB and ET range safety safe and arm devices (T-5:00)
Start liquid oxygen drainback (T-4:55)
Start orbiter aerosurface profile test (T-3:55)
Orbiter transfers to internal power (T-3:30)
Start MPS gimbal profile test (T-3:30)
Pressurize liquid oxygen tank (T-2:55)
Begin retraction of the gaseous oxygen vent arm (T-2:55)
Fuel cells to internal reactants (T-2:35)
Pressurize liquid hydrogen tank (T-1:57)
Deactivate SRB joint heaters (T-1:00)
LPS go for start of orbiter automatic sequence (T-0:31 seconds)
Ignition of Shuttle's three main engines (T-6.6 seconds)
SRB ignition and liftoff (T-0)




SUMMARY OF HOLDS AND HOLD TIMES FOR STS-56

T-27 hours --- 4 hour hold ----------- Sat., 9:00 pm - 1:00 a.m.
T-19 hours --- 4 hour hold ---------- Sun., 10:00 am - 2:00 p.m.
T-11 hours -- 13 hour, 12 min. hold - Sun., 10:00 pm - 11:12 a.m.
T-6 hours ---- 1 hour hold ---------- Mon., 4:12 pm - 5:12 p.m.
T-3 hours ---- 2 hour hold ---------- Mon., 8:12 pm - 10:12 p.m.
T-20 minutes - 10 minute hold ------- Tues., 12:52 am - 1:02 a.m.
T-9 minutes -- 10 minute hold ------- Tues., 1:13 am - 1:23 a.m.



          SUMMARY OF STS-56 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES

Monday/Tuesday
8:37 p.m.      Wake up
9:07 p.m.      Breakfast/Dinner
9:37 p.m.      Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
9:37 p.m.      Don flight equipment (MS1, MS3)
9:47 p.m.      Don flight equipment (CDR, PLT, MS2)
10:17 p.m.     Depart for launch pad 39-B
10:47 p.m.     Arrive at white room and begin ingress
12:02 a.m.     Close crew hatch
1:32 a.m.      Launch (April 6, 1993)



                     CREW FOR MISSION STS-56

Commander (CDR) Kenneth Cameron
Pilot (PLT) Stephen Oswald
Payload Commander (MS1) Michael Foale
Mission Specialist (MS2) Kenneth Cockrell
Mission Specialist (MS3) Ellen Ochoa
     Source:NASA Spacelink    Modem:205-895-0028  Internet:192.149.89.61
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=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930402C.REL

4/2/93: NASA TDRSS NETWORK MARKS 10 YEARS OF OPERATION




Dwayne C. Brown
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Apri

Fred A. Brown
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

RELEASE:  93-60

        April marks the 10th anniversary of NASA's Tracking and Data Relay
Satellite System (TDRSS), a revolutionary, space-based network developed to
meet telecommunications needs essential to the success of Space Shuttle, space
station and other low Earth-orbiting spacecraft missions.

        The TDRSS replaced a nearly 25-year-old, world-wide, ground-based
tracking and communications network.  That system only allowed spacecraft to
communicate with Earth when in sight of a ground station.  The TDRSS, initiated
following studies in the early 1970's, was seen as a means of halting the
spiralling costs of upgrading and operating ground stations as NASA
telecommunications requirements grew.

        "In essence, TDRSS allows NASA to do more with less.  Communications
operating costs were cut by as much as 60 percent while the system actually
increases NASA capabilities to work in space," said Charles Force, Associate
Administrator for Space Communications, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

        TDRSS began with the launch of the first satellite on April 4, 1983.
Since then, four other satellites have been put into orbit, the latest in
January of this year.  This communications capability in orbit and the one
remaining spacecraft nearing completion for a future Space Shuttle launch
should carry NASA's communications capabilities into the later part of this
decade.

        The TDRSS is equipped to support up to 24 user spacecraft, including
the Space Shuttle, simultaneously.  It neither processes nor alters
communications, rather it functions as a repeater.  At its highest capacity,
the TDRSS can transfer in a second the equivalent of a 20-volume encyclopedia
containing over 34 million words.

        The TDRSS consists of two elements: a constellation of geosynchronous
satellites and a ground terminal located in White Sands, N.M. Because of their
high geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles (35,800 km) above the equator, the TDRSS
has increased data acquisition and communications with spacecraft from 15 to 85
percent of each Earth orbit and in some cases 100 percent depending on a
spacecraft's orbit position.

        The TDRSS enables uninterrupted, real-time communications -- a vital
function monitoring astronaut life support and other systems during Shuttle and
space station operations.

        "The TDRSS supports nearly all of NASA's Earth orbital spacecraft.  The
Gamma Ray Observatory, the Cosmic Background Explorer, the Hubble Space
Telescope and many other missions all were designed with TDRSS in mind," said
Charles Vanek, TDRSS Project Manager at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC),
Greenbelt, Md.

        The TDRSS also can provide multiple access relaying data from as many
as 20 low-data-rate (100 bits per second to 50 kilobits per second) user
satellites simultaneously and single access which will provide two high data
rate channels to 300 megabits per second from both the East and West satellite
locations.

        Among future TDRSS dependent missions are the space station and the
Earth Observing System. It is estimated that over $70 billion in space missions
throughout the end of the decade will be TDRSS dependent.

        Each TDRS is a three-axis stabilized satellite weighing about 5,000
pounds (2,540 kg) -- one of the largest, heaviest and most complicated
satellites ever launched into geosynchronous orbit.  The satellite measures 57
feet (17.4 meters) across the solar panels.

        TRW Space & Electronics Group, Redondo Beach, Calif., is the prime
TDRSS spacecraft contractor.  Ground operations are conducted by GTE Government
Systems, Corp., Needham Heights, Mass., and Bendix Field Engineering Corp.,
Columbia, Md. NASA's GSFC manages the daily operation of the system.  The
Office of Space Communications, Washington, D.C., has overall management
responsibility.

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     Source:NASA Spacelink    Modem:205-895-0028  Internet:192.149.89.61
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=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930402D.REL

4/2/93: PRIME AND BACKUP COSMONAUTS NAMED FOR SHUTTLE STS-60 MISSION





Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.         April 2, 1993


RELEASE:  93-61

        NASA and the Russian Space Agency (RSA) today announced the selection
of Sergei K. Krikalev as the prime mission specialist and Vladimir G. Titov as
the backup mission specialist on the STS-60 mission currently scheduled for
launch in November 1993.

        The two cosmonauts have been undergoing mission specialist training for
at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, since early November 1992.

        Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Col., USMC) is the STS-60 Commander. The other
U.S. crewmembers are Pilot Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr. (Capt., USN), and mission
specialists Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Ph.D., N. Jan Davis, Ph.D., and Ronald M.
Sega, Ph.D.

        Mission objectives include a number of microgravity experiments in
Spacehab-2, the Wake Shield Facility experiment to test the creation of an
ultra- vacuum to produce extremely pure thin film crystals for industrial uses
ranging from microelectronics to lasers and superconductivity, a Capillary
Pumped Loop Experiment to study a method of heat dissipation in space and a
number of small experiments known as Getaway Specialists flown in the orbiter's
payload bay.  Russian Space Agency-sponsored life science activities also will
be included in the mission.

        The flight of a cosmonaut on the STS-60 mission is one element of the
Implementing Agreement on NASA/RSA Cooperation in Human Space Flight, signed by
NASA and RSA on October 5, 1992.  Other elements include the launch of a NASA
astronaut to the Russian space station Mir in March 1995 and the U.S. Space
Shuttle/Mir docking in June 1995.

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SERGEI KONSTANTINOVICH KRIKALEV

        Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev was born on Aug. 27, 1958, in
Leningrad. He completed his studies at the Institute of Mechanics in Leningrad
in 1981, and then worked in a design bureau where he participated in the
creation of new space technology devices.  He is involved in sport aviation and
holds a Master of Sport in sport aviation.

        Krikalev began cosmonaut training in November 1985 and made his first
spaceflight as flight engineer onboard Soyuz TM-7, launched on Nov. 26, 1988.
Krikalev returned to Earth after having spent 151 days, 11 hours and 8 minutes
in space.  His second flight aboard Mir was May 18, 1991, to March 25, 1992
(312 days).

        Upon his return, Krikalev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet
Union and also received the Order of Lenin. In addition, the French awarded him
the title of L'Officer de la Legion d'Honneur.

        Krikalev is married and has a daughter born in 1990.

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COL. VLADIMIR GEORGIEVICH TITOV

        Col.  Vladimir Georgievich Titov, Soviet Air Force, was born Jan. 1,
1947, in the town of Sretensk, Chitinck region.  Titov graduated from the
Higher Air Force College in Chernigov, Ukraine, in 1970, where he served as a
pilot- instructor until 1974.  Titov has flown 10 different types of aircraft,
has logged over 1300 hours flying time and holds the qualifications of Military
Pilot, 1st Class and Test-Pilot, 3rd Class.

        Titov was selected to join the cosmonaut team in 1976 and in September
1981, served as backup crew member for Soyuz T-5 launched on May 18, 1982.

        Titov made his first spaceflight as Commander of Soyuz T-8, launched on
April 20, 1983.  Titov was supposed to dock with Salyut 7, but was unable to
because the Soyuz rendezvous radar antenna failed to deploy properly.  After
several attempts, Titov aborted the rendezvous to avoid a crash and returned to
Earth after a flight lasting just over 2 days.

        Titov next served as backup for the Soyuz T-9 mission launched on June
27, 1983.

        Titov was onboard Soyuz T-10 on Sept. 27, 1983, which caught fire 1
minute before launch when a propellant line valve failed to close at T-90
seconds.  The fire quickly engulfed the rocket, but controllers were able to
pull the Soyuz descent module clear using the launch escape system.  The crew
landed safely some 2.5 miles (4 km) from the launch vehicle.

        In 1987, he graduated from the Yuri Gagarin Air Force Academy while
working at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

        Titov was Commander of the Soyuz TM-4 launched on Dec. 21, 1987.  Titov
and Musa Manarov set a new record for long duration in space of 365 days, 22
hours and 89 minutes.  Upon his return to Earth, Titov was awarded the title of
Hero of the Soviet Union and received his second Order of Lenin. In addition,
the French awarded him the title of Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur.  In
1990, he and Manarov were awarded the U.S. Harmon Prize, the first Soviet
citizens to win the award, in recognition of their world endurance record.

        Titov is married and has a daughter born in 1975 and a son born in
1985.


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     Source:NASA Spacelink    Modem:205-895-0028  Internet:192.149.89.61
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=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930402E.REL

4/2/93: NASA AND THE RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY SIGN MARS '94 CONTRACT


Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.          April 2, 1993


RELEASE:  93-62

        NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and Russian Space Agency (RSA)
Director Yuri Koptev today announced that they have signed a contract with a
potential value of $1.5 Million to fly two U.S. Mars Oxident Experiment (MOX)
instruments on the Russian Mars '94 Mission.

        The Mars '94 Mission, to be launched in November 1994, will deploy
small landing stations and penetrators and carry a complement of instruments to
study the surface and atmosphere of the planet Mars.

        Under the contract, the Babakin Engineering Research Center, Moscow,
and the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow,
will provide technical services for integrating and testing the U.S. MOX
instruments.

        A duplicate MOX instrument will fly on each of the two Russian small
stations.  These instruments will conduct soil reactivity/composition
experiments to provide chemical information about the volatile components in
the martian soil.  These experiments will enable scientists to characterize the
martian physical and chemical surface environment.

        Subject to appropriation of funds in FY 94, NASA plans to exercise an
option under the contract to procure an engineering model of the Mars '94 small
station.  This will allow NASA to perform integration tests with the U.S.-
supplied flight instrument systems in preparation for integration on the flight
models with minimal impact to existing instrumentation.  The model also will
improve NASA's understanding of lander technology for future mars missions.

        The implementing agreement on NASA's participation in the Russian Mars
'94 Mission was signed by NASA and RSA on October 5, 1992, in Moscow.

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     Source:NASA Spacelink    Modem:205-895-0028  Internet:192.149.89.61
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