DISCOVERY LAUNCH TO MIR ON MISSION STS-91 SET FOR JUNE 2



May 20, 1998



Jennifer McCarter
Headquarters, Washington, DC
(Phone: 202/358-1638)



Joel Wells
Kennedy Space Center, FL
(Phone: 407/867-2468)



Ed Campion
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

<h4>Release: H98-85</h4> <h3>Discovery Launch to Mir on Mission Sts-91 
Set for June 2</h3> 

Space Shuttle managers selected June 2 as the official date for the 
launch of Shuttle Discovery on the ninth planned docking mission with 
the Russian Space Station Mir.



The flight, designated STS-91, will deliver logistics and supplies to 
Mir and bring home NASA Astronaut Andrew Thomas, the seventh and 
final NASA astronaut to serve as a Mir crew member. Thomas has been 
on the orbiting station since late January.



Discovery will launch from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A. 
The current launch time of 5:10 p.m. CDT may vary slightly because of 
calculations of Mir's precise location in space at the time of 
lift-off due to Shuttle rendezvous phasing requirements. The STS-91 
mission is scheduled to last 9 days, 19 hours, 53 minutes. An on-time 
launch and nominal mission duration would have Discovery landing back 
at Kennedy on June 12 at 1:03 p.m. CDT



"The nine joint Shuttle-Mir docking missions and the seven astronauts 
who served as station crew members have provided us with a wealth of 
insight and experience to be used as we begin construction of the 
International Space Station later this year," said George Abbey, 
Director of the Johnson Space Center, who chaired the review.



The launch team is evaluating a minor overboard water leak from the 
fuel cell No. 3 relief valve to determine its acceptability for 
flight. The leak was first seen during Monday's super lightweight 
tank test when the fuel cell was brought on line to support tanking 
test operations.



The launch date decision follows completion of the Flight Readiness 
Review at Kennedy by Shuttle managers from NASA and prime contractor 
United Space Alliance. STS-91 will be Discovery's 24th mission into 
space and the 91st Space Shuttle flight in the program's history.

	
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