June 16, 1997

Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, DC
(Phone: 202/358-1639)

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

Release: N97-40

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Briefings Set for Reflight of Microgravity Science Mission

Briefings will be held on Friday, June 20, at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, and the Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, to discuss elements of the upcoming flight of Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-94 mission, the reflight of the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 mission.

The mission, originally flown in April as STS-83, was curtailed after four days due to a suspect electricity-producing fuel cell aboard Columbia. NASA decided to refly the mission, which is tentatively scheduled for launch on July 1. A firm launch date will be set on June 19 by NASA managers following a Flight Readiness Review at the Kennedy Space Center, FL.

The abbreviated briefing schedule includes a Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 science overview from Marshall at 10:30 a.m. EDT and a Mission Overview/Crew News Conference from Johnson at 2 p.m. EDT. STS-94 Lead Flight Director Rob Kelso will be joined for that briefing by STS-94 Commander Jim Halsell and Payload Commander Janice Voss.

The briefings will be seen on NASA Television with question-and-answer capability for reporters at participating NASA centers. NASA TV can be seen on GE-2, Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz.

BRIEFING SCHEDULE (all times are EDT)

10:30 a.m. Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 Science Overview (Marshall)

2 p.m. Mission Overview/Crew News Conference (Johnson) Rob Kelso, STS-94 Lead Flight Director Jim Halsell, STS-94 Commander Janice Voss, STS-94 Payload Commander

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