STS-90 PRESS BRIEFINGS SET FOR APRIL 2



March 27, 1998



Jennifer McCarter
Headquarters, Washington, DC
(Phone: 202/358-1639)



Eileen M. Hawley
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

<h4>Release: N98-24</h4> <h4>NOTE TO EDITORS:</h4> <h3>STS-90 Press 
Briefings Set for April 2</h3> 

A series of background press briefings on the upcoming STS-90 mission 
are scheduled beginning at 8 a.m. CST April 2 on NASA TV, originating 
from NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX. The 16-day Shuttle 
mission is dedicated to the study of the human nervous system, the 
most complex and least understood part of the body.



The principal objectives of the STS-90 mission are to expand our 
understanding of how the nervous system develops and functions in 
space, but the research also will provide unique contributions to the 
study and treatment of neurological disorders on Earth.



The launch window opens at 1:19 p.m. CDT on April 16, and lasts 2 
hours. Following a nominal flight duration of 15 days, 21 hours, 50 
minutes, Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled to land at the Kennedy 
Space Center, FL, on May 2 about 11:09 a.m. CDT.



Following the STS-90 mission briefings, round-robin interviews with 
the crew members will be held for reporters at the Johnson Space 
Center, Houston, TX, and for those reporters who make advance 
arrangements to conduct the interviews by phone. Media interested in 
the round robin interviews should fax their request to Eileen Hawley 
in Johnson Public Affairs by close of business March 31. The 
round-robin interviews will not be seen on NASA TV. NASA TV is 
available on GE-2, Transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, 
vertical polarization, with a frequency of 3880 Mhz, and audio of 6.8 
Mhz.



STS-90 will be Columbia's 25th mission into space and the 90th Shuttle 
flight in the program's history.



STS-90 PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFINGS Thursday, April 2, 1998 (all times shown 
are CST)



8 a.m. Mission Overview Al Pennington, STS-90 lead flight director 
8:30 a.m. Neurolab Overview Dr. Mary Anne Frey, program scientist, 
NASA Headquarters James McGuire, program manager, NASA Headquarters



9:30 a.m. Neurolab science briefing Dr. Jerry Homick, Neurolab mission 
scientist Dr. Mel Buderer, JSC payload project scientist Dr. Louis 
Ostrach, ARC payload project scientist



11 a.m. NASA TV Videofile



1:30 p.m. STS-90 Crew Press Conference Rick Searfoss, Commander Scott 
Altman, Pilot Rick Linnehan, Payload Commander, MS1 Kay Hire, MS2 
Dave Williams, MS3 Jay Buckey, PS1 Jim Pawelczyk, PS2



3 p.m. STS-90 Crew Round Robins Note: The round robin interview event 
with the STS-90 crew is a local JSC event only and will not be 
carried on NASA TV.

	
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