Mark Hess
Headquarters, Washington, DC       October 19, 1994
(Phone: 202/358-1776)

Lisa Malone
Kennedy Space Center, FL
(Phone: 407/867-2468)

RELEASE:  94-173

LAUNCH DATE FOR SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-66 ANNOUNCED

     NASA today targeted Nov. 3 as the launch date for Space 
Shuttle mission STS-66, the third flight of an Earth 
observing payload called ATLAS (Atmospheric Laboratory for 
Applications and Science). 

     Shuttle Atlantis and a six person crew will be launched 
during a window extending from 11:56 a.m. to 12:58 p.m. EDT.  
The 11-day mission is scheduled to end Nov. 14 with a landing 
at the Kennedy Space Center.

     The Nov. 3 launch date is predicated on successful 
launch of the Wind spacecraft from the Eastern Test Range on 
Nov. 1 aboard a Delta rocket.

     The crew is led by commander Donald R. McMonagle, and 
Curtis Brown is the pilot.  Mission specialists are Ellen 
Ochoa, Joseph Tanner, Jean Francois-Clervoy and Scott E. 
Parazynski. 

     The remote sensing laboratory aboard Atlantis will study 
the Sun's energy output, the middle atmosphere's chemical 
makeup and how these factors affect global ozone levels.

     STS-66 will mark the 66th launch of the Space Shuttle 
and the 13th flight of Atlantis.

                         -end-


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