Mark Hess
Headquarters, Washington, DC                 May 8, 1995
(Phone:  202/358-1776)

Kari Fluegel 
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone:  713/483-5111)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N95-28

BRIEFINGS FOR AMERICA'S 100TH HUMAN FLIGHT SET FOR MAY 15-16

     Astronauts, flight controllers and scientists will 
discuss NASA's upcoming 100th human space flight, 
designated STS-70, during pre-flight briefings set for 
May 15-16.

     Space Shuttle Discovery is currently targeted to be 
launched from the Kennedy Space Center, FL, June 8, and 
will carry a communications satellite and a myriad of 
scientific experiments to orbit.

     The satellite, known as TDRS-G, will enhance the 
current capabilities of NASAs Tracking and Data Relay 
Satellite System which provides communications, tracking, 
telemetry, data acquisition and command services essential 
for the Space Shuttle, the Hubble Space Telescope, the 
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and many other low-Earth 
orbiting spacecraft.

     STS-70 also will be the first flight of an upgraded 
main engine for the Space Shuttle Orbiter, known as the 
Block 1 engine.  The Block 1 engine uses a new high 
pressure liquid oxidizer turbopump that is expected to 
increase safety margins and the reliability of the Shuttle 
main engines. 

     The pre-flight briefings will include discussions of 
the mission objectives and the Block 1 engine.  Briefings 
will originate from the Johnson Space Center (JSC), 
Houston, TX; the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), 
Greenbelt, MD; and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), 
Huntsville, AL.  Two-way question and answer capability 
will be available from all participating NASA Centers.

The briefing schedule is as follows: (All times EDT)

May 15, 1995

9 a.m.
       Mission Overview (originating from JSC)
       Rob Kelso, STS-70 Lead Flight Director 

10 a.m.
       Tracking and Data Relay Satellite/Inertial Upper Stage Overview 
       Charles Vanek, TDRS Project Manager (originating from GSFC)
       Bob Hughes, Manager, Upper Stages (originating from MSFC)
 
11 a.m.
      Block 1 Engine Overview (originating from MSFC)
      Otto Goetz, Deputy Manager, SSME

2 p.m.
      Secondary Payloads Overview -- Life Sciences Experiments 
      (originating from JSC)
      Dr. Neal Pellis, Principal Investigator, Bioreactor Demonstration System
      Dr. Jeffrey Alberts, Investigator, Physiological and Anatomical Rodent 
      National Institutes of Health-Rodent Experiment 

3 p.m. 
      Secondary Payloads Overview -- Department of Defense Experiments
      (originating from JSC)
      Captain Craig R. Lamb (USAF), STS-70 DOD Payloads Mission Manager

May 16, 1995

2 p.m. 
      STS-70 Crew News Conference (originating from JSC)
      Terence "Tom" Henricks, Commander
      Kevin Kregel, Pilot 
      Don Thomas, Mission Specialist 1 
      Nancy Currie, Mission Specialist 2 
      Mary Ellen Weber, Mission Specialist 3 

     NASA Television will carry all briefings live on 
Spacenet 2, Transponder 5, Channel 9 at 69 degrees West 
longitude.  The transponder frequency is 3880 MHz with 
audio at 6.8 MHz.  The polarization is horizontal.

			- end -

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