Bruce Buckingham
          407/867-2468                                      Dec. 28, 1990

          KSC RELEASE NO. 205 - 90



          KSC ROUNDS OUT 1990 WITH SUCCESS AND PREPARES FOR 1991


               In the world of Space Shuttles and payloads at Kennedy Space
          Center, 1990 proved to be a year of numerable successes and
          challenges. Six Shuttles were launched from and returned to KSC,
          including one unplanned end-of-mission KSC landing. But
          challenges ranging from liquid hydrogen leaks on Columbia (STS-
          35) and Atlantis (STS-38) to a record number of launch delays on
          mission STS-36 kept engineers and managers on the edge of their
          seats.

               KSC began the year with a mission to retrieve the Long
          Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and concluded with the ASTRO-1
          observatory mission. Between these missions were the long
          anticipated launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the deployment
          of the Ulysses spacecraft to study the polar regions of the Sun,
          and two Department of Defense dedicated missions. Of the six
          Shuttle's launched from KSC in 1990, three were nighttime
          launches.

               All missions were scheduled to land at Edwards Air Force
          Base, Calif. All but one did. Atlantis, returning from its DOD
          mission in November, made an unscheduled but perfect landing at
          KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. This was the first KSC end-of-
          mission landing in over five years and it demonstrated the
          ability of the KSC landing crews to prepare for a dramatic
          touchdown with little notice.

               Challenging the launch team and hundreds of support
          personnel this summer were elusive liquid hydrogen leaks on
          orbiters Columbia and Atlantis. After four special tanking tests
          and a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building for destack,
          Atlantis was finally cleared for launch on mission STS-38.

               Columbia, prior to mission STS-35, underwent four launch
          scrubs, two rollbacks to the VAB, and two special tanking tests.
          Special "leak-buster" teams ultimately were formed utilizing over
          700 NASA and contractor employees, all with a "can-do" attitude,
          to outfit Columbia's aft compartment with hazardous gas detectors
          and cameras for the special tanking tests. It took most of the
          summer, by their hard work paid off when all of the leaks were
          eventually pinpointed and repaired.


          1990 SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS:


               The following is a brief summary of the 1990 shuttle
          missions (all times are Eastern):


          STS-32 -- Columbia was launched at 7:35 a.m. on Jan. 9. It landed
          at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., at 4:35 a.m. on Jan. 20.

          MISSION: The primary mission objectives were the deployment of
          the SYNCOM IV-F5 Navy synchronous communications satellite and
          the retrieval of NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF).
          SYNCOM was successfully deployed on the second day of the
          mission. Orbiter rendezvous with LDEF occurred on Jan. 12,
          followed by the dramatic grapple by the Remote Manipulator System
          and berthing in the payload bay for return to Earth. LDEF was
          later returned to KSC where the 57 experiment trays housed on the
          satellite were removed for inspection.

               LDEF had been stranded in space for over five years and was
          in imminent danger of burning up in the Earth's atmosphere if not
          recovered soon. Its retrieval had been placed on hold following
          the Challenger mishap.


          STS-36 -- Atlantis was launched at 2:50 a.m. on Feb. 28. It
          landed at EAFB at 1:09 p.m. on March 4.

          MISSION: This was the sixth mission totally dedicated to the
          Department of Defense. Originally scheduled for launch on Feb.
          22, Atlantis experienced six launch delays due to adverse weather
          and illness of the crew commander.


          STS-31 -- Discovery was launched at 8:33 a.m. on April 24. It
          landed at EAFB at 9:49 a.m. on April 29.

          MISSION: The mission was devoted to the successful deployment of
          the Hubble Space Telescope approximately 24 hours after launch.
          HST is the first of the four great observatories which will aid
          in astronomical explorations. HST is the largest telescope ever
          put into space. It will study the universe in both visible and
          ultraviolet light.

               The primary mirror on the Hubble Space Telescope is 94.5
          inches in diameter. It is capable of detecting objects 12 to 14
          billion light years distant and with at least 10 times the
          clarity of ground based telescopes. Producing images at a rate of
          about 20 a day and more than 7,000 a year, over 100,000 pictures
          are expected to be taken over the telescope's 15 year life span.

               HST, however, is not without its problems. Shortly after
          deployment and initial check out, it was discovered the primary
          mirror had been made with a flaw, a spherical aberration. A
          future Shuttle mission, planned for July 1993, is scheduled to
          rendezvous with HST to correct the error.

               HST consists of five primary instruments: A high resolution
          spectrograph, the wide field/planetary camera, the faint object
          spectrograph, the high speed photometer, and the faint object
          camera developed by the European Space Agency (ESA).

               For mission STS-31, a significant modification was made to
          Discovery's braking system --  the installation of newly designed
          carbon brakes on the main landing gear. These carbon brakes are
          able to withstand longer distance braking and higher braking
          temperatures of up to 2100 degrees F. The normal temperature
          operating range is 1200 degrees F. for the older beryllium
          brakes. The carbon brakes can be used for 20 or more landings
          before replacement is needed, saving time for orbiter turnaround
          processing. This a key step in making landings at Kennedy Space
          Center a regular occurrence. Plans are underway for the
          installation of carbon brakes on the remaining orbiters.

          STS-41 -- Discovery was launched at 7:47 a.m. on Oct. 6. It
          landed at EAFB at 9:58 a.m. on Oct. 10.

          MISSION: The Ulysses spacecraft was deployed successfully from
          Discovery about six hours after launch, embarking on a five-year
          mission to explore the uncharted regions of the Sun's north and
          south poles. The ESA-built explorer was boosted out of Earth
          orbit using the attached IUS and PAM-S upper stages. Its initial
          trajectory will take it out to the planet Jupiter for a
          gravitational assist necessary to sling the 809-pound spacecraft
          into its solar polar orbit. The Jupiter encounter is scheduled
          for February 1992, south solar pole pass in June 1994, north
          solar pole pass in June 1995, and end-of-mission in September
          1995.

               Ulysses is the third interplanetary probe launched by the
          Shuttle. The project is a cooperative endeavor between NASA and
          the European Space Agency. Ulysses was designed and built by the
          Federal Republic of Germany.

          STS-38 -- Atlantis was launched at 6:48 p.m. on Nov. 15. It
          landed at Kennedy Space Center at 4:43 p.m. on Nov. 20.

          MISSION: This was the seventh and final classified mission
          totally dedicated to the Department of Defense.

               Atlantis was originally scheduled for launch in July 1990.
          However, a precautionary liquid hydrogen tanking test conducted
          at the pad on June 29 indicated a hydrogen fuel leak on the
          external tank side of the orbiter/ET 17-inch quick disconnect
          umbilical. Two subsequent liquid hydrogen tanking tests
          determined the leak could not be fixed at the pad and the vehicle
          was returned to the VAB on Aug. 9 for destack operations.
          Atlantis was returned to the Orbiter Processing Facility and new
          seals were placed in the 17-inch liquid hydrogen disconnect
          umbilical. Meanwhile, a new external tank was attached to the
          solid rocket boosters in the VAB. The Shuttle was returned to the
          pad and a fourth tanking test was performed on Oct. 24. This test
          proved the fix had stopped any significant leakage of liquid
          hydrogen and the vehicle was cleared for flight.

          STS-35 -- Columbia was launched at 1:49 a.m. on Dec. 2. It landed
          at EAFB at 12:54 a.m. on Dec. 11.

          MISSION: The payload aboard Columbia, ASTRO-1, consisted of four
          unique, yet complementary, telescopes that captured the universe
          in the ultraviolet and x-ray spectrums. Three telescopes were
          dedicated to study the ultraviolet: the Hopkins Ultraviolet
          Telescope, the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter
          Experiment, and the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. The Broad Band
          X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) was made for viewing in the x-ray
          wavelength. The seven member crew divided into two shifts and
          were able to operate the telescopes around the clock. The mission
          was not without problems, however, when both instrument pointing
          system data display units failed and pointing of the ultraviolet
          telescopes had to be controlled from the ground. BBXRT was
          unaffected and the quality of the ASTRO images continued to be
          good.

               This was the first Shuttle mission to be controlled by three
          NASA installations. Columbia was directed as usual from Mission
          Control at Johnson Space Center, Houston, Tx. But the three
          ultraviolet telescopes in the observatory were directed from the
          Payload Operations Control Center at Marshall Space Flight
          Center, Huntsville, Al. The Broad Band X-Ray Telescope and its
          separate pointing system were operated by a special team at
          Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

               STS-35 was scheduled for a May 30 liftoff, but launch was
          scrubbed when high concentrations of liquid hydrogen were
          detected during propellant loading near the 17-inch umbilical
          line connecting the orbiter and the external tank and in the
          orbiter's aft compartment. After rollback to the Vehicle Assembly
          Building and destack, the 17-inch liquid hydrogen umbilical was
          replaced with the umbilical from the Shuttle Endeavour (currently
          under construction in California). Columbia was then returned to
          the pad and prepared for another launch attempt in late August.
          Due to a problem with the BBXRT payload, launch was delayed for
          six days. During the tanking for launch attempts on Sept. 6 and
          Sept. 18, the liquid hydrogen leak again manifested itself in the
          orbiter's aft compartment. A fix at the pad was attempted and the
          subsequent tanking test on October 30 proved the repairs were
          effective.

               Columbia awaited the launch of Atlantis on mission STS-38
          from the adjacent pad and was then launched 17 days later.



          1990 NASA SUPPORTED EXPENDABLE VEHICLE MISSIONS


               In addition to shuttle launches, NASA/KSC supported the
          launch of ROSAT on a Delta expendable vehicle and the Combined
          Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) on an Atlas
          Centaur.

               The following is a brief summary of these missions.

          ROSAT: Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT) Project is a cooperative
          program involving NASA, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the
          United Kingdom. The primary objectives of the ROSAT project are
          to make a detailed all-sky survey of X-ray sources, and perform
          detailed follow-up studies of some 1,000 of the anticipated
          50,000 - 100,000 sources that will be detected in the survey.

               ROSAT was launched aboard an Air Force Delta II expendable
          launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Complex 17
          at 5:48 p.m. June 1, 1990.

          CRRES: The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite
          (CRRES) is a joint NASA/U.S. Air Force mission to study the
          effects of chemical releases on the Earth's ionosphere and
          magnetosphere and to monitor the effects of space radiation
          environment on sophisticated electronics. The CRRES satellite
          will use chemicals released to briefly trace invisible magnetic
          field lines and waves with luminous particles.

               CRRES was launched aboard a General Dynamics commercial
          Atlas/Centaur (AC-69) expendable vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air
          Force Station Complex 36 at 3:21 p.m. July 25, 1990.


          ECONOMIC IMPACT


               Again, KSC played a leading role in bolstering the local
          economy. Space-related employment and contracts at KSC generated
          a $1.37 billion boost to the Florida economy during fiscal year
          1990. This represents an increase of about $132 million over the
          previous year.

               Employment numbers at KSC also rose. Permanent federal
          employees now number over 2,600. On-site contractors nudged the
          12,700 mark while 3,250 individuals were employed through
          construction and tenant jobs. All in all, the total number of
          workers employed at KSC at the end of FY90 totaled approximately
          18,500.


          NEW FACILITIES AND MODIFICATIONS


               A giant step was made this year in moving several thousand
          KSC employees from made-over box cars, trailers and prefabricated
          modules to a well equipped office building. In March, the
          300,000-square-foot Operation Support Building (OSB) was
          officially dedicated and opened to over 1700 employees. The new
          OSB was built by W&J Construction Corp. of Cocoa, Fla. at a cost
          of about $28,000,000.

               Contained in the six-story facility, along with much needed
          office space, are a technical documentation center, photo
          analysis facility, technical libraries, multi-purpose conference
          rooms, a barber shop, concession areas, and a fully equipped
          exercise facility.

                                    *   *   *   *

               Understanding a growing need many employees have at KSC, the
          NASA/KSC Exchange Council reached an agreement with Tutor Time
          International, Inc. for the design, construction, staffing and
          operation of an employee child care center. The idea resulted
          from an employee's suggestion and work by several organizations
          and employees through a specialized committee set up to plan a
          facility.

               Tutor Time was selected to operate the facility and
          construction was completed this December. The single-story,
          6,600-square-foot building will initially provide care for up to
          140 children ranging in age from infants through preschoolers.
          The child care will be open for operation Jan. 2, 1991.

                                    *   *   *   *

               Funds amounting to $3.2 million were also allocated to
          complete the four-lane widening of Kennedy Parkway South (State
          Road 3), one of KSC's busiest highways. Final Congressional
          approval was received, paving the way for long awaited relief of
          severe traffic congestion during rush hour. The ground breaking
          occurred in November and construction is scheduled for completion
          by mid-1991. This, coupled with Brevard County's commitment to
          widen its portion of the much traveled Route 3, will help insure
          KSC employees of a safer and quicker drive to and from work.

                                    *   *   *   *

               In February, a dedication ceremony for NASA's new Spacecraft
          Solid Rocket Motor High Energy X-Ray Facility was held. This new
          facility, located on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, will be
          used for a variety of high energy radiography testing, including
          the capability to verify propellant integrity on spacecraft solid
          rocket motors.

               The facility, which consists of a high bay exposure cell
          with a reinforced concrete wall 6 feet, 7 inches thick,
          represents a significant upgrade in KSC's abilities to meet
          current and projected new payload requirements. It was
          constructed at a cost of $2.9 million.

                                    *   *   *   *

               At Kennedy Space Center's Spaceport USA, another ground
          breaking took place. NASA and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation
          (AMF) began the construction of the monument titled, "Space
          Mirror," dedicated to the fallen astronauts who have lost their
          lives in training and in space. In addition, an educational
          facility for teachers and students will be constructed as a
          "living memorial" to provide quality information and materials of
          instruction in the field of aeronautics and space in support of
          America's space program.

                The projects will be funded in part by AMF's portion (50
          percent) of the proceeds from the sale of Challenger license
          tags. Additional funding will come from private and corporate
          donations. The educational facility will be located adjacent to
          the astronaut's memorial, scheduled for completion early next
          year.

                                    *   *   *   *

               As a result of the series of liquid hydrogen leaks on the
          orbiters this summer, an external tank/orbiter umbilical hydrogen
          dispersion system was designed for installation on the three
          mobile launcher platforms. The dispersion system is designed to
          provide a nitrogen rich air flow around the hydrogen 17-inch
          disconnect line between the orbiter and external tank. The system
          will reduce hazardous concentrations of hydrogen should they form
          during tanking operations and not be dispersed through normal
          ambient conditions. Firing room personnel will be able to control
          the dispersion system from the Launch Control Center.


          SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

               Technology transfer has always been important to managers at
          KSC. NASA invests a great deal of time and resources toward the
          goals of exploring the universe and finding better ways to live
          and operate in the hostile environment of space. But unless this
          technology is transferred to the everyday activities of life on
          earth, the vast majority of the world's population will never
          experience the practical applications of space technology.

               One example of this spin-off technology returned to KSC this
          year. While designing an upgrade to the Space Station Logistics
          and Resupply section of the Payload Support Building, engineers
          concluded that space derived heat pipes would be applicable to
          assist in lowering energy costs associated with cooling the
          facility.

               Heat pipes were initially used as an efficient cooling
          method for satellites in space. Later they were adapted to assist
          in the air conditioning and dehumidification of earth-bound
          buildings. Now, heat pipes will be used at KSC, and with a
          substantial amount of energy savings.

                                    *   *   *   *

               Kennedy Space Center also continues to be a leader in the
          fields of plant and medical research.

               The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) has
          distinguished KSC as a front runner in searching for ways to grow
          plants in the microgravity environment of space. Earlier this
          year, the Hanger 'L' Life Sciences Facility was expanded by
          3,500-square feet. This additional room will allow the Biomedical
          Operations and Research Office to upgrade research capabilities.

               An example will be the continued ability to "farm" proven
          forms of space harvests such as lettuce and soybeans. It will
          also provide additional capabilities for studying the closed
          aquaculture system -- including a "fish pond" -- for use in
          future long term space habitation.

                                    *   *   *   *

               NASA/KSC and the American Cancer Society continued a
          cooperative cost sharing agreement to provide funding and
          technology transfer to the University of South Florida, Tampa,
          Fla., for research in cancer prevention, detection and treatment.

               Under a Memorandum of Understanding, NASA/KSC activities
          include: make available necessary laboratories and equipment;
          coordinate assistance from other NASA centers and outside
          organizations; provide technical evaluations; and provide
          qualified personnel to serve as project leaders.


          MILESTONES REACHED

               In April, during the rollout of the Space Shuttle Columbia
          from the Vehicle Assembly Building to pad 39-A for the launch of
          mission STS-35, Kennedy Space Center's Crawler Transporter number
          2 passed the 1,000-mile landmark. Weighing in at over 3,000 tons,
          it took the tracked vehicle 25 years to roll the odometer at a
          pace of less than two miles per hour. Over the past quarter
          century, the giant transporter has been operated by 10 different
          drivers and has supported Apollo, Skylab, and Space Shuttle
          missions. The crawler transporter provided continuous service to
          the nation's space effort in the four decades from the 1960s into
          the 1990s.

               The crawler transporter was the dark horse in the
          competition of concepts to provide a means to deliver the launch
          vehicle from the assembly building to the pad. But in 1962,
          following a full year of study, the cross-land tracked vehicle
          was voted the most feasible. As the largest land vehicle ever
          built, the six-million-pound, 131-foot-long, 114-foot-wide, and
          20-to-26 foot adjustable height transporter has proven itself as
          an invaluable asset to the space program.

                                    *   *   *   *

               Also celebrating a historic milestone were the American and
          Soviet crew members of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. Their
          reunion at KSC on July 26 marked the 15th anniversary of their
          1975 flight. The ASTP mission was history's first international
          joint manned space flight. The link-up of the Apollo and Soyuz
          spacecraft occurred on July 17-19, 1975.


          WHAT'S AHEAD

               As KSC ponders the future, 1991 seems to hold an abundance
          of opportunity for the nation's space program. Two primary
          payloads have already been delivered to the launch facility for
          processing for missions next year. They are the four unclassified
          DOD payloads for mission STS-39 and the Gamma Ray Observatory,
          slated for mission STS-37.

               Next year NASA has scheduled seven Space Shuttle missions to
          be launched from Kennedy Space Center and one expendable vehicle
          launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The current
          manifest calls for an Air Force Delta 2 to launch NASA's Extreme
          Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) in early fall. This spacecraft will
          identify, map, and catalog extreme ultraviolet sources in the
          universe.

               The seven Shuttle missions scheduled for 1991 are (in launch
          order):

          STS-39  --  Discovery on a DOD unclassified mission. Payload: Air
          Force Program-675 (AFP-675), designed to collect infrared data to
          support the Strategic Defense Initiative program; Infrared
          Background Signature Survey (IBSS), designed to obtain infrared
          measurements on rocket plumes, shortwave infrared Earth-limb,
          Shuttle environment, and chemicals released from the payload bay
          while detached in proximity to the Orbiter; Space Test Program
          (STP-01), the first in a series of secondary experiments; Multi-
          Purpose Experiment Canister (MPEC), an extended Hitchhiker-G, GAS
          canister capable of deploying an internally stowed payload.

          STS-37  --  Atlantis will deploy the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO),
          the second in a series of four great observatories. GRO will
          explore the most energetic part of the spectrum across a much
          greater wavelength range than earlier observatories.

               The GRO will enable us to determine if most of the known
          gamma radiation arriving from the universe originates from
          quasars and pulsars, or whether there are other sources of gamma
          ray emissions. The focus of GRO will be to investigate gamma ray
          sources emitted by stars and distant galaxies.

          STS-40  --  Columbia will carry the Space Life Sciences
          Laboratory (SLS-1) to investigate the effects of weightlessness
          on man and animal specimens. (This will be Columbia's last
          mission prior to being ferried to California for extensive
          modifications. Modification operations are expected to last about
          a year.)

          STS-43  --  Discovery will carry into orbit a NASA Tracking and
          Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E). This satellite will replace the
          partially functional TDRS west satellite currently in orbit.

          STS-44  --  Atlantis will deploy a Defense Support Program (DSP)
          satellite. Atlantis will also carry additional Department of
          Defense payloads on board.

          STS-48  --  Discovery will deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research
          Satellite (UARS) to improve man's knowledge of the atmosphere
          above the troposphere. This satellite will study chemical
          processes acting within and upon earth's stratosphere,
          mesosphere, and lower thermosphere.

          STS-42  --  Atlantis will carry into orbit the first
          International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-01). Housed in a
          Spacelab long module, this mission will be devoted to material
          and life sciences studies.

                                    *   *   *   *

               Also, NASA's newest shuttle orbiter, Endeavour, is scheduled
          to be delivered to Kennedy Space Center early next summer.

               Endeavour will arrive at KSC atop NASA's newest modified 747
          Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Endeavour's first flight will be in May
          1992 on Space Shuttle mission STS-49, a mission to retrieve,
          repair and redeploy a communications satellite for the
          International Telecommunications Satellite organization
          (INTELSAT). STS-49 will also feature the first extravehicular
          activity by man since return-to-flight in 1988.