🚀 go-pugleaf

Mark Hess                                  December 18, 1989
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.             2:45 p.m. EST

Lisa Malone
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.


NASA LAUNCH ADVISORY

     NASA managers today decided to postpone the STS-32 launch 
until the second week of January, with the earliest possible date 
January 8.  Two significant factors in the decision were the 
desire to complete testing and validation of the launch pad 
system used to load cryogenic fluids into the orbiter which power 
the electricity-generating fuel cells, and the need to power down 
the Launch Processing System at the Kennedy Space Center so that 
scheduled modifications on its cooling system can be performed.  
Another important factor was the desire to permit NASA employees 
and contractors to take off during the Christmas holidays.  STS-
32 will mark the first launch from Pad A since January 1986, and 
will be the first use of a newly-refurbished Mobile Launch 
Platform.

     Robert L. Crippen, director of the Space Shuttle, said the 
verification of the launch pad system required to load liquid 
hydrogen and liquid oxgyen into Columbia's onboard Power Reactant 
Storage and Distribution system is taking longer than planned.  
"We didn't want to get into a situation where the work on the 
PRSD system was preventing us from powering down the LPS so that 
we could perform the planned maintenance on that system.  If we 
were significantly delayed in being able to perform the LPS work, 
that could have a  significant impact on our processing 
activities next year."

     Crippen said the delay will not impact NASA's ability to 
safely retrieve the  Long Duration Exposure Facility, and he 
added that this delay would not affect NASA's ability to meet its 
planned manifest of nine Shuttle launches in the next fiscal 
year.

     William B. Lenoir, Associate Administrator for Space Flight 
said, "The team worked very hard to get Columbia off before 
Christmas, but the added work of going off a refurbished pad and 
a new mobile platform really slowed us down.  The vehicle is in 
excellent shape, and I think the additional time to complete the 
pad work will help us get into a smooth countdown when we resume 
our launch activities. We conducted five missions this year, 
including three in the past four months, which I regard as an 
outstanding effort by the Shuttle team.  We are all proud of our 
effort this year, and are looking forward to an equally 
productive effort next year."

     While the exact time of launch will be determined after an 
official date is set, the time of liftoff for a January 8 date is 
shortly after 8 a.m. EST.  The time of liftoff is approximately 
30 minutes earlier for each day later in January.