🚀 go-pugleaf

                                PAYLOAD STATUS REPORT
                         Prepared at 4:15 p.m. Dec.l8, l989
                                   Mission STS-32


          STS-32 -- SYNCOM, LDEF RETRIEVAL

               Today's announcement of a new target launch date for  STS-32
          of no earlier than Jan.  8, l990 is expected to have no impact on
          either SYNCOM deployment or the retrieval of  the  Long  Duration
          Exposure Facility (LDEF).

               SYNCOM  is  in Columbia's cargo bay at Launch Pad A.  There,
          the satellite is being trickle charged and maintained in a launch
          readiness condition.  The change of the launch date will not  af-
          fect the scenario planned for deployment of the satellite,  which
          will be known as LEASAT once on station.

               The scenario, known as Post Ejection Sequencer (PES),  calls
          for  a  series  of  manuevers  performed over a period of several
          days. Forty-five minutes after deployment, the solid perigee kick
          motor will be ignited.  Three manuevers will place the  satellite
          in a geosynchronous orbit at l77 degrees west.

               Retrieval of the LDEF, now a valuable scientific repository,
          will  not  be  impacted  by the revised launch date.  Current es-
          timates are that LDEF will be retrievable through  at  least  the
          third week of February.