NASA Daily News Summary

For Release: Dec. 3, 1998

Media Advisory 98-88

TODAY'S SUMMARY:

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STS-88 Launch Delayed
Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite Postponed
Cassini Mission Status Report
NASA Video File for Dec. 3, 1998

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STS-88 LAUNCH DELAYED

The Launch of Endeavour on Shuttle Mission STS-88 was postponed at 3:58 A.M.
EST
Thursday, Dec. 3, 1998. NASA will proceed with turnaround activities toward a
planned
launch tomorrow morning at 3:36 A.M. EST, Dec. 4, 1998

http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-88/countdown.html

^^^^^
SUBMILLIMETER WAVE ASTRONOMY SATELLITE LAUNCH POSTPONED

NASA's Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) launch was postponed

due to
the unreliability of tracking data. Launch managers will meet today to decide
whether to try
a launch attempt on Friday, Dec. 4, 1998 at 8:42 p.m. EST.

http://sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov/smex/swas/

^^^^^
CASSINI STATUS REPORT

The Cassini spacecraft successfully completed a long-planned 90-minute firing of

its
onboard rocket engine late last night, setting the spacecraft on course for a second
flyby of
Venus---the next major milestone on Cassini's long trajectory to saturn.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/
^^^^^

If any news releases are issued later today, summaries and Internet URLs will be
e-mailed to this list.

Index of NASA News Releases:

http://www.nasa.gov/releases/1998/index.html

Video File for December 3, 1998

ITEM 1 : SWAS To Study Star Formation

The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) will study the chemical
composition
of interstellar galactic clouds to help determine the process of star formation. SWAS
will be
looking at water, molecular oxygen, atomic carbon, and isotopic carbon monoxide
by
examining their submillimeter wave radiation. This high frequency (487 - 556 GHz)
radiation cannot be detected from ground based observations because of
atmospheric
attenuation. SWAS can observe 3-5 targets per orbit.

For more information about SWAS :

http://sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov/smex/swas/

Center Contact: Jim Sahli 301-286-8955

Headquarters Contact: Don Savage 202/358-1727

ITEM 2 : STS-88 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION B-ROLL (replay)

Footage includes mission animation detailing the orbital mating of Unity and Zarya,
completed Station animation, spacewalkers training in the Neutral Buoyancy
Laboratory,
past spacewalks, and hardware preparation.

Contact at Johnson Space Center: James Hartsfield 281/483- 5111; contact at

Headquarters: Dwayne Brown 202/358-1726.

ITEM 3: STS-88 CREW INTERVIEWS

Contact at Johnson Space Center: Doug Peterson 281/483-5111.

Following the videofile will be a replay of the 6:00am press briefing from Kennedy
Space
Center concerning the STS-88 mission.

^^^^^
The NASA Video File normally airs at noon, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00
p.m. and midnight Eastern time. NASA Television is available
on GE-2, transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, with
vertical polarization. Frequency is on 3880.0 megahertz,
with audio on 6.8 megahertz.

Ray Castillo
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: 202/358-4555.

The most recent NASA Video File Advisory can be found at:
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/tv-advisory/nasa-tv.txt

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CONTRACT AWARDS

NASA Selects Raytheon STX To Provide Goddard Support

NASA has selected Raytheon STX Corporation of Lanham, MD, to provide routine
data
operations, and research and development support for the Space Science Data
Operations Office and the National Space Science Data Center at the Foddard space
Flight Center

Contact at Headquarters: Don Savage 202/358-1547

Full text available at;
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/contract/1998/c98-v.txt

^^^^^
Engineering and Testing Support to be Supplied by International Space Station
Contract
Modification

NASA signed a contract modification with The Boeing Company, Houston, TX to

supply
additional engineering support and pre-launch testing for the International Space
Station,
increasing the prime space station contract held by Boeing by $163.4 million.
Contact at Headquarters: Jennifer McCarter 202-358-1639
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/contract/1998/c98-u.txt

NASA contract awards are posted to:

http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/award.html

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**********

END OF DAILY NEWS SUMMARY