----------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, November 22, 1989 Audio: 202/755-1788 ----------------------------------------------------------------- This is NASA Headline News for Wednesday, November 22..... Everything is on schedule for launch of the space shuttle orbiter Discovery. Loading of the external tank began earlier today and the crew was on schedule for boarding the spacecraft. The Department of Defense mission is scheduled to be launched today sometime during a four hour period that begins at 6:30 P.M., Eastern time. NASA Select television will begin launch coverage at 5:30 P.M. Weather conditions remain favorable for the launch window. There is only a 20 percent chance of violating weather criteria. This is only the third time a shuttle has been launched after dark. There will be no TV coverage or mission status reports during the flight. Landing at Edwards Air Force Base will be covered by NASA Select TV. Announcement of the exact landing time will come 24 hours before conclusion of the mission. Johnson Space Center has released the menu for Thanksgiving day dinner aboard the Discovery...diced turkey and gravy, broccoli au gratin, potato patties, cranberry sauce and pumpkin muffins. Apparently there's no clean way to eat pie in zero-g...thus the muffins. The manufacturing plant that produces high quality rayon yarn for solid rocket motors used by NASA and the Department of Defense remains closed while hazardous chemicals are being removed from the site. The Avtex Fibers facility in Front Royal, Virginia, was closed down November 10 when it lost a court battle over alleged pollution of the Shenandoah River. Intense solar activity continues to bombard the Magellan spacecraft on its interplanetary flight to Venus. Cruise operations have been bothered by star scanner and gyro problems, but the general health of the spacecraft remains good. There has been some solar panel degradation because of the severe solar activity, but the loss is well within an allowable amount. The JPL managed spacecraft is traveling at a velocity of about 70-thousand miles per hour relative to Earth. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------- Here's the broadcast schedule for public affairs events on NASA Select TV. All times are Eastern. There will be no in-flight television coverage of the STS-33 space shuttle mission. The date and time of NASA Select landing television of the mission cannot be determined at this time. Thursday, November 30..... 11:30 A.M. NASA Update will be transmitted. All events and times are subject to change without notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------- These reports are filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12 noon, Eastern time. ----------------------------------------------------------------- A service of the Internal Communications Branch (LPC), NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.