Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, DC            May 15, 1996
(Phone:  202/358-1778)

Lisa Malone
Kennedy Space Center, FL
(Phone:  407/867-2468)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N96-32

STS-77 COUNTDOWN BRIEFINGS/LAUNCH COVERAGE - MAY 16-19

     Beginning Thursday, a series of briefings will be held 
at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, FL, on the upcoming launch of 
the Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-77.  Launch is 
scheduled for Sunday, May 19 at 6:30 a.m. EDT.

     Daily countdown status briefings will be held to update 
news media on final processing activities for the launch.  A 
pre-launch news conference will be held on May 18 at 10 a.m. 
EDT to discuss STS-77 mission readiness and objectives.  

     Attached is a listing of the times, subjects and 
participants for each of the scheduled briefings.  Also noted 
on the schedule are key STS-77 pre-launch activities.

                    -end-

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STS-77 PRE-LAUNCH BRIEFINGS
(Based on a 5/19/96 launch -- All times are EDT)
-------------------------------------------------------------


L-3 DAYS (Thursday, May 16, 1996)

4:00 a.m.   Begin STS-77 Launch Countdown

9:00 a.m.   STS-77 Crew Arrival at KSC SLF

10:00 a.m.  Countdown Status Briefing
            John Stealey, NASA Test Director
            Roelof Schuiling, STS-77 Payload Manager
            Ed Priselac, Shuttle Weather Officer
-------------------------------------------------------------
L-2 DAYS (Friday, May 17, 1996)

TBD         Countdown Status Briefing
            Debbie Frostrom, NASA Test Director
            Roelof Schuiling, STS-77 Payload Manager
            Ed Priselac, Shuttle Weather Officer
------------------------------------------------------------- 
L-1 DAY (Saturday, May 18, 1996)

TBD        STS-76 Pre-Launch Press Conference
           Tommy Holloway, NASA Shuttle Program Manager, JSC
           Dr. John E. Mansfield, Assoc. Admin, Office of 
              Space Access and Technology
           Dr. Shelly Harrison, Chairman and CEO, SPACEHAB, Inc.
           Steve MacLean, Director General, Canadian Astronaut Program, CSA
           Bob Sieck, Director of Shuttle Operations, KSC
           Capt. Scott Heckman, Launch Weather Officer

-------------------------------------------------------------
LAUNCH DAY (Sunday, May 19, 1996)

1:30 a.m.         NASA TV coverage of STS-77 launch begins

6:30 a.m.         LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR

7:30 a.m.         Post-Launch Press Conference
                  Loren Shriver, Mgr., Shuttle Program Launch Integration
                  Jim Harrington, KSC Launch Director