THE MISSION OF DISCOVERY
Discovery’s launch on the 40th shuttle mission, scheduled for 4:05 a.m. PDT today from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, would be the second of 1991. A delay because of bad weather was considered possible as of late Monday. It would be the 12th flight for the Discovery since 1984. Some details: * Mission highlights: As part of a “Star Wars” research flight, the astronauts will launch four small satellites, fire the shuttle’s rocket engines more than 200 times and release chemicals into space to learn more about how to detect enemy missiles in flight.
* Orbital altitude: 160 statute miles.
* Mission duration: 8 days, 7 hours, 25 minutes.
* Shuttle crew: Commander: Navy Capt. Michael Coats, 45; Co-pilot: Air Force Lt. Col. Blaine Hammond, 39; Air Force Lt. Col. Donald McMonagle, 38; Air Force Col. Guion Bluford, 48; Mission specialists: Gregory Harbaugh, 35; Charles Lacy Veach, 46; Richard Hieb, 35.
* Flight directors: Lee Briscoe, Robert Castle, Ron Dittemore, Robert Kelso.
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