Michael Braukus/Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, DC                    June 20, 1997
(Phone: 202/358-1778)

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

Kyle Herring/Ed Campion
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N97-43

JULY 1 SELECTED FOR MICROGRAVITY SCIENCES LABORATORY REFLIGHT

    NASA managers today set July 1 as the official launch date
for Space Shuttle Columbia and the reflight of the Microgravity
Science Laboratory-1 payload following completion of the STS-94
Flight Readiness Review at the Kennedy Space Center, FL.  The
original MSL-1 mission during STS-83 in April was shortened due
to the suspect performance of a fuel cell.

    The STS-94 launch window opens at 2:37 p.m. EDT and extends
for 2-1/2 hours.  The MSL-1 mission has a planned duration of
16 days.  An on-time launch on July 1 and nominal mission
duration will result in Columbia landing at the Kennedy Space
Center at approximately 7:13 a.m. EDT, on July 17.

    "The NASA contractor workforce has put forth an outstanding
effort in getting the MSL-1 mission ready to fly again," said
Johnson Space Center Director George Abbey, who chaired the
meeting.  "The quick turnaround in Columbia's processing for
launch will allow the crew and the international team of
investigators the opportunity to finish the important work they
began earlier this year.  The experiments and activities
associated with STS-94 are a preview for the work that will be
performed on the International Space Station."

    STS-94 will be the 23rd flight of Columbia and the 85th
mission flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program in
April 1981.

                          -end-