Jennifer McCarter
Headquarters, Washington, DC                     May 19, 1999
(Phone:  202/358-1639)

James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone:  281/483-5111)

NOTE TO EDITORS: N99-29

MANAGERS SET MAY 27 AS TARGET LAUNCH DATE FOR DISCOVERY

     Having repaired hail damage to the external fuel tank's
insulation, NASA managers Wednesday set May 27 as the launch date
for Space Shuttle Discovery's next mission.

     A nine-minute launch window will open at 6:48 a.m. EDT.
Shuttle managers will determine an optimum launch time within
that window one day before launch and may further refine that time
during the final planned hold in the countdown nine minutes
before launch.

     Discovery remains inside the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle
Assembly Building as work platforms are removed.  Crews repaired
approximately 460 indentations on the insulation.  Weather
permitting, technicians plan to move Discovery back to the launch
pad early Thursday morning to resume launch preparations.

                                   -end-