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From: alb@alice.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: STS-7 Preparations Proceeding -- STS-10 may be Scrubbed
Message-ID: <1920@alice.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 14-Jun-83 09:03:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: alice.1920
Posted: Tue Jun 14 09:03:14 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 15-Jun-83 16:07:04 EDT
Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill
Lines: 14

Preparations for STS-7 were proceeding smoothly today, as technicians
began pressurizing Challenger's fuel tanks and inspecting her thermal
tile protection system.

Meanwhile, NASA announced that STS-10, currently scheduled to launch
this November, may be scrubbed due to a lack of payload.  The Air
Force, which had booked the flight to carry a classified satellite
asked NASA to delete their payload from the manifest and schedule
it on a later flight because of the still unresolved problems with
the IUS that malfunctioned during STS-6.  NASA said if it cannot
find a payload to be moved up to STS-10 launch time, it will most
probably scrub the launch.  Twelve missions are planned for next
year.  STS-8 and STS-9, now scheduled for August and September of
this year, are still on schedule.