THE 100th US MANNED space flight will begin with the launch of Space Shuttle STS70/Discovery on 8 June. The mission will carry a five-person crew on a routine satellite-deployment mission.
The STS70 will feature the first flight of a Space Shuttle main engine (SSME) equipped with a high-pressure, liquid-oxygen, turbo pump developed by Pratt & Whitney, replacing the unit manufactured by SSME main contractor, Rocketdyne.
The final TRW-built NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, the TDRS G, will be deployed on the Discovery's 21st mission. The flight is expected to last eight days, but may be reduced to five should the launch be delayed beyond 8 June, to allow time to prepare for the historic launch of the STS71/Atlantis no earlier than 22 June, to dock with the Russian Mir 1.
Source: Flight International
