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VE. NSTS Flight Rate and Flight Scheduling Introduction This section of the report includes discussions of the National Space Transportation System (NSTS) manifesting process, flight production process, major milestone history, and an assessment of the workload of Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) personnel involved in mission support. 1. Manifesting Process The manifesting process begins at NASA Headquarters with the issuance of two pieces of information: a candidate manifest and a set of groundrules (or priorities)(refer to fig.1). Nearly all this information is transmitted by way of the Flight Assignment Working Group (FAWG) to the various organizations. The initial assessment performed at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) is shown in the box entitled "Integrated Evaluation" and in the dotted feedback line to Headquarters. This JSC feedback is used by Headquarters in developing the manifest. Upon receipt of a preliminary manifest from Headquarters, the FAWG center performs an evaluation of the manifest and prepares recommendations for transmittal back to Headquarters. The Space Shuttle Payload Flight Assignment document, hereafter referred to as "Headquarters manifest," is the instrument which shows NASA's planned Space Transportation System (STS) operations for the next several years. The JSC Level II instrument directing the implementation of specific STS missions for the next 15 months is the Flight Definition and Requirements Directive (FDRD). Both of these documents typically include the following: Flight number Lauch date Orbiter vehicle (OV) Major payloads Middeck payloads Altitude Inclination Crew size Flight duration The FDRD is maintained by the NSTS Program Manager's Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB). The Headquarters manifest and the FDRD are kept in synchronization at the JSC Mission Integration Office by: 1. Providing a Chairman for FAWB 2. Presenting manifest changes to the FDRD for the consideration of the NSTS Program Manger. -69-