Mission Control Center
STS-66 Status Report #17

Saturday, November 12, 5 a.m. CST

The Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere
(CRISTA) satellite ended its eight-day mission this morning when the
STS-66 crew retrieved the science satellite and returned it to the
orbiter's payload bay for the trip home. 

Payload Commander Ellen Ochoa captured the Shuttle Pallet Satellite, with
its CRISTA and Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph
Investigation (MAHRSI) instruments, with the robot arm at 7:05 a.m.
Central this morning as Atlantis traveled southeast of New Zealand on
Orbit 141. Following additional testing while on the end of the robot arm,
the satellite is scheduled to be placed back into the payload bay at about
9:30 a.m. today. 

During the rendezvous sequence, Atlantis flew an elliptical pattern in
front of the satellite called a MAHRSI Football maneuver to allow the
instrument to gather Shuttle glow data.  Investigators will use the
information to calibrate data obtained from the atmospheric instruments by
detecting and measuring the gas hydroxyl in the proximity of the orbiter. 

Crew Commander Don McMonagle also tested a new rendezvous technique to
demonstrate the approach that will be used on Atlantis' next flight in
June 1995 to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. The
technique, which has the orbiter approaching from beneath its target,
minimizes thruster jet firings that could "plume" or contaminate the space
station systems and solar arrays. 

Throughout the night, the Blue Team of astronauts -- Pilot Curt Brown and
Mission Specialists Jean-Francois Clervoy and Scott Parazynski --
supported the rendezvous activities, maneuvering Atlantis through a series
of burns to place it in the correct position for its rendezvous with
CRISTA-SPAS. The Red Team -- McMonagle, Ochoa and Mission Specialist Joe
Tanner -- woke up at 2 a.m. to oversee the final stages of the satellite
rendezvous and retrieval.  Tanner used a hand-held laser device that will
be used on the Shuttle/Mir docking missions to gather precise range and
range rate data throughout the rendezvous. 

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