Mission Control Center
STS-64 Status Report #3

Saturday, Sept. 10, 4:30 p.m. CDT

Discovery's crew began its first full day in orbit with an assortment of
experiments aboard the shuttle. Following a good performance checkout
last night, the Lidar in Space Technology Experiment (LITE) completed
three orbits of nightime observations above the eastern hemisphere. 

LITE took laser measurements of aerosols above northern Europe, clouds
above Indonesia and the south Pacific, and the surface of the
Himalayan Mountains. Simultaneous atmospheric measurements were performed
by LITE in orbit and by researchers on the ground of the atmosphere
above Tomsk, Russia, a site that has long been a part of various
atmospheric studies. 

Also early today, Mission Specialist Susan Helms performed a check of
Discovery's mechanical arm, finding it to be in excellent condition.
Helms then grappled the Shuttle Plume Impingement Flight Experiment, a
32-foot long extension to the mechanical arm, raising it above
Discovery's cargo bay. During SPIFEX activation, flight controllers
noticed a communications problem with the interface between
Discovery's payload general support computers and the data system on
SPIFEX. After cycling a circuit breaker that powers the data system,
communications were restored and SPIFEX is operating properly. Later, cold
nitrogen gas was fired at SPIFEX to calibrate sensors which will be
used to study the effects of the shuttle's reaction control system jet
plumes. 

Discovery continues to orbit the Earth at approximately 140 nautical miles
altitude, circling the Earth every 90 minutes.