STS-80 Day 15 Highlights

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On Tuesday, December 3, 1996, 6:00 a.m. CST, STS-80 MCC Status Report # 32 reports:

Routine space operations were the order of business for Columbia's five astronauts today as they monitored experiments and discussed the mission during a news conference. Leading their astronomy spacecraft by 20 nautical miles, the crewmembers again conducted small engine firings to maintain that distance prior to the early Wednesday morning retrieval of the satellite.

With the extra day of science gathering by the ORFEUS-SPAS, retrieval is now scheduled to occur at 2:09 a.m. central time following rendezvous maneuvers by Commander Ken Cockrell and Pilot Kent Rominger beginning a couple of hours after waking up at 6:26 p.m. today.

Once grappled by the shuttle's robot arm, the satellite will be maneuvered through a planned profile to allow data to be gathered in support of the Orbiter Space Vision System, which uses the payload bay cameras and a series of strategically placed 'dots' to provide precise relative position, attitude, and rate cues in a concise graphical and digital format. Mission Specialists Tammy Jernigan, Tom Jones and Story Musgrave will use these cues to perform robot arm operations and/or proximity operations before berthing the satellite in the payload bay at 6:39 a.m. Wednesday.

Jernigan, Jones and Musgrave signed organ donor cards this morning to help in increasing public awareness of the importance of organ transplantation in saving lives. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that more than 50,000 Americans are on a national waiting list to receive organs.

Cockrell and Rominger sent a playful message in support of this weekend's Army-Navy football game by saying "Go Navy, beat Army." Cockrell is a captain in the Naval Reserve and Rominger is Navy Commander. Mission Control's Bill McArthur, a fellow astronaut and Army Colonel, responded to the downlink, "In your dreams."

The astronauts sleep shifting continues to move later each day in preparation for Friday's planned landing at Kennedy Space Center.in Florida. Landing time for the first opportunity on December 6 is 7:02 a.m.

On Tuesday, December 3, 1996, 7:00 p.m. CST, STS-80 MCC Status Report # 33 reports:

While STS-80 crew members get ready to retrieve the ORFEUS-SPAS astronomy satellite tonight, the flight control team is watching the weather in Florida and exploring options for bringing Columbia home.

Shortly after the crew finishes its post-sleep period, Commander Ken Cockrell and Pilot Kent Rominger will eventually bring Columbia to within 35 feet of the satellite. Crew members will then capture the ORFEUS-SPAS from its orbit using the shuttle's robotic arm at about 2:09 a.m. Central Wednesday.

Once captured, the satellite will be maneuvered at the end of the arm through a planned profile to allow data to be gathered in support of the Orbiter Space Vision System. The Space Vision System evaluates the use of payload bay television cameras and a series of strategically placed markings to provide precise measurements that can assist the operator of the robotic arm. Mission Specialists Tammy Jernigan, Tom Jones and Story Musgrave will use these cues to perform robot arm operations and before berthing the satellite in the payload bay at 6:39 a.m. Wednesday.

Interspersed with NASA Television's coverage of STS-80 will be launch coverage of the Mars Pathfinder, planned for a 12:58 a.m. Wednesday liftoff. Launch coverage on NASA TV begins at 11 p.m.

Flight controllers are watching the weather at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as Columbia nears the end of its mission, and an option to land on Thursday is being retained in the event the forecast is unacceptable for a Friday or later landing. Any change in the plans for a Friday landing will not be made before Wednesday morning at the earliest.

STS-80 crew members began their 15th day in space at 6:26 p.m. with the song "Return to Sender" by Elvis Presley. Columbia's systems continue to perform as expected in a 220-mile-high orbit.

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