STS-72 Day 2 Highlights

Back to STS-72 Flight Day 01 Highlights:

On Friday, January 12, 1996, 5 a.m. CST, STS-72 MCC Status Report # 03 reports:

Endeavour's six astronauts spent their first full day in orbit activating secondary experiments and checking out the spacesuits they will wear next week during a pair of 6 1/2 hour spacewalks.

Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Brent Jett and Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao, Winston Scott, Koichi Wakata and Dan Barry were awakened at 7:11 Central time Thursday night to the music from the motion picture "Star Wars." At the time the astronauts were awakened, Endeavour trailed the Japanese Space Flyer Unit satellite by about 6600 nautical miles and was closing the distance between itself and the 4-ton science satellite by about 762 nautical miles per orbit.

Wakata is scheduled to use Endeavour's 50-foot long robot arm early Saturday to retrieve the SFU, which was launched on March 18, 1995 atop a Japanese H-2 rocket from the Tanageshima Space Center in Japan for 10 months of materials science studies and biological experiments. Flight controllers reported that the SFU, which is orbiting at an altitude of about 257 nautical miles, is in good shape despite the loss of two jet thrusters which are part of the reaction control system for the satellite. The thruster problem will not affect the SFU's retrieval.

Japanese engineers at the Sagamihara Control Center south of Tokyo turned off the satellite's major thruster system overnight as planned, one of the final major events prior to the SFU retrieval Saturday.

At 1:38 AM this morning, Duffy and Jett conducted a brief firing of the orbiter's reaction control system jets to alter Endeavour's orbit slightly and to avoid a close encounter with an orbiting Air Force satellite nicknamed MISTY (MSTI). The satellite was launched in May 1994 from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on a Scout rocket, but is no longer active. Without the maneuver, Endeavour would have passed within 8/10 of a mile of the satellite. With the maneuver, Endeavour remained more than 5 miles away from MSTI.

Near the end of their workday, Chiao, Barry and Scott tested the the three spacesuits they will wear during their two spacewalks, making sure that the various systems in the suits were working properly. Chiao and Barry will conduct the first spacewalk starting Sunday night. Chiao will be joined by Scott Tuesday for the second excursion into Endeavour's cargo bay. Both spacewalks are designed to test tools and techniques for the assembly of the international Space Station.

The crew will begin an eight-hour sleep period at 10:41 AM Central time and will be awakened early this evening for the start of the final phase of the rendezvous to capture the Space Flyer Unit. Endeavour is orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 287 statute miles with all of its systems in excellent shape.

On Friday, January 12, 1996, 5 p.m. CST, STS-72 MCC Status Report # 04 reports:

A day of preparation for events to come concluded aboard Endeavour this morning, and Endeavour is now on course for the planned retrieval early Saturday of the Japanese Space Flyer Unit satellite.

Following an orbit-raising burn early this morning, Endeavour is now less than 300 statute miles from the SFU and closing in on the satellite at a little over 60 statute miles per orbit. The crew began an eight-hour sleep period at 10:41 a.m. CST and will awaken for Day 3 of the mission at 6:41 p.m. CST today.

During their second day in space, Pilot Brent Jett and Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata performed a survey of Endeavour's cargo bay using the shuttle's robot arm, finding everything in excellent shape. Also, astronauts Leroy Chiao, Winston Scott and Dan Barry checked out the spacesuits and spacewalking gear they will use later in the flight to perform two spacewalks. All three suits were found to be in good condition. Chiao and Barry are planned to conduct the first spacewalk starting on Sunday night. Chiao will be joined by Scott on Tuesday for the second excursion into Endeavour's cargo bay. Both spacewalks will test tools and techniques for the assembly of the international Space Station.

For Day 3, the primary objective will be the capture and berthing of the SFU. Rendezvous operations will begin in earnest at about 12:44 a.m. CST Saturday as Endeavour, then eight nautical miles from the SFU, starts the Terminal Initiation burn to close the final distance to the satellite. As Endeavour approaches the final half-mile, Commander Brian Duffy will begin manually flying the shuttle. Wakata is planned to capture the SFU using the robot arm at about 3:24 a.m. CST Saturday.

The SFU was launched on March 18, 1995 atop a Japanese H-2 rocket from the Tanageshima Space Center in Japan for 10 months of materials science studies and biological experiments.

Go to STS-72 Flight Day 3 Highlights: