Conference 7.286::space

[Downloaded from NASA Spacelink]
 
	       KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
		     MONDAY, APRIL 3, 1995 (12:06 PM EST)
 
KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham 407-867-2468 (fax 407-867-2692)
(Internet e-mail: [email protected])
 
 
		   MISSION: STS-69 -- WSF-2 & SPARTAN 201-03
 
VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105     
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: July 20             APPROX. LAUNCH TIME: 12:06 p.m.
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 31 at 8:37 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 21 hours     CREW SIZE: 5
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 190 statute miles/28.45 degrees
 
IN WORK TODAY:
o Preparations for payload removal
o Preparations to remove main engines
o Functional checks of the forward reaction control system
o Continue access to aft engine compartment
 
WORK COMPLETED:
o Remove main engine tail cone
o Post flight radiator inspections
 
WORK SCHEDULED:
o Remove ASTRO-2 payload (Wednesday)
o Remove main engines (April 10)
o Remove extended duration orbiter pallet (April 11)
 
 
			     PAYLOAD STATUS REPORT
				 April 6, 1995
 
George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center
407/867-2468
 
 
STS-69/Wake Shield Facility
Endeavour/July 20
 
     The Wake Shield Facility arrived at NASA Hangar AE on Cape Canaveral Air
Station on Monday at 5:45 a.m.  It is currently being unpacked and undergoing 
receiving inspections. 
 
 

	       KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
		     FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1995 (10:35 AM EST)
 
KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham 407-867-2468 (fax 407-867-2692)
 
		   MISSION: STS-69 -- WSF-2 & SPARTAN 201-03
 
VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105     
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: July 20             APPROX. LAUNCH TIME: 12:06 p.m.
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 31 at 8:37 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 21 hours     CREW SIZE: 5
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 190 statute miles/28.45 degrees
 
IN WORK TODAY:
o Extended duration orbiter pallet demate preparations
o Preparations to remove main engines
o Functional checks of the forward reaction control system
 
WORK SCHEDULED:
o Remove extended duration orbiter pallet (April 11)

               KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                       MONDAY, MAY 8, 1995 (1:15 PM EDT)
 
KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham 407-867-2468 (fax 407-867-2692)
 
                   MISSION: STS-69 -- WSF-2 & SPARTAN 201-03
 
VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105     
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: July 20 at 10:30 a.m.
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 31 at 7:15 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 21 hours     CREW SIZE: 5
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 190 statute miles/28.45 degrees
 
NOTE: Endeavour is powered-up.  The OPF has been re-opened following 
hazardous operations to service the auxiliary power units and remove a 
thruster.  Payload premate testing is underway today.  SRB stacking operations 
are in work in the VAB.
 
CONCERN: An investigation board has been named by Center Director Jay 
Honeycutt to look into the circumstances surrounding the May 4, 1995 
incident which caused a brief fire to occur on Endeavour s right hand 
orbital maneuvering system pod.  No injuries resulted from the fire, which 
was quickly extinguished and only minor damage to the vehicle was evident.
 

 
BOARD APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE HYPERGOLIC FIRE ON ENDEAVOUR
KSC Release 42-95
 
 
NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
 
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899
AC 407 867-2468
                                        For Release:
Bruce Buckingham                             May  9, 1995
407-867-2468
 
KSC RELEASE NO.  42 - 95
 
BOARD APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE HYPERGOLIC FIRE ON ENDEAVOUR
 
     An investigation board has been named by Bob Sieck, Director of
Shuttle Operations at KSC, to look into the circumstances surrounding the
May 4, 1995 incident which caused a brief fire to occur on Endeavour's
right hand orbital maneuvering system pod.  The vehicle, located in Orbiter
Processing Facility bay 1 and undergoing operations to prepare it for
mission STS-69, is scheduled for launch in July 1995. 
 
     Chairman of the investigation board is Frank Buzzard, Space Shuttle
Chief Engineer at Johnson Space Center.  Board members include John
Griffin, Chief, Propulsion Systems Branch, JSC; Frank Caldeiro, Mission
Assurance Office, KSC;  Grant Cates, NASA Vehicle Manager, KSC; Ralph Roe,
Hypergolics and Hydraulics Branch Chief, KSC; and Bob Kowalski, Propulsion
Test Office, White Sands Test Facility, N.M. 
 
     Ex-officio board members from KSC are Tracy Lee Crittenden, legal
advisor; Brian Harris, administrative support; and Bruce Buckingham,
public affairs advisor.  William Higgins and Ronald Phelps have also been
assigned to advise and assist with the board s investigation. 
 
     On May 4 at about 8 p.m., while technicians were working on
disconnecting a thruster on Endeavour's right hand orbital maneuvering
system (OMS) pod in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, a small hypergolic
fire resulted which was rapidly extinguished.  Technicians had disconnected
the oxidizer (nitrogen tetroxide) line to OMS thruster R1A and were in the
process of disconnecting the fuel (monomethylhydrazine) line when the fire
erupted.  The fire was extinguished by technicians who were in SCAPE suits
and no injuries were reported.  Only minor damage to the vehicle was
evident.  The pod will be removed and replaced prior to flight for
extensive analysis. 
 
     Board functions include: investigating the facts surrounding the
incident, determination of its probable cause, assessments of the
possibility of a recurrence, and recommendations of corrective actions.  A
final report is expected by the end of May. 


 
              KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                    FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1995 (10:31 AM EDT)
 
KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham 407-867-2468 (fax 407-867-2692)
 
 
                    MISSION: STS-69 -- WSF-2 & SPARTAN 201-03
 
VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1
TARGET LAUNCH DATE/TIME: July 20 at 10:33 a.m.
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 31 at 7:02 a.m.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 20 hours          CREW SIZE: 5
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 230 statute miles/28.45 degrees
 
NOTE: Preparations are in work to install the space shuttle main engines today.
Also, the crew equipment interface test is scheduled to begin later today.  In
the VAB, the external tank has been mated to the solid rocket boosters and
electrical connections are being checked. 
 
KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
- Roll orbiter to Vehicle Assembly Building (June 20)
 
 

Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, DC              June 7, 1995
(Phone:  202/358-1778)
 
Rob Navias
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone:  713/483-5111)
 
NOTE TO EDITORS:  N95-39
 
NASA MANAGERS SET LAUNCH DATES FOR DISCOVERY AND ENDEAVOUR
 
     NASA managers have set new target launch dates for two Shuttle missions 
scheduled to fly this summer.  Space Shuttle Discovery on Mission STS-70 is 
now targeted for launch on July 13 and Space Shuttle Endeavour is set to be 
launched on Mission STS-69 on July 30.
 
     The new flight dates for Discovery and Endeavour have no impact to the 
processing work on Space Shuttle Atlantis being prepared for the STS-71 launch 
on the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission.  The Atlantis launch remains planned 
for no earlier than June 22 and a firm launch date may be announced early next 
week.
 
    The new target launch dates for Discovery and Endeavour were established 
after the launch team finished assessing the impact of last week's decision to 
roll Discovery off Launch Pad 39-B.  The rollback was required in order to 
make repairs to the foam insulation on the external tank.  

 
[Downloaded from NASA Spacelink]
 
STS-69 launch date
 
 
July 5, 1995
 
 
STS-69, earlier scheduled for launch on July 30, is now tentatively
scheduled for no earlier than August 3. Mission duration remains the same
at 10 days, 21 hours. 

Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, DC             July 5, 1995
(Phone:  202/358-1780)
 
Kari Fluegel
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone:  713/483-5111)
 
NOTE TO EDITORS:  N95-46
 
SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-69 BRIEFINGS SET FOR JULY 10 & 12
 
     Pre-flight press briefings will be held July 10 and 12 
for Space Shuttle mission STS-69, scheduled for launch in 
the next several weeks.
 
    The mission will mark the second flight of the Wake 
Shield Facility (WSF), a saucer-shaped satellite that will 
fly free of the Shuttle for several days, growing thin 
films in a near perfect vacuum created by the wake of the 
satellite as it moves through space.  The WSF flew 
previously on STS-60 in February 1994.
 
     In addition to the WSF deploy and retrieval, Commander 
David M. Walker (Captain, USN) and his crewmates will 
deploy and retrieve the Spartan 201 astronomy satellite 
during the flight, as well as perform a number of other 
experiments.  Mission Specialists James S. Voss (Lt. Col, 
USA) and Michael L. Gernhardt will conduct a six-hour 
spacewalk during the mission to test assembly techniques 
for the international Space Station, and to test thermal 
improvements made to space suits used during space walks.
 
     The pre-flight briefings will allow two-way question 
and answer capability from all participating NASA Centers.
 
Following is the briefing schedule (All times are EDT):
 
July 10, 1995 
 
9 a.m.       Mission Overview (originating from JSC)
             Jeff Bantle, STS-69 Lead Flight Director
 
10 a.m.      Wake Shield Facility (originating from JSC)
             Dr. Raymond Gavert, Wake Shield Facility Program Manager, NASA HQ
             Alex Ignatiev, Wake Shield Facility Program Manager
 
11 a.m.      Spartan 201 (originating from GSFC)
             Craig Tooley, Spartan 201 Mission Manager
             Dick Fisher, Spartan 201 Principle Investigator
 
1 p.m.       International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker (originating from GSFC)
             Gerry Daelemans, IEH-1 Mission Manager
             Dr. Bill Sandel, UVSTAR Co-Principle Investigator
             Dr. Roberto Stalio, UVSTAR Principle Investigator
             Dr. Darrell Judge, SEH Principle Investigator
             Dr. Charlie Pike, GLO Scientist
 
2 p.m.       Capillary Pumped Loop/Thermal Energy Storage (originating from GSFC)
             Chris Dunker, CAPL/Gas Bridge Assembly Mission Manager
             Dr. Jentung Ku, CAPL Principle Investigator
             Carol Tolbert, TES Principle Investigator
 
2:45 p.m.    Getaway Special Canisters (originating from GSFC)
             Charlie Knapp, GAS Technical Manager
             Lee Shiflett, GAS Technical Manager
             Scherwin Beck, G-726 Experimenter
 
3 p.m.       Extravehicular Activity Overview (originating from JSC)
             Jerry Miller, STS-69 Lead Flight Controller
             Tim Brady, Lead Hardware Developer
 
4 p.m.       Secondary Payloads (originating from JSC)
             Dr. Raymond Gavert, Space Processing Division, NASA HQ
             Gary Deardorff, EPICS Project Engineer
 
July 12, 1995
 
10 a.m.     STS-69 Crew News Conference (originating from JSC)
            David M. Walker, Commander
            Kenneth D. Cockrell, Pilot
            James S. Voss, Payload Commander/Mission Specialist 1
            James H. Newman, Mission Specialist 2
            Michael L. Gernhardt, Mission Specialist 3
 
      NASA Television will carry all briefings live on 
Spacenet 2, Transponder 5, Channel 9 at 69 degrees West 
longitude.  The transponder frequency is 3880 MHz and the 
audio subcarrier is 6.8 MHz.  The polarization is 
horizontal.
 
                            - end -
 

    Ed Campion
    Headquarters, Washington, DC           August 25, 1995
    (Phone:  202/358-1780)
    
    Bruce Buckingham
    Kennedy Space Center, FL
    (Phone:  407/867-2468)
    
    NOTE TO EDITORS:  N95-56
    
    NASA SETS AUGUST 31 AS LAUNCH DATE FOR MISSION STS-69
    
         NASA managers today set Thursday, Aug. 31, 1995, as 
    the official launch date for Space Shuttle Endeavour on 
    Mission STS-69.  Major events planned for the flight 
    include deployment and retrieval of two free-flying 
    payloads and a six-hour spacewalk to evaluate assembly 
    techniques for the international Space Station.
    
         The launch date decision came after NASA officials 
    held a Flight Readiness Review to consider remaining issues 
    in preparing Endeavour for the flight.  Among the items 
    reviewed and closed out was the issue of minor O-ring 
    erosion seen in a joint of the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor 
    (RSRM) nozzle during the last two Shuttle launches.
    
         "In late July we decided to delay Endeavour's launch," 
    said Space Shuttle Director Bryan O'Connor.  "I believe 
    that was the right thing to do so that we could better 
    understand the anomaly seen with the RSRM nozzle joints.  
    Over the last four weeks, this issue has been worked by 
    NASA Shuttle, safety, and independent assessment teams.  
    All parties involved in this effort agree that we now 
    understand what was causing the anomaly and that proper 
    procedures have been established to resolve this issue.  
    The process we've gone through demonstrates once again that 
    flying safely remains our number one priority in the 
    Shuttle program."
    
         Launch of Endeavour Thursday is set for 11:04 a.m. EDT 
    at the opening of a 2-1/2 hour launch window.  The planned 
    mission duration is 11 days.  The mission is scheduled to 
    conclude with a landing at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle 
    Landing Facility on Sept. 11 at approximately 7:30 a.m. EDT.
    
                        - end -
    
    

It's been scrubbed.  It was somewhat rainy, but the main problem was apparently
an overheating fuel cell.  It looks like they will replace it.  I have heard
reports that it might be "a few days" up to a week.

Burns

    
    Thursday, September 7 at 11:09am EDT (ESTIMATED). The launch window is
    2 hours 30 min. 
    
    The Mission Management Team (MMT) decided to scrub the August 31, 1995
    scheduled launch of  Endeavour on mission STS-69 due to a failure of
    one of three fuel cells aboard the vehicle. The scrub was called at
    3:30am on 8/31/95 prior to tanking operations. Fuel cells provide
    electricity to the vehicle while in orbit. Mission rules state all
    three fuel cells must be up and operational prior to launch. Managers
    have decided the fuel cell will need to be removed and replaced, likely
    postponing the launch by several days. 
    
    At the 10:30am press conference on 8/31/95, Bob Sieck estimated the
    countdown could pick back up on Monday with a launch late in the week.
    The scrub was called due to a temperature spike in the Fuel Cell #2
    exit temperature. The fuel cell is located in the right side of the
    payload bay. Fuel cell #2 had 1700 hours of operation and cells are
    typically kept in service until 2400 hours of operation. A similar fuel
    cell problem was previously detected on orbit during the Spacelab D-1
    mission STS-61A and on the launch pad during STS-6. During STS-6, the
    fuel cell was replaced on the pad and similar procedures will be used
    for STS-69. 
    
    

Apparently it launched yesterday.  This seems to be the lowest-key mission yet. 
There is hardly anything on the NASA web server, and I have heard/seen nothing
on the news either.

Burns

    Yep, it launched on time for a nominal ascent. They had some problems
    late in the count with the orbiter access hatch failing a pressure
    test.
    
    gary

    I got home in time to see the Day-1 video replays. Our local
    educational access channel is tuned to NASA-Select. The launch
    went ok, no word on whether the choppy seas east of the launch
    site from Hurricane Luis will make it difficult to recover the
    SRB's or not.
    By mid-morning today they should have launched Spartan from the
    cargo bay. Things seem to be going smoothly from the new mission
    control center.
    
    bob

    Mission Control Status Report #1 STS-69
       
    Thursday, September 7, 1995 5:00 p.m.
       
    Endeavour lit up the Florida sky as it hurtled into orbit following an
    on-time lift off from Kennedy Space Center at 10:09 a.m. central time.
       
       
    Once on orbit the crew members began to configure Endeavour for
    on-orbit operations. Endeavour's payload bay doors were opened about 90
    minutes into the flight, followed by a 'GO' for on-orbit operations.
    
    Crew members and ground controllers in Houston recycled a circuit
    breaker on board Endeavour as a system on board the shuttle that
    automatically scrubs the air to remove carbon dioxide did not start up
    as expected. After cycling the breaker and reactivating the system, it
    is now performing perfectly. Activation of payloads also got under way
    with the SPARTAN-201 spacecraft systems and the Wake Shield Facility
    carrier in the payload bay activated. SPARTAN-201 will be deployed from
    Endeavour using the shuttle's robot arm Friday morning about 10:44
    a..m. central time.
     
    Mission Specialists Jim Newman and Mike Gernhardt powered up
    Endeavour's robot arm and conducted a photographic survey on
    Endeavour's cargo bay. The five-member crew -- Commander Dave Walker,
    Pilot Ken Cockrell, and Mission Specialists Jim Voss, Newman and
    Gernhardt -- will begin an eight-hour sleep period at 6:09 p.m. central
    time.
       
    With all systems on board Endeavour performing well, the orbiter
    continues to circle the Earth every 92 minutes at an altitude of about
    233 miles.
    

                    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 2
                                    STS-69
    
    
    Friday, September 8, 1995, 7:00am CDT
    
       Astronauts Mike Gernhardt and Jim Newman aboard Space Shuttle
    Endeavour were scheduled to power up the 50-foot long Canadian-built
    robot arm this morning for the grapple and deployment of the SPARTAN
    solar science satellite by Gernhardt at 10:42 AM Central
    time. Endeavour will separate to a distance of about 40 nautical miles
    from SPARTAN, leaving the 2800 pound probe on its own for about 48
    hours for observations of the phenomena of the solar corona and the
    solar science satellite by Gernhardt at 10:42 AM Central
    time. Endeavour will separate to a distance of about 40 nautical miles
    from SPARTAN, leaving the 2800 pound probe on its own for about 48
    hours for observations of the phenomena of the solar corona and the
    solar wind. SPARTAN will be retrieved by Gernhardt through the
    operation of the robot arm on Sunday morning.
    
      The five astronauts on board Endeavour began their first full day in
    space this morning at 2:09am Central time as Mission Control awakened
    the crew with Elvis Presley's "You Ain't Nothing But A Hounddog",
    marking the start of a busy day in orbit for the so-called "Dog Crew",
    the nickname adopted for the STS-69 crew by Commander Dave Walker.
    
      Walker, a four-time Shuttle veteran, was awakened twice during the
    night by alarms on board Endeavour triggered by a temporary problem in
    the data path between the ship's on-board computers and the Shuttle's
    KU-band communications system. Walker reset the KU-system on both
    occassions and the entire system was rebooted by Astronaut Jim Newman
    after the crew was formally awakened. The KU system is currently
    healthy, with flight controllers reported a strong lock between
    Endeavour's KU-band antenna and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
    system.
    
      Engineers are trying to troubleshoot one other problem with an audio
    speaker in the Shuttle's middeck which apparently failed shortly after
    Endeavour reached orbit. It is a similar problem to one which was
    noted on the last flight of Endeavour in March, STS-67.  The speaker
    problem will have no impact on any payload operations for the duration
    of the STS-69 mission.
    
     With all of its systems in good shape, Endeavour is orbiting the Earth
    every 92 minutes at an altitude of 230 miles.
    

    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT #3
    STS-69
    
    Friday, September 8, 1995 5:00 p.m. CDT
    
    The Spartan 201 spacecraft is flying free approximately 22 miles ahead
    of Endeavour following its successful deployment at 10:42 a.m. central
    time today.
    
    Mission Specialist Mike Gernhardt released the 2800 lb. free-flyer from
    the shuttle's robot arm and a few minutes later the Spartan spacecraft
    performed its characteristic 45 degree pirouette maneuver signaling the
    flight crew and controllers on the ground that its internal attitude
    control system was functioning properly.
    
    On the flight deck, Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell
    initiated two separation burns to move Endeavour away from the Spartan
    solar investigation spacecraft.  The NC-1 rendezvous burn set for late
    Friday afternoon was deleted from the crew's flight plan. That burn,
    which would have slowed the opening rate between the two spacecraft,
    would have resulted in the spacecraft being about 60 miles apart at the
    time of a scheduled Saturday morning engine firing.  Tracking figures
    indicate that, even without the afternoon burn, the distance between
    the two spacecraft will be about 61 nautical miles by Saturday morning.
    
    Spartan will now fly free of Endeavour for about 48 hours before being
    retrieved and reberthed in the shuttle's cargo bay for its return trip
    to Earth. During its free flight, the two complementary instruments on
    board Spartan will study the sun's corona and solar winds.
    
    Crew members also kept busy with the wide variety of payloads housed
    both on Endeavour's middeck and in the cargo bay. In addition, the
    astronauts exercised and performed routine housekeeping chores on board
    the orbiter.  Mission Specialist Jim Newman took time from his work
    routine to talk with KABC Talk Radio host Michael Jackson in Los
    Angeles and to take phone calls from listeners.
    
    Following a busy and successful day on orbit, the five astronauts will
    begin a planned eight-hour sleep period at 5:09 p.m. central time,
    receiving a wake-up call from Mission Control at 1:09 a.m. Saturday to
    begin Flight Day 3 on orbit.
    
    With all of its systems in good shape, Endeavour is orbiting the Earth
    every 92 minutes at an altitude of 230 miles.
    
    

    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT #4
    STS-69
    
    Saturday,  Sept. 9, 1995, 8 AM CDT
    
    Endeavour's astronauts pressed ahead with a variety of experiments in
    their third day in orbit as they prepared for tomorrow's rendezvous and
    retrieval of the SPARTAN solar science satellite.
    
    Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell fired Endeavour's reaction
    control system jets this morning to refine the Shuttle's orbit in order
    to maintain a distance of about 65 statute miles from the SPARTAN
    satellite. Another rendezvous maneuver designed to adjust Endeavour's
    altitude was deleted from the flight plan because of the precision with
    which Endeavour is flying in relation to SPARTAN. Payload controllers
    say SPARTAN's systems are functioning normally, although the amount of
    data gathered by the satellite during its 48 hours of free-flying
    science operations will not be known until the probe is returned to
    Earth. SPARTAN is scheduled to be grappled by Astronaut Mike Gernhardt
    through the use of Endeavour's robot arm at 9:24 AM Central time
    tomorrow following a series of complex rendezvous maneuvers by Walker
    and Cockrell to catch up to SPARTAN.
    
    The astronauts conducted work with the GLO experiment in the cargo bay,
    designed to measure the luminescence created around the Shuttle as it
    plows through atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit at a speed of five miles
    a second. They also monitored several experiments in the middeck area
    designed to capture data on materials and life science.
    
    A pair of problems continue to impact the operation of two of
    Endeavour's payloads. The U-V STAR experiment, which is part of the
    International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker payload in the cargo bay,
    has not worked properly since launch because of a pressure problem and
    a glitch in a system which enables the telescope to swivel back and
    forth.  Another telescope in the IEH payload is working normally.
    
    The EPICS experiment in the Shuttle's middeck, designed to test the
    capability to separate hydrogen and oxygen components in water
    generated by the Shuttle, has yet to yield any results because of a
    suspected problem in its data acquisiton system. Troubleshooting
    efforts are underway for both EPICS and U-V STAR.
    
    One minor problem was resolved this morning when Astronaut Jim Voss
    successfully activated an audio-speaker system in the Shuttle's middeck
    area. Voss plugged in a different handheld microphone unit than one
    which was used shortly after launch and the middeck system checked out
    in good shape.
    
    Astronaut Gernhardt took a few minutes out this morning to discuss the
    progress of the flight with Scott Carpenter, one of the original
    Mercury 7 astronauts, who was linked to Gernhardt from an underwater
    research laboratory off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.  Carpenter and
    Gernhardt discussed the interdependence of underwater research and
    outer space exploration. thirty years ago, Carpenter conducted a
    similar discussion with fellow Mercury 7 astronaut Gordon Cooper as
    Cooper flew in space on the Gemini 5 mission.
    
    As they passed over the Atlantic at the start of their 31st orbit, the
    astronauts downlinked video of Hurricane Luis swirling with maximum
    sustained winds of 109 miles an hour. The huge eyewall of the storm was
    clearly visible as Endeavour passed overhead.
    
    Endeavour is orbiting the Earth every 92 minutes at an altitude of 232
    statute miles with all of its systems operating well.
    

    MISSION CONTROL CENTER 
    STS-69 Status Report #5
    
    Saturday,  Sept. 9, 1995, 3 P.M.  CDT
    
    With the Spartan spacecraft flying ahead of Endeavour, the stage is
    set for Sunday morning's planned rendezvous and retrieval of the
    free-flying science satellite.
    
    This afternoon, Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell fired
    Endeavour's reaction control system jets in a two-second burn designed
    to maintain a distance of at least 40 nautical miles between the two
    orbiting spacecraft until the rendezvous activities begin early Sunday
    morning. Those rendezvous activities will start with Walker and
    Cockrell conducting a series of complex maneuvers designed to bring
    Endeavour to a point about 350 feet away from Spartan by 8:59
    a.m. Central on Sunday.  After Walker edges Endeavour closer to
    Spartan, Mission Specialist Mike Gernhardt will reach out with the
    Shuttle's robot arm and grapple Spartan at 9:24 a.m. Central, placing
    it back in Endeavour's payload bay.
    
    Work with the GLO experiment mounted in the payload bay will continue
    overnight as the five astronauts on board sleep. The GLO instruments
    will measure the luminescence created around the Shuttle as it plows
    through atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit at a speed of five miles a
    second.
    
    The EPICS experiment in the Shuttle's middeck, designed to test the
    capability to separate hydrogen and oxygen components in water
    generated by the Shuttle, has been powered down after all three
    self-contained electrolysis units experienced an automatic shutdown.
    After reviewing their options for restoring power to at least two of
    those units, payload controllers opted to completely power off the
    experiment. Troubleshooting efforts continue to resolve a problem with
    the UV-STAR experiment which comprises a part of the International
    Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchiker payload.  Pressure problems and
    difficulty commanding an elevation gimble which enables the telescope
    to swivel back and forth have kept the telescope from its study of the
    sun's coronal plasma.  A second telescope is performing normally.
    
    Following a busy day on orbit, the astronauts will begin an eight-hour
    sleep period at 4:09 p.m. Central, receiving a wake-up call from
    Mission Control at 12:09 a.m. Central Sunday to begin Flight Day 4 on
    orbit.
    
    Endeavour is orbiting the Earth every 92 minutes at an altitude of 232
    statute miles with all of its systems operating well.
    

               MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 6
                                 STS-69 
     
    Sunday, September 10, 1995, 10 AM CDT 
     
      Endeavour's astronauts Sunday successfully grappled the SPARTAN
    solar science satellite following two days of data gathering
    independent of the Shuttle Orbiter. The grapple came about 45 minutes
    later than planned after the SPARTAN was in an unexpected attitude as
    Endeavour approached.
     
      Commander Dave Walker and pilot Ken Cockrell manually flew Endeavour
    around the SPARTAN to line up the satellite's grapple fixture with the
    orbiter's robot arm.  Astronaut Mike Gernhardt captured the
    free-flying spacecraft at 10:02 a.m. CDT, concluding SPARTAN's study
    of the solar corona and the solar wind.
     
      With SPARTAN safely berthed in the cargo bay, the astronauts turn
    their attention to the major payload of the mission, the Wake Shield
    Facility. Walker and Cockrell will conduct two firings of the Ship's
    Orbital Maneuvering System Engines to raise Endeavour's orbit about 15
    nautical miles in preparation for the Wake Shield
    operations. Astronaut Jim Newman plans to use the robot arm later
    today to grapple the 2-ton Wake Shield, but will not unberth the
    saucer-shaped satellite from its carrier platform until Monday
    morning.  The Wake Shield is scheduled to be deployed by Newman
    tomorrow at about 4:40 AM Central time to begin 50 hours of thin film
    growth in an engineering demonstration for possible use in the future
    in improving the quality of components for semiconductors and
    high-tech electrical instruments.
     
      The astronauts were awakened just after Midnight Central time today
    to the sound of "Bingo Was His Name", another tune involving a canine
    theme for the self-proclaimed "Dog Crew", sung by Madeline Cockrell,
    the 5-year old daughter of Endeavour's Pilot.
     
      Endeavour is orbiting the Earth every 92 minutes at an altitude of
    about 232 statute miles with all of its systems operating in excellent
    shape.
    

            MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 7
                            STS-69
    
    Sunday, September 10, 1995, 3:30 P.M. CDT
    
       With the Spartan spacecraft back in Endeavour's payload bay, the
    shuttle's robot arm has a firm grip on the Wake Shield Facility,
    ready to send it on its free flight away from Endeavour early Monday
    morning.
    
      Earlier this afternoon, Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell
    twice fired Endeavour's orbital maneuvering system engines bringing
    Endeavour to a 215 nautical mile circular orbit required to support
    Wake Shield deploy activities.  With that complete, Mission Specialist
    Jim Newman took control of Endeavour's robot arm and grappled the
    12 foot diameter satellite.  Wake Shield will remain in that
    configuration overnight, latched in its cross-bay carrier and attached
    to the robot arm.
    
      The crew's attention turned to Wake Shield operations following the
    successful retrieval of the Spartan spacecraft at 10:02 a.m. Central
    today.  Retrieval of Spartan occurred 38 minutes late when it was
    found to be in an attitude, or position, other than what was expected
    when Endeavour made its rendezvous approach. Walker and Cockrell
    manually flew Endeavour in a 180 degree maneuver around Spartan,
    aligning the shuttle's robot arm with the grapple fixture mounted
    on the spacecraft. Mike Gernhardt then reached out with the arm and
    grabbed Spartan, tucking it into Endeavour's payload bay at 10:21
    a.m.  Central.
    
      Preliminary indications are that Spartan put itself in a "safe"
    mode, shutting down its power systems which kept it from achieving its
    anticipated rendezvous attitude. The exact cause of the safing will be
    determined once Spartan is returned to Earth, however, payload
    controllers believe Spartan successfully completed its mission
    gathering data on the sun's corona and solar winds and the shutdown
    likely was caused by low battery readings on board.
    
      Shortly after 3 p.m., Gernhardt began an 8-hour sleep period, to be
    followed an hour later by his crewmates, who will have an abbreviated
    7-hour sleep period. For the next few days, Gernhardt and Newman will
    vary their sleep schedules so that one or both of them is awake during
    all critical commanding to the Wake Shield Facility.
    
      The five astronauts will wake up at 11:09 p.m. Central today to
    begin Flight Day 5 on orbit. Endeavour continues to perform flawlessly
    as it circles the Earth every 92 minutes.
    
    

                    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 8
                                    STS-69
    
    
    Monday, September 11, 1995, 7 AM CDT
    
       Endeavour's astronauts successfully deployed the 2-ton Wake Shield
    Facility satellite this morning to begin its 50-hour free flight from
    the Shuttle for the growth of thin films for semiconductor and
    electrical component use.
    
      Astronaut Jim Newman used the ship's robot arm to release the
    experimental satellite at 6:25 AM CDT over Western Africa at an
    altitude of almost 250 miles above the Earth.  Within seconds of the
    deploy, the Wake Shield fired a small cold gas nitrogen thruster to
    maneuver away from Endeavour for the start of the chemical growth of
    the thin films. It was the first time a deployed satellite had
    maneuvered itself away from the Shuttle, rather than the other way
    around.
    
      Wake Shield's deployment had been delayed for almost two hours to
    enable flight controllers to troubleshoot a series of communications
    dropouts between the satellite and the Wake Shield's carrier
    platform in the Shuttle's cargo bay which acts as a radio relay
    system for data, telemetry and television signals. Wake Shield hung at
    the end of the robot arm during its night-long systems checkout.
    
      Before its deployment, the satellite was positioned over the port
    side of the payload bay to allow a stream of atomic oxygen in low
    Earth orbit to "cleanse" the side of the satellite which will
    fly in the direction of travel around the Earth. The satellite will
    create a wake behind it during its freeflight in which scientists
    believe a nearly perfect vacuum will be created for the pristine
    growth of thin film wafers to be used in semiconductors and other
    hight-tech electrical components.
    
      The last major step prior to the deployment was the checkout of the
    Wake Shield's attitude control system, which developed a problem
    during the STS-60 mission in February 1994, preventing the satellite
    from being set free. This time, the so-called Attitude Determination
    and Control System checked out in good shape, clearing the way for
    Wake Shield's release.
    
      The Wake Shield is scheduled to be retrieved by Newman through the
    use of the robot arm on Wednesday, but not before the satellite is
    used as a target for a series of jet thruster plume tests by Commander
    Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell to collect data on the effect of
    jet firings on a free-flying satellite.
    
      Endeavour is currently orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 250
    statute miles, completing an orbit of the Earth every 90 minutes. All
    of Endeavour's systems are functioning in excellent shape.
    
    

            MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 9
                            STS-69
    
    
    Monday, September 11, 1995, 5 P.M. CDT
    
      Trailing Endeavour by just over 14 nautical miles, the 2-ton Wake
    Shield Facility began its first thin film processing run at 3:33
    p.m. Central today.
    
      Payload controllers successfully commanded the Wake Shield through a
    series of activities to prepare its surface for the epitaxial film
    growth process, handing command duties over to Mission Specialist Jim
    Newman when Endeavour moved out of range of the Tracking and Data
    Relay Satellite System.  With Wake Shield's sample materials and
    substrate surfaces prepared, the first of seven planned thin film
    growth runs began. The first run is expected to last about three hours
    and be a "dirty" run, removing any residual contamination
    present in the containers housing the sample growth materials.
    
      Earlier this afternoon, Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell
    fired Endeavour's reaction control system jets in a burn that
    slowed the rate at which the two spacecraft are separating. By the
    time of a scheduled rendezvous burn at 4:36 a.m. Tuesday, the Wake
    Shield will be approximately 30 nautical miles behind Endeavour.
    
       The Wake Shield is scheduled to be retrieved on Wednesday following
    more than 48 hours of thin film growth activities, but will spend the
    final five hours of its free-flight serving as a target as Commander
    Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell aim Endeavour's jet thrusters
    toward Wake Shield, to determine the effects of the jet firings on a
    free-flying satellite.
    
       On board, the five astronauts are asleep.  Mission Specialist Mike
    Gernhardt will wake up at 9:09 p.m. following a 7-hour sleep period.
    His four crew mates began an 8-hour sleep period at 4:09 p.m. and will
    awaken at 12:09 a.m. Tuesday.  Endeavour is currently orbiting the
    Earth at an altitude of 250 statute miles, completing an orbit of the
    Earth every 90 minutes. All of Endeavour's systems are functioning
    in excellent shape.
    

                    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 10
                                  STS-69
    
    Tuesday, September 12, 1995, 8:30 AM CDT
    
      The manufacture of thin film compounds for improved semiconductor and
    electrical component use proceeded on schedule overnight aboard the
    free-flying Wake Shield Facility as Endeavour's astronauts
    monitored the process from their orbiting spaceship.
    
      However, about 7 a.m. CDT the 4300-pound, saucer-shaped satellite
    put itself in a safe mode after three successful growths of thin
    films. Scientists plan to complete seven growths before the
    satellite's scheduled retrieval Wednesday morning. Just before the
    fourth growth began, the Wake Shield pitched forward slightly after
    sensing a temperature increase. Wake Shield's systems were shut
    down and science activities temporarily halted to allow temperatures
    on the satellite to cool. Payload controllers are assessing the
    situation and its impact on the satellite's continued operations.
    
       The Wake Shield is trailing Endeavour by about 40 miles, just where
    officials hoped it would be to avoid any possible contamination from
    the Shuttle's jet thrusters. Wake Shield must maintain as clean an
    environment as possible as it orbits the Earth to enhance the quality
    of the thin film compounds.
    
      Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell fired Endeavour's
    reaction control system jets this morning to stop the opening rate
    between the Shuttle and the Wake Shield in preparation for
    tomorrow's rendezvous and retrieval of the satellite. The Wake
    Shield is scheduled to be grappled by robot arm operator Jim Newman
    tomorrow at about 10:15 AM Central time.
    
      Walker took a few minutes out of his schedule this morning to
    discuss the progress of the STS-69 mission with reporters from
    television stations in Atlanta and Boston. Later this morning, Walker
    planned to conduct a ship-to-ship conversation with STS-73 Commander
    Ken Bowersox, who along with his six crewmates, climbed aboard
    Columbia on Launch Pad 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center for the final
    hours of a dress rehearsal of the countdown which will lead to their
    launch in just over two weeks on a 16-day Spacelab microgravity
    research mission.
    
      Endeavour and the Wake Shield Facility are currently orbiting the
    Earth every 92 minutes at an altitude of 250 statute miles.
    

 
MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 11
STS-69
 
Tuesday, September 12, 1995, 6 p.m. CDT
 
The manufacture of semiconductor thin film compounds aboard the Wake Shield 
Facility satellite, released from Endeavour on Monday, is planned to resume
later tonight following about a 12-hour rest to allow the satellite's attitude
control system to cool from previous operations.
 
Due to the delay and subsequent plans to allow future such cooling periods,
shuttle managers this afternoon decided to extend the time Wake Shield will
spend flying free of Endeavour by about 24 hours. The extra time will mean the
satellite will not be retrieved until Thursday.  Previously, it would have been
recaptured on Wednesday.  The additional 24 hours of free-flying time will be
gained by scheduling the crew activities that had been planned to occur the day
after Wake Shield was retrieved to now take place during the extra day the
the satellite spends away from the shuttle.  The overall duration for
Endeavour's mission has not been changed and landing remains scheduled for
September 18.
 
Controllers for the Wake Shield Facility believe the extra operations time will
allow them to complete almost all of the thin film growths that had been
originally plainned satellite may be taken out of the safe mode that it has 
been in for cooling purposes and resume operations as early as 10 p.m. CDT 
today. Prior to the heating problems experienced with the attitude control 
system, three of the planned total of seven film manufacturing runs had already 
been completed.  For the remainder of operations, cooling periods that could 
last as long as eight to ten hours will take place in between film 
manufacturing runs. Due to the slower-than-anticipated thin film operations, 
some secondary experimental objectives of the satellite, such as operations 
with the Charging Hazards and Wake Studies and the Shuttle Plume Impingement 
Experiment, may be reduced from what was originally planned. Operations with 
all of the secondary experiments are still expected, however, although in a 
limited fashion.
 
With the change in plans for Endeavour's retrieval of the satellite, activities
for the crew when they awaken will include some off-duty time, operations with
the secondary payloads aboard Endeavour, and checkouts of the spacesuits that
will be used by astronauts Mike Gernhardt and Jim Voss during a spacewalk on
Saturday.
 
The crew is currently in the midst of an eight-hour sleep period and will awaken
for day seven of the mission at 10:39 p.m. CDT today. The Wake Shield Facility
is trailing about 39 miles behind Endeavour and closing in on the shuttle at
less than one mile with each hour and a half long orbit of Earth.

                    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 12
    
    Wednesday, September 13, 1995, 7 AM CDT
    
      The resumption of the growth of thin films aboard the free-flying
    Wake Shield Facility was delayed again today by the inability of
    payload controllers to trigger the flow of arsenic from source cells
    on the Wake Shield onto a substrate platform on the experiment side of
    the disc-shaped satellite.
    
      Wake Shield project engineers continue to troubleshoot the problem
    in the hope of growing up to four additional films for enhanced
    semiconductor production.
    
      Given a bonus day in orbit after having science operations suspended
    yesterday by an attitude control system problem, Wake Shield's
    molecular beam epitaxy instruments were turned on just before 3 AM
    CDT, some 20 hours after the satellite was placed in a so- called
    "safe mode" because of a temperature increase in the spacecraft's
    attitude control system and a slight pitch in its orientation. The
    science instruments on the Wake Shield were once again shut down after
    the arsenic flow problem developed to enable them to cool off in the
    hope of making additional attempts to grow thin films. Plans had
    called for two thin films to be grown during the day today before the
    instruments would be shut down and cooled off for a 10-hour period.
    
      Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell fired Endeavour's
    maneuvering jets early this morning for 15 seconds to slightly narrow
    the distance between the Shuttle and the Wake Shield. Endeavour will
    stay about 25 miles ahead of Wake Shield throughout the day, setting
    the stage for its rendezvous and retrieval of the 4300-pound
    disc-shaped satellite tomorrow about 9:39 AM Central time.
    
      While Wake Shield operations were restored, Payload Commander Jim
    Voss and Mission Specialist Mike Gernhardt conducted a thorough
    checkout of the spacesuits they will don Saturday for the second
    Shuttle spacewalk of the year. The spacewalk is designed to test
    thermal improvements to the bulky spacesuits as well as the tools and
    techniques which may one day be used in the assembly of the
    International Space Station.
    
      The astronauts were awakened late Tuesday night for their seventh
    day in space to the theme song from the movie, "Patton", a tribute to
    Voss, who was promoted to the rank of Colonel-select in the U.S. Army.
    
      Endeavour and the Wake Shield Facility are orbiting the Earth every
    92 minutes at an altitude of about 250 miles with all of their systems
    operating normally.
    

                    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 13
    
    
    Wednesday, September 13, 1995, 3 P.M. CDT
    
       After resolving some initial difficulties with the flow of arsenic
    from a source cell, the Wake Shield Facility resumed its thin film
    growth activities.
    
      During the film growth, the shutter on an aluminum source cell
    apparently failed to close on command, but payload controllers report
    that will not affect the quality of the film sample. A second
    epitaxial film growth will be conducted overnight as the crew sleeps,
    following a minimum 6-hour cool-down period of the Wake Shield
    instruments.  Tonight's run should last about three hours and will
    be followed by a final 6-hour instrument cool down in anticipation of
    Thursday morning's rendezvous and retrieval of the 4,300 pound
    satellite.
    
      The five astronauts on board Endeavour -- Commander Dave Walker,
    Pilot Ken Cockrell and Mission Specialists Jim Voss, Jim Newman and
    Mike Gernhardt -- enjoyed a few hours of off-duty time today,
    following several busy days on orbit that saw them deploy two
    spacecraft and retrieve one.  Wake Shield will be retrieved at 9:39
    a.m. CDT Thursday when Walker maneuvers Endeavour into position
    allowing Jim Newman to use the shuttle's robot arm to pluck Wake
    Shield from orbit.
    
      Endeavour will begin its approach toward Wake Shield about 6:30
    a.m. Central and for about 2 1/2 hours Walker and Cockrell will
    maneuver Endeavour into position and fire its jet thrusters at
    pre-determined distances to measure the effects of the firings on the
    free- flying Wake Shield.
    
      Endeavour continues to circle the Earth every 92 minutes at an
    altitude of about 215 nautical miles with all of its systems operating
    normally.
    

                    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 14
                                    STS-69
    
    Thursday, September 14, 1995, 7 AM CDT
    
       Endeavour's astronauts closed in on the Wake Shield Facility this
    morning for a retrieval of the space manufacturing satellite following
    three days of free-flying production of semiconductor material.
    
      Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell maneuvered Endeavour to
    a point just 400 feet in front of the 4300-pound satellite, where a
    series of jet thruster firings were planned to gather data on the
    effect of thruster plumes against orbiting space structures.  Flight
    controllers were expected to make a real-time decision on whether or
    not to proceed with the jet thruster tests based on an evaluation of
    the Wake Shield's attitude control system, which has held the
    stainless steel spacecraft in a steady orbit since its deployment from
    Endeavour on Monday.
    
       Astronaut Jim Newman is expected to grapple Wake Shield with the
    Shuttle's robot arm between 8:09 AM and 8:30 AMCentral time to
    complete the Wake Shield's three-day freeflight. During that time,
    four thin films of semiconductor material were grown in a carousel on
    the back side, or wake side of the satellite. An attempt to grow a
    fifth and final thin film was called off late Wednesday when Wake
    Shield officials detected a low reading in one of four batteries
    providing power to the satellite.
    
      Following its retrieval, the Wake Shield will be berthed onto its
    carrier platform in Endeavour's cargo bay. Tomorrow, Newman will
    unberth the satellite once again and maneuver it over the Shuttle's
    bay for additional experiments spanning several hours to gather
    information on the electrically charged environment around the Orbiter
    as it plows through atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit at a speed of
    five miles a second.
    
       The astronauts were awakened late last night at 11:09 PM Central
    time to the theme song of the cartoon show, "Underdog", in tribute to
    Astronaut Mike Gernhardt, who carries the same nickname.
    
      Endeavour is orbiting the Earth every 92 minutes at an altitude of
    250 statue miles with all of its systems operating normally.
    
    

    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 15
    STS-69
    
    Thursday, September 14, 1995, 3 PM CDT
    
    With the Wake Shield Facility stowed securely in Endeavour's
    payload bay, the five astronauts on board are enjoying a well-deserved
    rest.
    
      After Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell manuevered
    Endeavour alongside the 4300-pound satellite, Mission Specialist Jim
    Newman reached out with the shuttle's robot arm and plucked it from
    orbit.  Capture came at 8:59 a.m. CDT, with berthing of Wake Shield
    back in its carrier platform at 10:18 a.m.
    
      Prior to capturing Wake Shield, Walker and Cockrell performed a
    series of 14 thruster firings at distances of 290 and 200 feet
    respectively. These jet firings were designed to gather data on the
    effect of thruster plumes against orbiting space structures. The Wake
    Shield's attitude control system performed well during the thruster
    firings as sensors measured the force and pressure of the jet plumes.
    
      During Wake Shield's three days of free flight, four of seven
    possible epitaxial film runs were successfully completed.  The films
    will be evaluated once the satellite is returned to Earth.
    
      With its two free-flying payloads retrieved and secured in the
    payload bay, Endeavour's astronauts turned their attention to the
    remaining four days of activity.  Walker and Cockrell fired
    Endeavour's orbital maneuvering system jets this afternoon to lower
    Endeavour's orbit from 216 nautical miles to 183 nautical miles.
    At the same time, Mission Specialists Jim Voss, Jim Newman and Mike
    Gernhardt began preparing Endeavour for Saturday morning's planned
    spacewalk, lowering the cabin pressure to 10.2 psi from the standard
    14.7 psi.  Voss and Gernhardt will conduct a 6-hour spacewalk to
    evaluate thermal modifications to their spacesuits and test tool
    handling techniques for possible space station assembly.
    
      Shortly before beginning an 8-hour sleep period at 3:09 p.m., Walker
    reported to ground controllers that the handles of the rowing machine
    used during exercise were stuck in the extended position. While
    engineers on the ground are reviewing repair options, a bicycle
    ergometer is available on board for the crew to use. The crew will be
    awakened by Mission Control at 11:09 p.m. to begin another day on
    orbit. Endeavour is orbiting the Earth every 92 minutes at an altitude
    of 183 nautical miles with all of its systems operating normally.
    
    

 
STS-69 Launch Report
 
GEORGE C. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
 
SEPTEMBER 7, 1995
     
 
STS-69
MISSION DATA SUMMARY
 
PAYLOAD MANIFEST:
PAYLOAD BAY     Wake Shield Facility (WSF)
                Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker (IEH)
                Capillary Pumped Loop-2/Gas Bridge Assembly (CAPL-2/
                SPARTAN-201-03
MID-DECK        Space Tissue Loss/Nat'l Institutes of Health-Cells 
(STL/NIH-C)
                Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus-7 (CBGA)
                Biological Research in Canister (BRIC)
                Electrolysis Performance Improvement Concepts Study (EPICS)
                Commercial MDA ITA Experiments (CMIX)
                
INSTRUMENTATION:        None Assigned
LAUNCH DATE:            September 7, 1995
LAUNCH WINDOW:          10:09am -  12:39pm CDT
LAUNCH TIME:            95:250:15:08:59.995 GMT
                        10:09 am CDT
SSME#3 START TIME:      95:250:15:08:53.443
SSME#2 START TIME:      95:250:15:08:53.568
SSME#1 START TIME:      95:250:15:08:53.681
LAUNCH SITE:            KSC Pad 39A
MOBILE LAUNCH PLATFORM: MLP-1
ORBITAL INCLINATION:    28.45 degrees
ORBITAL ALTITUDE:       200 nautical miles
INSERTION MODE:         Direct
MISSION DURATION:       11 days nominal
PRIMARY LANDING SITE:   Kennedy Space Center, FL
ABORT LANDING SITES:    TAL (Prime)   - Banjul, Gambia
                        TAL Alternates - Ben Guerir, Morocco
                                         Moron, Spain
 
VEHICLE DATA
 
ORBITER:                    Endeavour OV-105 (9th Flight)
EXTERNAL TANK:              ET-72
MAIN ENGINES:               2035, 2109, 2029
POWER LEVEL:                Nominal...........104/67/104%
                            Abort....................104%
                            To Avoid Ditching........109%
SRBs:                       BI-074
SRM Set Nr.:                Left   - 360L048A
                            Right  - 360L048B
SRM Burnrate (Delivered):   LH - 0.371 IPS at 60 deg F
                            RH - 0.372 IPS at 60 deg F
 
CREW
 
COMMANDER:              Dave Walker
SHUTTLE PILOT:          Ken Cockrell
MISSION SPECIALIST:     Jim Voss
MISSION SPECIALIST:     Jim Newman
MISSION SPECIALIST:     Mike Gernhardt
 
 
1.0   STS-69 FLIGHT SUMMARY
 
The STS-69 mission was successfully flown from Launch Pad 39A (MLP-1) at
the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on September 7, 1995.  This is a civilian
mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with
primary objectives of deploying and retrieving the Wake Shield Facility-2
(second flight), and the Spartan 201 free flyer (third flight).  A space
walk will be conducted on the tenth day to gain experience for building
and maintaining ISSA.  Several other payloads will also fly in the payload
bay and on the middeck. 
 
This was the seventy-first (71st) flight of the Space Shuttle program. 
RSRM ignition occurred at approximately 10:09 A.M. Central Daylight Time
(CDT) (95:250:15:08:59.995 GMT). There were no unscheduled holds.  Winds
at liftoff were from approximately 168 degrees at 6.7 knots; the ambient
temperature was 84? F; the barometric pressure was 28.86 in. Hg; and the
relative humidity was 76%. 
 
The successful launch of STS-69 followed a vehicle scrub on August 31,
1995.  The scrub occurred while in the T-6 hour hold prior to propellant
loading due to an indication of an Orbiter fuel cell anomaly. 
 
 
2.0   FLIGHT RESULTS
 
2.1   SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS -   SRBs BI-074, 
                                RSRMs 360L048A, 360L048B
 
All Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) systems performed as expected.  The SRB
prelaunch countdown was normal, and no SRB or RSRM Launch Commit Criteria
(LCC) or Operational Maintenance Requirements Specification Document
(OMRSD) violations occurred. 
 
Power up and operation of all igniter, and field joint heaters was
accomplished routinely.  All RSRM temperatures were maintained within
acceptable limits throughout the countdown.   For this flight, the low
pressure heated ground purge in the SRB aft skirt was used to maintain the
case/nozzle joint temperatures within the required LCC ranges.  At T- 15
minutes, the purge was changed to high pressure to inert the SRB aft
skirt. 
 
Preliminary data indicates that the flight performance of both RSRMs was
well within the allowable performance envelopes, and was typical of the
performance observed on previous flights.  The RSRM propellant mean bulk
temperature (PMBT) was 81? F at liftoff. 
 
Both SRBs were successfully separated from the External Tank (ET) at
approximately T + 122.4 seconds, and reports from the recovery area, based
on visual sightings, indicate that the deceleration subsystems performed
as designed.  Both SRBs were observed during descent, and are currently
floating near the retrieval ships. 
 
 
 
2.2   EXTERNAL TANK - ET-72
 
All objectives and requirements associated with External Tank (ET)
propellant loading and flight operations were met.  All ET electrical
equipment and instrumentation operated satisfactorily.  ET purge and
heater operations were monitored and all performed properly.  No ET LCC or
OMRSD violations were identified. 
 
Typical ice/frost formations were observed on the ET during the countdown. 
There was no observed ice or frost on the acreage areas of the ET.  Normal
quantities of ice or frost were present on the LO2 and LH2 feedlines and
on the pressurization line brackets, and some frost or ice was present
along the LH2 PAL ramps. A frost ball was reported on the +Y intertank
flange adjacent to the jack pad close out.  These observations are
acceptable per NSTS 08303.  The Ice/ Frost "Red Team" reported that there
were no anomalous TPS conditions. 
 
The ET pressurization system functioned properly throughout engine start
and flight.  The minimum LO2 ullage pressure experienced during the ullage
pressure slump was 14.1 psid. 
 
ET separation was confirmed, and since Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) occurred
within expected tolerances, ET reentry and breakup is expected to be
within the predicted footprint. 
 
 
2.3   SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE - SSMEs 2035, 2109, 2029
 
All SSME parameters appeared to be normal throughout the prelaunch
countdown and were typical of prelaunch parameters observed on previous
flights.  Engine "Ready" was achieved at the proper time;  all LCC were
met; and engine start and thrust buildup were normal. 
 
Preliminary flight data indicate that SSME performance during mainstage,
throttling, shutdown and propellant dump operations was normal.  HPOTP and
HPFTP temperatures appeared to be well within specification throughout
engine operation.  Space Shuttle Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) occurred at T +
510.12 seconds.  There were no Failure IDs (FIDs), and no significant SSME
problems have been identified. 
 
 
2.4   MAIN PROPULSION SYSTEM - MPS OV-105
 
The overall performance of the Main Propulsion System (MPS) was as expected. 
 
LO2 and LH2 loading were performed as planned with no stop flows or reverts. 
 
There were no OMRSD or LCC violations. 
 
Throughout the period of preflight operations, no significant hazardous
gas concentrations were detected.  The maximum hydrogen concentration level
in the Orbiter aft compartment (which occurred shortly after the start of
fastfill) was approximately 164 ppm, which compares favorably with
previous data for this vehicle. 
 
A comparison of the calculated propellant loads at the end of replenish,
versus the inventory loads, results in a loading accuracy of 0.0224
percent for LH2, and 0.0708 percent for LO2. 
 
 
2.4   MAIN PROPULSION SYSTEM - MPS OV-105 (cont)
 
Ascent MPS performance appeared to be completely normal.  Preliminary data
indicate that the LO2 and LH2 pressurization systems performed as planned,
and that all NPSP requirements were met throughout the flight. 
 
 
2.5   SHUTTLE RANGE SAFETY SYSTEM - SRSS
 
Shuttle Range Safety System (SRSS) closed loop testing was completed as
scheduled during the launch countdown.  All SRSS Safe and Arm (S&A)
devices were armed and system inhibits turned off at the appropriate
times.  All SRSS measurements indicated that the system operated as
expected, with one exception, throughout the countdown and flight. 
 
As planned, the SRB S&A devices were safed, however, the RH SRB RSS S&A
device safe indication did not show "on" prior to SRB separation. The arm
indication did properly show "off". This S&A device had the same problem
during prelaunch testing.  The prelaunch problem was determined to be an
indicator problem. 
 
SRB system power was turned off prior to SRB separation, and the ET system
remained active until ET separation from the Orbiter. 
 
 
2.6   VEHICLE PERFORMANCE
 
A quick-look determination of vehicle performance was made using vehicle
acceleration and preflight propulsion prediction data.  From these data,
the average flight derived engine Isp determined for the time period
between SRB separation and start of 3-G throttling was 452.7 seconds as
compared to an MPS tag value of 452.80 seconds. 
 
 
3.0   CANDIDATE IN-FLIGHT ANOMALIES AND SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS
 
No In-Flight Anomalies or significant problems associated with the MSFC
elements have been identified at this time. 
 

            MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT  # 16
                              STS-69
    
    
    Friday, September 15, 1995, 7 AM CDT
    
    
      Endeavour's astronauts completed work with the Wake Shield
    Facility today by lifting the satellite out of its platform in the
    Shuttle's cargo bay one more time to gather data about electrically
    charged particles which stream over a spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
    
      The Wake Shield was unberthed about 2 Central time and was hung over
    the side of Endeavour's cargo bay at the end of the ship's robot
    arm by Astronaut Jim Newman for CHAWS, the Charging Hazards and Wake
    Studies Experiment. It is an Air Force sponsored experiment designed
    to collect data on the buildup of electrical fields around an orbiting
    space vehicle. Engineers intend to use the information to better
    understand how the ionized particles interfere with spacecraft
    communications and the operation of orbiting spacecraft.
    
      The Wake Shield remained fixed to the end of the Shuttle's
    mechanical arm for about 5 hours for CHAWS data-gathering, before
    Newman maneuvered the satellite back down onto its berthing platform
    where it was latched it in place to wrap up the Wake Shield's
    scientific investigations.
    
      Payload Commander Jim Voss and Mike Gernhardt also reviewed their
    timeline once again for tomorrow's six-hour spacewalk in Endeavour's
    cargo bay to test new thermal improvements made to their spacesuits
    and some of the tools and techniques which may be used to assemble the
    International Space Station.
    
      Voss and Gernhardt are scheduled to float out into the cargo bay to
    begin their six-hour extravehicular activity at about 3 Central time
    Saturday.
    
       The crew was awakened late Thursday night for their ninth day of
    work in space to the tune "He's A Tramp", taken from the cartoon 
    movie, "Lady and the Tramp".
    
      Endeavour is currently orbiting the Earth every 91 minutes at an
    altitude of about 213 statute miles with all of its systems operating
    well.
    
    

            MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT  # 17
                      STS-69
    
    
    Friday, September 15, 1995, 4 PM CDT
    
      The five astronauts on board Endeavour will awaken at 10:09
    p.m. Friday to begin a day that will see two of the crew members
    venture outside Endeavour's crew cabin to conduct a 6-hour
    spacewalk.
    
      Shortly after waking up, Jim Voss and Mike Gernhardt will begin
    preparing for their spacewalk which will test new thermal improvements
    made to their spacesuits and some of the tools and techniques which
    may be used to assemble the International Space Station.  Pilot Ken
    Cockrell will assist Voss and Gernhardt as they climb into their
    spacesuits and prepare for the second spacewalk of the year.
    
      During the spacewalk, Mission Specialist Jim Newman will hoist Voss
    and Gernhardt outside the warmth of Endeavour's payload bay using
    the shuttle's robot arm to maneuver them into a colder attitude to
    validate thermal modifications made to the suits' liquid cooling
    garments and gloves.
    
      Voss and Gernhardt are scheduled to float out into the cargo bay to
    begin their six-hour extravehicular activity at about 3 a.m. Central
    time Saturday.
    
      The Wake Shield Facility is once again back in Endeavour's
    payload bay following five hours of investigations into how ionized
    particles in the plasma field around a spacecraft may interfere with
    communications and operations. Wake Shield was supporting CHAWS, the
    Charging Hazards and Wake Studies Experiment, an Air Force-sponsored
    experiment.
    
      The crew also spent time discussing Endeavour's mission and
    activities with media during an inflight press conference this
    afternoon.
    
      Endeavour is currently orbiting the Earth every 91 minutes at an
    altitude of about 213 statute miles with all of its systems operating
    well.
    
    

    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 18
    STS-69
    
    Saturday, September 16, 1995, 5:30 AM CDT
    
    Astronauts Jim Voss and Mike Gernhardt floated out into Endeavour's
    cargo bay early this morning for a 6 1/2 hour spacewalk designed to
    test new thermal improvements made to their spacesuits and the tools
    and techniques which may be used one day in the assembly of the
    International Space Station.
    
      The spacewalk began at 3:20 a.m. Central, after Voss and Gernhardt
    breathed pure oxygen in Endeavour's airlock to cleanse the nitrogen
    from their bloodstreams in a standard pre-spacewalk procedure.
    
      The first task for the spacewalkers was to install thermal sensors
    on Endeavour's robot arm and at a work site mounted on the starboard
    wall of the Shuttle's payload bay.  The sensors measure temperature
    levels in the cargo bay to provide data on how hot and cold the
    spacewalkers can get as they perform their work.
    
      Voss and Gernhardt removed a debris shield from the work site,
    manipulated a duplicate of a computer control box for a robot arm
    under development for the Space Station and tested new helmet lights
    and suit heaters as they maneuvered around the cargo bay with relative
    ease.
    
      The spacewalk is scheduled to conclude at about 10 a.m. when the two
    astronauts climb back into Endeavour's airlock.  The remaining
    three astronauts, Dave Walker, Ken Cockrell and Jim Newman have been
    assisting with the spacewalk from the flight deck of the orbiter with
    Newman serving as the primary choreographer with Voss and Gernhardt.
    Newman performed a spacewalk on a Shuttle flight two years ago to
    evaluate tools and techniques for future spacewalks.
    
    

    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 19
    STS-69
    
    Saturday, September 16, 1995, 2:30 P.M. CDT
    
    
    With a 6-hour 46-minute spacewalk under their belts, Endeavour's
    astronauts completed the final major milestone of the flight.
    
      Jim Voss and Mike Gernhardt began the spacewalk at 3:20 a.m. Central
    today, evaluating thermal improvements made to their spacesuits and a
    variety of tools and techniques which may be used in the assembly of
    the International Space Station.  In turn, Gernhardt and Voss each
    spent 45 minutes on the end of Endeavour's mechanical arm as Jim
    Newman maneuvered them away from the radiated warmth of the payload
    bay.  With the Shuttle's payload bay pointed away from the Sun, the
    spacewalkers were exposed to temperatures as low as minus 120 degrees
    Fahrenheit during this "cold soak" evaluation.  Voss and
    Gernhardt continually provided subjective ratings on their comfort
    levels to flight controllers on the ground.  Temperature measurement
    devices mounted on the robot arm and in the payload bay will provide
    objective data that will be correlated with their evaluations.
    Throughout the entire spacewalk activity, both Voss and Gernhardt
    reported they were very comfortable, both during their cold soak
    evaluation and as they worked through a series of repetitive
    tool-handling tasks in Endeavour's payload bay.
    
      With all their objectives complete and after stowing their tools and
    equipment, the two spacewalkers made their way back into the airlock,
    closed the hatch and began to repressurize the airlock.  With the
    pressure at about 10.2 psi, Ken Cockrell opened the hatch to
    Endeavour's middeck and welcomed his crewmates back on board.
    Endeavour's crew cabin was then repressurized back to 14.7 psi
    while Voss and Gernhardt were helped out of their spacesuits.
    
    Following an 8-hour sleep period, Endeavour's astronauts will be
    awakened at 10:09 p.m.  to begin their final full day on orbit. Early
    Sunday morning, Commander Dave Walker, Cockrell and Newman will check
    out Endeavour's flight control surfaces and conduct a hot fire test
    of the reaction control system jets in anticipation of Monday
    morning's return trip to Earth.
    
      Endeavour continues to circle the Earth at an altitude of about 183
    nautical miles every 90 minutes.
    

    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 20
    STS-69
    
    Sunday, September 17, 1995, 7 AM CDT
    
    Endeavour's astronauts tested their ship's systems and packed up
    the Orbiter for their trip home tomorrow to complete the fifth Shuttle
    mission of the year.
    
      With all of the mission's objectives completed, Commander Dave
    Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell fired up one of Endeavour's hydraulic
    power units and conducted a thorough checkout of the Shuttle's
    flight control systems to insure that the Orbiter is in top shape for
    tomorrow's high-speed return to Earth. Walker and Cockrell also
    tested the Shuttle's reaction control system jets as part of the
    standard pre-landing inspection of key Shuttle components.
    
      With that out of the way, the astronauts reviewed their entry and
    landing checklists and began to pack up their gear aboard Endeavour,
    deactivating secondary experiments and stowing the cabin for landing.
    
      Early this morning, astronauts Jim Voss and Mike Gernhardt, who
    successfully conducted a lengthy spacewalk yesterday, turned to repair
    chores, freeing up a blocked waste water dump line through a plan
    developed by flight controllers in Mission Control. The in-flight
    maintenance procedure cleared the way for a dump of accumulated waste
    water aboard Endeavour later today.
    
      The preliminary weather forecast for tomorrow's landing calls for
    acceptable weather for Endeavour's homecoming at the prime landing
    site at the Kennedy Space Center. The backup landing site at
    California's Edwards Air Force Base will not be called up for
    support. There are two landing opportunities available tomorrow in
    Florida, the first calling for a deorbit burn at 5:35 AM Central time,
    leading to a landing at 6:38 AM Central time.
    
      The crew will begin an eight-hour sleep period at 2:09 PM Central
    time this afternoon and will be awakened tonight just after 10 PM to
    prepare for entry and landing.
    
      Endeavour is orbiting the Earth every 91 minutes at an altitude of
    214 statute miles with all of its systems in good shape.
    
    

Successful landing at KSC this morning.

Burns

    Saw the landing on NASA TV before leaving the house. There were 
    2 pairs of distinct sonic booms, the initial pair and shortly after
    a second pair. In past landings I usually haven't heard the second
    pair, and I guess this second pair is due to a unique atmospheric
    condition (air inversion of some sort that only a weatherman can 
    explain adequately).
    Poor Commander Walker, he seemed to get pestered by requests to toggle
    this switch, or toggle that switch, because of either bad telemetry
    or stuck switch, while preparing for de-orbit, & after landing.
    Heh, after being told that there were "no post-landing delta's", & being
    told that he could proceed to the infamous "page 5-3" of post landing
    procedures, he seems to get pestered with these little nuisances before
    he can move on with handing off the vehicle to the landing support crew.
    The PAO folks, & the Management teams at the press conferences went out
    of their way to down-play the higher than normal (my perception), 
    number of "little bothersome things", that occured on this flight.
    When they get that orbiter back to the cleaning facility, I'd go over
    that puppy with a fine-fine-fine toothed comb rather than the normal fine
    toothed comb. :-)
    
    Bob

    
    MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 21
    STS-69
    
    Sunday, September 17, 1995, 1 PM CDT
    
      Endeavour and its five astronauts are ready for their return trip to
    Earth, concluding a voyage of about 4.5 million miles.
    
       The crew spent much of its day packing up equipment and checklists
    used during 10 days of on-orbit activity.  The astronauts also
    transferred some of the accumulated waste water onboard Endeavour into
    a contingency water container when attempts to free up a blocked waste
    water dump line were unsuccessful.
    
       The five member crew -- Commander Dave Walker, Pilot Ken Cockrell
    and Mission Specialists Jim Voss, Jim Newman and Mike Gernhardt --
    will receive a wake-up call from Mission Control at 10:09 p.m. Central
    to begin final preparations for Endeavour's reentry and landing at
    the Kennedy Space Center.
    
       Shortly after 1:30 a.m. Central the crew will begin its deorbit
    preparations and at 2:49 a.m., Endeavour's payload bay doors will
    be closed.  There are two landing opportunities available tomorrow,
    both to the Kennedy Space Center.  The first opportunity calls for a
    deorbit burn at 5:35 a.m., with a landing on Runway 33 at 6:38
    a.m. Central. The second landing opportunity comes one orbit later,
    with Endeavour's orbital maneuvering system jets being fired for
    the deorbit burn at 7:12 a.m., resulting in a landing at 8:15 a.m.
    Central.
    
      The preliminary weather forecast for Monday's landing calls for
    acceptable weather at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with
    scattered clouds, light winds from the northwest and only a slight
    chance of early-morning ground fog. The backup landing site at
    California's Edwards Air Force Base will not be called up to
    support tomorrow's landing.
    
    Endeavour continues to circle the Earth every 91 minutes at an
    altitude of 214 statute miles.
    
    ( OH no it doesn't !)

    MISSION CONTROL CENTER
    STS-69 Status Report #22
    
    Monday, Sept. 18, 1995 9 a.m. CDT
    
      Commander Dave Walker and Pilot Ken Cockrell guided Endeavour to a
    smooth touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center at 6:38 a.m. Central time
    today to wrap up an 11-day mission that saw crew members successfully
    deploy and retrieve two satellites and conduct a 6-hour 46-minute
    spacewalk.
    
      After firing Endeavour's braking rockets at 5:35 a.m., Walker and
    Cockrell brought Endeavour home to Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space
    Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to complete its 4.5 million mile
    mission.
    
      Main gear touchdown occurred at 6:38 a.m., with nose gear touchdown
    nine seconds later and wheel stop at 6:38:55 a.m.  The STS-69 mission
    duration was 10 days 20 hours 28 minutes and 55 seconds.
    
      The STS-69 crew members are expected to return to Ellington Field
    about 10 hours after landing.