Conference 7.286::space

From: [email protected] (Ron Baalke)
Subject: NASA Sets June 20 As Launch Date For Mission STS-78
Date: 6 Jun 1996 13:15:05 -0700

Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington, DC              June 6, 1996
(Phone:  202/358-1979)

Bruce Buckingham
Kennedy Space Center, FL
(Phone:  407/867-2468)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N96-38

NASA SETS JUNE 20 AS LAUNCH DATE FOR MISSION STS-78

     At the conclusion of a flight readiness review meeting 
today, NASA managers set June 20, 1996, as the official 
launch date for the agency's next Space Shuttle mission - 
designated STS-78.  NASA's fifth Shuttle mission of 1996 will 
involve Shuttle Columbia and a seven-person crew working with 
the Life and Microgravity Sciences (LMS) payload being 
carried in the pressurized Spacelab module in the Shuttle's 
cargo bay.  The LMS payload consists of various experiments 
designed to examine how human beings and other living 
organisms along with various materials change in a weightless 
environment.

     Launch of Columbia on June 20 is scheduled for 10:49 
a.m. EDT at the opening of a 2 1/2 hour available launch 
window.  The STS-78 mission duration is currently planned for 
15 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes.  However, Mission Control will 
be carefully managing and monitoring Columbia's electrical 
power comsumption with an eye towards extending the flight 
one day so additional science work can be performed.  If the 
extension day happens, the mission duration would become 16 
days, 22 hours, 2 minutes thus making the STS-78 flight 
NASA's longest Shuttle mission to date.  An on-time launch 
and one day mission extension would set Columbia up for a 
landing on July 7 at 8:51 a.m. EDT at the Kennedy Space Center.

     The STS-78 crew will be commanded by Terrence T. 
Henricks.  The pilot for the mission is Kevin R. Kregel.  The 
three mission specialists assigned to the flight are Richard 
M. Linnehan, Susan J. Helms, who is also the STS-78 Payload 
Commander, and Charles E. Brady.  There also are two payload 
specialists serving as part of the STS-78/LMS crew--Jean-
Jacques Favier from the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) 
and an astronaut of the French Space Agency (CNES), and 
Robert Brent Thirsk from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

     STS-78 will be the 20th flight of Columbia and the 78th 
mission flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program in 
April 1981.
                    -end-



Date:	08-Jun-1996
Posted-date: 08-Jun-1996

    I just heard on NPR that it launched. It apparently was a
    little touch and go with some cloud cover, but it must have
    cleared enough for them to lift off.
    Before I left the house, I saw the new tv from the miniature
    tv camera to be mounted in the shuttle cab. The miniature tv
    camera is about the size of a small mag-lite flashlight, only
    it's shaft is about a 1" square, and the camera with a wide
    angle lens is then mounted at a 90 degree angle on this metal
    shaft/bracket. The view was of the crew being helped into their
    seats, being strapped in etc. The PAO announcer had an astronaut
    giving commentary on what was being shown. The tv camera was to
    be active during launch and ascent, and taped, but not seen live
    as the S-band down-link is dedicated to the engine telemetry
    during ascent. This would then be replayed once they get into orbit 
    and deploy the KU-band antenna. Can't wait til I get home to see
    this replay tonight.
    
    Bob

    Managed to catch the liftoff replays on the TV last night.
    
    Interesting viewing from the mini-camera mentioned in -1.
    The launch seems a good way to a good vibrating massage !
    I'm not sure who it was on camera, or at what time during the liftoff
    the shots were from - the TV only showed about 5-10 seconds, sometime
    during liftoff, and then what looked like when there were just in
    space. 
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report  #1
    
    Thursday, June 20, 1996 Noon CDT
            
    The Space Shuttle Columbia blasted off from Florida's Kennedy Space
    Center on time at 9:49 a.m. CDT today on a 16-day medical research
    mission that, if extended to 17 days as planned, would become the
    longest shuttle mission in history.
    
    The seven member crew of U.S., French and Canadian astronauts will
    conduct 41 major experiments on how human beings and other living
    organisms along with various materials change in a weightless
    environment.
    
    Crew members opened the shuttle's payload bay doors about 11:15 a.m.
    CDT, signaling the beginning of orbital operations and giving the
    go-ahead to activate the pressurized Spacelab module which is housed in
    Columbia's cargo bay.
    
    With all systems aboard Columbia performing well, the orbiter continues
    to circle the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 176 statute.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report  #2
    
    Thursday, June 20, 1996  5 p.m. CDT
    
    Orbiting more than 170 miles over the surface of the Earth, Columbia's
    astronauts successfully activated the Spacelab module housing more than
    40 life science and microgravity experiments in the Shuttle's cargo
    bay.
    
    The experiments focus on the physiological changes that take place in
    the human body during spaceflight and also on utilizing the unique
    microgravity environment to study materials processing techniques. For
    the next 16 days, the seven-member crew will devote their time to these
    investigations.
    
    Commander Tom Henricks shared a unique view of Columbia's climb to
    orbit with flight controllers today, replaying images from a small
    camera that was mounted on the flight deck.  The video followed
    Columbia's flight from just before main engine start through main
    engine cutoff, showing the force of main engine and solid rocket
    booster ignition as experienced by the astronauts.
    
    Late this afternoon, flight controllers performed a dump of the Backup
    Flight Software that experienced intermittent transients during
    Columbia's launch this morning. With the dump complete, the flight
    control team will assess and evaluate the data.  The error seen on the
    BFS this morning will not affect orbiter operations or mission
    duration.
            
    With all systems aboard Columbia and in the Spacelab performing well,
    work with the life and microgravity science payloads is underway as the
    orbiter circles the Earth very 90 minutes.
    
    

    
    Ah well, - now I know who I was watching on the mini-camera :-) .
    
    >> Commander Tom Henricks shared a unique view of Columbia's climb to
    >> orbit with flight controllers today, replaying images from a small
    >> camera that was mounted on the flight deck.  The video followed
    >> Columbia's flight from just before main engine start through main
    >> engine cutoff, showing the force of main engine and solid rocket
    >> booster ignition as experienced by the astronauts.
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report  #3
    
    Friday, June 21, 1996  7 a.m. CDT
    
    STS-78 Commander Tom Henricks told ground controllers this morning
    that Columbia's "free fallers" are starting their first full day of
    life science and microgravity experimentation with a great attitude.
    
    Henricks' comment followed a 4:49 a.m. CDT wake-up call featuring one
    of his favorite songs, "Free Falling," sung by Tom Petty and
    Heartbreakers. The term "free fallers" is used because the
    microgravity conditions that are the basis of the flight's
    investigations are possible because the shuttle is in a state of
    perpetual free-fall around the Earth. More than 40 experiments being
    conducted in the Spacelab module will look into the physiological
    changes that take place in the human body during spaceflight and will
    utilize the microgravity environment to study materials science
    techniques.
    
    Today, Henricks will work with the Bubble Drop Facility while Pilot
    Kevin Kregel works at a computer workstation that assesses human
    behavior changes during long-duration space flight. The scientists on
    board, Rick Linnehan, Susan Helms, Chuck Brady, Jean-Jacques Favier
    and Bob Thirsk will work with neurological and cardiovascular
    experiments.
    
    All systems aboard Columbia and in the Spacelab are performing well as
    the orbiter circles the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 170
    miles. Columbia is in a gravity gradient attitude, with its tail
    pointing to the ground and its belly facing in the direction of travel
    so that the fewest possible thruster firings are needed to prevent the
    sensitive microgravity experiments from being disturbed.
     

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report  #4
    
    Friday, June 21, 1996  5 p.m. CDT
    
    The STS-78 astronauts spent their first full day in orbit continuing
    the scientific investigations housed in the Spacelab module and on
    Columbia's middeck.
    
    Columbia continues to function well and activities by the flight
    control team in Mission Control have focused mainly on assisting
    investigators with the array of life and materials science experiments
    being conducted on board.
    
    Late this afternoon, Payload Specialist Bob Thirsk replayed video of
    some of the life science investigations conducted in the Spacelab
    module, discussing the experiments and the data that will be provided
    to ground-based researchers.
    
    The crew is scheduled to begin an eight-hour sleep period at 8:49
    p.m. CDT today and will wake for the third day of the mission at 4:49
    a.m. CDT Saturday. The crew will continue its work with the life and
    microgravity science investigations shortly after 8 a.m. CDT Saturday.
    
    Columbia is in a 167 statute mile high circular orbit, completing a
    revolution of Earth every hour and a half.
     

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #5
    
    Saturday, June 22, 1996  6 a.m. CDT
    
    With the Life and Microgravity Spacelab experiments relating to
    bone-mass loss in mind, flight controllers in Houston awakened the
    crew of Columbia with the song "Bad to the Bone" at 4:49 a.m. CDT.
    
    Human physiology tests on STS-78 include the Direct Measurement of the
    Initial Bone Response to Space Flight investigation, which scientists
    hope to use to discover countermeasures for this detrimental effect of
    space flight.  The research also could lead to treatments for the
    debilitating effects of the disease osteoporosis.
    
    As Spacelab experiments continue today, Commander Tom Henricks and
    Payload Specialist Jean-Jacques Favier will set up the bicycle
    ergometer on the middeck so that crew members can exercise their
    cardiovascular systems.  Henricks also will test a device designed to
    permit voice control of shuttle closed circuit television, intended
    for use on future missions when astronauts' hands are busy controlling
    the robot arm.
    
    Henricks again will participate in a video teleconference as part of a
    demonstration combining Shuttle communications and commercial
    teleconferencing systems.  Yesterday, he remotely commanded a small
    camera mounted on the CAPCOM console to get a view of the flight
    control team in Houston while talking with Spacecraft Communicator
    Chris Hadfield.  The demonstration should ultimately provide two-way
    video, audio and interactive computer communication and application
    sharing for the International Space Station.
    
    Columbia is continuing to provide a stable workshop for the biological
    and materials science experiments, orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes
    at an altitude of 170 miles in a gravity gradient attitude that
    minimizes steering jet firings and disturbances to the microgravity
    experiments.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report  #6
    
    Saturday, June 22, 1996  5 p.m. CDT
    
    Columbia's astronauts continued their work in the Spacelab module
    today, as the oldest shuttle in the fleet continued to provide a
    stable platform for what is planned to be two more weeks of
    experiments and investigations into microgravity science.
    
    Late this morning, flight controllers assisted the astronauts in a
    procedure to flush an ice blockage out of the Flash Evaporator System
    (FES) which is used to dissipate heat from the shuttle. The procedure,
    which runs warm freon through the FES, was successful and the system
    is once again fully operational.  To supplement the FES, flight
    controllers also deployed one of two sets of radiators mounted on the
    Shuttle's payload bay doors to further radiate heat from the orbiter.
    
      Commander Tom Henricks and Pilot Kevin Kregel tested a device
    designed
    to permit voice control of the Shuttle closed circuit television
    system.  The Voice Command System should allow astronauts to command
    the CCTV system verbally while performing other tasks. Kregel reported
    that the system responded to at least 90% of his verbal commands.
    
      Late this afternoon, Henricks was scheduled to participate in a video
    teleconference as part of a demonstration combining Shuttle
    communications and commercial teleconferencing systems.  Yesterday, he
    remotely commanded a small camera mounted on the CAPCOM console to get
    a view of the flight control team in Houston while talking with
    Spacecraft Communicator Chris Hadfield.  The demonstration should
    ultimately provide two-way video, audio and interactive computer
    communication and application sharing for the International Space
    Station.
    
      Columbia is orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of
    170 miles with all systems performing well.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report  #7
    
    Sunday, June 23, 1996  7 a.m. CDT
    
    Columbia's astronauts are continuing work this morning with the human
    physiology and materials science experiments of the Life and
    Microgravity Spacelab mission.
    
    Today's research will concentrate on measurements of leg and arm
    muscle power with the Torque Velocity Dynamometer, pulmonary function
    with the Astronaut Lung Function Experiment and effects of
    microgravity exercise with the bicycle ergometer and its associated
    instruments.
    
    Crew members will work several small in-flight maintenance procedures,
    including the replacement of a blown fuse in the Bubble Drop Particle
    Unit and will attempt to adjust a balky door on the Thermoelectric
    Holding Module, which maintains samples at the correct temperatures.
    
    In addition, Commander Tom Henricks, Pilot Kevin Kregel and Mission
    Specialists Rick Linnehan and Susan Helms will be interviewed by CNN
    at 10:04 a.m. Central time.
    
    The crew's day began at 4:24 AM Central time with a 1980 rendition of
    "Flight of the Bumblebee" as played by the U.S. Air Force Academy's
    Drum and Bugle Corps. Helms, a cadet at the Air Force Academy at the
    time, played xylophone on the recording.
    
    Overnight, one of two sets of radiators mounted inside the Shuttle's
    payload bay doors remained deployed to help dissipate excess heat. The
    radiator was deployed before the crew went to sleep Saturday night
    after an ice blockage temporarily hindered the operation of the Flash
    Evaporator System (FES), also used as a Shuttle cooling system. The
    FES resumed full function after the ice was flushed using warm freon.
    
    Columbia is orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 170
    miles with all systems performing well.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report  #8
    
    Sunday, June 23, 1996 5 p.m. CDT
    
    In addition to continuing work in the Spacelab module, Columbia's crew
    today also spent time sharing the progress of its mission with a varied
    audience.
    
    The astronauts discussed the flight during an interview with the Cable
    News Network this morning and Payload Commander Susan Helms took time
    this afternoon to speak with students at Eisenhower Middle School in
    San Antonio, Texas. The school has a "Young Astronaut Program" that has
    had students launch a model rocket to an altitude of 15,000 feet, and
    have assembled a permanent amateur satellite station.
    
    Late in the afternoon, Commander Tom Henricks replayed a video taken
    earlier in the day of Mission Specialists Chuck Brady and Rick Linnehan
    and Payload Specialist Jean- Jacques Favier as they prepared to begin
    their fourth day on orbit.  Henricks also shared video of his work with
    the Performance Assessment Workstation.  PAWS uses a pre- programmed
    laptop computer to test the astronaut's response to a variety of
    information and images to provide data on how critical thinking skills
    may be affected by the microgravity environment of space, or by long
    hours and shift work for people on Earth.
    
    Columbia continues to perform well on its 20th journey into space with
    the flight control team in Houston not tracking any system problems on
    board.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report  #9
    
    Monday, June 24, 1996 6 a.m. CDT
    
    Microgravity research today aboard Columbia will concentrate on the use
    of the gradient furnace and the Bubble Drop Particle Unit to study
    materials processing, and on studies of human muscles and balance
    mechanisms.
    
    STS-78 crew members also will have opportunities to exercise and
    contact friends and family members on the ground with the Shuttle
    Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX).
    
    Late in the crew's day, Commander Tom Henricks and Pilot Kevin Kregel
    will reassign one of the shuttle's five general purpose computers (GPC)
    to run the backup flight software (BFS). The procedure is designed to
    ensure that a fully functional backup computer will be available during
    reentry and landing. The GPC assigned to run the BFS software exhibited
    intermittent transients during the climb to orbit, but is not affecting
    orbiter operations or mission duration.
    
    Flight controllers woke the crew at 4:08 a.m. CDT with the song "Space
    Oddity," which mentions a fictitious astronaut named "Major Tom." Tom
    Henricks is an Air Force colonel.
    
    Columbia continues to perform well as it orbits the Earth every 90
    minutes, providing a steady workshop for the Life and Microgravity
    Spacelab investigations.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #10
   
    Monday, June 24, 1996 5 p.m. CDT
   
    Scientific investigations continued today with Columbia providing a
    trouble-free platform for the experiments housed in the Spacelab module
    on Columbia's middeck. This afternoon, Mission Commander Tom Henricks
    and Pilot Kevin Kregel successfully moved the backup flight software
    from its host computer to a second computer in an effort to determine
    whether a computer error early in the flight was due to software or
    hardware. The astronauts reassigned the Backup Flight Software (BFS)
    from General Purpose Computer 5 (GPC5) to GPC2. Following the
    reassignment of the software, the data were dumped to the ground for
    review and analysis by the flight control team. GPC 5 is in "freeze
    dry" mode, which means although it is operating, it is not issuing any
    commands. Flight controllers will watch GPC 5 and gather telemetry on
    its operation over the next 48 hours.
   
    Henricks again participated in a demonstration of the two-way
    teleconferencing system being flown on board Columbia. He was joined by
    Payload Specialists Bob Thirsk and Jean-Jacques Favier who viewed video
    of their June 20 launch from Kennedy Space Center. In the flight
    control room, Spacecraft Communicator Chris Hadfield was joined by
    members of the International Space Station Program Office to observe
    the demonstration which has applications for use on both Shuttle and
    Space Station missions.
   
    Payload Commander Susan Helms today congratulated the United States Air 
    Academy Class of 2000, due to start its four-year training in just a
    few weeks. Helms also congratulated the Academy on the 20th anniversary
    of the first class to include female cadets. Helms was a member of that
    class of 1980, arriving at the Air Force Academy on June 28, 1976. She
    graduated with a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical
    engineering.
   
    The astronauts will begin an eight-hour sleep period at 7:34 p.m.
    Central time today. They will awaken at 3:34 a.m. Central time Tuesday
    to begin their sixth day on orbit. The crew will receive four hours of
    off-duty time Tuesday afternoon, standard practice for longer Shuttle
    missions, to ensure the crew remain well rested.
   
    Columbia continues to perform well as it orbits the Earth every 90
    minutes, providing a steady workshop for the Life and Microgravity
    Spacelab investigations.
   
   

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #11
   
    Tuesday, June 25, 1996 7 a.m. CDT
   
    Columbia's seven astronauts will get a break from their work with the
    Life and Microgravity Spacelab experiments, taking the second half of
    today off to recharge their batteries a third of the way through what
    is expected to be a 17-day flight. Before taking time off, crewmembers
    will perform status checks on the 40 Spacelab experiments, exercise on
    the bicycle ergometer and work on several in-flight payload maintenance
    procedures. The maintenance work will continue trouble-shooting on an
    electrical circuit in the Bubble Drop Particle Unit fluids experiment,
    strap down the Torque Velocity Dynamometer used to measure muscle power
    and replace a fuse on the Advanced Gradient Heating Facility that is
    working on semiconductor and alloy solidification techniques. The
    problems are considered minor and are having little effect on data
    gathering from the experiments.
   
    The crew also is scheduled to connect with school children in
    Colleyville, Texas, through the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment, and
    with family members through normal shuttle air-to-ground channels.
   
    The astronauts were awakened at 3:34 a.m. CDT to the sounds of "Blinded
    Me with Science," and will go to sleep at about 7 tonight. Their sleep
    schedules are shifting slightly to accommodate landing day activities.
   
    The oldest space shuttle in the fleet continues to perform well as it
    orbits the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 170 miles.
   

   STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #12
   
   Tuesday, June 25, 1996 5 p.m. CDT
   
   Early today, Columbia�s astronauts performed status checks on the life
   and microgravity experiments and conducted a brief maintenance
   procedure to trouble-shoot an electrical circuit in the Bubble Drop
   Particle Unit investigation.
   
   The crew also enjoyed four hours of off-duty time today, taking the
   opportunity to relax after five days of work with the life and
   microgravity science investigations being conducted on board.
   
   Flight controllers routinely schedule off-duty time for shuttle
   missions longer than 10 days duration. STS-78 is currently targeted
   for a 16-day flight, with the possibility of a oneday extension for
   science activities.
   
   The seven astronauts will begin their sleep period at 7:09 p.m.
   Central time today, awakening at 3:09 a.m. Wednesday to begin Flight
   Day 7 on orbit. The oldest space shuttle in the fleet continues to
   perform well as it orbits the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of
   170 miles.

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #13
    
    Wednesday, June 26, 1996 7 a.m. CDT
    
    After a half day of off-duty relaxation, Columbia's crew went back to
    work this morning on the 41 science investigations associated with the
    STS-78 Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission.
    
    Mission Control played "Chain Gang" as the wake-up music for the crew
    at 3:09 AM Central time for its seventh day in space, and spacecraft
    communicator Bill McArthur told the astronauts the song was chosen to
    remind them that it is "back on the chain gang today." Commander Tom
    Henricks told McArthur the crew was ready to return to its
    multifaceted research studies into the effect of weightlessness on the
    human body and materials.
    
    In addition to continuing scientific investigations, Payload Commander
    Susan Helms will take time out to speak with Portland, Ore.,
    television station KGW-TV later today. Helms considers Portland to be
    her hometown.
    
    Pilot Kevin Kregel will discuss the progress of the fifth Shuttle
    mission of the year with students at Bethlehem Central Senior High
    School in Delmar, N.Y., using the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment,
    and Payload Specialist Bob Thirsk will take up the ham radio gear to
    make contact with students at the Saskatoon Public Aerospace Education
    school in Saskatchewan, Canada.
    
    Columbia's astronauts have also been alerted to keep a sharp eye out
    for forest fires in Arizona near the Grand Canyon, as part of their
    Earth observation photography.
    
    The oldest space shuttle in the fleet continues to perform in
    excellent fashion on its 20th mission, with no significant systems
    problems being tracked by flight controllers.
    

re .17
    
>    Mission Control played "Chain Gang" as the wake-up music for the crew
    
    Hmmm. Very topical.

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #14
    
    Wednesday, June 26, 1996 5 p.m. CDT
    
    Columbia's crew completed another day of scientific investigation in
    the Spacelab module as the orbiter circled the Earth at an altitude of
    about 170 miles.
    
    In addition to their work in the Spacelab module, the astronauts took
    time today for a scheduled interview with KGW Television in Portland,
    Oregon.  The event was cancelled due to technical difficulties at the
    television station, but the crew used the time to discuss the progress
    of the mission to date and their personal feelings about their time in
    space.
    
    Early today, as Columbia passed over the area of the Grand Canyon in
    Arizona, Payload Commander Susan Helms reported that the crew could
    see smoke from the forest fires burning in that area.
    
    On schedule for the crew tomorrow is work with the Human Behavior and
    Performance Experiments which gauges the ability of the human body to
    respond to changes in its environment, such as stress, fatigue or
    sickness.  The astronauts' responses to computerized performance tests
    will be measured and compared to pre- and post-flight data.
    
    The crew also will continue as test subjects in a series of
    investigations that seek to understand the effects of microgravity on
    the human musculoskeletal system.
    
    Thursday morning, Helms will talk with KNX Radio in Los Angeles to
    discuss the mission's progress. That interview is set for 8:59
    a.m. Central time.  In the afternoon, Commander Tom Henricks and
    Payload Specialist Jean-Jacques Favier will participate in an
    educational event with students in Paris.
    
    The oldest space shuttle in the fleet continues to perform well on its
    20th mission, with no significant systems problems being tracked by
    flight controllers.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #15
    
    Thursday, June 27, 1996; 7 AM, CDT
      
      Life and Microgravity Spacelab experiments are continuing today as
    Columbia's astronauts document how space flight is affecting their
    minds and bodies.
    
      Work will concentrate on sessions at the Human Behavior Workstation,
    which measures the ability of the astronaut to respond to changes in
    his or her environment. The crew will also conduct investigations with
    the Astronaut Lung Function Experiment, to measure the effects of
    microgravity and heavy exercise on pulmonary capability, and the
    Torque Velocity Dynamometer, which measures leg muscle strength.
    
      The seven STS-78 astronauts were awakened shortly before 3 AM Central
    time today to the sound of "Every Breath You Take, Every Move You
    Make" by Police -- played in honor of the Lung Function experiment and
    the flight controllers in Mission Control overseeing what is expected
    to be the longest Shuttle flight in history. A decision by mission
    managers to extend the flight to 17 days for additional science will
    likely be made over the weekend after consultations with payload
    managers at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama
    and a review of Shuttle systems.
    
      Payload Commander Susan Helms is scheduled to be interviewed by KNX
    Radio in Los Angeles at 8:59 a.m. Central time and Commander Tom
    Henricks and Payload Specialist Jean-Jacques Favier will participate
    in an educational discussion of the mission's scientific aspects with
    French students at a Paris technical school at 2:39 p.m.
    
      Columbia again is orbiting with its tail to the Earth to minimize
    disturbance to the microgravity experiments. There are no problems
    being tracked aboard the oldest orbiter in the Shuttle fleet.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #16
    
    Thursday, June 27, 1996 6 p.m. CDT
    
      With another day of scientific investigation behind them, Columbia's
    astronauts were set to begin an eight-hour sleep period at 6:19 this
    evening.
    
      The crew continued its work in the Spacelab module today measuring
    changes in muscle strength and lung capacity, and working on a Human
    Behavior Workstation that measured their ability to respond to changes
    in their external environment.
    
      Mission Specialist Chuck Brady held an unlit Olympic Torch aloft
    while
    exercising on the bicycle ergometer in the Spacelab today.  He was
    joined by his crewmates on board in that informal salute to the 1996
    Olympics which open July 19 in Atlanta.
    
      Also this morning, Payload Commander Susan Helms discussed the STS-78
    mission in an interview with KNX Radio in Los Angeles.  In the
    afternoon, science students in Paris, France asked questions of French
    Payload Specialist Jean-Jacques Favier and Mission Commander Tom
    Henricks.
    
      Late in the crew's day, flight controllers in Mission Control Houston
    and investigators in the Spacelab Operations Control Center in
    Huntsville, Alabama, used a videoteleconferencing system on Columbia
    to demonstrate a maintenance procedure on the Bubble Drop and Particle
    Unit experiment.  The system allowed the crew and ground controllers
    to view a videotape of the procedure and discuss each step with each
    other as they worked through the procedure.
    
      The astronauts will awaken to begin Flight Day 9 at 2:19 Friday
    morning.  Columbia again is orbiting with its tail to the Earth to
    minimize disturbance to the microgravity experiments.  There are no
    problems being tracked aboard the orbiter.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #17
    
    Friday, June 28, 1996 7 a.m. CDT
    
      Columbia's astronauts are continuing to serve as test subjects for a
    host of human health and microgravity investigations today as the
    STS-78 Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission nears the halfway point.
    
      Today's tests will concentrate on measurements of lung capacity and
    muscle strength. In addition, the crew will continue its work to
    operate and maintain the experiment equipment, with two more in-flight
    maintenance procedures scheduled to bring the Bubble Drop Particle
    Unit back to full operation.
    
      The crew also performed a second successful procedure to flush a
    small
    buildup of ice from orbiter's Flash Evaporator cooling system after
    the ice formed during a dump of the supply water tanks. The procedure,
    which ran warm freon through the cooling system took about 20 minutes
    to complete and had no impact on science operations. Otherwise,
    Columbia's systems are trouble-free.
    
      Commander Tom Henricks, Payload Commander Susan Helms and Mission
    Specialists Rick Linnehan and Chuck Brady participated in an interview
    with KABC-TV in Los Angeles early this morning to discuss the progress
    of their mission.
    
      Henricks will also offer best wishes to four engineers at Johnson
    Space Center who are involved in a test of renegerative life support
    systems which may be used for future space travel. The four test
    subjects are living in a specially equipped chamber at JSC to gather
    data on recycled air and water for three weeks. The test is scheduled
    to end July 12.
    
      Columbia's seven astronauts were awakened shortly before 2:30 AM
    Central time to "Carolina in My Mind," by James Taylor. The song holds
    special significance for North Carolina native Brady, who responded
    with best wishes for family and friends there.
    
      Columbia will reach the midway mark of its marathon mission just
    before 9 PM this evening, with a decision expected by the end of the
    weekend by mission managers whether to extend the flight by an extra
    day for science. If the flight is extended, Columbia would land at the
    Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, July 7.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #18
    
    Friday, June 28, 1996 6 p.m. CDT
    
      While Columbia's astronauts sleep, investigators on the ground will
    remotely command the Bubble Drop and Particle Unit experiment
    throughout the night.  The crew will receive a wakeup call from
    Mission Control at 1:54 Saturday morning.
    
      The bubble drop experiment is once again operating at full capacity
    following a successful maintenance procedure by the crew this morning.
    That procedure rerouted power to one of the test containers, bypassing
    a circuit which had been causing an intermittent power short.
    
      Life science investigations in the Spacelab module today once again
    focused on studying the astronaut's pulmonary function and muscle
    strength.  Tomorrow's activities will continue those investigations
    into the effects of microgravity on the human body.
    
      Columbia will reach the midway mark of its marathon mission just
    before 9 tonight, with a decision expected by the end of the weekend
    by mission managers whether to extend the flight by an extra day for
    science.  If the flight is extended, Columbia's mission would end with
    landing July 7 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
    
      The flight control team has not been working any significant problems
    on board Columbia, which is continuing to provide a stable platform
    for the Life & Microgravity Spacelab mission.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #19
    
    Saturday, June 29, 1996 6 a.m. CDT
    
      Columbia's astronauts will continue to record data on their bodies'
    responses to microgravity as part of the Life & Microgravity Spacelab
    mission, concentrating today on inner ear changes and muscular
    strength measurements.
    
      Canadian Payload Specialist Bob Thirsk will have a chance to speak
    with students at Maple Grove Education Center in Nova Scotia via the
    Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment, and Mission Specialist Chuck Brady
    will talk with students from Anacortes Middle School in Washington
    State using the on-board "ham" radio gear.
    
      The crew was awakened at 1:54 a.m. CDT to the sounds of "Another
    Saturday Night," as performed by the all-astronaut Max-Q Band. Payload
    Commander Susan Helms plays keyboard for the group.
    
      Columbia has passed the midway mark of its marathon mission. A
    decision by mission managers on whether to extend the flight by an
    extra day for science is expected by the start of next week. If the
    flight is extended, Columbia's mission would end July 7 at Kennedy
    Space Center in Florida.
    
      Flight controllers are not working any significant problems aboard
    Columbia, which is providing a stable platform for the ongoing
    laboratory reasearch.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #20
    
    Saturday, June 29, 1996 6 p.m. CDT
    
      Columbia's crew today performed orbital high-fives when told of the
    decision to extend the mission by one day to allow for additional
    science data gathering.
    
      The call to the STS-78 crew came at 8:24 this morning from Astronaut
    Chris Hadfield in Mission Control while the payload crew worked on
    many of the 40 experiments that make up the Life and Microgravity
    Spacelab mission.  Columbia's twentieth space flight is now likely to
    break the Space Shuttle endurance record.
    
      Endeavour currently holds that mark on the STS-67 mission which flew
    in March 1995.  That flight lasted 16 days, 15 hours.  The current
    mission is now planned to last 16 days, 21 hours.  The record will be
    broken as the crew prepares for reentry in the early morning hours of
    July 7.
    
      The anticipated extension of the mission was based on acceptable
    margins of electricity to power experiments for the added day and the
    performance of Columbia as a platform for the laboratory work in the
    Spacelab module.
    
      The seven-member crew has been adjusting its sleep and wake schedule
    gradually throughout the flight to accommodate the early morning
    landing at the Kennedy Space Center a week from now.  The astronauts
    began an eight hour sleep period at about 5:30 this afternoon and will
    receive the traditional wakeup call from Mission Control at 1:29
    Sunday morning to begin flight day 12.
    
      Tomorrow morning beginning at 9:39, the crew will hold a press
    conference to discuss the progress of the mission, its objectives and
    the scientific investigations underway.
    
      Columbia's current orbit is circular at 168 statute miles, circling
    the Earth every 90 minutes.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #21
    
    Sunday, June 30, 1996, 7:30 a.m. CDT
    
      Columbia's laboratory research is continuing smoothly, and the crew
    will have a half-day off duty this afternoon, the second and final
    such half-day break for the astronauts.
    
      The astronauts will also conduct a news conference at 9:39 a.m. CDT
    to
    discuss the progress of the international mission with media from the
    United States, Canada and Europe.
    
      The crew was awakened for an eleventh day in orbit at 1:29 a.m. to
    the
    sounds of "Les Murs De Poussiere" ("Dusty Walls"), as performed by
    French entertainer Francis Cabrel, in honor of French Payload
    Specialist Jean-Jacques Favier.
    
      Columbia continues to operate flawlessly 168 statute miles above the
    Earth, providing a stable platform for the ongoing scientific research
    in the Spacelab science module. Shuttle managers have extended the
    mission by one day to allow time for additional research work, and
    landing is now planned for July 7 at the Kennedy Space Center. An
    on-time landing would make STS-78 the longest shuttle flight ever,
    surpassing the previous shuttle mission duration record by about seven
    hours.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #22
    
    Sunday, June 30, 1996, 5:30 p.m. CDT
    
      Work in the Spacelab module this morning and a well deserved half-day
    off for Columbia's astronauts in the afternoon, brought to a close the
    eleventh flight day of the STS-78 mission.  The day was divided by the
    traditional crew news conference this morning in which all seven
    astronauts participated.
    
      Routinely during long-duration Space Shuttle flights crew members are
    given two half days off to relax away from the science work ongoing in
    the Spacelab.  Telescience -- or remotely operated experimentation
    from the ground -- continued, however, while the crew rested today.
    
      The crew was asked about various aspects of the mission by reporters
    during the news conference that began at 9:39 this morning.  News
    media from the U.S., Canada and France asked about fatigue, life in a
    laboratory environment during long periods and whether there were
    noticeable changes in their bodies thus far in the mission.
    
      Late this afternoon, crew members sent a short video clip to the
    ground of the full moon as seen from orbit.  Tonight marks the second
    full moon of the month, commonly called a 'blue moon.'
    Simultaneously with the downlink video, Mission Control uplinked the
    song 'Blue Moon' by The Marcels.
    The crew began an eight hour sleep period at 5:04 this afternoon and is
    scheduled to be awakened by Mission Control at 1:04 Monday morning to
    begin the twelfth flight day of what is now planned to be the longest
    Shuttle mission to date.
    
    No systems problems aboard Columbia means the orbiter is continuing to
    provide a stable platform for the science investigations that continue
    in the Spacelab even as the crew sleeps.  At an altitude of 167 miles,
    the spacecraft is circling the Earth every 90 minutes providing the
    crew with views of an orbital sunrise and sunset 16 times each day.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #23
    
    Monday, July 1, 1996, 6 a.m. CDT
    
      "Canada Day" is being observed on the Space Shuttle Columbia today as
    Canadian Payload Specialist Bob Thirsk and his six crewmates spend
    their 12th day in orbit on the Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission.
    
      The STS-78 crew was awakened just after 1 a.m. CDT by the Canadian
    national anthem "Oh Canada" as performed by the Vienna State Opera
    Orchestra. This morning, Thirsk is scheduled to deliver a holiday
    message to Prime Minister Jean Chretien and other dignitaries gathered
    at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
    
      Also this morning, Mission Specialist Susan Helms will discuss the
    progress of Columbia's flight with WBBM Radio in Chicago in an
    audio-only interview.
    
      Columbia continues to operate flawlessly, circling the Earth once
    every 90 minutes at an altitude of 168 statute miles.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #24
    
    Monday, July 1, 1996, 6 p.m. CDT
    
      Columbia's crew went back to work full time today following
    yesterday's half-day off.  In addition to the continued science
    investigations in the Spacelab module, a couple of crew members took
    part in two events to discuss the progress of the mission and to
    recognize a holiday.
    
      Susan Helms, payload commander and flight engineer throughout the
    mission, was interviewed this morning by Chicago radio station WBBM
    and talked about the myriad of life and microgravity science
    investigations that make up the STS-78 mission.  She compared life in
    space to that on Earth and explained the reasons for conducting
    extensive research into why the human body behaves the way it does in
    space and how understanding that behavior can assist people on Earth.
    
      Also today, Canadian Payload Specialist Bob Thirsk recognized the
    129th birthday of his country.  July first marks `Canada Day' and
    Thirsk sent greetings in honor of the occasion.
    
      The astronauts' sleep shift continues to move slightly earlier each
    day to condition them for the late night wakeup call on landing day,
    now scheduled for Sunday, July 7.  Today the crew went to sleep at
    4:39 and will be awakened just after midnight -- at 12:39 Tuesday
    morning.
    
      Columbia continues to operate trouble-free, circling the Earth once
    every 90 minutes at an altitude of 168 statute miles.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #25
    
    Tuesday, July 2, 1996 6 a.m. CDT
    
      Another day of scientific investigations is under way on board
    Columbia as the Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission enters its 13th
    day in orbit.
    
      Today, the seven crew members will continue supporting a variety of
    experiments investigating the effects of microgravity on the human
    body.  Studies looking at muscle strength and energy expenditure and
    astronaut pulmonary function will continue throughout the day, as will
    the processing of advanced semiconductor materials and alloys in the
    Advanced Gradient Heating Facility.
    
      In an interview this morning with the NBC Newschannel, Mission
    Commander Tom Henricks discussed Columbia's flight and the varied
    experiments which are being conducted on board.  Henricks explained
    that the crew is shifting its scheduled sleep period 25 minutes
    earlier with each day, in part to support an early morning wakeup call
    on landing day, but also as an investigation into circadian rhythms
    and their effect on crew performance.  Crew members participate in
    tests which measure their performance on duty, and instrumentation
    worn while the crew is asleep gages the quality of sleep for the crew
    members.
    
      Flight Day 13 began with a wake-up call from Mission Control at 12:30
    a.m. Central time today.  The crew awoke to "Closer to Free" by the
    Bodines.
    
      Columbia continues to operate trouble-free as it circles the Earth
    once every 90 minutes at an altitude of 168 statute miles.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #26
    
    Tuesday, July 2, 1996, 6 p.m. CDT
    
    The thirteenth flight day of Columbia's STS-78 mission came to a close
    earlier this afternoon following another busy day of science
    investigations in the Spacelab module housed in the orbiter's payload
    bay.
    The seven astronauts worked with a variety of experiments investigating
    the effects of microgravity on the human body.  Studies of muscle
    strength and energy expenditure as well as astronaut pulmonary function
    continued throughout the day, while processing of advanced
    semiconductor materials and alloys in the Advanced Gradient Heating
    Facility proceeded uninterrupted.
    Mission Commander Tom Henricks talked about Columbia's flight with the
    NBC News Channel early this morning discussing the experiments being
    conducted on board.  Henricks explained that the crew is shifting its
    scheduled sleep period 25 minutes earlier each day, in part to support
    an early morning wakeup call on landing day, but also as an
    investigation into circadian rhythms and their effect on crew
    performance.
    
    With that shifting sleep schedule, the astronauts are now scheduled to
    be awakened by Mission Control shortly after midnight central time --
    at 12:14 a.m.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #27
    
    Wednesday, July 3, 1996 6 a.m. CDT
    
      Columbia's astronauts have begun another day of life and microgravity
    science following an early morning wake-up call from Mission Control.
    
      Four of the crew members -- Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and
    Chuck Brady, and Payload Specialists Jean-Jacques Favier and Bob
    Thirsk -- are participating in the second of two integrated 72-hour
    studies of sleep cycles, circadian rhythms and crew performance.
    Investigators for this study, which began yesterday, will be
    monitoring crew alertness and mood through a series of questionnaires
    the astronauts will complete over the next 48 hours.  The astronauts
    also will don instrumented sleeping caps that will allow investigators
    to monitor the quality of crew sleep.
    
      Columbia's seven astronauts also will work with a variety of
    experiments investigating the effects of microgravity on the human
    body.  Studies of muscle strength and energy expenditure as well as
    astronaut pulmonary function will continue throughout the day, while
    processing of advanced semiconductor materials and alloys in the
    Advanced Gradient Heating Facility proceed.
    
      In addition to the ongoing science activities in the Spacelab module,
    the crew will take time to discuss their mission in a series of
    interviews today.  Shortly after 8 a.m. Central time, Favier and
    Mission Commander Tom Henricks will take a call from French Prime
    Minister Alain Juppe.  About two hours later, at 10:10 a.m. Central
    time, some of Columbia's crew will contact the Mir Space Station crew
    -- Commander Yuri Onufrienko, Flight Engineer Yuri Usachev and
    Cosmonaut Researcher Shannon Lucid.  The two crews will discuss the
    international nature of their flights and the upcoming Olympic Games
    with Mr. Billy Payne, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlanta
    Committee for the Olympic Games.
    
      In the afternoon, Henricks and Thirsk, a Canadian Space Agency
    astronaut, will answer questions from students at three different
    locations in Canada.  That interactive educational event is scheduled
    for 12:14 p.m. Central time.
    
      The crew awoke this morning to the tune "Wake Up Little Susie" by the
    Everly Brothers.  They will go to sleep at 3:49 p.m. Central time
    today.
    
      Columbia continues to operate trouble-free as it circles the Earth
    once every 90 minutes at an altitude of 168 statute miles.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #28
    
    Wednesday, July 3, 1996 6 p.m. CDT
    
    Columbia's Life and Microgravity Spacelab moved into the homestretch
    as the seven astronauts near completion of two weeks in orbit on what
    is expected to be the longest Space Shuttle mission to date.
    
    The crew went to sleep just before 4 p.m. and was scheduled to be
    awakened at 11:49 tonight to begin the fifteenth flight day of the
    mission.
    
    About an hour into the sleep period, a switch on the middeck was
    inadvertently bumped sounding an alarm on board.  Commander Tom
    Henricks reset the switch and went back to bed.
    
    The crew completed all of its in-flight special events Wednesday,
    including a conversation with two cosmonauts and fellow astronaut
    Shannon Lucid on Russia's Space Station Mir.  The conversation also
    included congratulatory words to both crews from Billy Payne with the
    Atlanta Olympic Organizing Committee.  The olympics begin July 19.
    
    Tomorrow the crew will continue work in the Spacelab module and also
    celebrate Independence Day for the United States.  On Monday the crew
    celebrated Canada Day in honor of Payload Specialist Bob Thirsk and
    his country's 129th birthday.
    
    Columbia continues to operate trouble-free circling the Earth every 90
    minutes at an altitude of 168 statute miles.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #29
    
    Thursday, July 4, 1996 6 a.m. CDT
    
    Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA," and Lee Greenwood's "I'm Proud
    to be an American" greeted Columbia's seven astronauts today as they
    awoke to begin their fifteenth flight day on orbit.
    
    Mission Commander Tom Henricks responded to Mission Control's wake up
    call by saying that the five US-born crew members were very proud to
    be Americans, particularly on the day America celebrates its 220th
    anniversary. On Monday, the crew celebrated Canada Day in honor of
    Payload Specialist Bob Thirsk and his country's 129th birthday.
    
    Today, work in the Spacelab module will continue with investigations
    into the effects of microgravity on muscle strength and endurance,
    astronaut lung function, and adaptation of the neurovestibular system
    to a microgravity environment.  Henricks and Pilot Kevin Kregel will
    complete work with a laptop computer designed to test the crew's
    critical thinking skills and reaction time. They also will test a
    voice control system that allows them to reposition Columbia's
    closed-circuit television cameras with verbal cues, keeping their
    hands free to perform other tasks.
    
    The crew's day will end at 3:34 p.m. Central time as they continue to
    shift their sleep periods in anticipation of an early morning call to
    support Columbia's planned July 7 landing at the Kennedy Space Center.
     
    Columbia continues to operate trouble-free circling the Earth every 90
    minutes at an altitude of 168 statute miles.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #30
    
    Thursday, July 4, 1996 5 p.m. CDT
    
    With their sleep shifts now set on a schedule to prepare for Sunday's
    planned return to Earth, the astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Columbia
    will receive a wakeup call at 11:39 tonight to begin the sixteenth
    flight day of the mission.
    
    Earlier today, Commander Tom Henricks recognized America's
    Independence Day by showing a television view of the U.S. from space
    with patriotic music playing in the background.  He also paid tribute
    to the service personnel killed and injured in the recent bombing in
    Saudi Arabia.
    
    Work in the Spacelab module continued today with investigations into
    the effects of microgravity on muscle strength and endurance,
    astronaut lung function, and adaptation of the neurovestibular system
    to a microgravity environment.  Laboratory work will continue tomorrow
    with several of the experiments being wrapped up in preparation for
    the return trip home planned for Sunday morning at the Kennedy Space
    Center in Florida.
    
    Henricks and Pilot Kevin Kregel completed work with a laptop computer
    designed to test the crew's critical thinking skills and reaction
    time.  They also tested a voice control system that repositions
    Columbia's closed-circuit television cameras with verbal cues.  The
    test showed the feasibility of the experiment to free crew members'
    hands for other tasks.
    
    Columbia's twentieth spaceflight enters the last three days with no
    orbiter problems being tracked by Mission Control.  The spacecraft is
    circling the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 168 statute
    miles.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #31
    
    Friday, July 5, 1996 6 a.m. CDT
    
    A bonus day of science is under way on board Columbia as the
    astronauts continue their scientific investigations in the Spacelab
    module.
    
    This morning's science activities consisted of experiment sessions
    being held in reserve pending the extension of the STS-78
    mission. With all orbiter systems performing well and plenty of
    electricity available for the additional payload work, last week
    mission managers gave crew members and the payload community that
    extra day, potentially making Columbia's flight the longest is Space
    Shuttle history.
    
    Work today focuses on how the astronauts' bodies are responding to the
    microgravity environment after more than two weeks in orbit.  The
    payload crew will support studies into adaptation of the
    neurovestibular system and the musculoskeletal system during
    spaceflight.  Mission Commander Tom Henricks and Pilot Kevin Kregel
    will spend one additional day working with a human behavior
    investigation that measures their reaction time to a series of
    pre-programmed computer images.
    
    Columbia's crew will then begin to wrap up operations with many of the
    experiments on board in preparation for Sunday morning's planned
    return to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
    
    The crew awoke to "Birthday" by The Beatles in recognition of
    Henricks' 44th birthday today.
    
    Columbia enters the final days of this record-setting mission with no
    orbiter problems being tracked by Mission Control.  The spacecraft is
    circling the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 168 statute
    miles.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #32
    
    Friday, July 5, 1996 5 p.m. CDT
    
    Columbia's astronauts completed another full day of laboratory work
    aboard the Spacelab today, a day which normally would have been used
    to prepare for the spacecraft's return to Earth. But with a mission
    extension granted last weekend, the crew could spend the extra time
    with the 40-plus life and microgravity experiments.
    
    Work today focused on how the astronauts' bodies are responding to the
    microgravity environment after more than two weeks in orbit.  The
    payload crew's work will support studies into adaptation of the
    neurovestibular system and the musculoskeletal system during
    spaceflight.
    
    The crew will be awakened at 11:34 tonight central time to begin its
    last full day on orbit.  Saturday the crew will prepare for Sunday's
    landing by stowing equipment used throughout the mission and shutting
    down the laboratory module carried in Columbia's payload bay.  Also
    tomorrow, the crew will turn its attention to checking out Columbia's
    systems by testing the flight control system and firing all of the
    small maneuvering thruster jets to ensure their health and readiness
    to support landing.
    
    Additionally, the crew will test a procedure to subtly boost its
    altitude to prove a concept that may be used on Discovery's next
    mission -- STS-82 -- to service the Hubble Space Telescope.  The test
    has the crew firing the small vernier control jets in a precise
    pattern to slightly raise the orbit while not disturbing payloads.  If
    adopted, the concept will assist in boosting the telescope's altitude
    without having to contract the sensitive solar arrays.
    
    Columbia's crew will then begin to wrap up the last of experiment
    operations in preparation for Sunday morning's planned return to the
    Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  Two landing opportunities are
    available Sunday. The first is at 7:37 a.m. CDT and the second at 9:11
    a.m. Based on the planned landing early Sunday morning, the orbiter
    will complete 272 revolutions of the planet.
    
    

    STS-78 Mission Control Center Status Report #33
    
    Saturday, July 6, 1996 6 a.m. CDT
    
    Columbia's astronauts conducted routine firings of the orbiter's
    reaction control system jets and checked out its flight control
    systems and aero surfaces this morning in anticipation of Sunday's
    planned landing at the Kennedy Space Center.
    
    Early this morning, Commander Tom Henricks and Pilot Kevin Kregel
    successfully fired Columbia's 44 reaction control system jets and then
    cycled the aero surfaces that will be used during Columbia's high
    speed re-entry Sunday morning.  All of Columbia's systems are healthy
    and ready to support tomorrow's landing.
    
    Just after 3 a.m. Central time today, Henricks and Kregel pulsed
    Columbia's vernier reaction control system jets to gently raise
    Columbia's altitude.  These firings were part of a test to prove a
    concept that may be used on Space Shuttle Discovery's next mission --
    STS-82 -- to service the Hubble Space Telescope.  The vernier jet
    firings should raise the orbit without disturbing any payloads on
    board, or in the case of the Hubble Space Telescope, without placing
    any force on the telescope's fragile solar arrays.
    
    The payload crew --Mission Specialists Susan Helms, Rick Linnehan and
    Chuck Brady, and Payload Specialists Jean-Jacques Favier and Bob
    Thirsk -- began to wrap up the last of their experiment operations in
    the Spacelab module this morning.  About noon today, they will begin
    deactivating Spacelab, although the hatch between Columbia and the lab
    will not be closed until early Sunday morning.
    
    There are two landing opportunities available on Sunday, both to the
    Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first opportunity would have
    Columbia landing at the Kennedy Space Center at 7:37 a.m. Central time
    Sunday, with a second opportunity one orbit later resulting in a
    landing at 9:11 a.m. Central time.  If Columbia lands on the initial
    opportunity, it will have completed 272 revolutions of the Earth and
    traveled about 7 million miles, while setting a new shuttle endurance
    record.