Conference 7.286::space

    
    Launch May 16, 1996 at 6:32 a.m (ESTIMATED).
    
    Launch window is 2 hours 30 min. 
    
    
    Landing:
    
    KSC May 26, 1996 at 7:09 a.m. EST (estimated) 
    
    
    

    
    
    
    Launch May 19, 1996 at 6:32 a.m (ESTIMATED). Launch window is 2 hours
    30 min. 
    
    On 5/7/96, the Mission Management Team met at the STS-77 Flight
    Readiness Review (FRR) and set May 19, 1996 as the official launch
    date. The original target date of May 16 was not available on the
    Eastern Range schedule. 
    
    

    From what I recall hearing on NASA Select, when asked by reporters
    at one of the presentations about the launch a week or so ago, the 
    heard flight director for the STS-77 mission said that there was a 
    DoD launch set for the 16th. This apparently is the likely reason for 
    moving it out to the 19th, so as to not conflict with use/setup of
    the range.
    
    Bob

                                 STS-77 LAUNCH
                                      
Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, DC                  May 7, 1996
(Phone:  202/358-1778)

George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, FL
(Phone:  407/867-2468)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N96-31

NASA SETS MAY 19 AS LAUNCH DATE FOR MISSION STS-77

   At the conclusion of a flight readiness review meeting today, NASA
   managers set May 19, 1996 as the official launch date for the agency's
   next Space Shuttle mission, designated STS-77. The original target
   date of May 16 was not available on the Eastern Range schedule.
   
   NASA's fourth Shuttle mission of 1996 will involve Shuttle Endeavour
   and a six-person crew performing microgravity research aboard the
   commercially owned and operated SPACEHAB Module. The crew also will
   deploy and retrieve a research satellite and perform rendezvous
   operations with a test satellite.
   
   Launch of Endeavour on May 19 is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. EDT at the
   opening of a 2 1/2 hour available launch window. The STS-77 mission is
   forecast to last just over 10 days. Mission Control in Houston will be
   closely monitoring power consumption and cryogenic fuel reserves
   associated with the Shuttle's power system during the flight. Mission
   managers will have an option of shortening the mission one day if
   necessary. An on-time launch and nominal mission duration would result
   in a landing on May 29 a little after 7 a.m. EDT at Kennedy Space
   Center's Shuttle Landing Facility.
   
   The STS-77 crew is commanded by John Casper, making his fourth Shuttle
   flight. The pilot for the mission, Curt Brown, is making his third
   flight. There are four mission specialists assigned to the flight.
   Andrew Thomas, serving as Mission Specialist-1, is making his first
   flight. Mission Specialist-2 is Dan Bursch who is making his third
   flight. Mario Runco, serving as Mission Specialist-3, also is making
   his third flight. Mission Specialist-4 is Canadian astronaut Marc
   Garneau, who is flying in space for the second time.
   
   STS-77 will be the 11th flight of Endeavour and the 77th mission flown
   since the start of the Space Shuttle program in 1981.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
   [IMAGE] STS-77 (Kennedy Space Center)
   
   
   [IMAGE]
    

                                  STS-77 (77)
                                       
          Endeavour (11)
          Pad 39-B (36) (estimated)
          77th Shuttle Mission (estimated)
          11th Flight OV-105 (estimated)
          
          
Crew:

          John H. Casper (4), Commander
          Curtis L. Brown Jr. (3), Pilot
          Daniel W. Bursch (3), Mission specialist
          Mario Runco, Jr.(3), Mission Specialist
          Marc Garneau (2), Mission Specialist (CSA)
          Andrew S. W. Thomas (1), Mission Specialist
          
Payload:

          SPACEHAB-04 (CFZF,SEF), SPARTAN-207/IAE,
          TEAMS(GANE,VTRE,LMTE,PAMS), GBA(12, G-056,G-200),
          BETSCE, ARF, BRIC
                    
          NASA's flight of shuttle Endeavour is devoted to opening the
          commercial space frontier. During the flight the crew will
          perform microgravity research aboard the commercially owned and
          operated SPACEHAB module. The mission will also deploy and
          retrieve the Spartan-207/IAE (Inflatable Antenna Experiment)
          satellite and will also rendezvous with a test satellite. A
          suite of four technology experiments known as the Technology
          Experiments for Advancing Missions in Space (TEAMS) will also
          fly in the Shuttle's payload bay.
          
          
          The SPACEHAB single module will be carrying nearly 3,000 pounds
          of experiments and support equipment for 12 commercial space
          product development payloads in the areas of biotechnology,
          electronic materials, polymers and agriculture as well as
          several experiments for other NASA payload organizations. One
          of these, the Commercial Float Zone Facility (CFZF) has been
          developed through international collaboration between the U.S.,
          Canada and Germany. It will heat various samples of electronic
          and semiconductor material thru the float zone technique.
          Another facility on SPACEHAB will be the Space Experiment
          Facility (SEF) which will grow crystals by vapor diffusion.
          
          
          The Goddard Space Flight Center. s (GSFC) Spartan 207 satellite
          will be used to deploy and test the Inflatable Antenna
          Experiment (IAE) which will lay the groundwork for future
          technology development in inflatable space structures. It will
          test the performance of a large inflatable antenna during a
          ninety-minute mission. The antenna structure will then be
          jettisoned and the Spartan spacecraft recovered at mission end.
          
          
          
          Inside Endeavour's cargo bay the four TEAMS experiments will
          operate throughout the mission. They include the Global
          Positioning System (GPS) Attitude and Navigation Experiment
          (GANE) which will determine to what accuracy the GPS system
          can supply attitude information to a space vehicle; the Vented
          Tank Resupply Experiment (VTRE) will test improved methods for
          in-space refueling; the Liquid Metal Thermal Experiment (LMTE)
          will evaluate the performance of liquid metal heat pipes in
          microgravity conditions and the Passive Aerodynamically
          Stabilized Magnetically Damped Satellite (PAMS) payload will be
          a technology demonstration of the principle of aerodynamic
          stabilization in the upper atmosphere. Cameras on the shuttle
          will record the PAMS satellite as it is deployed and track its
          movements.
          
          
          Secondary experiments on the flight will include the Brilliant
          Eyes Ten Kelvin Sorption Cryocooler Experiment (BETSCE), the
          Aquatic Research Facility (ARF) and the Biological Research In
          a Canister (BRIC) experiment.
          

It's a bit odd that they choose a Sunday for launch.  I always heard that they
tried to avoid it because of the extra costs involved, and it does not seem like
there is any critical timing involved for the mission.  There must be other
range availablity issues as well.

Burns

    I heard a week ago or so this exact question put to the flight
    director for this mission. He said that immediately upon landing
    Endeavour had to be quickly unloaded and sent to Palmdale ASAP
    to start on its refit/upgrade schedule. He said that it was a very 
    tight schedule, and if the launch delayed out to Thursday of next 
    week it would compromise the upgrade schedule as it would have slipped 
    out the landing date. This Thursday of course we now know that the range
    is being used by another customer (DoD), and that's why it isn't being
    launched on the 16th. Why a day matters and sts-77 couldn't be launched
    on Monday instead of paying everyone OT on Sunday, I can't answer.
    There's either something else going on, or they can't flat out afford 
    to let the launch slip any further than Sunday.
    So it's not the mission time-line but what happens to Endeavour after
    the mission ends on schedule with no slip that apparently matters.
    
    Bob

    
    	I heard on CNN this morning that all three main engines were
    new? That they performed right to specifications?
    
    	Are the engines a new design or just new versions of the old
    design?
    
    
    					Thanks,
    					Bill
    	
    	

They are upgrades of the existing design -- new turbines and other
mechanical parts.

They have flown with the "older" engines the past flight or two.  This
must have been the first flight with all new engines.


Check out earlier flights for references to "Block 3" engines (did
I get that right shuttle-watchers?)



- dave

    Yup this is the first flight where all three main shuttle 
    engines were of the "Block 1" design. The Block 1 engines
    have flown on shuttle flights since STS-74 or 73 I believe
    in sets of 1 B1 and 2 older engines, then a flight or two
    later they added 2 Block 1's. From what they said at yesterdays
    post launch news conference, the Block 1 engines have performed
    flawlessly since being introduced to the shuttle program.
    It was intended to be a phased program of phasing them in.
    The rest of the shuttle fleet should be eventually getting the
    Block 1 engines, I would assume.
    
    Bob

  It's unusual seeing something that replaces something else called "Block 1".
Were the old engines Block 0?

  George

    Mission Control Center Status Report # 1 STS-77 
    
    May 19, 1996 8:30 AM CDT 
    
    The Shuttle Endeavour blasted off right on time this morning from the
    Kennedy Space Center at 5:30 AM Central time following a flawless
    countdown and its six astronauts went right to work activating the
    Spacehab module systems in the cargo bay laboratory and the ships robot
    arm. 
    
    Commander John Casper, Pilot Curt Brown and crewmates Andy Thomas, Dan
    Bursch, Mario Runco and Marc Garneau wasted no time moving into their
    activities once they reached orbit, deploying the Shuttles KU-band
    radio antenna and beginning the process of turning on a host of
    materials and life science experiments in the Spacehab, which is
    designed to increase the volume of workspace available to orbiting
    Shuttle crews. 
    
    The only glitch during the launch phase this morning occured when a
    cooling device for one of Endeavours three hydraulic power units froze
    up, but the water spray boiler is expected to thaw once the orbiter is
    maneuvered into its on-orbit experiment orientation and is not expected
    to have any impact on the mission. 
    
    The first major activity of the flight will occur Monday morning, when
    Runco uses Endeavours robot arm to grapple and deploy the Spartan
    satellite which is housed in the Shuttles cargo bay. Once it is
    deployed, a timing device on Spartan will command a large inflatable
    antenna to deploy at the top of a three-legged tripod. The 90 by
    50-foot antenna will then be inflated by nitrogen gas in a technology
    demonstration of how large inflatable structures can operate in
    weightlessness. 
    
    Endeavours astronauts will begin their first eight-hour sleep period at
    4:30 Central time this afternoon and will be awakened at 12:30 AM
    Monday. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report # 2 
    
    Sunday, May 19, 4:30 p.m. CDT 
    
    Following an on-time launch this morning, the crew of Endeavour set up
    a variety of experiments today that will operate for much of the
    mission while preparing for tomorrows work with the first of two
    satellites to be deployed during the flight. 
    
    One of the first activities for the crew was to activate the Spacehab
    module, making its fourth flight on STS-77 and carrying more than 3,000
    pounds of experiment equipment. Astronauts Andy Thomas and Marc Garneau
    opened the hatch to the Spacehab and entered the module shortly after
    the crew was given a go for extended orbital operations. 
    
    Mission Specialist Mario Runco began experiments with the Aquatic
    Research Facility, a type of orbital aquarium on Endeavours lower deck.
    The facility, a joint project by the Canadian Space Agency and NASA,
    will study the early development in weightlessness of sea urchins,
    mussels and starfish. The studies may provide clues to how humans may
    develop in weightlessness. 
    
    Other experiments which were activated aboard Endeavour include an
    investigation called GANE that uses Global Positioning System
    satellites to determine a spacecrafts orientation, an experiment called
    BETSCE that tests a new, supercold refrigeration system that needs no
    moving parts and could be used on orbiting astronomical instruments and
    a Commercial Float Zone Furnace, which will produce large crystals for
    use in semiconductors and infrared sensors. 
    
    Mission Specialist Andy Thomas prepared for the deployment of the
    Spartan-207 satellite on Monday, as he conducted a thorough checkout of
    the Shuttles robot arm, which Runco will use to grapple and release the
    satellite. The Spartan-207 satellite, carrying the Inflatable Antenna
    Experiment, will be released at about 6:29 a.m. CDT Monday and the
    antenna, which is the size of a tennis court, will be inflated at about
    8:38 a.m. CDT as Endeavour holds position nearby. 
    
    Endeavour is currently in a 176-mile high circular orbit, completing
    one revolution of Earth every hour and a half. The crew began an
    eight-hour sleep period at 4:30 p.m. CDT and will awaken for Day 2 of
    the planned 10-day mission at 12:30 a.m. CDT Monday. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center  Status Report # 3 
    
    Monday, May 20, 7 a.m. CDT 
    
    The Spartan satellite was released at 6:29 Central time this morning
    for its 24 hour free flight away from Endeavour to test new inflatable
    antenna technology 
    
    The Inflatable Antenna Experiment, or IAE, was scheduled to be inflated
    shortly after 8:30 this morning. The inflation procedure lasts about 5
    minutes, bringing the antenna to its full size of 90 feet by 50 feet,
    or the equivalent size of a tennis court. After an hour and a half, the
    antenna was to be jettisoned from the Spartan. The satellite will be
    retrieved tomorrow morning and placed back in the payload bay for the
    remainder of the flight. 
    
    Experiment activity continues around the clock aboard the orbiter and
    in the Spacehab science module -- even while the crew sleeps. An
    investigation using Global Positioning System satellites to determine a
    spacecrafts orientation rather than just location is in progress. GPS
    is becoming a more and more useful tool in position location and
    attitude which will be beneficial with the International Space Station
    in precisely determining its proper position in space. 
    
    Another experiment called BETSCE (pronounced betsy) is testing a new,
    supercold refrigeration system that needs no moving parts and could be
    used on orbiting astronomical instruments. The Commercial Float Zone
    Furnace operates continuously to produce large crystals for use in
    semiconductors and infrared sensors. 
    
    Endeavour is currently in a 176-mile high circular orbit, completing
    one revolution of Earth every 90 minutes. The crew was awakened at
    12:30 this morning to the Air Force Song in honor of Casper, an Air
    Force Colonel and Brown, an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. The crew will
    go to sleep at 4:30 this afternoon. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #4 
    
    Monday, May 20, 5 p.m. CDT 
    
    With the free-flying Spartan spacecraft trailing Endeavour by about 21
    nautical miles, and the jettisoned Inflatable Antenna Experiment
    leading by a distance of more than 100 nautical miles, the six
    astronauts on board Endeavour have begun a planned eight-hour sleep
    shift. 
    
    Early this morning, Mission Specialists Mario Runco used the Shuttles
    robot arm to deploy the Spartan and its Inflatable Antenna Experiment
    from Endeavours payload bay. At 8:38 a.m. Central time, the antenna
    structure inflated to its full 92 foot length supporting a 50 foot
    diameter dish. Cameras and sensors on the Spartan spacecraft took
    precise measurements of the smoothness of the antenna dish surface. IAE
    was jettisoned about 90 minutes later according to plan. 
    
    The antenna continues to move ahead of Endeavour at the rate of 50 to
    60 nautical miles with every revolution of the Earth, and at 3:30 p.m.
    was approximately 85 nautical miles in front of, and below Endeavour.
    Due to IAEs dynamic characteristics -- its large size but relatively
    light weight -- an exact orbital lifetime is difficult to predict, but
    flight controllers estimate that it should reenter the Earths
    atmosphere within the next 17 to 24 hours. 
    
    The IAE may be visible in the early morning skies over the United
    States early Tuesday morning, in those areas where the Shuttle is
    predicted to be visible. Viewing opportunities for the antenna will
    precede the Shuttle by about one to two minutes. 
    
    Tuesday morning, about 9 a.m. Central time, Endeavour will rendezvous
    with the Spartan spacecraft, retrieving it about one hour later before
    Marc Garneau uses the robot arm to place it back in the payload bay for
    its return to earth. 
    
    Studies with a variety of experiments housed in the Spacehab science
    module -- including the Commercial Float Zone Furnace -- will continue
    as the crew sleeps. The CFZF operates independently producing large
    crystals for use in semiconductors and infrared sensors. 
    
    Endeavour is currently in a 176-mile high circular orbit, completing
    one revolution of Earth every 90 minutes. The crew will receive a
    wake-up call from Mission Control at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. 
    
    

    That was a pretty impressive experiment. I re-wound my vcr tape
    when I got home yesterday, and replayed the deploy, observations,
    & jettison. While attached to the Spartan, the inflatable antenna
    and Spartan picked up a pretty decent rotational rate along the
    long axis of the combination. It seemed to average about a 70 second
    rotation period. There was also discussed and observed a "rippling"
    seen in the surface of the "dish" portion of the antenna. One of the
    astronauts mentioned it in air-ground communication. He described it
    as the type of rippling one would see if there was a breeze blowing.
    No one conjectured on the cause of the "rippling" seen. The capcom
    asked for some telephoto closups of the video. It clearly showed the
    "rippling". My personal hunch is that it was probably caused by thermal
    expansion/contraction of the metalized surface of the mylar laminante
    material that makes up the inflatable antenna. I'd have to picture
    one side of the alumminized mylar facing the sun and the other side
    awayfrom the sun, and have to figure that there is a temperature
    differential. So it sort of is constantly stretching and contracting
    on different places on its surface.
    When the antenna was jettisoned, apparently the seals that keep the
    antenna inflated stay shut. You could see the antenna floating away
    from Spartan still inflated.
    The cause of the rotation rate is curious. I thought that the
    Spartan had a sun tracker for it to lock on the sun so it would
    maintain its position. Maybe the sun tracker was automatically 
    disabled while the antenna was attached so they could observe on 
    purpose how it might rotate on its own. In discussing the high
    rate the ground told the astronauts that the PI said that the
    center of gravity of the antenna/Spartan combo was 9 feet away from
    the Spartan towards the dish. When the shuttle was on the dark side
    you could clearly see the led array on the spartan as it was flashing
    a prescribed pattern towards the reflective alumminized surface.
    
    Bob

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report 5 
    
    Tuesday, May 21, 7 a.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavours astronauts are focusing their attention today on retrieving
    the Spartan satellite and returning it to the Shuttle's payload bay. 
    
    After being awakened at 12:30 a.m. CDT Commander John Casper, Pilot
    Curt Brown and Mission Specialist Dan Bursch prepared for the
    rendezvous while Mission Specialists Andy Thomas, Mario Runco and Marc
    Garneau continued work on the orbiters middeck and in the Spacehab
    module. 
    
    The retrieval operations began shortly after the crew was awakened by
    the Fifth Dimensions "Up, Up and Away" in honor of the Inflatable
    Antenna Experiment conducted yesterday as part of the Spartan mission.
    The IAE was jettisoned later in the morning and is expected to enter
    the Earth's atmosphere about 3 p.m. today. 
    
    This mornings rendezvous is the first of four planned during the
    mission. Following a series of jet firings, Endeavour will approach
    Spartan to within a distance of about 30 feet, where Garneau will
    extend the ship's robot arm to grapple the satellite for its berthing
    back on its payload bay platform. After the retrieval of Spartan, three
    more rendezvous are scheduled after tomorrow's deployment of a
    technology demonstration satellite designed to test an aerodynamically
    stabilized method of attitude control. 
    
    Endeavour is currently in a 176-mile high circular orbit, completing
    one revolution of Earth every 90 minutes. The crew will go to sleep at
    3:30 this afternoon and wake up at 11:30 tonight. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report 6 
    
    Tuesday, May 21, 1996 4 p.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavours third day in space was highlighted by the successful
    retrieval of the Spartan- 207 satellite and its complement of data from
    Mondays studies with the Inflatable Antenna Experiment. 
    
    As Commander John Casper eased Endeavour within 35 feet of the Spartan,
    Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau captured the satellite with the
    Shuttles robot arm at about 9:53 a.m. central time with Endeavour 176
    statute miles above New Guinea. Before berthing Spartan back in
    Endeavours payload bay, the astronauts conducted a video and
    photographic survey of the satellite attached to the robot arm. 
    
    Inflatable Antenna Experiment investigators will not have an
    opportunity to review the data stored on Spartan until after Endeavour
    lands next week. The IAE itself remains in orbit and is now predicted
    to reenter the Earths atmosphere and burn up by about 4 a.m. central
    time Wednesday. 
    
    Meanwhile, the crew continued work with the variety of experiments
    housed in the Spacehab module, including some troubleshooting of the
    Fluid Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus, a soft-drink dispenser designed
    to investigate the mixture of fluid and gas in weightlessness. The
    troubleshooting was not completed, however, before the crews day ended. 
    
    Early Wednesday morning, Mission Specialist Mario Runco will deploy the
    PAMS-STU satellite from its canister in Endeavours payload bay. This
    investigation will demonstrate the passive stabilization of a small
    satellite using aerodynamic stabilization and magnetic damping, rather
    than propellant. The PAMS-STU satellite will not be retrieved by
    Endeavour, but Commander John Casper and Pilot Curt Brown will maneuver
    the orbiter to within 2000 feet of the satellite during three separate
    stationkeeping exercises to take precise measurements of its stability
    and to observe if its behavior matches the predicted models. 
    
    Endeavour is currently in a 176-mile high circular orbit, completing
    one revolution of Earth every 90 minutes. The crew will receive a
    wake-up call from Mission Control at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. 
    
    

    
    Bob, thanks for the description of the inflatable antenna,
    Could the rippling happen if the inflating, deployment is not
    uniform ?
    
    Haven't seen it as there is not a lot of this on UK TV.
    

    Could be, it was just my guess as to what may have caused it.
    The rippling was occuring *well* after inflation was finished,
    and well after the satellite had stabilized its shape.
    I'm sure the PI's will arrive at an answer and will publish their
    conclusions at some point in time.
    
    Bob

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report 7 
    
    Wednesday, May 22, 1996 6 a.m. CDT 
    
    With the Spartan satellites mission completed, Endeavours six
    astronauts turned their attention today to the deploy of a small
    technology demonstration satellite known as PAMS. 
    
    The Passive Aerodynamically Stabilized Magnetically Damped Satellite
    uses aerodynamic stabilization to orient itself properly and
    demonstrates a technique that could prolong the lifetime of a satellite
    by reducing or eliminating the requirement for attitude control
    propellants. 
    
    After Mission Specialist Mario Runco deployed the satellite from a
    canister in the rear of Endeavours payload bay on time at 4:18 a.m.
    Central time, it drifted away from the orbiter in a rotating, unstable
    attitude by design to evaluate how quickly and effectively the
    spacecraft could stabilize itself using the aerodynamic stabilization
    method rather than with thrusters. 
    
    Commander John Casper and Pilot Curt Brown backed Endeavour away to a
    distance of 48,000 feet to begin one of three planned rendezvous with
    the satellite to measure its stability using lasers mounted in the
    payload bay. The first rendezvous approach was scheduled later this
    morning as the crew placed Endeavour at a station-keeping distance of
    about 2,000 feet. The second and third rendezvous are scheduled for
    Friday and Saturday. 
    
    Meanwhile, the Inflatable Antenna, jettisoned from the Spartan
    satellite after its mission Monday, was expected to enter the Earths
    atmosphere today. 
    
    Endeavour is in a 176-mile high circular orbit, completing one
    revolution of Earth every 90 minutes. The crew will go to sleep at 3:30
    today and awaken at 10:30 tonight. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report 8 
    
    Wednesday, May 22, 1996 4 p.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavours crew spent another day in space devoted to precision flying
    as they deployed the second satellite of their mission, moved nine
    miles away, and then returned to within a half-mile to study the
    satellites stability. 
    
    Four and one-half hours after releasing and separating from the Passive
    Aerodynamically Stabilized Magnetically Damped Satellite-Satellite Test
    Unit, or PAMS-STU, early this morning, Endeavour returned to a position
    about 2,000 feet from the satellite. Commander John Casper and Pilot
    Curt Brown kept Endeavour near PAMS-STU to allow ground-based
    researchers to attempt to track the satellite with instruments mounted
    in Endeavours cargo bay. 
    
    PAMS-STU was ejected from its canister in Endeavours payload bay at
    4:18 a.m. central time today. It was placed in an intentionally
    unstable orientation and it is anticipated that it should slowly
    reorient itself to a stable attitude. The PAMS-STU technology
    demonstration investigates the use of natural, aerodynamic
    stabilization to orient a spacecraft properly, a technique that could
    prolong the lifetime of future satellites by reducing or eliminating
    the requirement for attitude control propellants. 
    
    During the two hours Endeavour held position this morning,
    investigators noted that the satellite had not yet stabilized and they
    did not obtain a strong lock on the satellite using the laser-based
    tracking instruments aboard the shuttle. However, two more such close
    encounters with the satellite are planned later in the flight to check
    its progress. Those stationkeeping exercises are expected to last up to
    six and one-half hours each. 
    
    The astronauts have begun an eight-hour sleep period and will awaken to
    begin Flight Day 5 at 11:30 p.m. central time today. Flight Day 5 will
    be dedicated to continued scientific investigations in the Spacehab
    module. 
    
    All of Endeavours systems continue to perform well as the orbiter
    circles the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 175 statute miles. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report 9 
    
    Thursday, May 23, 1996 7 a.m. CDT 
    
    The work aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour has switched from
    rendezvous and proximity operations with satellites to science
    gathering aboard an orbiting laboratory. 
    
    The six astronauts spent the first half of their workday assisting
    payload controllers with investigations into materials processing of
    samples and the growth of crystals while documenting the progress of
    starfish and mussel development in a spaceborne aquarium in the
    Spacehab module in the Shuttles cargo bay. 
    
    The crew was awakened at 11:30 PM Central time last night with a
    childrens song from Mission Control called Milky Way. The crew then
    moved off in different directions to support work with many of the
    experiments that make up the fourth mission of the Spacehab pressurized
    module. 
    
    Endeavour is about 64 miles away from the Passive Aerodynamically
    Stabilized Magnetically Damped Satellite-Satellite Test Unit, or
    PAMS-STU, which was deployed from a canister in the payload bay
    yesterday. A small engine firing aboard Endeavour is planned later this
    morning to begin the slow re-rendezvous with the satellite scheduled
    for Saturday. 
    
    This technology demonstration experiment investigates the use of
    natural, aerodynamic stabilization to orient a spacecraft properly, a
    technique that could prolong the lifetime of future satellites by
    reducing or eliminating the requirement for attitude control
    propellants. 
    
    During the first proximity operations of Endeavour to the satellite, a
    strong lock on the satellite using the laser-based tracking instruments
    aboard the shuttle was not obtained. However, two more close rendezvous
    operations with the satellite are planned Saturday and Sunday to check
    its progress. Those stationkeeping exercises are expected to last up to
    six and a half hours each. 
    
    The astronauts also completed an in-flight maintenance procedure to
    improve the flow of beverages in a dispenser aboard Endeavour designed
    to test the capability of soft drinks to stay cold and carbonated in
    weightlessness. 
    
    The astronauts will go to bed at 2:30 this afternoon and will wake up
    at 10:30 tonight. Endeavour continue to provide a stable platform for
    the science investigations going on around the clock, even while the
    crew sleeps. The orbiters current altitude is 175 statute miles with an
    orbital period of 90 minutes. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report 10 
    
    Thursday, May 23, 1996 4 p.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavours crew members spent their fifth day in space tending to a
    host of experiments today, ranging from biological studies of sea
    creatures in weightlessness to experiments in crystal growth and
    materials processing. 
    
    Commander John Casper, Pilot Curt Brown and Mission Specialists Dan
    Bursch and Andy Thomas took a brief break from their work today to
    answer questions from CNN, and Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau, along
    with Bursch, also spoke with Canadian networks CBC and RDI. As the
    attention of the crew turned to the laboratory work inside the
    spacecraft, Endeavour maintained its distance from the PAMS-STU
    satellite released yesterday. Casper fired the shuttles jets today in
    one of a series of periodic engine firings which, during the next two
    days, will keep Endeavour poised for a return to the PAMSSTU Saturday
    for continued studies of the satellites stability. 
    
    Also today, Bursch and Garneau repaired the Fluid Generic Bioprocessing
    Apparatus, an orbital soft drink dispenser, which had a cooling
    problem. The dispenser was then tested by the crew and currently is
    working well in filling drink containers. 
    
    The six astronauts will be awakened at 10:30 p.m. central time today to
    begin their sixth flight day on orbit, another day devoted to
    scientific and technical investigations in the Spacehab module. The
    crew also will enjoy a few hours off tomorrow, a standard policy during
    longer shuttle missions, to ensure the crew remains well rested. 
    
    Endeavour continues to circle the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude
    of 175 miles with all systems on board performing well. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #11 
    
    Friday, May 24, 1996 6 a.m. CDT 
    
    Halfway through the STS-77 mission, the six Endeavour astronauts spent
    some time relaxing, then went back to working in the Spacehab module
    and preparing to revisit a small cylindrical satellite they deployed
    several days ago. 
    
    While Commander John Casper and Pilot Curt Brown monitored Endeavours
    systems, Mission Specialist Mario Runco tested an attitude
    determination system using the GPS attitude and navigation experiment
    called GANE. The remaining crew members -- Mission Specialists Andy
    Thomas, Dan Bursch and Marc Garneau -- monitored the health of
    experiments ongoing in the Spacehab and on the middeck of the orbiter. 
    
    Thomas monitored the Space Experiment Facility (SEF), Garneau worked
    with the Commercial Float Zone Furnace (CFZF), changing samples and
    videotapes, and Bursch taste tested soda in the Fluids Generic
    Bioprocessing Apparatus (FGBA), which was repaired during an inflight
    maintenance procedure yesterday. 
    
    The crew also conducted a health check of the Aquatic Research Facility
    (ARF) which contains starfish, mussels and sea urchins. Three separate
    investigations are being conducted to study embryonic development in
    space, adult tissue structure and the ability to orient to the
    microgravity environment of space. The investigations are designed to
    help researchers understand and improve models of human adaptation to
    space and the factors that may disrupt that adaptation. 
    
    The crew will perform a small engine firing later today to refine the
    distance between Endeavour and the small PAMS-STU satellite in
    preparation for tomorrows planned second rendezvous with the
    spacecraft. The astronauts answered questions from the rendezvous team
    in Mission Control to better understand their ability to see the
    satellite and verify its orientation under different lighting
    conditions. The two spacecraft are currently about 60 miles apart. 
    
    The crew will go to sleep at 1:30 this afternoon and wakeup at 9:30
    tonight. Endeavours 11th mission begins the second half of the flight
    at a stable altitude of 175 miles with an orbital period of 90 minutes. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #12 
    
    Friday, May 24, 1996 5 p.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavours astronauts enjoyed a few hours off today following a busy
    pace of scientific investigations and satellite deployments during the
    first half of their mission. 
    
    Crewmembers today tended to several investigations in the Spacehab
    module and on Endeavours middeck, and began preparations for Saturday
    mornings rendezvous with the PAMS-STU satellite. The small satellite
    was deployed from Endeavours payload bay Wednesday to begin a study
    into the use of natural, aerodynamic stabilization to maintain a
    spacecrafts attitude on orbit. 
    
    Saturday mornings rendezvous will be the second visit paid by Endeavour
    to the satellite since its deployment. Commander John Casper and Pilot
    Curt Brown will again pull to within 2,000 feet behind PAMS-STU and
    remain there for approximately six and one-half hours. During that
    stationkeeping exercise, a device in Endeavours cargo bay will measure
    the satellites stability and orientation by reflecting light on the
    satellite. The images returned by those reflectors will be recorded by
    the AMS for subsequent analysis to determine the satellites stability
    on orbit. 
    
    Preparations for the rendezvous will begin shortly after the crew
    awakens at 9:30 p.m. Central time today. Casper and Brown will perform
    a series of engine firings to put Endeavour on a course to intercept
    PAMS-STU, and should arrive at the 2,000-foot point about 3 a.m.
    central time Saturday. 
    
    Endeavour continues to provide a stable platform the the scientific
    investigations being conducted on board. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #13 
    
    Saturday, May 25, 1996; 6:30 a.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavour returned to the small, cylindrical PAMS-STU satellite today
    and began eight hours of station-keeping about 1,800 feet away that
    will conclude about 11 a.m. 
    
    The second rendezvous with the Passive Aerodynamically Stabilized
    Magnetically Damped Satellite (PAMS) began shortly after the crew was
    awakened to the song Down Under performed by Men At Work, in honor of
    Australian-born Mission Specialist Andy Thomas. 
    
    Commander John Casper and Pilot Curt Brown performed a series of
    thruster firings over the course of several hours that allowed
    Endeavour to close in on the 2 foot by 3 foot satellite. The PAMS
    Satellite Test Unit was deployed from a canister in the rear of the
    payload bay Wednesday to begin a study into the use of aerodynamic
    stabilization to maintain a spacecrafts attitude on orbit. The
    rendezvous took place as other crewmembers monitored science
    experiments ongoing in the Spacehab module and on the middeck of the
    orbiter. 
    
    Casper and Brown pulled to within less than 2,000 feet behind PAMS-STU
    on time at 3 a.m. today where the astronauts began to take attitude
    measurements of the satellites stability by reflecting laser light on
    the satellite. The images returned by reflectors on the PAMS-STU
    satellite are being recorded by the Attitude Measurement System in
    Endeavours cargo bay for analysis. 
    
    Todays rendezvous is the second of three planned visits to the
    satellite since its deployment, and the third of a record four planned
    during the mission. The final rendezvous with the PAMS-STU, planned for
    tomorrow, could be rescheduled for Monday depending on the results of
    this mornings exercise. 
    
    Just as Endeavour approached the satellite, a commanding problem was
    seen with the Space Experiment Facility in the Spacehab module and
    Thomas began troubleshooting procedures called up from the Payload
    Operations Control Center. A few hours later, payload officials said
    the device had failed. SEF was one of several materials processing and
    crystal growth experiments that make up the flights science
    investigations. 
    
    Endeavour continues to provide a stable platform for the scientific
    investigations being conducted on board. The six-astronaut crew will go
    to sleep at 1:30 this afternoon and will be awakened at 9:30 tonight. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #14 
    
    Saturday, May 25, 1996; 6 p.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavour returned to the small, cylindrical PAMS-STU satellite this
    morning holding position about 1,700 feet behind it for more than six
    hours as scientists studied the experimental craft's stability and
    orientation. 
    
    Through video of the satellite taken by Endeavour's crew and
    information gleaned from the shuttle's radar system, experimenters
    reported the satellite was stabilizing using natural aerodynamic
    forces, although stabilization appeared to occur slower than
    anticipated. PAMS-STU studies the use of weighting and the Earth's
    magnetic field to stabilize a small satellite in orbit instead of using
    costly and complex steering jets. 
    
    A third and final rendezvous with PAMS-STU for further observations is
    scheduled for Monday, one day later than originally planned. Scientists
    requested the final encounter be postponed 24 hours to allow time to
    evaluate the Attitude Measurement Systems, a laserbased system designed
    to provide highly accurate readings of PAMS-STU behavior. 
    
    Although scientists reported good results today from the PAMS-STU
    visual and radar observations, they experienced some difficulty
    tracking the satellite with the AMS. The system did appear to track the
    satellite for extended periods several times this morning, but
    investigators want to be sure the laser system is tracking the
    appropriate reflector targets on the satellite. The AMS should provide
    data on the PAMS-STU stability accurate to one-tenth of one degree. 
    
    The crew began a sleep period at 1:30 p.m. Central time and will awaken
    for Day 8 of STS-77 at 9:30 p.m. With the final PAMS-STU rendezvous
    rescheduled to Monday, the crew will perform activities on Sunday that
    had originally been planned for Monday. 
    
    In addition to a slate of experiment work in the Spacehab module,
    Sunday's schedule includes a crew news conference at 6:40 a.m. Central
    time. The astronauts will discuss their mission with media in the
    United States and Canada. 
    
    Endeavour, in a 177 by 172 mile-high orbit, is in excellent mechanical
    condition with no system problems being tracked by flight controllers. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #15 
    
    Sunday, May 26, 1996 -- 8 a.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavours crew spent the first half of its eighth day on orbit working
    with experiments and helping payload controllers troubleshoot
    unexpected readings by equipment designed to acquire data on the
    PAMS-STU satellites ability to stabilize itself. 
    
    Commander John Casper and Pilot Curt Brown watched over orbiter systems
    and helped Bursch and payload controllers on the ground investigate
    potential causes of the failure of the Attitude Measurement System to
    effectively lock on to reflective targets mounted on the PAMS-STU
    satellite. Even though video of the satellite and information from the
    shuttles radar system showed the satellite in a stable attitude using
    aerodynamic stabilization rather than propellant for control, the AMS
    continued to lock on to an unknown target that may be an undetermined
    structure in the payload bay. 
    
    Troubleshooting is continuing and experts on the ground are discussing
    what course of action to take leading up to tomorrows third and final
    planned rendezvous with the small satellite. Scientists asked to
    postpone the final encounter by 24 hours to allow time to evaluate the
    laser-based measuring system designed to record data accurate to
    one-tenth of one degree. 
    
    The astronauts took time out from their schedule to discuss the
    progress of the mission with reporters. Casper said the flight has been
    highly successful so far, having accomplished all of the goals set out
    before launch. 
    
    Overnight, Mission Specialists Dan Bursch and Andy Thomas described
    protein crystal growth and plant growth experiments being conducted
    throughout the flight in the Spacehab module. Meanwhile, Mario Runco
    tested soft drink samples in the Fluids Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
    and Marc Garneau checked sample growth in the Commercial Float Zone
    Furnace. 
    
    The crew will go to sleep at 1:30 p.m. today and will wake up at 9:30
    tonight. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #16 
    
    Sunday, May 26, 1996 -- 4 p.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavours crew spent its eighth day in orbit working with a host of
    on-board experiments and performing a quick repair on a Spacehab module
    cooling system. 
    
    Mission Specialists Andy Thomas and Dan Bursch fixed a faulty cooling
    system in the Spacehab module today by switching a valve in the cooling
    water loop to a backup motor. For the past day, the valve had not been
    opening and closing in response to the settings of a thermostat in the
    module, set to regulate the temperature at about 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
    Temperatures in the module had cooled off to about 70 degrees
    Fahrenheit during the day the valve was stuck open. It is now operating
    normally. 
    
    Crew members also spent a half-hour answering questions from U.S. and
    Canadian media during their in-flight news conference. 
    
    In preparation for Monday mornings planned rendezvous with the PAMS-STU
    satellite, Commander John Casper fired Endeavours steering jets to put
    the shuttle on a course closing in toward PAMS-STU. Endeavour had been
    moving away from the satellite for about 24 hours, reaching a maximum
    distance of about 115 miles before that engine firing. The two
    spacecraft currently are about 60 nautical miles apart, with Endeavour
    closing in on PAMS-STU at the rate of 2 nautical miles per orbit. 
    
    Endeavour continues to fly virtually trouble-free as it circles the
    Earth every 90 minutes. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #17 
    
    Monday, May 27, 1996 -- 7 a.m. CDT 
    
    The third rendezvous with the small aerodynamically stabilized
    satellite went by the book this morning as Commander John Casper and
    Pilot Curt Brown guided Endeavour to just under 2,000 feet from the
    cylindrical shaped PAMS-STU satellite. 
    
    While the orbiters payload bay was pointed carefully toward the
    satellite, payload controllers at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center
    sent commands to an onboard Attitude Measurement System (AMS) to try to
    calculate the satellites attitude to within a tenth of a degree of
    accuracy. 
    
    The crew was given permission to move within 1,650 feet and controllers
    verified the laser was hitting the reflectors on the satellite,
    confirming that the Shuttle was pointed correctly. 
    
    The mechanism which swivels the AMS to the proper position was slowly
    moved through various positions to lock on to the satellite to gather
    attitude data. The PAMS-STU (Passive Aerodynamically Stabilized
    Magnetically Damped Satellite - -Satellite Test Unit) was deployed from
    a small canister in Endeavours payload bay Wednesday in an unstable,
    slightly tumbling attitude to observe how or whether it could stabilize
    itself without using satellite lifetime-limiting propellants. 
    
    The technology demonstration experiment has, according to engineers,
    proven the concept of propellent-free satellite stabilization based on
    comments from the crew during three separate rendezvous. 
    
    Endeavours close encounter with the PAMS-STU is scheduled to last until
    about 9 this morning before a final separation maneuver is conducted.
    The satellite is expected to reenter the Earths atmosphere and burn up
    in about a month. 
    
    Casper was scheduled to take time out during the final phase of the
    rendezvous to talk to fellow astronaut Shannon Lucid and her two
    cosmonaut crewmates aboard the Russian Space Station Mir at about 8:25
    this morning. The conversation was scheduled as the two vehicles passed
    within about 900 miles of one another over New Guinea and the
    Philippines. 
    
    Late today and tomorrow the crew will wrap up science investigations
    and begin shutting down experiments and packing up the orbiter for
    Wednesdays planned return to Earth. Landing is currently scheduled for
    6:12 a.m. Central time at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 
    
    Endeavours eleventh mission is in the homestretch with all systems in
    excellent shape. The crew will go to bed at 1:30 this afternoon and
    will be awakened at 9:30 tonight. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #18 
    
    Monday, May 27, 1996 -- 5 p.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavour's third and final encounter with a satellite deployed from
    the shuttle five days ago was highlighted by almost eight hours of
    formation flying, with science investigators reporting they obtained
    the best measurements yet on the stability of the PAMS-STU satellite. 
    
    For seven hours and 45 minutes, Pilot Curt Brown held Endeavour in
    position less than 1,600 feet behind PAMS-STU, as video cameras and
    other instruments documented the satellite's behavior.
    
    The Attitude Measurement System (AMS), a laser-based instrument in
    Endeavour's payload bay, consistently locked on to the satellite today
    and attained highly accurate readings. During two previous encounters,
    the AMS experienced some difficulty accurately tracking the satellite.
    With AMS performing so well, the stationkeeping activities were
    extended about an hour and 10 minutes to allow scientists to gather as
    much information as possible. 
    
    PAMS-STU appeared to be very stable, demonstrating the concept of using
    aerodynamic forces and the Earth's magnetic field to naturally control
    a small satellite in orbit, without a need for thrusters. 
    
    Based on the satellite's stability, flight controllers revised their
    estimate of its orbital lifetime, predicting that it could remain in
    orbit until January 1997. Initial estimates predicted an orbital
    lifetime of several weeks. PAMS-STU is expected to burn up when it
    reenters the Earth's atmosphere. 
    
    As Endeavour held position with the satellite today, Commander John
    Casper spoke briefly with astronaut Shannon Lucid, marking her 65th day
    on board Russia's Mir space station. 
    
    The six-member Endeavour crew will awaken at 9:30 p.m. central time
    today to begin what should be its final full day on orbit. Flight Day
    10 will see the astronauts perform routine activities for the day
    before landing. Casper, Brown and Mission Specialist Dan Bursch will
    conduct a checkout of systems to ensure the orbiter is in top shape for
    its return to Earth early Wednesday morning. The astronauts also will
    begin to deactivate some of the experiments housed in the Spacehab
    module, and stow some of the equipment they have used over the past
    nine days on orbit. 
    
    

re .27
    
>the crew was awakened to the song Down Under performed by Men At Work
    
    More suitable for the vomit Comet one would have thought.
    
    "I come from a land down under,
     where women glow and men chunder."

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #19 
    
    Tuesday, May 28, 1996 -- 6 a.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavours flight control system was checked earlier today and verified
    in good working order to support a return to Earth tomorrow at the
    Kennedy Space Center in Florida or at the Edwards Air Force Base
    facility in California, weather permitting. 
    
    Shortly after wakeup late last night to the Rolling Stones Start Me Up,
    the six astronauts began cleaning up the orbiter for the trip home and
    checked the movable control surfaces on the wings and tail to verify
    they are working properly for the atmospheric portion of the entry.
    Consoles in Mission Control were shared through the night by entry
    flight controllers preparing messages for the crew related to landing
    and also to review weather conditions forecast for landing. 
    
    Weather conditions are expected to be favorable for landing tomorrow in
    Florida, but a cold front is expected to move into Florida before
    Thursdays landing opportunities. Based on that forecast, and a
    deteriorating forecast for California, both sites will be supporting
    landing tomorrow. 
    
    Two landing opportunities are available at each location Wednesday. The
    Florida landing opportunities are at 6:09 a.m. and 7:44 a.m. Central.
    The California landing times are 7:36 a.m. and 9:11 a.m. Central. 
    
    The entry team will arrive at Mission Control at 11 p.m. to watch over
    Endeavour and its crew through the final hours of the STS-77 mission.
    The crew will wake up at 9:30 this evening to prepare for the end of
    mission. 
    
    

    STS-77 Mission Control Center Status Report #20 
    
    Tuesday, May 28, 1996 -- 5 p.m. CDT 
    
    Endeavour's crew Tuesday spent its final full day in orbit preparing
    for a Wednesday morning return to Earth. 
    
    The astronauts performed a routine check of the shuttle's flight
    control surfaces and reaction control system jets, wrapped up work with
    a number of scientific investigations, and began securing the cabin for
    the trip back to Earth. Most experiments aboard the shuttle have been
    completed and stowed away, although a few will operate throughout the
    night and be deactivated once the crew wakes. 
    
    Crew members Andy Thomas, a native of Australia, and Marc Garneau, a
    Canadian, each received special greetings today as STS-77 neared its
    end. South Australia Premier Dean Brown called Thomas with
    congratulations early this morning as the shuttle passed above Brown's
    office in Adelaide, Australia, Thomas' hometown. Later, Canadian Prime
    Minister Jean Chretien called Garneau to congratulate him on the
    mission and the joint Canadian Space Agency and NASA experiments that
    were conducted. 
    
    The crew will awaken at 9:30 p.m. and prepare for a Wednesday morning
    return to the Kennedy Space Center. Weather conditions in Florida are
    expected to be acceptable for landing, with only a possibility of rain.
    If weather precludes a landing in Florida, flight controllers have the
    option of returning Endeavour to Edwards Air Force Base in California.
    The Edwards site is available to support a Wednesday landing, if
    required. 
    
    There are a total of four landing opportunities for Endeavour on
    Wednesday -- two to KSC and two to Edwards Air Force Base. The first
    landing opportunity would call for firing Endeavour's braking rockets
    at 5:09 a.m. Central time, with a landing at 6:09 a.m. on KSC Runway
    33. The second KSC opportunity has a deorbit engine firing at 6:43 a.m.
    Central time, followed by a landing at 7:44 a.m. 
    
    There are also two opportunities for Endeavour to land in California,
    where the weather is expected to be acceptable to support landing. The
    first opportunity calls for the deorbit burn conducted at 6:35 a.m.
    Central time with a landing at 7:36 a.m. on Runway 22. The second
    opportunity would have a deorbit burn at 8:10 a.m. Central time with
    landing to follow at 9:11 a.m. 
    
    As Endeavour returns to Earth, it will conclude a voyage of 4.1 million
    miles, having performed a record four rendezvous during its 10 days on
    orbit. Endeavour rendezvoused with and retrieved the Spartan 207
    satellite, and visited the PAMS-STU satellite three times, spending a
    total of 21 hours of precise formation flying. 
    
    

    STS-77 Status Report # 21 Mission Control Center 
    
    Wednesday, May 29, 1996; 6:30 AM CDT 
    
    The Shuttle Endeavour glided home this morning to a smooth landing at
    the Kennedy Space Center to wrap up a 10-day, 4.1 million mile mission
    devoted to technology research. 
    
    Commander John Casper and Pilot Curt Brown guided Endeavour to a
    touchdown on Runway 33 at 6:09 AM Central time, wrapping up the fourth
    Shuttle mission of the year in which the astronauts completed four
    rendezvous with a Spartan satellite and an aerodynamically stabilized
    satellite called PAMS-STU, designed to test new ways to keep a
    satellite in the correct orientation without the use of propellents. 
    
    Casper and Brown fired Endeavours braking rockets at 5:09 AM Central
    time to enable the Shuttle to drop out of orbit for its hour-long slide
    back to Earth. Endeavour streaked across the Pacific, the San Francisco
    Bay Area, the Rocky Mountains and the Gulf Coast before crossing over
    into Florida to align itself with KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility. 
    
    This is Endeavours last flight until December 1997, when it will be
    launched again on the STS-88 mission, the first launch of U.S. hardware
    for the assembly of the International Space Station. Endeavour will be
    ferried to Palmdale, California in August for eight months of major
    modifications in preparation for Station assembly missions. 
    
    Endeavours astronauts will return to Ellington Field at about 4:30 this
    afternoon following medical exams in Florida and reunions with their
    families.