Mission Control Center 
STS-64 Status Report #4 
 
Sunday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m. CDT 
 
 
Planning for the third day of STS-64 went smoothly last night as flight
controllers refined the timeline to enhance today's payload activities. 
 
In general, the changes will allow for additional live satellite coverage
for the Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE) and the Space Plume
Impingement Flight Experiment (SPIFEX), two of Discovery's primary
payloads. 
  
LITE is designed to collect atmospheric data using a laser to measure
clouds, particles in the atmosphere and the Earth's surface to help
explain the impact of human activity on the atmosphere. The payload's data
collection will continue today, but controllers have reported that they
are seeing good results thus far. 
 
SPIFEX, a 32-foot long extension to the mechanical arm, will provide
engineers with information about the effects of thrusters on large space
structures such as the International Space Station. Today, SPIFEX will be
positioned over the nose of the orbiter to allow its instruments to record
the plumes of a steering jet as it is fired. 
 
Crew members started their third day in space at 7:23 a.m. CDT to a parody
of the song "My Girl" called "My World" by Mach 25. 
 
Discovery continues to perform well as it makes its 19th space flight. The
vehicle that has carried almost one-third of the shuttle missions to orbit
is circling the Earth at approximately 140 nautical miles.