Mission Control Status Report #2
STS-72

Thursday, January 11, 1996  5 p.m.

After a flawless launch, Endeavour is well on its way toward the first
primary objective of its flight -- the retrieval on Saturday of the
Japanese Space Flyer Unit satellite and its cargo of long-term space
experiments.

The crew -- Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Brent Jett and Mission
Specialist Leroy Chiao, Winston Scott, Koichi Wakata and Dan Barry --
set up shop in orbit early today and checked out systems that will be
used during the SFU retrieval. Wakata put the shuttle's mechanical arm
through its paces in a thorough check out, finding all of the
equipment in good shape. Duffy checked out the aft cockpit controls he
will use to rendezvous with the satellite and found them ready and
able as well.

The crew also activated many of the secondary experiments aboard
Endeavour, including the Get-Away Special packages in the cargo bay,
the Shuttle Laser Altimeter and the Commercial Protein Crystal
Growth. Duffy also completed the first in the series of engine firings
that, during the next two days, will culminate in Endeavour's
rendezvous with the SFU.

The small engine firing slightly raised the low point of Endeavour's
orbit, adjusting the rate at which the shuttle is closing in on the
satellite. At 5 p.m. CST, Endeavour was trailing the SFU by about
8,100 nautical miles, continuing to close in at a rate of more than
750 nautical miles with each 90 minute orbit of Earth.

The crew began an eight-hour sleep period at 11:11 a.m. CST and will
awaken for Day 2 of STS-72 at 7:11 p.m. CST. The Johnson Space Center
newsroom will be closed from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. CST today. Mission
commentary on NASA Television will resume at crew wakeup.