STS-72 Mission Status Report # 10
Mission Control Center

Thursday, Jan. 18, 6 a.m.  CST

Endeavour's astronauts enjoyed a day off today as they neared the
end of their 9-day mission. Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Brent Jett
and Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao, Winston Scott, Koichi Wakata and
Dan Barry relaxed and took in the view of Earth from orbit after
completing a full week in space and all of their mission objectives.

The relaxed schedule for the astronauts came as the crew headed into
the homestretch of its mission, in which the Japanese Space Flyer Unit
satellite was retrieved, the NASA OAST-Flyer satellite was deployed
and retrieved and two spacewalks were conducted to test tools and
techniques for the development of the International Space Station.

After four hours of free time, the astronauts completed some secondary
experiments in the middeck and stowed several spacewalk tools.  They
now will turn their attention to the scheduled return to Earth early
Saturday morning. Endeavour's landing is scheduled for 1:42
a.m. Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center.

As the crew wrapped up its day, Duffy, Scott and Wakata took time out
to discuss the progress of the flight with South African students in
Johannesburg as part of the United States Information Agency's
"Worldnet" program.

The astronauts will begin an 8-hour sleep period at 9:11 a.m.  They
will awaken at 5:11 p.m., and begin a checkout of Endeavour's
flight control systems and steering jets, which will be used during
the Shuttle's hour-long descent back to Earth.

Endeavour is orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 192
statute miles. All of the ship's systems are functioning normally.

The JSC Newsroom will close at 5 p.m. today and will reopen at 10
p.m. to support the Crew News Conference from orbit which begins at
11:41 p.m.