STS-77 Mission Control Center 
Status Report #12

Friday, May 24, 1996 5 p.m. CDT

Endeavour's 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 Endeavour's middeck, and began preparations for
Saturday morning's rendezvous with the PAMS-STU satellite.  The
small satellite was deployed from Endeavour's payload bay Wednesday
to begin a study into the use of natural, aerodynamic stabilization to
maintain a spacecraft's attitude on orbit.

Saturday morning's 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
Endeavour's cargo bay will measure the satellite's 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 satellite's 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.

The JSC newsroom is open 24 hours throughout the STS-77 mission.

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