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 spacecraft's 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 satellite's 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
Endeavour's cargo bay for analysis.

Today's 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 morning's 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 flight's 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.

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