STS-80
Report # 18 
Wednesday, November 27, 1996   6 a.m. CST 
 
 Mission Specialists Tom Jones and Tammy Jernigan carefully guided the
Wake Shield Facility back into its payload bay moorings at 12:53
a.m. CST today following 6 1/2 hours of experiments while attached to
Columbia's robot arm.

  The Wake Shield had been unberthed at 6:06 p.m. CST for 3 1/2 hours
of work with the Atomic Oxygen Processing experiment (AOProc). With
work to produce aluminum oxide films using the atomic oxygen available
in low-Earth orbit going well, scientists were granted an extra 3
hours to finish their work and test the Orbiter Space Vision System's
ability to provide precise information on the Wake Shield's position
in the cargo bay.

  In preparation for Thursday's first of two spacewalks, Columbia's
cabin pressure was reduced from 14.7 pounds per square inch to 10.2
pounds per square inch. This reduces the amount of time Mission
Specialists Tammy Jernigan and Tom Jones will have to prebreathe pure
oxygen to purge their systems of nitrogen that could make them
susceptible to the bends while in their space suits at 4.3 psi. In
addition, veteran spacewalker Story Musgrave gave a detailed video
explanation of the extravehicular mobility unit space suit's
components and operation.

  Meanwhile, the ORFEUS-SPAS astronomy satellite continued to trail
Columbia, with the distance widening to more than 60
miles. Maneuvering jets were fired at 5:56 a.m. to begin moving the
two vehicles closer to each other, but they are not expected to get
any closer than 23 miles before the next maneuver.

  The crew spoke with NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin early in its
day, and Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Kent Rominger and Musgrave were
interviewed by the NBC Newschannel overnight.

  Columbia is in excellent condition in a 221 by 214 statute mile
orbit, circling the Earth every 91 minutes.


NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information
are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail
message to jscnews-request@listserver.jsc.nasa.gov. In the body of the
message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe" (no
quotes). This will add the email address that sent the subscibe
message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply
with a confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. Once you have
subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail.