STS-80
Report # 37 
8 a.m. CST December 6, 1996 
 
A second extra day in space was granted to the five astronauts aboard
Columbia when fog prevented a landing at Florida's Kennedy Space
Center and high winds on the Mojave Desert meant that Edwards Air
Force Base also was not available today.  Saturday's landing
opportunities are 5:50 and 7:26 a.m. central time at KSC and 8:54
a.m. on the west coast.  The deorbit burn for each landing attempt
would occur about one hour prior to landing.

With the extra day, Columbia's 21st mission in space also will become
the longest in shuttle program history.  The mission duration record
of 16 days, 21 hours, 48 minutes falls at 11:43 this morning when the
crew surpasses the mark set on Columbia's last mission -- STS-78 in
June and July.  The last mission to have landing waved off for two
days due to weather was STS-57 aboard Endeavour in June 1993.

Weather forecasters predict conditions at both KSC and Edwards are
expected to improve for tomorrow's landing attempts with a chance for
some ground fog in Florida and only light winds expected in
California.  Consumables on board can support as much as five more
days in space if required.

Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Kent Rominger and Mission Specialists
Tammy Jernigan, Tom Jones and Story Musgrave will begin a planned 8
hour sleep period at 12:26 p.m. and receive a wake up call from
Mission Control at 8:26 tonight to once again prepare for their return
to Earth.


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