STS-81
Report # 18 
Monday, January 20, 1997 6:30 p.m. CST 
 
With the exchange of two crew members and more than three tons of
food, water, equipment and experiment samples complete, the main
objectives of Atlantis' international cooperation mission have been
achieved and the astronauts aboard the space shuttle are turning their
attentions toward packing up for the return home.

Mission specialist John Blaha will return to Earth Wednesday after
four months aboard the Russian the Mir Space Station , while fellow
astronaut Jerry Linenger will remain on Mir for another four months of
research. Their respective orbital homes are now 1,000 miles apart and
the distance is growing by almost 150 miles each orbit.

Before turning in for an extended nine-hour sleep period, Atlantis
commander Mike Baker and pilot Brent Jett adjusted the shuttle's orbit
to protect daylight landing opportunities at the prime landing site at
the Kennedy Space Center and the backup location at Edwards Air Force
Base in case weather conditions force an extension of the mission.

Baker, Jett, Blaha and mission specialists John Grunsfeld, Jeff Wisoff
and Marsha Ivins are scheduled to wake at 8:27 p.m. CST, then at 11:30
p.m. conduct a check of the aerodynamic control surfaces that will be
used to guide the shuttle in Earth's atmosphere, and at 12:30 a.m. CST
Tuesday hot fire the reaction control system thrusters that steer the
vehicle outside the atmosphere.

Aside from exercise sessions for all six crew members, the rest of the
day will be devoted to packing up and securing equipment for the ride
home.



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