STS-94 Mission Status Report #27

STS-94
Report # 27 
Monday, July 14, 1997 - 5:30 p.m. CDT 
 
Space Shuttle Columbia continues to provide a reliable ride for the
materials science experiments in the Spacelab module.  After 13 full days
in orbit, the spacecraft has no significant problems and scientists have
been able to work uninterrupted in gathering experiment data. 

A press conference with Columbia's crew is planned for just before 2 a.m.
Tuesday morning with reporters at Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space
Center and Marshall Space Flight Center participating. 

The astronauts heard a special greeting Monday from Alabama Sen. Jeff
Sessions, speaking to them from the payload operations control center at
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama.  Sen. Sessions complimented the
crew on its work in microgravity science and its contribution to improving
life on Earth. 

In downlink television Monday, Red Team members Jim Halsell, Susan Still,
Don Thomas and Greg Linteris demonstrated the selection of food available
to space travelers aboard the shuttle.  The astronauts showed different
methods of packaging and preservation as well as preparation in space. 

During a mission status briefing today, Lee Briscoe, mission management
representative, said that while there were ample supplies on board
Columbia, no extension of the mission was being contemplated.  Columbia is
due to land early Thursday at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Briscoe also
noted that the crew reported a small "ding" in one of the orbiter's
overhead windows - a = centimeter pit commonly seen on other missions. 
Such impacts of tiny debris do not affect the flight. 

The next orbiter status report will be issued at approximately 6 a.m. CDT
Tuesday. 

###

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