Brown Credit - www.spacefacts.de

Personal: Male, Divorced, One child. Born in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, USA. US Air Force US Air Force

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: NASA Group 12 - 1987. Inactive Entered space service: 5 June 1987. Left space service: 31 December 1999. Number of Flights: 6.00. Total Time: 57.63 days.

Official NASA Biography - 1998

NAME: Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF)

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA:

Born March 11, 1956, in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. Unmarried. One son. He enjoys water and snow skiing, scuba diving, air racing, restoring old cars, sailing, aerobatic flying. His mother, Mrs. Rachel H. Brown, resides in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. His father, Mr. Curtis L. Brown, Sr., is deceased.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from East Bladen High School, Elizabethtown, North Carolina, in 1974; received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the Air Force Academy in 1978.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Member, United States Air Force Association, and United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2), Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, NASA Space Flight Medal (4).

EXPERIENCE:

Brown was commissioned a second lieutenant at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, in 1978, and completed undergraduate pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio, Texas. He graduated in July 1979 and was assigned to fly A-10 aircraft at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, arriving there in January 1980 after completing A-10 training at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. In March 1982, he was reassigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base as an instructor pilot in the A-10. In January 1983, he attended USAF Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base and returned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base as an instructor in A-10 weapons and tactics. In June 1985, he attended USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Upon graduation in June 1986, Brown was assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where he served as a test pilot in the A-10 and F-16 aircraft until his selection for the astronaut program. He has logged over 6,000 hours flight time in jet aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in June 1987, Brown completed a one-year training and evaluation program in August 1988, and is qualified for flight assignment as a pilot. His technical assignments have included: involvement in the upgrade of the Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS); development of the Flight Data File (FDF); he served as lead of the astronaut launch support team responsible for crew ingress/strap-in prior to launch and crew egress after landing; monitored the refurbishment of OV-102 and OV-103 during ground turnaround processing; lead spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM); Astronaut Office Lead of Shuttle Operations. A veteran of four space flights, Brown has logged over 977 hours in space. He was the pilot on STS-47 in 1992, STS-66 in 1994 and STS-77 in 1996, and was spacecraft commander on STS-85 in 1997. Brown is assigned to command the crew of STS-95. This mission will support a variety of research payloads including deployment of the Spartan solar-observing spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Test Platform, and investigations on space flight and the aging process. STS-95 is scheduled for launch in October 1998.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:

STS-47 Spacelab-J (September 12-20, 1992) was an eight-day cooperative mission between the United States and Japan focused on life science and materials processing experiments in space. After completing 126 orbits of the Earth, the mission ended with Space Shuttle Endeavour landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Mission duration was 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds.

STS-66 (November 3-14, 1994) was the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-3 (ATLAS-3) mission. ATLAS-3 was part of an ongoing program to determine the Earth's energy balance and atmospheric change over an 11-year solar cycle. Following 175 orbits of the Earth, the 11-day mission ended with the Shuttle Atlantis landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Mission duration was 262 hours and 34 minutes.

STS-77 (May 19-29, 1996) was a ten-day mission aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. The crew performed a record number of rendezvous sequences (one with a SPARTAN satellite and three with a deployed Satellite Test Unit) and approximately 21 hours of formation flying in close proximity of the satellites. During the flight the crew also conducted 12 materials processing, fluid physics and biotechnology experiments in a Spacehab Module. STS-77 deployed and retrieved a SPARTAN satellite, which carried the Inflatable Antenna Experiment designed to test the concept of large, inflatable space structures. A small Satellite Test Unit was also deployed to test the concept of self-stabilization by using aerodynamic forces and magnetic damping. The mission was concluded in 160 Earth orbits, traveling 4.1 million miles in 240 hours and 39 minutes.

STS-85 (August 7-19, 1997) was a 12-day mission during which the crew deployed and retrieved the CRISTA-SPAS payload, operated the Japanese Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD) robotic arm, studied changes in the Earth's atmosphere and tested technology destined for use on the future International Space Station. The mission was accomplished in 189 Earth orbits, traveling 4.7 million miles in 284 hours and 27 minutes.

• 12 September 1992 Flight: STS-47. Flight Up: STS-47. Flight Back: STS-47. Flight Time: 7.94 days.

• 3 November 1994 Flight: STS-66. Flight Up: STS-66. Flight Back: STS-66. Flight Time: 10.94 days.

• 19 May 1996 Flight: STS-77. Flight Up: STS-77. Flight Back: STS-77. Flight Time: 10.03 days.

• 7 August 1997 Flight: STS-85. Flight Up: STS-85. Flight Back: STS-85. Flight Time: 11.85 days.

• 29 October 1998 Flight: STS-95. Flight Up: STS-95. Flight Back: STS-95. Flight Time: 8.91 days.

• 20 December 1999 Flight: STS-103. Flight Up: STS-103. Flight Back: STS-103. Flight Time: 7.97 days.

5 June 1987 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 12 selected.. The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. First selection after the Challenger accident. 1962 applicants, 117 finalists. Reported to Johnson Space Center on August 17, 1987, to begin their one year training. Seven pilots and eight mission specialists. Two female mission specialists, including the first black woman astronaut. Ten military officers and five civilians (including three from NASA Johnson and one from NASA Marshall).

CRISTA-SPAS was deployed by the RMS arm at 22:27 GMT on August 7 and was recaptured by Discovery's RMS arm at 15:14 GMT on August 16. Because of unfavorable weather conditions at the primary shuttle landing site at the Kennedy Space Center, Discovery was waved off for its scheduled August 18 landing. STS-85 landed the next day, at Kennedy Space Center at 11:08 GMT.

Three hours and ten minutes into the flight, astronaut John Glenn, Discovery's Payload Specialist 2, relayed his first communication to Mission Control as the Shuttle flew 342 miles above Hawaii.

"Hello, Houston. This is PS 2 and they got me sprung out of the middeck for a little while. We are just going by Hawaii and that is absolutely gorgeous," Glenn said.

"Roger that. Glad you are enjoying the show," responded Mission Control Capcom Bob Curbeam.

"Enjoying the show is right. This is beautiful. The best part is ... a trite old statement: zero-g and I feel fine," Glenn said.

Less than two hours later, Discovery's Commander Curt Brown noted that the mission had surpassed the four-hour, fifty-five minutes, 23 seconds duration of Glenn's 1962 flight on Friendship 7. Discovery is scheduled to remain in orbit for a total of eight days, twenty-one hours and fifty minutes. As the astronauts' day wound down, Brown narrated a videotape of Glenn, Chiaki Mukai and Steve Robinson recorded on the Shuttle's lower deck during the climb to orbit. The video showed Glenn, Mukai and Robinson from liftoff through shut off of the Shuttle's main engines.

The crew quickly entered and began research work with experiments in the Spacehab module during the evening, as well as powering up a variety of studies mounted in the Shuttle's payload bay. The experiments range from technology tests of Hubble Space Telescope equipment to studies of the sense of balance using fish as subjects to investigations of the ultraviolet radiation environment.

As the crew sleeps, the research will continue as Glenn takes a special thermistor capsule before bed that will record his body's core temperature during the night as part of mission's sleep research. Discovery is in excellent condition with few problems reported by the crew or noted by flight controllers, and no issues that are of concern as a significant impact to the flight.

At launch, an 18 x 22 inch door to a compartment that holds the Shuttle's drag chute apparently came loose a few seconds before liftoff. The loss of the 11-pound door is not expected to have any impact on the flight and does not affect the safety of the crew. While setting up equipment in orbit, the crew noted a slight water leak from a hose associated with a new system, being flown as a test on Discovery, that removes iodine from the Shuttle's drinking water. Flight controllers requested the crew simply not use the new system and instead use a proven older system that accomplishes the same task.

Discovery is in an orbit with a high point of 349 statute miles and a low point of 340 statute miles, circling Earth once every one hour, 35 minutes and 54 seconds.

Launch was delayed briefly while flight controllers evaluated an alarm during cabin pressure checks and several more minutes while range safety officers dealt with a stray aircraft in the launch area.

Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Steve Lindsey, and Mission Specialists Steve Robinson, Scott Parazynski and Pedro Duque, along with Payload Specialists Chiaki Mukai and Glenn arrived on orbit less than nine minutes after launch, ready to begin activating Shuttle systems and experiments in the Spacehab module located in Discovery's cargo bay.

The Shuttle's payload bay doors were expected to be opened about an hour and a half after launch, prior to the astronauts receiving a "go" to begin orbital operations.

The timeline calls for the astronauts to spend most of the afternoon and evening completing the setup and activation of dozens of experiments they will conduct throughout the mission to study the effects of microgravity on the human body and materials.

Discovery's astronauts are scheduled to begin an eight-hour sleep period about 11:45 p.m. Central time tonight and are due to be awakened tomorrow about 7:45 a.m. to begin their first full day of activity in orbit.

About 45 minutes after launch, Discovery's orbital maneuvering engines fired to round out the orbit at about 350 miles. The spacecraft is orbiting Earth every 90 minutes. All of Discovery's systems are performing normally.

Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Steve Lindsey and Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski will release PANSAT, the Petite Amateur Naval Satellite, early this afternoon. PANSAT is a small non-retrievable satellite developed by the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California. Designed to enhance the education of the military officers at the school through developing and observing its operation in space, PANSAT will capture and transmit radio signals that normally would be lost because the original signals were too weak or had too much interference.

Mission Specialists Steve Robinson and Parazynski will check out Discovery's Remote Manipulator System robot arm today to verify its operation prior to Sunday's scheduled deployment of the SPARTAN spacecraft for two days of free flight. During the checkout, they will survey the payload bay and also look at a possible loose tile on the left Orbital Manuevering System (OMS) engine pod, which was reported by Brown last night.

ESA Astronaut Pedro Duque and NASDA Astronaut Chiaki Mukai will check out and prepare the Middeck Glove Box, an enclosed research facility that will support numerous investigations throughout the mission. The glove box, referred to as MGBX, is a microwave sized research facility that provides the astronauts an opportunity to perform hands-on investigations in a controlled environment. Early this afternoon, Payload Specialist-2, John Glenn, will activate the MEPS experiment. MEPS, the Microgravity Encapsulation Process, studies the formation of capsules containing two kinds of anti-tumor drugs that could be delivered directly to solid tumors and has applications in chemotherapy treatments.

In addition, regularly scheduled exercise sessions and routine housekeeping chores also will occupy the crew's first full day on orbit, which promises to be a busy one for all seven members of the STS-95 crew. Flight Day 2 began at 7:45 a.m. central time today when the crew was awakened to the sounds of Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World," played for Mission Specialist -2 Scott Parazynski from his wife, Gail.

Discovery is in an orbit with a high point of 349 statute miles and a low point of 340 statute miles, circling Earth once every one hour, 35 minutes and 54 seconds.

Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Steve Lindsey and Payload Specialist John Glenn took a few minutes break from the research work to provide a status on the mission thus far, with Glenn describing his adaptation to weightlessness and the views of Earth from Discovery. Early this afternoon, the crew released the Petite Amateur Naval Satellite, or PANSAT, which is now trailing Discovery by about 27 miles, increasing that distance by about 9 miles with each orbit. PANSAT, developed by the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, will remain in orbit and test innovative technologies to capture and transmit radio signals that normally would be lost because the original signals were too weak or contained too much interference.

Mission Specialists Steve Robinson and Scott Parazynski unstowed and checked out Discovery's 50-foot long robot arm, finding everything in good condition and ready for Sunday's scheduled deployment of the SPARTAN solar science spacecraft. Robinson and Parazynski also surveyed the exterior of Discovery, observing a small piece of loose insulation on the left rear of the spacecraft. The loose insulation poses no problems for the Shuttle. The crew also used the arm to test a new wireless camera technology that can be used with reflectors in the cargo bay to develop a system that may lead to a new alignment aid for arm operators.

The crew will begin an eight-hour sleep period at about 11:10 p.m. and awaken at 7:10 a.m. Central time on Saturday to begin day three of the mission. Discovery is orbiting at an altitude of 349 statute miles by 340 statute miles, circling the Earth once every one hour, 35 minutes and 54 seconds.

Payload Specialist John Glenn, 77, will begin providing the 10 blood samples and 16 urine samples needed to look into the effects of space flight on his body. Researchers want to better understand how the removal of gravity affects balance and perception, immune system response, bone and muscle density, metabolism and blood flow, and sleep. Mission Specialist Pedro Duque, 35, also will provide blood samples, which will be taken by Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski and Payload Specialist Chiai Mukai, both trained physicians.

The blood draws are part of the Protein Turnover in Space Flight study, which will track the balance between protein building and breakdown, the two parts of protein turnover that contribute to muscle atrophy. The astronauts in the experiment take small amounts of the amino acids alanine and histidine, which contain a special tracer molecules, 12 hours before each blood draw. This research may help benefit people on Earth who suffer from weakened muscles or loss of bone mass.

The on-orbit researchers also will continue their examinations of plants., animals and other materials as they react to environmental changes related to the absence of gravity. And Canadian developers of a Space Vision System will check out on board software that will allow them to switch from camera to camera in the payload bay and provide precise positioning information for use by robot arm operators assembling the pieces of the International Space Station.

Early in the crew day, Commander Curt Brown will switch back to a tried and true method of removing iodine from the shuttle's drinking water supply. Yesterday, the crew reported a strange taste in water coming out of a system being tested for the first time. Ground researchers are trying to determine what is causing the strange taste. Iodine is used to prevent contamination of the water system tanks and lines, but must be removed before the crew drinks the water or uses it in food preparation.

At 11:35 a.m., Brown and Glenn will answer questions posed by students at the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio; the Newseum in Arlington, Va., and John Glenn High School in New Concord, Ohio.

The crew was awakened at 7:10 a.m. Central time to the sounds of "Cachito," a song about parenthood. Duque and his wife, Consuelo, recently had a baby. The crew will go to bed at 10:35 p.m.

The crew also began several of the medical studies planned for the flight that investigate how the human body changes in weightlessness and how those changes compare with those that occur as part of the natural aging process on Earth. For those studies, 77-year old Payload Specialist John Glenn began providing some of the 10 blood samples and 16 urine samples that will be taken during the mission to study the effects of space flight on his body.

The checkout of equipment that will be used for tomorrow's deploy of the Spartan included a check of the Orbiter Space Vision System by astronauts Steve Robinson and Scott Parazynski. The system uses special markings on the satellite and shuttle cargo bay to provide an alignment aid for the arm's operator derived from shuttle television images. It will be used extensively on the next Space Shuttle flight in December, STS-88, as an aid in using the arm to join together the first two International Space Station modules. Later this evening, a check of navigation equipment and aids that will be used during the Spartan release was scheduled.

Glenn and Commander Curt Brown also took time out from the experiment work to speak with students in Ohio and Virginia about the scientific activities aboard Discovery. Discovery remains in excellent condition with no equipment problems to interrupt the ongoing research.

The shuttle is orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of about 340 statute miles. The crew is scheduled to go to sleep tonight at 10:35 p.m. and awaken at 6:35 a.m. Central on Sunday.

Mission Specialist Steve Robinson will use Discovery's robot arm to grapple Spartan from its berth in the payload bay and prepare it for its release. Once it is deployed, Spartan will conduct a programmed pirouette maneuver that will confirm that all of its systems are working normally. Commander Curt Brown then will maneuver Discovery away from the satellite, first to a short distance for a test of a communications link that will permit Spartan ground controllers to make fine pointing adjustments to one of the satellite's science instruments. Brown then will increase Discovery's separation to a distance of about 40 miles in front of Spartan. The satellite will be retrieved by Robinson using the robot arm on Tuesday. Spartan was unable to perform solar science studies last November following problems with its deployment during the STS-87 mission aboard Columbia.

Spartan's two main instruments - the Ultraviolet Coronal Spectrometer and the White Light Coronagraph, will measure atomic temperatures and densities, as well as solar wind velocities in the sun's corona so scientists can better understand the forces that create solar wind, and the impact it has on the electromagnetic environment around the Earth. Solar wind can have major impacts on communications technology on Earth.

Discovery's astronauts also will continue a battery of medical studies as they explore how the human body adapts to the weightless environment of space and how those changes compare with those seen as part of the aging process on Earth.

As part of the Canadian OSTEO experiment, Payload Specialist John Glenn will feed bone cell cultures as part of an evaluation of bone cell activity under microgravity conditions. Glenn will again provide blood samples as part of the Protein Turnover Experiment, which is looking at the balance between the building and breakdown of muscle. He also will work with the Advanced Organic Separations (ADSEP) experiment, which provides the capability to separate and purify biological materials in microgravity; and with the Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing System (MEPS), which studies the formation of anti-tumor capsules containing two kinds of drugs.

Other research today will include use of the Advanced Gradient Heating Facility (AGHF) for directional solidification and crystal growth, and the Microgravity Glovebox (MGBX) for investigations of colloids, or systems of fine particles suspended in fluid..

At 4:35 p.m. Central time, Brown and Glenn will take part in a news conference with reporters at the Johnson Space Center.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth every 95 minutes at an altitude of about 340 statute miles with all systems operating in excellent condition.

Mission Specialist Steve Robinson, using Discovery's robotic arm, lifted the Spartan satellite from the shuttle's cargo bay and released it into orbit at 12:59 p.m. Central. A few minutes later, after a maneuver by the satellite indicated it was operating properly, Commander Curt Brown fired Discovery's jets to move away. Brown maintained a distance from six to 10 statute miles from the satellite for about nine hours while several tests of an experimental communications system on Spartan were conducted, using the Shuttle as a relay station. After a couple of minor problems early on, the communications link has worked well. Spartan normally requires no communications for its studies, and it is capable of performing all of its observations automatically and recording the data gathered onboard without any interaction with the ground.

Just before the crew goes to bed this evening, Brown will fire Discovery's jets to further separate from Spartan, slowly moving out to a distance of more than 30 miles from the satellite. Spartan is scheduled to be retrieved by the Shuttle at 2:45 p.m. Central on Tuesday. Following the satellite release this afternoon, Brown and astronaut John Glenn took time out to speak with reporters at the Johnson Space Center, fielding questions about all aspects of the historic flight during a 40-minute press conference.

Discovery remains in excellent condition. The crew is scheduled to begin a sleep period at 10 p.m. Central tonight and awaken at 6 a.m. on Monday. During the night, Glenn and fellow Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai will wear a host of sensors recording their movements and other information as part of the sleep research being conducted during the flight.

Discovery is in a 348 by 338 statute mile orbit.

Research continues, however, as the Spartan solar science satellite released by Discovery yesterday now trails the Shuttle by about 30 miles, performing observations of the sun and the solar wind. Discovery Commander Curt Brown and Payload Specialist John Glenn also took time out to answer questions about the mission from reporters with major broadcast television networks in the U.S. during the afternoon.

Later, Pilot Steve Lindsey and Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski set up lap top computers in Discovery's cockpit in preparation for the retrieval of the Spartan satellite on Tuesday. Spartan is planned to be recaptured by the Shuttle at 2:45 p.m. tomorrow.

The crew is scheduled to go to sleep at 9:25 p.m. Central tonight and awaken at 5:25 a.m. Tuesday. Prior to going to sleep, Brown will perform a small firing of Discovery's steering jets to maintain the distance from Spartan during the crew's night. Also, Glenn and fellow Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai will don special instrumentation they will wear for a second night in a row that records a variety of information such as brain waves and body motions as they sleep.

Discovery remains in excellent condition with no systems problems of concern to Mission Control, orbiting Earth at an altitude of 348 by 338 statute miles.

Work will continue today with a wide variety of science experiments on board, although at a somewhat slower pace. Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai and Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski - both physicians - will draw blood from Glenn and Mission Specialist Pedro Duque of Spain as part of the Protein Turnover Experiment, which assesses the body's breakdown and metabolism of protein before, during and after space flight.

Mukai and Glenn, each of whom wore an electrode net on their heads, as well as other measuring devices, during last night's sleep period, will complete some cognitive performance tests as part of their participation in the sleep study. The cognitive tests will include measurements of how quickly they respond to light cues on a lap-top computer.

Glenn and Mukai will don the electrode net again before turning in this evening. The electrodes are connected to a digital sleep recorder that monitors brain waves, eye movements, muscle tension, body movements and respiration. Mukai will swallow a capsule containing either melatonin or a placebo as part of the study before going to sleep.

Parazynski will check the status of components of the Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Test (HOST) payload, which provides an on-orbit test bed for hardware that will be used during the third Hubble servicing mission. Parazynski and Pilot Steve Lindsey also will set up some of the tools that will be used during Tuesday's rendezvous and subsequent capture and reberthing of the Spartan satellite. Steve Robinson will use the Shuttle's robot arm to grapple Spartan tomorrow afternoon after Discovery completes its rendezvous with the sun-watching probe.

Other science activities today will include the collection of video data from the Advanced Gradient Heating Facility (AGHF) used for directional solidification and crystal growth, and from the Microgravity Glovebox (MGBX), which is used for investigations of colloids, or systems of fine particles suspended in fluid. Parazynski also will complete the 5th feeding of the bone cell culture that is part of the OSTEO experiment, an evaluation of bone cell activity under microgravity conditions.

Commander Curt Brown will spend some time this morning working with the Electronic Nose device, which was developed to detect, identify and quantify a wide range of organic and inorganic molecules and provide a comprehensive measurement of on-board air quality.

Mukai will be busy checking on the Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU), which holds two toadfish. The fish are electronically monitored to determine the effect of gravitational changes on the balance system in the inner ear. She also will monitor the Astroculture-8 facility that is designed to provide a controlled environment in which to grow plants in the weightlessness of space.

At 9:55 a.m. Central time, Brown, Duque and Glenn will receive a congratulatory call from Esperanza Aguirre, the Education Minister of Spain. Duque, the first Spaniard to fly in space, also will take questions from school children representing 17 regions of Spain.

At 4:00 p.m. Central time, Brown and Glenn will take part in unilateral interviews with the five major U.S. television networks.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth every 95 minutes at an altitude of about 349 statute miles with all systems operating in excellent condition.

The rendezvous began with Commander Curt Brown firing Discovery's orbital maneuvering engines to drop Discovery's orbit, accelerating it ahead of the SPARTAN. After closing the distance, Brown and pilot Steve Lindsey maneuvered Discovery in close as Mission Specialist 1 Steve Robinson operated the 50-foot robot arm. With MS2 Scott Parazynski assisting, Robinson directed the arm to a smooth grapple of the satellite at 2:45 p.m. CST. SPARTAN was placed in its berth in Discovery's cargo bay a short time later.

During the final maneuvers, astronauts tested the Video Guidance Sensor, a component of an automated docking system being prepared for use on the International Space Station. Flight Controllers noted that the system worked as planned.

Spartan will be used again tomorrow for data collection, once again being unberthed from its payload bay cradle for a few hours so that cameras can be pointed at a series of targets on the spacecraft. Those cameras will test the Space Vision System that uses remote camera views to provide a robot arm operator with the ability to view areas that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

While SPARTAN operations captured most of the attention today, other science operations continued aboard Discovery. Payload Specialists Chiaki Mukai and John Glenn, along with Parazynski and European Space Agency Mission Specialist Pedro Duque, continued taking blood samples as part of the Protein Turnover Experiment measuring muscle changes in zero gravity.

Glenn also attached electrodes and a data recorder to himself which record his heart rhythm on orbit, as part of an investigation of heart rate variability during space flight. He also fed bone cell cultures that are part of the OSTEO experiment, an evaluation of bone cell activity under microgravity conditions, and he worked with the Advanced Organic Separations (ADSEP) experiment, which provides the capability to separate and purify biological materials in microgravity..

Glenn and Duque worked with the Astroculture plant-growing experiment and with the MEPS (Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing System) that studies the formation of anti-tumor capsules containing two kinds of drugs. Duque collected video data and photograph samples from the Microgravity Glovebox (MGBX) which is used for investigations of colloids, or systems of fine particles suspended in fluid. Mukai continued her work with the Japanese Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU), which holds two toadfish that are electronically monitored to determine the effect of gravitational changes on the inner ear's balance system

All systems aboard Discovery continue to operate well.

Rendezvous activities will begin when Commander Curt Brown fires Discovery's engines to lower the shuttle, causing it to accelerate ahead of the satellite. Discovery will fly over the top of Spartan, then coast back to about 8 or 9 miles behind the satellite. Brown and Pilot Steve Lindsey then will maneuver Discovery into position as Robinson powers up Discovery's 50-foot robot arm. Discovery will approach Spartan from beneath the sun probe to a distance of 35 feet. At that point, With the assistance of Scott Parazynski, Robinson will use the remote manipulator system to grapple Spartan to complete the first phase of its scientific mission. As Discovery closes in on Spartan today, the astronauts will test a device called the Video Guidance Sensor, a component of an automated docking system being prepared for use on the International Space Station. It is a laser system that provides precise measurements of how far away the shuttle is from a target and how fast it is moving toward or away from the target. Before grappling Spartan, Discovery will back away from the satellite to test the maximum range capability of the guidance system.

Spartan will be used again tomorrow for data collection, once again being unberthed from its payload bay cradle for a few hours so that cameras can be pointed at a series of targets on the spacecraft. Those cameras will test the Space Vision System that uses remote camera views to provide a robot arm operator with the ability to view areas that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Other crew members will continue work with several of the on-board science experiments. Japanese Space Agency Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai and fellow Payload Specialist John Glenn, along with Parazynski and European Space Agency Mission Specialist Pedro Duque, will undergo another series of blood draws. They will then take small amounts of the amino acids alanine and histidine, which contain special tracer molecules, 12 hours before another blood draw. This research is part of the Protein Turnover Experiment that may benefit people on Earth who suffer from weakened muscles or loss of bone mass. Duque, Mukai and Glenn also will collect urine samples as part of the study.

Glenn will don electrodes and a data recorder known as a holter monitor, which will record his heart rhythm on orbit, as part of an investigation of heart rate variability during space flight. He also will be kept busy feeding bone cell cultures that are part of the OSTEO experiment, an evaluation of bone cell activity under microgravity conditions, and he will work with the Advanced Organic Separations (ADSEP) experiment, which provides the capability to separate and purify biological materials in microgravity..

Glenn and Duque will spend time with the Astroculture plant-growing experiment and with the MEPS (Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing System) that studies the formation of anti-tumor capsules containing two kinds of drugs. Duque will collect video data and photograph samples from the Microgravity Glovebox (MGBX), which is used for investigations of colloids, or systems of fine particles suspended in fluid.

As part of the evaluation of sleep disturbances in astronauts, Mukai and Glenn will complete a questionnaire about their personal observations of the previous night's sleep. They also will take a computerized battery of tests that measure reaction time, short-term memory, hand-eye coordination and other assessments.

Mukai will continue her work with the Japanese Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU), which holds two toadfish that are electronically monitored to determine the effect of gravitational changes on the inner ear's balance system. She also will monitor the Astroculture-8 facility that is designed to provide a controlled environment in which to grow plants in the weightlessness of space.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth every 95 minutes at an altitude of about 341 statute miles with all systems operating in excellent condition.

This afternoon Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai along with STS-95 commander Curt Brown and Payload Specialist-2 John Glenn took a phone call from Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Minister of State for Science and Technology, Yutaka Takeyama. Also today, Brown, Glenn and pilot Steve Lindsey conversed with veteran newsman Walter Cronkite and NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin during a luncheon in Houston celebrating NASA's 40th anniversary. NBC's Jay Leno of the Tonight Show also interviewed Glenn, Brown and Lindsey in a conversation that will be aired on NBC tonight.

In other activity in space today, crew members continued work with several of the on-board science experiments. Brown, Lindsey, Robinson and Glenn completed a daily back-pain questionnaire by as part of a study of how the muscle, intervertebral discs and bone marrow change after exposure to microgravity.

Glenn and Mukai continued to record their food consumption and will once again don a sleep net and special sleep suit tonight. Electrodes on the sleep net and sensors in the sleep suit monitor brain waves, eye movements, muscle tension, body movements and respiration. The electrodes and sensors are connected to a digital sleep recorder that records a variety of measurements as they sleep. Mukai also will swallow a capsule containing either melatonin or a placebo as part of the sleep study.

Glenn removed the Holter monitor electrodes and data recorder he has worn for the past 24 hours, recording his heart rhythm on orbit, as part of an investigation of heart rate variability during space flight. Blood samples were again taken from Glenn and ESA astronaut Pedro Duque as part of the experiment monitoring the changes in muscle tissue in space.

Glenn and Lindsey operated the Astroculture plant-growing experiment, while Scott Parazynski and Duque monitored the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MGBX) experiments known as Colloidal Disorder-Order Transition and Structural Studies of Colloidal Suspension. Colloids are systems of fine particles suspended in fluid. Researchers hope to learn more about how the organization of atoms changes as they form into orderly solid structures. Duque deactivated these two experiments for the remainder of the mission.

Mukai continued her work with the Japanese Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU), which holds two toadfish that are electronically monitored to determine the effect of gravitational changes on the inner ear's balance system.

All systems on board Discovery continue to operate well.

The astronauts will once again remove the Spartan solar science satellite from its berth in Discovery's payload bay for several hours of data collection. Cameras will be pointed at a series of targets on the spacecraft to test the Space Vision System, which uses remote camera views to provide a robot arm operator with the ability to see areas that are out of viewing area.

This morning Mission Specialist Steve Robinson, assisted by Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski, will again test the Orbiter Space Vision System. OSVS uses special markings on Spartan and the shuttle cargo bay to provide an alignment aid for the arm's operator using shuttle television images. It will be used extensively on the next Space Shuttle flight in December as an aid in using the arm to join together the first two modules of the International Space Station.

Robinson will use the shuttle's 50-foot robot arm to grapple Spartan, unlatch it and maneuver it into position. Following the OSVS tests, he will use the Video Guidance Sensor to assist in the reberthing processes. VGS provides precise measurements of how far away the shuttle is from Spartan and how fast it is moving toward or away from the target. VGS is a component of an automated docking system being prepared for use on the International Space Station.

Other crew members will continue work with several of the on-board science experiments. Commander Curt Brown, Lindsey, Robinson and Payload Specialist John Glenn will complete a daily back-pain questionnaire by as part of a study of how the muscle, intervertebral discs and bone marrow change after exposure to microgravity.

Glenn and Japanese Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai will once again don a sleep net before going to sleep this evening. Each also will wear a special sleep suit. Electrodes on the sleep net and sensors in the sleep suit will monitor brain waves, eye movements, muscle tension, body movements and respiration. The electrodes and sensors are connected to a digital sleep recorder that records a variety of measurements as they sleep. Mukai also will swallow a capsule containing either melatonin or a placebo as part of the sleep study.

Parazynski and Mukai will draw more blood from ESA Mission Specialist Pedro Duque and Glenn as part of the Protein Turnover Experiment (PTO), which is examining muscle atrophy during exposure to microgravity.

Glenn will remove and stow the Holter monitor electrodes and data recorder he has worn for the past 24 hours. The Holter monitor recorded his heart rhythm on orbit, as part of an investigation of heart rate variability during space flight. He also will process blood samples as part of the PTO experiment.

Glenn and Lindsey will spend time with the Astroculture plant-growing experiment, while Parazynski and Duque will collect more video data and photograph the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MGBX) experiments known as Colloidal Disorder-Order Transition and Structural Studies of Colloidal Suspension. Colloids are systems of fine particles suspended in fluid. Researchers hope to learn more about how the organization of atoms changes as they form into orderly solid structures. Duque then will deactivate these two experiments for the remainder of the mission.

Mukai will continue her work with the Japanese Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU), which holds two toadfish that are electronically monitored to determine the effect of gravitational changes on the inner ear's balance system.

Brown, Lindsey and Glenn will take part in an interview with CBS Radio news and the Tonight Show beginning at 12:30 Central time this afternoon.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth every 95 minutes at an altitude of about 341 statute miles with all systems operating in excellent condition.

Pilot Steve Lindsey and Mission Specialists Steve Robinson and Pedro Duque checked out a new communications systems for use during spacewalks. The new, digital communications system should provide enhanced communication quality between the space-walking astronauts, the orbiter and the flight control team in Houston.

Work with the Orbiter Space Vision System (OSVS) concluded today with a test of camera quality under varied lighting conditions. Robinson cycled through Discovery's payload bay cameras exposing each to day and nighttime conditions to validate how well the cameras can "see" the OSVS targets. Deactivation of some of the experiments began today. After using the Electronic Nose one last time to test the shuttle's air quality, Brown deactivated it for the rest of the mission. The Electronic Nose is a miniaturized electronic air quality monitoring system that mimics the way the human nose detects changes in the air. Duque also shutdown the Microgravity Science Glovebox and stowed equipment associated with that research facility.

The crew took time from its busy day today to talk with U.S., Japanese and European reporters at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, as well as with reporters gathered at the European Space Agency's Villafranca tracking facility outside Madrid, Spain.

Vice President Al Gore, former Astronaut Scott Carpenter and school children from the Washington D.C. area also had an opportunity to talk with the astronauts, asking questions about John Glenn's return to space and the work being done in orbit.

For the final time later this evening, Payload Specialists Glenn and Chiaki Mukai will don sleep nets and specially-instrumented suits to monitor brain waves, eye movements, muscle tension, body movements and respiration during their sleep period.

Preliminary weather forecasts indicate generally favorable weather to support Saturday's landing at 11:10 a.m. Central time at the Kennedy Space Center. Remnants of tropical storm Mitch are expected to pass through the area and move off Florida's east coast Friday night, allowing good weather for landing on Saturday.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth every 95 minutes at an altitude of about 341 statute miles with all systems operating well.

With the Spartan solar science satellite again secured in its berth in Discovery's payload bay, the astronauts will turn their full attention to some of the more than 80 experiments on board. They also will begin shutting down some of the experiments and facilities in anticipation of their return to Earth on Saturday morning.

Mission Specialist Steve Robinson will power up the Orbiter Space Vision System (OSVS) for an image optimization test. OSVS will be used in International Space Station assembly as a key source of precision data with which the robot arm operator will perform station assembly activities. Robinson and European Space Agency Mission Specialist Pedro Duque also will power up the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) and check the unit's communications system. The EMU would be used should a spacewalk become necessary; it provides pressure, thermal and micro-meteoroid protection, oxygen, cooling water, drinking water, food, waste collection (including carbon dioxide removal), electrical power and communications.

As they have throughout the flight, Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Steve Lindsey, Mission Specialist Steve Robinson and Payload Specialist John Glenn will complete a back-pain questionnaire as part of a study of how the muscle, intervertebral discs and bone marrow change due to microgravity. Results will be compared with data provided by astronauts during previous missions.

Glenn will continue blood sample analysis and blood processing that are part of the Protein Turnover (PTO) experiment, which is studying the muscle loss that occurs during space flight. Better understanding of the mechanisms of muscle loss may help scientists combat the muscle wasting commonly seen as a result of aging and in bedridden individuals.

Deactivation of some of the experiments will begin today. After using the Electronic Nose one last time to test the shuttle's air quality, Brown will deactivate it for the duration of the mission. The Electronic Nose is a miniaturized electronic air quality monitoring system that mimics the way the human nose detects changes in the air. Duque also will do a final shutdown of the Microgravity Science Glovebox and stow equipment associated with the facility.

Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski will check on the fish in the Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU). By studying how the balance organs of oyster toadfish in the VFEU adapt to microgravity, scientists hope to gain important insights about similar functions in humans and apply this information to develop therapies for equilibrium disorders on Earth.

At 12:10 p.m. Central time, the entire crew will gather for a press conference with U.S. and Japanese reporters at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, as well as with reporters gathered at the European Space Agency's Villafranca tracking facility outside Madrid, Spain. At 2:40 p.m. Central time, the astronauts will gather again for a conversation with Vice-President Al Gore and former Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter from the White House.

Before going to sleep Wednesday night, the entire crew will gather for the traditional crew photograph. Then Glenn and Japanese Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai will don for the last time their sleep nets and suits to monitor brain waves, eye movements, muscle tension, body movements and respiration during sleep. Mukai also will swallow a capsule containing either melatonin or a placebo as part of the sleep study.

Lindsey and Mukai will conduct additional work with the Astroculture experiment to study the growth of plants in the weightless environment of space. Brown and Glenn will complete the eighth and ninth feedings of the bone cell cultures that are part of the Canadian OSTEO experiment.

Preliminary weather forecasts indicate generally favorable weather to support Saturday's landing at 11:10 a.m. Central time at the Kennedy Space Center. Remnants of tropical storm Mitch are expected to pass through the area and move off Florida's east coast Friday night, allowing good weather for landing on Saturday.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth every 95 minutes at an altitude of about 341 statute miles with all systems operating in excellent condition.

If weather and spacecraft systems cooperate, Discovery will touch down at KSC at 11:04 a.m. Central time after having flown 134 orbits of the Earth. Deorbit ignition of the shuttle orbiter's maneuvering engines will occur at 9:53 a.m. CST to slow the spacecraft's forward velocity allowing it to drop back into the Earth's atmosphere. Returning as an unpowered hypersonic glider, Discovery will follow a ground track taking it across Texas and Louisiana before it sweeps out over the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida.

Weather was predicted to be marginal, near the acceptable limits for crosswind and with scattered to broken clouds.

There are two landing opportunities to KSC Saturday and two to Edwards Air Force Base, California. Discovery has a second chance to land at KSC at 12:45 p.m. CST or could land at Edwards at either 12:35 p.m. or 2:17 p.m. Weather at Edwards was predicted to be good on Saturday but unacceptable on Sunday. KSC weather will be marginal both days. Earlier Friday, entry Capcom Susan Still told Discovery Commander Curt Brown that the plan would be to try both opportunities into KSC before considering the Edwards landing.

If Discovery lands Saturday, the seven astronauts will spend the night at the landing site before returning to Houston mid-day on Sunday to a welcome at Ellington Field.

Earlier today, Commander Curt Brown and Pilot Steve Lindsey spent a good part of their day checking out important spacecraft systems for entry and landing. One of the three auxiliary power units was turned on to provide hydraulic power for a test of the orbiter's aerodynamic surfaces. The reaction control jets were test fired and the shuttle's communications equipment tested. One of the RCS jets leaked during testing and was isolated. It will have no effect on entry and landing.

At the end of the crew day, the Ku-band antenna which provides television and high-rate data relay was stowed for the duration of the mission.

Commander Curt Brown and Pilot Steve Lindsey will spend a good part of their day checking out important spacecraft systems for entry and landing. At about 7:20 a.m. Central time, the commander and pilot will begin the flight control system checkout, powering up one auxiliary power unit and evaluating the performance of aerodynamic surfaces and flight controls. The flight crew will perform a reaction control system hot fire about 8:30 a.m., followed by a test of the communications system.

At about 12:30 p.m. Central time, the crew will begin stowing the equipment used to conduct the mission's array of on-board science activities. Just before turning in for the night, Lindsey will stow the Ku-band antenna, which provides high data-rate relay and television.

The flight control teams in the Mission Control Center are also preparing for Saturday's landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Preliminary weather forecasts indicate generally favorable weather to support Saturday's landing at 11:06 a.m. Central time. Remnants of tropical storm Mitch have passed through the area and moved off Florida's east coast.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth every 95 minutes at an altitude of about 341 statute miles with all systems operating well.

Commander Curt Brown and Pilot Steve Lindsey set Discovery down on the 3-mile long landing strip at KSC at 11:04 a.m. Central time, following a flawless hour-long descent back from space. A missing drag chute compartment door, which popped off during liftoff on October 29, posed no problem for the astronauts and had no effect on the landing.

For Payload Specialist Glenn, the landing was a gentler return home than he experienced more than 36 years ago when he splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean in his Friendship 7 capsule after becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn experienced only about 3 g's of gravitational force during today's reentry, half of what he experienced during his Mercury capsule mission in 1962.

"One G and I feel fine," Glenn exclaimed from the middeck following Discovery's wheelstop on Runway 3-3 at the Kennedy Space Center. "The view is still tremendous, give yourselves a pat on the back," Glenn added, as he congratulated his crew mates on the completion of the 92nd flight in Shuttle

Brown, Lindsey, Glenn, Mission Specialists Steve Robinson, Scott Parazynski and Pedro Duque of the European Space Agency and Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai of NASDA were scheduled to be reunited with their families later today following postflight medical exams and medical tests associated with some of the biomedical experiments performed during the mission.

The astronauts will spend the night near the Kennedy Space Center tonight before leaving Florida tomorrow morning for a heroes' welcome back at Ellington Field in Houston Sunday.

Current plans call for the astronauts to leave the Cape Canaveral Air Station Skid Strip late Sunday morning for an arrival at Ellington around 2 p.m. Central time, where a crew return ceremony will mark their homecoming at Hangar 276, led by NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, Johnson Space Center Director George W.S. Abbey, members of Congress and Houston Mayor Lee Brown.

A parade in downtown Houston is planned for the STS-95 astronauts on Wednesday, Nov. 11, Veteran's Day, to honor the crew, the nation's veterans and NASA.

Under clear and starry skies at the Kennedy Space Center, Discovery lifted off on time at 6:50 p.m. Central time, lighting up the Central Florida coastline, to send Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Scott Kelly, and Mission Specialists Steve Smith, Jean-Francois Clervoy, John Grunsfeld, Mike Foale and Claude Nicollier on a two-day chase to catch up to and retrieve the 12 and a half ton telescope. Hubble was sailing over Eastern Africa at the time of launch.

Eight and a half minutes after the third and final shuttle launch of the year, Discovery was in orbit as its crew members began to configure shuttle systems for the planned 8-day mission. One rendezvous burn of the reaction control system jets is planned before the crew goes to sleep early Monday to fine tune Discovery's path to catch up to Hubble.

Technically, Hubble has been in hibernation since the loss of a fourth gyroscope on November 13 designed to enable the telescope to point precisely at distant astronomical targets for scientific observations. Hubble is in what is known as "safe mode", a state of dormancy in which the telescope aims itself constantly at the sun to provide electrical power to its systems. Hubble is scheduled to be captured by Discovery's robot arm around 6:40 p.m. Central time Tuesday.

Once the crew retrieves Hubble, it will be parked at the rear of Discovery's cargo bay so that two teams of space-walking astronauts can perform repairs and upgrades to its systems during three nights of space walks. The most vital of the space walks will occur on Wednesday night, when Smith and Grunsfeld replace all six of Hubble's gyroscopes and install devices to improve voltage regulation to the telescope's systems. Only three space walks are planned because the mission was shortened. Smith and Grunsfeld will conduct the first and third space walks, while the second will be conducted by Foale and Nicollier.

If all goes as planned, Hubble will be released back into orbit on Christmas Day around 5 p.m. Central time, with landing planned on Dec. 27 at 4:24 p.m.. Central time at the Kennedy Space Center.

The astronauts are scheduled to begin an eight-hour sleep period at 1:50 a.m. Central time Monday and will be awakened at 9:50 a.m. Central time to begin their first full day in orbit.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth at an altitude of about 300 nautical miles, completing one orbit of the Earth every 90 minutes.

• Bay 1-2: External airlock/ODS
• Bay 7-8: ORU Carrier (Spacelab pallet). Carried Hubble replacement spares arranged as follows: COPE protective enclosure with three RSU gyros, a new solid state recorder, and an S-band transmitter; LOPE enclosure with an HST-486 computer and voltage improvement kit; ASIPE enclosure with a spare HST-486 and spare RSU; FSIPE enclosure with a replacement FGS-2 fine guidance sensor; and NPE enclosure with New Outer Blanket Layer insulation.
• Bay 11: Flight Servicing System (FSS). Contained the BAPS (Berthing and Positioning System) used to dock with the aft end of the Hubble Space Telescope.
• Bay 8: APC carrier with foot restraint
• Bay 12: APC carrier with HST foot retstraint

Today will be a day of preparation for the crew, gearing up for the rendezvous and capture of HST planned for Tuesday and the three maintenance spacewalks that will follow later in the week. At about 1 p.m., European Space Agency astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy will power up Discovery's robotic arm to check its operation. Clervoy will survey Discovery's cargo bay using television cameras on the arm, checking the condition of the equipment planned for installation on the telescope and the cradle that will hold HST during the spacewalks. While Clervoy operates the arm, Payload Commander Steve Smith and Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld will power up the payload bay HST support equipment. Later, around 6 p.m., Commander Curt Brown and Pilot Scott Kelly will check out the laptop computers, navigation aids and flight controls in Discovery's cockpit that will be used for tomorrow's encounter with HST.

Meanwhile, on Discovery's middeck, Grunsfeld, along with European astronaut Claude Nicollier, will begin a check of the four spacesuits onboard. Early in the afternoon, about 1 p.m., the crew will lower the cabin pressure aboard Discovery as part of the spacewalk preparations. This reduces the amount of time the spacewalkers must breathe oxygen as part of a standard protocol to purge nitrogen from the body prior to beginning a spacewalk.

At 8:35 p.m. CST, Brown, Smith, Clervoy and Mike Foale will take a break from their work to talk with CBS news and other television networks about their mission.

As some of their final activities today, the crew will fire Discovery's large orbital maneuvering system engines at 10:32 p.m. to slow the rate at which the Shuttle is closing on HST. A second, smaller engine firing will follow at 11:27 p.m. to further fine tune the Shuttle's approach toward Hubble. Capture of the telescope remains scheduled for 6:41 p.m. Tuesday.

Discovery is in excellent condition, orbiting Earth every 95 minutes, 27 seconds. The high point of Discovery's orbit is 363 statute miles and the low point is 298 statute miles.

Discovery's robotic arm and the four space suits the astronauts will use on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday space walks, checked out with no major problems.

As the crew prepared for its sleep period, Discovery was 1,100 statute miles behind Hubble, closing at a rate of 150 statute miles per orbit. Discovery's orbit had been adjusted by firing the two Orbital Maneuvering System engines, mounted in pods on either side of the spacecraft's vertical tail fin. That burn added 79 feet per second to the orbiter's speed. A subsequent firing of Discovery's smaller Reaction Control System jets further refined the orbit by changing Discovery's speed by about eight feet per second.

The pressure in Discovery's cabin was lowered to 10.2 psi at about 1 p.m. Monday. This is part of the procedure to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the blood of space-walking astronauts. Later they will breathe pure oxygen. Those steps are designed to eliminate the possibility of nitrogen bubbles forming in their blood during spacewalks and causing an attack of the "bends," a condition that can affect deep-sea divers brought to the surface too quickly.

A little after 8:30 p.m. CST, four members of the crew, Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Scott Kelly, and Mission Specialists Jean-Francois Clervoy and Mike Foale, participated in an on-orbit interview with three organizations - CBS News, the Hal Uplinger Millennium TV Network and ABS-PBS Millennium Broadcast.

On Tuesday Discovery will approach the space telescope with a series of burns to match its orbit. The rendezvous' terminal initiation burn is to occur at about 4:30 p.m. when Discovery is about eight miles behind Hubble. Brown and Kelly will maneuver the orbiter to a point directly beneath Hubble, then move upward toward it. Clervoy, using the orbiter's robotic arm, will grapple Hubble about 6:40 p.m. and place it on the Flight Service System in the rear of Discovery's cargo bay. There, it can be rotated and tilted to enable space-walking astronauts to better access its equipment bays.

Discovery is in an orbit with a high point of 367 statute miles and a low point of 352 miles. All systems are in excellent condition.

Controllers at Goddard Space Flight Center had placed the space telescope in an attitude with its closed aperture pointed toward Earth. Commander Curt Brown guided Discovery through an approach from below and fly-around. Then, Mission Specialist Jean-Francois Clervoy reached out with the shuttle's robotic arm to grip a grapple fixture on Hubble. The grapple was made at 6:34 p.m. Central time, one day, 23 hours and 44 minutes after Discovery's launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Clervoy used the arm to rotate the space telescope and bring its base into the cargo bay. Hubble, gleaming silver in its Mylar insulation flanked by golden-colored solar arrays, was firmly attached to the Flight Support System in Discovery's cargo by a little after 7:30 p.m. Hubble is as tall as a four-story building. With a maximum diameter of 14 feet, it is about the size of a railroad tank car.

The Flight Support System is a U-shaped device with a circular platform between the U's arms now supporting the space telescope. The system provides power from Discovery to the telescope and can rotate and tilt it to facilitate access to its various compartments by space-walking astronauts. An initial, carefully choreographed survey using a camera at the end of the robotic arm was made. Camera surveys of Hubble's condition will continue during the crew's sleep period, scheduled to begin about 12:50 a.m. Wednesday.

The first of three planned space walks to repair and upgrade Hubble equipment is scheduled to begin at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, though astronauts may get an early start. If they can get ahead of schedule, they may be able to perform some tasks that had been scheduled for the cancelled fourth spacewalk.

On Wednesday, Mission Specialist and Payload Commander Steve Smith and Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld will first replace the telescope's three Rate Sensor Units. Each contains two gyroscopes. The second major task is installation of six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits between Hubble's solar panels and its six 10-year-old batteries. The cell telephone-sized kits are designed to prevent any overheating or overcharging of those batteries.

Discovery's systems continue to function well as the astronauts wind up final preparations for Wednesday's space walks and prepare for sleep. The spacecraft was in an orbit with a high point of 380 statute miles and a low point of 355 miles.

While the crew slept, the Shuttle continued to close in on the Hubble Space Telescope at a rate of about 125 statute miles with each 90 minute long orbit of Earth. At the time the crew woke this morning, Discovery trailed the telescope by about 330 statute miles.

The crew will fire the Shuttle's thrusters at 12:38 p.m. today to slightly raise Discovery's orbit and slow the closing rate on Hubble. Another engine firing will be conducted about 48 minutes later to further adjust the closing rate and aim Discovery to reach a point eight nautical miles behind the telescope -- the starting point for the final phase of the rendezvous -- about three hours later. Just before Discovery reaches that point, European astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy will power up the robotic arm and lift it to a position just above its latches along the left edge of the Shuttle cargo bay.

At 4:28 p.m., Discovery will reach the starting point and fire its thrusters again to begin the final phase of rendezvous, putting the Shuttle on a course to directly intercept the telescope on the next orbit of Earth. As Discovery closes the final distance to Hubble, four small course correction engine firings will fine-tune the approach and Clervoy will raise the arm high above the payload bay, poised to latch onto the Hubble's grapple fixture.

When Discovery reaches a point about half a mile away and directly beneath the telescope, Commander Curt Brown will take over manual control of the Shuttle. Brown, assisted by Pilot Scott Kelly, will gently maneuver the 110-ton Shuttle to within 35 feet of the orbiting observatory to allow Clervoy to capture it with the arm. After the arm has latched onto the telescope, Clervoy will lower it into a cradle in the aft cargo bay. Using controls in the aft cockpit of Discovery, Payload Commander Steve Smith will then latch the telescope in place, where it will remain for the next four days. Hubble is planned to be latched into the bay at about 7 p.m. Once the telescope has been secured in the payload bay, Clervoy will release the arm and use it to perform a television survey of the Hubble's exterior.

The first of three planned Hubble maintenance spacewalks is planned to begin at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday.

"Merry Christmas to all of you down there," replied Brown. "And Hubble will be home for Christmas 'cause today we're going to set her free."

Discovery's astronauts will be doing the gift-giving this afternoon as they return the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit, allowing it to continue its astronomical observations. About 1:45 p.m. CST, European Space Agency astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy will use Discovery's robot arm to firmly grasp the telescope. After a series of commands to disconnect from external power and confirm Hubble is ready for release, Clervoy will gently lift it out of the support structure in Discovery's payload bay where it has rested since he first plucked it from orbit on December 21. The telescope's aperture door will be commanded open and at 4:50 p.m., Clervoy will release the upgraded telescope.

Hubble's capabilities were enhanced over the course of three spacewalks, lasting a combined total of 24 hours, 33 minutes. Spacewalking astronauts Steve Smith, John Grunsfeld, Mike Foale and Claude Nicollier installed six new gyroscopes, six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits, a new more efficient computer, and a refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor. Functional checks and tests of the hardware indicate that the new equipment is working properly and will further enhance the Hubble's scientific capabilities.

This afternoon, the spacewalking team, including arm operator Clervoy, will take a break from their duties to discuss the progress of the mission so far in a series of interviews with CNN, the Associated Press and the Fox News Network. That interview is scheduled for 7:12 p.m. today.

Discovery is in an orbit with a high point of 380 miles and a low point of 363 miles with all systems on board performing well.

European Space Agency Astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy used the shuttle's robot arm to gently release the telescope at 5:03 p.m. CST, then placed the arm into an upright salute as Commander Curt Brown fired Discovery's steering jets to begin separating from the telescope.

The telescope's re-deployment took place at an altitude of 370 statute miles as the two spacecraft flew over the South Pacific's Coral Sea northeast of Australia, its aperture door opened to the heavens before the release.

By 5:30 p.m. CST, controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center in Maryland were reporting that the telescope was in normal operating mode. Controllers will perform two weeks of testing before resuming observations with the telescope.

"The HST is now orbiting freely once again and is in fantastic shape," Hubble Space Telescope Program Manager John Campbell said after the release. "The spacecraft is being guided by its new gyros, under the control of its brand new computer. The Hubble team is very grateful to the Discovery crew, to the launch and flight teams and to all those who made this mission so successful. We especially thank the families of the entire STS-103 team, who made so many personal sacrifices at this holiday season, enabling the Hubble Space Telescope to resume its voyage of discovery."

At 5:39 p.m. CST, Brown executed a second steering jet burn, lowering Discovery's orbit slightly, so that it would begin orbiting faster than the telescope and move away at just under 6 statute miles per orbit. Afterward, each of the seven astronauts on board called down holiday wishes from space in several languages.

"The familiar Christmas story reminds us that for millennia, people of many faiths and cultures have looked to the skies and studied the stars and planets in their search for a deeper understanding of life and for greater wisdom," radioed Brown. "We, the Discovery crew and this mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, are very proud to be part of this ongoing search beyond ourselves. We hope and trust that the lessons the universe has to teach us will speak to the yearning that we know is in human hearts everywhere -- the yearning for peace on Earth, good will among all the human family. As we stand at the threshold of a new millennium, we send you all our greetings."

Over the course of three space walks, Astronauts Steve Smith, John Grunsfeld, Mike Foale and Claude Nicollier installed six new gyroscopes, six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits, a new more efficient computer, and a refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor. Functional checks and tests of the hardware indicate that the new equipment is working well.

The space-walking team, including arm operator Clervoy, also took a break from their duties to discuss the progress of the mission so far in a series of interviews with CNN, the Associated Press and the Fox News Network.

The crew is scheduled to go to bed just before midnight Central time and wake up at 7:50 a.m. Sunday to begin a day of preparations for Monday's landing. Discovery is in a 363 by 380 statute mile orbit with all systems on board performing well.

STS-103 Commander Curt Brown, along with Pilot Scott Kelly, first performed checks of the Flight Control System by activating one of the three Auxiliary Power Units aboard Discovery to allow them to test the various aerosurfaces that will be used to steer the Shuttle once it has re-entered the atmosphere. The crew then did a check of the Reaction Control System, the maneuvering jets that steer Discovery while the Shuttle is in space. Both the FCS and RCS checkouts were without issue, with all systems ready to support Discovery's return to Earth.

The weather forecast for the two available landing sites is very good for both a nominal end of mission as well as the two extension days that are planned into every Shuttle flight. The prediction for KSC on Monday is for only a few clouds at the upper levels and very good visibility. The only possible concern is crosswinds that are predicted to be near the peak of what is allowed at the three-mile-long Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC. Weather at the alternate landing site at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California also is predicted to be very good on Monday, with only a few high clouds and light winds. The extended forecast for both landing sites on Tuesday and Wednesday shows continued favorable weather.

At tonight's mission status briefing, Entry Flight Director Wayne Hale said that given the very good forecast at both landing sites for the next three days, the Shuttle team's current plan for Monday afternoon would be to try for the first two landing opportunities at KSC. If Discovery cannot land on one of those opportunities and the weather forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday remains the same, Discovery and her crew would be kept in orbit one additional day to try and allow a KSC landing on Tuesday. Shuttle managers would like to land at KSC if possible in order to avoid the work associated with transporting an orbiter from California back to Florida.

The first opportunity to land at KSC on Monday takes place on orbit 118 with a deorbit burn at 3:06 p.m. CST and a landing at KSC at 4:18 p.m. The second opportunity on orbit 119 would have a deorbit burn taking place at 4:49 p.m. and a landing at KSC at 6:00 p.m. CST. A third and final opportunity for a KSC landing is available on orbit 120 if needed. The third opportunity has a deorbit burn at 6:32 p.m. and landing at 7:43 p.m. CST.

Should the extended weather forecast change, there are landing opportunities at the Edwards site on the same three orbits, along with an additional opportunity on orbit 121.

The STS-103 crew will begin a planned eight-hour sleep period at 11:20 p.m. this evening. A wake-up call from Mission Control to begin what should be their final day in space for this flight will come at 7:20 a.m. on Monday.

The seven astronauts were awakened at 7:50 a.m. to the song "We're So Good Together" by Reba McEntyre, played for Pilot Scott Kelly at the request of his wife.

This afternoon, Commander Curt Brown and Kelly will check out Discovery's flight control systems and surfaces to support Monday's planned return to the Kennedy Space Center. Later in the day, the astronauts will begin stowing the equipment they've used during the past week on orbit and start buttoning up Discovery's on-orbit systems. The Ku-band antenna, which provides most of the capacity for data and television relay, will be stowed around 8:45 p.m. today.

As the STS-103 mission winds down, the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope slowly moves through its checkout sequence prior to resuming science operations. Discovery's four space-walking astronauts spent 24 hours and 33 minutes upgrading and refurbishing the orbiting observatory, making it more capable than ever to renew its observations of the universe.

Hubble was released from the end of Discovery's robot arm at 5:03 p.m. Christmas Day. Less than half an hour later, controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center in Maryland reported that the telescope was in normal operating mode. Controllers will perform two weeks of testing before observations resume. At 8 a.m. today, Hubble was approximately 45 miles away from Discovery and separating at the rate of about five miles per 90-minute orbit.

Also on tap at 10:50 a.m. today is the crew in-flight press conference with media at NASA Centers in the U.S. and reporters at European Space Agency sites in Geneva and Paris.

After waving off the first landing opportunity of the day because of a concern with cross winds at the landing site, the crew was given a "go" to perform the deorbit burn which came at 4:48 p.m. CST and caused Discovery to fall out of its 380 statute mile high orbit to start the journey home to the Kennedy Space Center.

With Commander Curt Brown at the controls, Discovery touched down at 6:01 p.m CST on Runway 33 at the three mile long Shuttle Landing Facility runway at KSC to complete a mission spanning almost 3.3 million miles. Pilot Scott Kelly, Flight Engineer Jean-Francois Clervoy and Mission Specialist Michael Foale joined Brown on the flight deck for entry and landing. Mission Specialists Steve Smith, John Grunsfeld and Claude Nicollier were seated down in the middeck. The end of the STS-103 mission marked the 20th consecutive landing at the Florida spaceport and the 13th night landing in the history of the Shuttle program.

Left behind in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope now features six new gyroscopes, six new voltage/temperature improvement kits, a new onboard computer, a new solid state recorder and new data transmitter, a new fine guidance sensor along with new insulation on parts of the orbiting telescope.

The STS-103 crew will spend the evening in Florida before returning to Houston on Tuesday. The crew is expected to leave Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, FL at approximately 1:30 p.m. CST. The crew should land at Ellington Field at about 5 p.m. where the seven astronauts will be greeted by JSC management and center employees. The crew return ceremony will occur at Hangar 990 and is open to the general public.

The crew's day began with a wake-up call from Mission Control, "The Cup of Life," sung by Ricky Martin. The music was the official song of France '98 World Cup Soccer and was played for Mission Specialist #2, Jean-Francois Clervoy of the European Space Agency at the request of his son.

Entry Flight Director Wayne Hale and his team of flight controllers have three attempts to bring Discovery home to Florida today. The first opportunity would see a firing of the Shuttle's large orbital maneuvering system engines at 3:06 p.m. to drop Discovery out of orbit and begin its high speed reentry toward Earth. Landing would occur at 4:18 p.m. Central time (5:18 p.m. EST).

The second opportunity would see a deorbit burn at 4:48 p.m., resulting in a landing at 6:01 p.m. Central time (7:01 p.m. EST). The final opportunity for the day would have the deorbit burn occurring at 6:31 p.m. with landing to follow at 7:43 p.m. Central (8:43 p.m. EST). If Discovery lands on either of the last two opportunities, Commander Curt Brown and his crew would make the 13th night landing in Shuttle program history.

The entry flight controllers will be receiving updated weather forecasts throughout the day, however the initial prediction is for favorable weather with a few high level clouds. Earlier predictions of cross winds at or near acceptable limits appear to be trending in a positive direction. Weather at the alternate landing site at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California also is predicted to be very good today although KSC is the prime landing site for today's opportunities.

Commander Mike Bloomfield, Pilot Steve Frick, Flight Engineer Ellen Ochoa and spacewalkers Steve Smith, Rex Walheim, Jerry Ross and Lee Morin rocketed away from Launch Pad 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center at 3:44 p.m. Central time as the ISS orbited over the Atlantic Ocean due east of the northeastern United States at an altitude of 240 statute miles.

Launch occurred with only 12 seconds left in the 5-minute launch window due to a brief delay caused by a momentary ground launch system software glitch at the Launch Control Center at the Florida spaceport which paused the countdown at the T-minus 5-minute mark. Once the problem was solved, the countdown resumed.

Atlantis' launch marked a milestone as Ross became the first human to fly in space seven times, breaking a record of six flights previously held by Ross and fellow American astronauts John Young, Story Musgrave, Franklin Chang-Diaz and Curt Brown. No Russian cosmonaut has flown in space more than five times.

Now in their fifth month in orbit, Expedition Four Commander Yury Onufrienko and Flight Engineers Carl Walz and Dan Bursch were able to watch Atlantis' launch through a video uplink from flight controllers in Houston. Atlantis' arrival will mark the first visitors for the Expedition Four crewmembers since their launch back in December.

Less than nine minutes later, Atlantis and its crewmembers settled into orbit as work began to prepare the shuttle for its planned 11-day mission and for a series of rendezvous maneuvers to reach the station on Wednesday morning. Atlantis will actually have to lap the ISS as a result of those maneuvers before its scheduled docking with the outpost Wednesday.

After Atlantis' payload bay doors are opened and approval is given for the start of orbital operations, the seven crewmembers will unstow computers and other gear required for the mission.

If all goes as planned, Atlantis will link up to the station Wednesday just after 11 a.m. Central time, setting the stage for the installation of the S0 (S-Zero) Truss on Thursday morning on the Destiny Laboratory and the first of four spacewalks to mate and activate the new component to Destiny. The S-Zero Truss will serve as a platform upon which other trusses will be attached and additional solar arrays will be mounted in future assembly flights to form a structure longer than the length of a football field. The new truss will also serve as a primary electrical switching station to route power from the stations' arrays to various modules and components.

The shuttle crew will begin its first sleep period at 8:44 p.m. Central time and will be awakened at 4:44 Tuesday morning to begin its first full day in orbit, designed to test the ship's robot arm, spacesuits and rendezvous equipment which will be used over the next few days.