Daily                 News
Thursday, September 17, 1992  24-hour audio service at 202/755-1788

% Flawless performance of STS-47 crew, Spacelab and Endeavour continues;
% Flight management OK's mission extension, landing now set for Sunday;
% Administrator Goldin to give keynote speech at Aerospace Industries luncheon;
% Langley researchers working on tropical atmospheric chemistry investigations;
% Now that school has begun, Marshall reports Spacelink calls rising again;
% Columbia set for rollover this Saturday for mating with STS-52 stack.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The nearly flawless performance of Endeavour, the Spacelab module and
the seven-member STS-47 crew continues as the mission progresses toward
a new planned landing on Sunday.  Mission managers yesterday told the
crew that because of their superb management of onboard consumables,
the mission was being extended an additional day.  Spacelab-J mission
manager Aubray King said that extension would produce "a large increase
in the science return."

Japanese payload specialist Mamoru Mohri yesterday performed an
in-flight maintenance procedure on the Image Furnace to improve its
ability to precisely melt acoustically-suspended samples.  The
furnace's mirror and lamp adjustment system were greased by Mohri.  The
furnace was then used to provide additional data on the
volume-temperature relationships of glass melts.

Other crew members continued their investigations with materials and
life science subjects.  Mission specialist Jan Davis terminated the
growth and secured one small organic metal crystal.  The crystals,
which are extremely difficult to grow well-enough on Earth to study the
crystal properties, are believed to be an important new research tool
for studies in the developing field of organic electronics.  Another,
larger sample continues to grow in another chamber.

Life science observations of the frogs, carp and hornets indicate that
all these biological subjects continue to perform well in their
microgravity environment.  The hornets now appear to be tending to
larvae and building their honeycomb.  Mae Jemison and Davis also
continued with their Lower Body Negative Pressure tests.  The system is
being developed as a possible countermeasure for some of microgravity's
debilitating effects on the human cardiovascular system.

Jemison and Davis also took part in separate conversations with
teachers, students and community leaders yesterday.  Jemison talked
with former teachers and present students in her hometown of Chicago,
telling them that her teachers were a great influence on her and her
choice of a career.  Davis later spoke with community leaders from her
hometown of Huntsville, telling them she was excited to be working an a
Marshall-managed project after having worked at the center for eight
years.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin will be the keynote speaker at a
luncheon being held in Washington today of the Aerospace Industries
Association of America.  Goldin will announce a number of initiatives
to improve how NASA conducts business and works with its contractors.
The remarks are being taped for playback following the conclusion of
the STS-47 mission on NASA Select television.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Earth scientists at the Langley Research Center are in the process of
monitoring the chemical composition of the atmosphere over the southern
tropical Atlantic Ocean and the adjacent African and South American
continental land masses.  The investigation is part of the center's
continuing environmental investigations into global tropospheric
chemistry.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Marshall Space Flight Center reports their Spacelink calls are up
again, as expected with school beginning.  The center's
electronically-maintained space and science database received about
18,000 callers last month.  Almost half of the callers were either
teachers or students.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kennedy Space Center technicians expect to move Columbia from the
Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building just past
midnight Saturday, September 19, for mating with the STS-52 solid
rocket booster and external tank stack.  The Kennedy center's launch
readiness review for the mid-October mission has been set for
Thursday, October 1.  The mission is a nine-day flight to deploy a
variety of scientific payloads and carry out a number of engineering
and science experiments.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA Select
TV.  Note that all events and times may change without notice, and that
all times listed are Eastern.  Live indicates a program is transmitted
live.

Thursday, September 17, 1992
Live   2:00 pm  Today in Space program from MSFC.
Live   3:00 pm  Mission Status briefing from JSC and MSFC.
       8:30 pm  Replay of Today in Space program.
       9:00 pm  Flight Day 6 highlights.

Friday, September 18, 1992
Live   7:53 am  VIP conversation with Japanese payload specialist Mamoru Mohri.
Live   2:00 pm  Today in Space program from MSFC.
Live   3:00 pm  Mission Status briefing from JSC and MSFC.
       8:30 pm  Replay of Today in Space program.
       9:00 pm  Flight Day 7 highlights.

Saturday, September 19, 1992
Live   2:00 pm  Today in Space program from MSFC.
Live   3:00 pm  Mission Status briefing from JSC and MSFC.
       8:30 pm  Replay of Today in Space program.
       9:00 pm  Flight Day 8 highlights.

Sunday, September 20, 1992
       6:19 am  Scheduled time of Endeavour's re-entry maneuver.
Live   7:19 am  Scheduled time of landing of STS-47 crew and Endeavour at
                Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility.
  
This report is filed daily at noon, Monday through Friday.  It is a
service of NASA's Office of Public Affairs.  The editor is Charles
Redmond, 202/453-8425 or CREDMOND on NASAmail.  NASA Select TV is
carried on GE Satcom F2R, transponder 13, C- Band, 72 degrees West
Longitude, transponder frequency is 3960 MegaHertz, audio subcarrier is
6.8 MHz, polarization is vertical.