05.25.00

Thursday, May 25, 2000, 6:30 a.m. CDTSTATUS REPORT: STS-101-13

STS-101 MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT #13



As their seventh day in space draws to a close this morning, the 
astronauts aboard Atlantis have virtually completed their maintenance 
work on the International Space Station, installing equipment that is 
planned to leave the space outpost in flawless condition.



Late Wednesday, Astronauts Susan Helms and Jim Voss along with 
Cosmonaut Yury Usachev completed the installation of a fourth and 
final fresh battery in the station. Station flight controllers in 
Russia have completed charging two of the newly installed batteries 
and they are operating perfectly. The third new battery is currently 
undergoing a 20-hour charging process, although controllers did note 
some apparently irregular readings in data during the early portions 
of the charging activity. However, after further analysis, 
controllers now believe the irregular information was likely a ground 
communications problem and that the battery is in excellent 
condition. Charging of the fourth new battery will begin later today 
and be completed before Atlantis undocks from the station on Friday.



Later, Voss and Williams installed several new storage compartments 
behind panels in the Zarya module. Helms and Usachev also installed a 
new Radio Telemetry System in the module, a memory unit that can 
store data onboard when the station is not in communications with the 
ground. The new memory unit replaces one that was nearing the end of 
its planned operational lifetime.



Commander Jim Halsell and Pilot Scott Horowitz fired Atlantis' 
steering jets to perform the second part of a three-day maneuver that 
is raising the station's orbit. Atlantis' jets were fired 27 times 
over the course of almost an hour to raise the Atlantis-station 
complex's average altitude by about nine miles. The third and final 
orbit-raising activity is planned tonight and will leave the station 
about 27 miles higher than when Atlantis arrived, in an optimum orbit 
to await the launch of a station living quarters module by Russia in 
July.



The crew has transferred more than a ton of gear -- ranging from 
sewing kits to clothing -- to the station to await use by the first 
resident crew. Among the items transferred this morning were a 
stationary bicycle ergometer as well as four 12-gallon bags of 
drinking water. Tonight, the crew will wrap up the transfer of 
equipment to the station with plans in place to unload a total of 
more than 3,000 pounds of gear by the time Atlantis leaves. Halsell, 
Horowitz and Mary Ellen Weber will take a brief break from their 
activities at 9:11 p.m. CDT for an interview by CBS News, Fox News 
and KTBS-TV of Shreveport, LA.



The crew will begin a sleep period at 7:11 a.m. CDT and awaken at 3:11 
p.m. to begin the eighth day of the mission. Atlantis is scheduled to 
undock from the station at 6:07 p.m. CDT Friday and land at the 
Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 1:18 a.m. CDT Monday.



The Atlantis-International Space Station complex is now in an orbit 
with an altitude of about 225 miles, circling Earth every 91 minutes. 
The next mission status report will be issued at 7 p.m. CDT.

	
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