Thursday, July 9, 1992  24-hour audio service at 202/755-1788

 % STS-50 USML-1 crew lands at Kennedy Space Center this morning;
 % Administrator Goldin talks to employees about trip to Russia;
 % Magellan spacecraft operating normally; spacecraft controllers seeking ways
   to maintain closer control of spacecraft temperatures;
 % New research facility opens at Langley.

        

The STS-50 United States Microgravity Laboratory-1 crew brought
Columbia down safely at the Kennedy Space Center for the 10th landing
of a Shuttle there.  It was also the first landing of Columbia at KSC.
The crew landed at 7:43am EDT at Kennedy when weather at Edwards Air
Force Base in California was determined to be unfavorable for a landing
there.  The additional day on orbit for the STS-50 crew brought the
total number of mission days to 14.  At this morning's post-flight
press conference, Kennedy Space Center director Bob Crippen said the
crew looked good after an "outstanding mission."

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

Administrator Goldin is scheduled to talk to employees about his
upcoming trip to Russia this morning.  His remarks will be broadcast
live on NASA Select at 11:30 am EDT.

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

Magellan continues to operate normally, performing stereo mapping of
Venus, but the radio signal remains marginal to poor at the Deep Space
Network stations.  Spacecraft controllers yesterday planned to uplink
new software to make it easier to reset the radar system heaters.  The
uplink will consist of nine non-standard commands to be implemented
next Monday.

The spacecraft team is looking for ways to maintain closer control of
spacecraft temperatures.  They hope to find an operating range that
will restore radar data reception in time to fill the coverage gap that
remains at the end of the third cycle in September.  A routine command
sequence is to be uplinked today, to take effect tomorrow.  The
sequence will shift the radar mapping swaths to cover two chasms of
major scien- tific interest, Hecate and Parga.  But no science data is
expected until telecommunications are improved.

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



The Intravehicular Automation and Robotics (IVAR) is a new research
facility and project starting at Langley Research Center.  This new
facility is dedicated to studying the use of robotics and automated
technology to increase the productivity of Space Station Freedom (e.g.,
microgravity research).

A full-size mockup of the spacelab module has been built to simulate
laboratory experiments.  The facility will allow researchers and
designers to work together in developing appropriate technology.  At
this time the module is complete and the robot, Robotic Intravehicular
Assistant (RIVA), has been installed.  In late July, hardware for the
first experiment on advance protein crystal growth is expected to
arrive.

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

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


Thursday, July 9, 1992
        TBD     Replay of landing scenes.
Live    11:30am Administrator Goldin speaks to employees about his upcoming
                trip to Russia.
		Remainder of today's schedule TBD.     

Friday, July 10, 1992
Live    12:00pm NASA Today news program.
        12:15pm Aeronautics and Space Report.
        12:30pm Shuttle Life in Weightlessness.
         1:00pm Safe Computing.
         1:30pm America's Wings.
         2:00pm Space Basics/Beyond Clouds.
         2:30pm Four Days of Gemini.
         3:00pm University of New Mexico TQM series.

        
                
This report is filed daily at noon, Monday through Friday.  It is a
service of NASA's Office of Public Affairs.  The editor is 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.