yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (03/17/89)
MISSION STATUS REPORT #8
FLIGHT DAY THREE
5:45 am CST -- Wednesday, March 15, 1989
The "Marine Corps Hymn" awoke the crew of Discovery early this
morning, a tribute to mission specialists Bob Springer and Jim
Buchli, both colonels in the U.S. Marine Corps. Coincidentally,
that wakeup music selection was made by then-Capsule Communicator
Ken Cameron who is a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps.
Overnight, flight controllers made adjustments to the crew flight
plan and uplinked those changes prior to crew wakeup. Following
exercise and breakfast, the crew will settle into the days
activities which will include continued Earth observation
photography using the IMAX camera, and monitoring of the CHROMEX
plant cell division, chicken embryo and Space Station Heatpipe
Advanced Radiator Element experiments.
During checks of CHROMEX yesterday, the controlled temperature of
the experiment began to rise. The crew is currently working
uplinked procedures to take temperature readings on the inside
and outside of CHROMEX.
The SHARE experiment was shutdown about two hours into the
operation when the electric heaters evaporated the ammonia faster
than it could recirculate, drying a portion of the liquid passage
in the evaporator section. SHARE will be reactivated later this
morning when the liquid ammonia builds up again in the evaporator
section.
During IMAX camera operation yesterday, the belt on the drive
mechanism came off track causing a loss of about 200 feet of
film. The crew replaced the belt and normal camera operations
continued.
Work on the anomalous cryogenic hydrogen tank number three
pressure and manifold pressure signatures continues. Once given
the call from Mission Control, the crew will attempt the run
single heater operations and analyze the results prior to going
to final configuration.
As of 5:30 am CST, Discovery was approaching the west coast of
Australia on orbit 30. Cabin temperature was 75 degrees and
humidity 35 percent as the vehicle circled the Earth at a 177 by
162 nautical mile altitude.
The next status report will be at about 9:30 am CST.