yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (10/02/88)
MCC STATUS REPORT #12 10/01/88 - 6:00 a.m. CDT Discovery's wake-up call came at 3:37 a.m. central time this morning in the form of a variation of The Beach Boys' classic "I Get Around". The musical spoof featured the customized lyrics "We orbit 'round..." and was provided by Houston-area radio disc jockey Mike Cahill. Commander Rick Hauck responded ...... and began review of the day 3 flight plan transmitted to Discovery by the Orbit 1 flight control team. Today's mission timeline features two Student Experiments conducted by mission specialists Mike Lounge and Pinky Nelson, several middeck experiments, and an on-orbit rehearsal for Monday's deorbit preparations. Hauck will practice donning the bulky Launch/Entry suit for the first time in the zero-g environment while Nelson practices installing the crew escape pole in the entry position near the hatch. The two student experiments feature of a crystal membrane growth study, and a titanium alloy experiment. The crystal membrane experiment was developed by Richard Cavoli of Marlboro, New York. The intent of the experiment is to grow lead iodide crystals on a natural fiber membrane, and show that such crystals grown in microgravity will be larger and purer than those grown on Earth. The titanium grain experiment was developed by Lloyd Bruce of St. Louis, Missouri. The object of the experiment will be to subject a titanium alloy filament to recrystallization temperatures with hopes to determine whether such a technique would increase grain size, thus resulting in a stronger alloy. Flight controllers are keeping their eyes on a slowly improving but stable flash evaporator system and, with that exception, all systems are very clean and operating well. The next Mission Control Status Report is planned for 10:00 am central time.