alb@alice.UUCP (Adam L. Buchsbaum) (06/20/85)
A laser beam was shot at the space shuttle today in a test to see how laser light diffuses as it travels through the atmosphere. Unfortunately, numbers fed by ground control into the shuttle autopilot were in feet instead of nautical miles with the result that the mirror on the shuttle that should have reflected the beam back to Earth was on the wrong side at the appointed time. NASA said there will be another chance on Saturday. Meanwhile, Telstar-3D was successfully deployed and NASA reported a successful PAM burn, making this mission 3 for 3 in satellite deployments.