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Over 9 Million Square Miles Covered So Far
By Glen Golightly
Houston Bureau Chief
posted: 12:05 pm ET
13 February 2000
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Endeavours Orbiting Mapmakers Continue EffortsHOUSTON Endeavours radar mapmakers continued their efforts to chart the globe overnight and performed one of several maneuvers to hold the shuttles altitude. By the end of the first full day of round-the clock mapping operations, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission had covered about 14.4 million square km. or about 9 million square miles. The crew has mapped an area roughly equivalent to about three times the size of the continental U.S. Two shifts of astronauts monitored radar systems and changed data tapes much like ones found in VCRs. Early this morning, pilot Dom Gorie and commander Kevin Kregel fired the orbiters thrusters in what has been dubbed the "flycast" maneuver. "When we woke up this morning we did the very first one. It was just about perfect," said Gorie early this morning. "All six of us were on the flight deck to watch and perform that maneuver. It came off without a hitch." The maneuver involves firing the orbiters thrusters daily in a precise way to increase the shuttles altitude while not causing stress on the 200-foot radar mast jutting from Endeavours payload bay. Mission control continued to investigate options concerning greater-than-normal use of propellant from a thruster at the end of the radar mast. The nitrogen-powered thruster keeps the mast and shuttle properly positioned for mapping. Engineers calculated the thruster would run out of fuel before the mapping mission ends. The crew opened and closed the systems valves to see if the excessive use of propellant came from a leak. Later, the crew turned off the thruster and used the orbiters control jets as a substitute. One of the crewmembers said the mission is going smoothly and hopes mission managers will reinstate one of the mapping days cut from the plan to allow extra time to retract the mast. "We have no problems mapping and are very busy up here every day," said mission specialist Mamoru Mohri this morning. "Were hoping to have an extra day."
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