STS-49 Mission Control Status Report #12 




                         MISSION CONTROL CENTER
                       STS-49 Status Report # 12

Monday, May 11, 1992 11:30 p.m. CDT


Space walking astronauts Pierre Thuot and Rick Hieb will get a day of
rest on Tuesday as the Mission Control Center works on plans for a
third attempt to grapple the errant INTELSAT 6 satellite on Wednesday.

The two astronauts were unable to capture the satellite during a second
spacewalk Monday afternoon and evening, and now flight controllers are
assessing alternate methods for accomplishing the INTELSAT retrieval
and repair.  Mission Control now anticipates extending the flight by
one day to allow for another rendezvous and retrieval attempt on
Wednesday, followed by a fourth spacewalk on Thursday to investigate
various Space Station assembly techniques.  Under the current plan,
reentry and landing would take place on Friday afternoon, May 15, one
day later than originally planned.

During the 5-hour, 30-minute spacewalk on Monday, astronaut Pierre
Thuot made five unsuccessful attempts to use a spring loaded capture
bar device to grapple the INTELSAT satellite.  The EVA, or
Extravehicular Activity, began at 4:01 p.m. CDT.  Thuot and Hieb have
now logged approximately 9 hours of EVA time so far on this flight.
The crew wakeup Tuesday morning will be at 9:40 a.m. CDT.