MCC Status Report #24 

                      MISSION CONTROL STATUS
                     STS-49 Status Report #24


Saturday, May 16, 1992, 8 a.m. CDT

The crew of Endeavour will end a full eight-hour sleep shift at
7:40 a.m. CDT and begin making final preparations for the journey
back to Earth today.

Weather predictions for landing at Edwards AFB are favorable for
the first opportunity at 3:57 p.m. CDT.  Winds are expected to
pick up there later in the day, which could hinder two later
landing opportunities. Edwards runway 22 is prime. The crew is
scheduled to begin preparations for deorbit at 10:52 a.m. CDT.

There are two Kennedy Space Center landing opportunities today,
and weather is more favorable for the latter, about 5:43 p.m. CDT.

Weather for Sunday and Monday at both sites is expected to be less
favorable.

A detailed checkout of Endeavour's flight control surfaces, a new
backup nosewheel steering system, and a brief firing of the
attitude control thrusters that will be used during landing all
went smoothly Friday. The only exception was one thruster that
developed a small leak after firing.  After the system thermally
restabilized, the leak cleared up and is not considered a factor
for entry and landing.

At Intelsat headquarters in Washington, DC, work to position the
Intelsat VI satellite in it's operational orbit continues to go
well.  Sunday through Wednesday maneuvering burns will circularize
the satellite's orbit at geostationary altitude - 22,300 miles.

Assuming a landing at Edwards at 3:57 p.m. CDT, the crew is
expected to arrive home in Houston, at Ellington Field, about
3 p.m. Sunday.