INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT #99-42

2 p.m. CDT, Thursday, October 28, 1999

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas



Activity surrounding the operation of the International Space Station

settled down a bit following the maneuver of the complex earlier this

week to avoid a close approach of a piece of space debris.



The Station's orbit was raised by one statute mile to place it at a

safe distance from a piece of orbital debris.  Actual tracking data

showed the debris passed a safe 87 statute miles by the Station at the

time of closest approach early Wednesday morning.  Had the burn not

taken place, the spent Pegasus rocket body would have passed one half

statute mile from the ISS.



Coincidentally, the raising burn puts the Station in a slightly higher

orbit that will be increased more during a rendezvous test to be

performed in January in preparation for the arrival of the Zvezda

service module.



At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, processing of Zvezda

continues in preparation for its launch to the ISS early next year. 

NASA was informed that an investigation is underway into yesterday's

loss of a similar rocket carrying a commercial satellite, but it is

much too early to determine what, if any, impact this failure could

have on Zvezda's planned launch in the January timeframe.



The ISS is now in its normal position in space with the Unity module

pointed at Earth and Zarya pointed to deep space.  The complex

continues in a very slow spin to minimize the need for thruster firings

and to maintain even temperatures on systems.



Earlier today routine tests were conducted of the command path to Zarya

from Mission Control in Korolev, outside Moscow, using Unity's early

communications system and to Unity from Mission Control in Houston, via

the Komparus system inside Zarya.



Next week, Zarya battery cycling of the five units connected to the

electrical system will commence once again to maintain their

proficiency in charging during daylight passes around the Earth.



All other Station systems are in excellent shape as it orbits at an

altitude of 248 by 230 statute miles.  Since the launch of Zarya last

November, the ISS has completed more than 5,348 orbits.  Space Station

viewing opportunities worldwide are available on the Internet at:



        http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/



The next International Space Station status report will be on November

4.  For further information, please contact the NASA Public Affairs

Office at the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, 281-483-5111.