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| STS-87 Mission Overview | Mission Objectives | Flight Result |
| Crew of STS-87 | EVA by STS-87 Crew |
| Status Report |


STS-87 Status Report
Dec. 4/5 (CST), Flight Day 16
STS-87
The crew conducted routine pre-landing checkout.
Columbia glided to a smooth touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 6:20 a.m. CST.
MET 15 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes.


Dec. 3 (CST), Flight Day 15
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi stowed the tools he used during his second spacewalk of this mission and answered questionnaires about his activity.
He exercised.
STS-87
The crew conducted routine pre-landing checkout, and hot-fire test of its reaction control system jets.
The crew stowed the experiment.
Mission specialist Kalpana Chawla received a congratulatory call from India's prime minister Inderkumar Gujraal.
Commander Kregel talked with four people in a test chamber at the Johnson Space Center.


Dec. 2 (CST), Flight Day 14
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi conducted a second spacewalk (7 hours 43 minutes) of this mission.
He evaluated a carne and tools for future International Space Station operations during his spacewalk.
STS-87
The crew conducted Video Guidance Sensor experiment.
Mission specialist Scott deployed Aercam Sprint, the free-flying video camera, and captured it during his EVA.
The tests of the Aercam Sprint were controlled by Lindsey via a joystick on Columbia's aft flight deck during the spacewalk.


Dec. 1 (CST), Flight Day 13
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi continued work in the Middeck glovebox facility.
He conducted Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding Experiment.
He participated in "crew activity report" with other crew members and answered some questions from some Japanese media.
He inhaled pure oxygen for about 60 minute in preparation for tomorrow's spacewalk.
This is known as "Pre-breathe", which can prevent a condition commonly known as the bends.
STS-87
The crew lowered the air pressure in Columbia's cabin from the normal sea-level pressure of 14.7 psi to 10.2 psi in preparation for tomorrow's spacewalk.
Investigations continued in the Middeck glovebox.
Studies of plant growth in weightlessness as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment and the USMP-4 Experiment continued.


Nov. 30 (CST), Flight Day 12
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi continued work in the Middeck glovebox facility.
STS-87 mission managers decided to add a second spacewalk to this mission, and astronauts Doi and Scott will perform the spacewalk early morning on Dec. 3 (CST).
STS-87
Investigations continued in the Middeck glovebox.
Studies of plant growth in weightlessness as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment and the USMP-4Experiment continued.
Nov. 29 (CST), Flight Day 11
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi continued work in the Middeck glovebox facility.
He made a fourth status report and reported on living on the space shuttle.
He exercised.
STS-87
Mission managers decided not to redeploy the solar-observing Spartan satellite.
Investigations continued in the Middeck glovebox.
Studies of plant growth in weightlessness as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment and the USMP-4Experiment continued.


Nov. 28 (CST), Flight Day 10
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi continued work in the Middeck glovebox facility.
He participated in an interview with American radio stations with commander Kregel and mission specialist Scott.
He observed the Earth and stars.
He called Mr. Takashi Tashibana in an NHK TV program.
He made a third status report and reported observations of the Earth and stars.
STS-87
Investigations continued in the Middeck glovebox.
Studies of plant growth in weightlessness as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment continued.
The crew answered questions gathered from the NASA home page.


Nov. 27 (CST), Flight Day 9
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi continued work in the Middeck glovebox facility.
He made a second status report and reported a spacewalk conducted on Nov. 24.
STS-87
President Clinton called the crew members to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving and to congratulate them on the successful retrieval of the SPARTAN satellite.
The Ukrainan president called the crew, and the crew was interviewed by the Ukrainan media. Investigations continued in the Middeck glovebox.
Studies of plant growth in weightlessness as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment continued.


Nov. 26 (CST), Flight Day 8
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi continued work in the Middeck glovebox facility.
He was interviewed by CNN at 4:36 a.m. CST Nov. 27 with commander Kregel and mission specialist Winston Scott.
STS-87
Investigations continued in the Middeck glovebox.
Studies of plant growth in weightlessness as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment continued.


Nov. 25 (CST), Flight Day 7
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi stowed the tools and equipment he used during yesterday's spacewalk and filled out questionnaires of the extravehicular activity.
He talked with Sadakazu Tanigaki, Minister of Japan's Science and Technology Agency, and Tomifumi Godai, vice president of the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) for 15 minutes from 2:51 a.m. CST on Nov. 26.
STS-87
STS-87 crew stowed EVA tools and equipment.
They exercised and had three hours of free time.
Experiment work continued.


Nov. 24 (CST), Flight Day 6
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi conducted the Japanese first spacewalk (7 hours 43 minutes).
Mission specialist Scott and Doi captured Spartan manually and evaluated equipment and procedures that would be used for future International Space Station operations during their spacewalk.
STS-87
Colombia flew to a point where Spartan was a few feet above the cargo bay.
The crew supported Doi and Scott's spacewalk.


Nov. 23 (CST), Flight Day 5
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi made final preparations for tomorrow's spacewalking retrieval of the Spartan science satellite with other crew members.
He made a Status Report and demonstrated the spacesuit on this report.
He inhaled pure oxygen for about 60 minute to prepare for tomorrow's spacewalk. This is known as "Pre-breathe", which can prevent a condition commonly known as the bends.
STS-87
The crew lowered the air pressure in Columbia's cabin from the normal sea-level pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch to 10.2 pounds per square inch in preparation for the EVA.


Nov. 22 (CST), Flight Day 4
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi woke up to the music "Ginga Shonen Tai" (Galaxy Boys), which was the his favorite TV program's song when he was a boy.
He conducted an experiment in the Middeck Glovebox (MDGB).
Mission specialist Scott and Doi checked out their spacesuits.
Doi participated in an interview with NBC, reporting preparations for the EVA and his impression of the spacetrip.
He exercised.
STS-87
The STS-87 crew conducted an experiment in the Middeck Glovebox (MDGB).
The method of retrieving Spartan was selected at a management review. After that, NASA explained it at a press conference as follows.
Spartan was retrieved manually capture by Winston Scott and Takao Doi in a EVA.
The retrieval is expected to take the first two hours of the six-hour-spacewalk, leaving Doi and Scott ample time to complete many of the International Space Station assembly tests planned for the mission.


Nov. 21 (CST), Flight Day 3
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi set up a camera to record the deployment of Spartan.
He recorded the deployment of Spartan, which was released by mission specialist Kulpana Chawla at 3:04 p.m. .
He exercised.
STS-87
Though mission specialist Kalpana Chawla released Spartan from the robot arm on time at 3:04 p.m. Nov. 21, it did not execute a pre-programmed pirouette maneuver. Now the Spartan is drifting in space.
Special teams met today to formulate a course of action. Manual retrieval of Spartan during a spacewalk by mission specialists Winston Scott and Takao Doi was discussed as one of the options.


Nov. 20 (CST), Flight Day 2
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi conducted some experiments and exercised.
STS-87
The STS-87 crew conducted the Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding Experiment (SOLSE) experiment.
They began the Fourth Microgravity Experiment Payload (USMP-4) experiment.
The Spartan solar science satellite deployment was postponed tomorrow because a companion solar satellite called SOHO had malfunctioned. SOHO is now back in full operation.


Nov. 19 (CST), Flight Day 1
Mission Specialist Takao Doi
Doi checked out the Middeck Glovebox (MGBX).
STS-87
Columbia blasted off at 1:46 p.m. CST on schedule.


Nov. 18, 1997 CST
The countdown continued as scheduled.
About 9 p.m. tonight, the Rotating Service Structure will be moved into launch position. Loading of the external tank with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen will start at 6 a.m. tomorrow. Weather forecast indicated a 40 percent probability of weather prohibiting launch on Wednesday.


Nov. 17, 1997 CST
Countdown for the STS-87 launch at KSC started on Nov. 16, and continued without any major problems according to the NASA L-2 countdown status briefing. Several minor problems had occurred but they have already been fixed.
The crew, including Doi underwent medical examinations and suit fit checks, and were found to be in good condition for the flight. According to the KSC weather forecast, the weather on launch day will be fine and there was no chance of thunderstorms.
The chance of launch delay due to the weather was 40.


Nov. 14, 1997 CST
Launch preparations at KSC continued on schedule.
Doi and other crew members will arrive at KSC on Nov. 16.
The NASDA support team office opened today.


Last Updated : November 28, 1997

| STS-87 Mission Overview | Mission Objectives | Flight Result |
| Crew of STS-87 | EVA by STS-87 Crew |
| Status Report |


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