Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 4, 1990 TAG: 9003041979
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Press
DATELINE: CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Amateur observers said they had already seen the shuttle's secret cargo in orbit.
NASA broke a news blackout Saturday to announce that Atlantis would land at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., at 1:08 p.m. EST.
"The weather is close to marginal, but it looks acceptable," said Nancy Lovato of NASA. She said the forecast for the landing time calls for wind gusting to 20 mph with scattered clouds and seven-mile visibility, "and it gets worse later in the day."
Weather has affected Atlantis' mission from the beginning. Four launch delays last week were caused by poor weather. A computer failure caused a fifth delay, one short of the most for a shuttle mission.
Atlantis' five-member military crew spent most of Saturday preparing for the return to Earth, but because of the secret nature of the mission, no details were released.
Pam Alloway, Johnson Space Center spokeswoman, said shuttle crews routinely spend the day before a landing doing housekeeping chores and testing spacecraft systems.
A two-sentence statement announcing the landing time also said: "The crew is doing well and beginning landing preparations and the orbiter continues to perform satisfactorily."
Atlantis was launched early Wednesday. NASA sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the astronauts released a $500 million spy satellite into orbit Thursday. Sources said the satellite is capable of taking high-resolution photos and listening in on electronic communications around the world.
by CNB