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Friday, October 20, 1989                      Audio: 202/755-1788
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This is NASA Headline News for Friday, October 20...


The crew of Atlantis reports today that the STS-34 mission is 
going well.  A problem in the spacecraft cooling system was 
resolved Thursday and mission operations are pretty much on 
schedule.  Early today lightning observations continued and 
yesterday the crew took still pictures and Imax film of 
super-typhoon Elsie in the Sea of Japan. 

some concern was expressed by Commander Don Williams last night 
when ice crystals didn't form in the student experiment.  The 
crew will attempt to conduct the experiment today.  The 
astronauts are also obtaining data on parts of the earth's ozone 
layer.  


Meanwhile, a major solar flare occured yesterday.  Although it is 
expected to disrupt worldwide communications and electrical power 
over the next two days, there is no danger to the Atlantis crew.
and engineers at JPL report that the Galileo spacecraft was built 
to resist solar radiation much stronger than that expected from 
the solar flare.


NASA's high altitude ER-2 research aircraft is taking aerial 
photographs of the area affected by Tuesday's San Francisco-area 
earthquake.  Cameras are looking for large scale natural damage 
such as landslides or unusual water flow.  The aircraft cameras 
may also be able to detect changes in fault line features.

At the Ames Research Center, clean up activities continue as a 
result of the earthquake.  The NASA facility is only about 25 
miles from the quake's epicenter.  Non-essential employees didn't 
report for work Thursday as laboratories were checked for 
chemical spills.  None were found.  

At the time of the earthquake, doors between two large wind 
tunnels were being moved and actuators were disabled.  
technicians were also restoring electrical power yesterday to 
computer areas.  


And the Soviet news agency Tass says there will be a delay in the 
launch of a module for the Mir spage station from Monday to late 
November.  There are problems with the docking and guidance 
system.


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Here's the broadcast schedule for public affairs events on NASA 
Select television.  All times are Eastern.  


NASA Select television is providing near continuous coverage of 
the STS-34 mission.  Landing is scheduled for 3:38 P.M., Eastern 
time, Monday, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

NASA Select television will provide coverage of the launch of a 
Delta rocket with a DoD GPS payload early Saturday.  Launch 
window is from 5:26 to 5:47 P.M.

All events and times are subject to change without notice.  
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These reports are filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12 noon, 
Eastern time.
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A service of the Internal Communications Branch (LPC), NASA 
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.