MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 5
STS-91
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1998  - 6 p.m. CDT

  For the ninth and final time, an American space shuttle successfully
docked to the Russian Space Station Mir today, beginning four days of
docked operations between astronauts and cosmonauts to close out the
Phase One Shuttle-Mir program.

  Commander Charlie Precourt guided Discovery to a textbook docking
with Mir at 11:58 a.m. Central time, as the two spacecraft sailed over
the Russian-Kazak border northwest of the Caspian Sea. Within minutes,
the two ships were firmly mated together.

  A little more than an hour and a half later, at 1:34 p.m. Central
time, the hatches between Discovery and Mir swung open and Precourt
exchanged handshakes and embraces with Mir 25 Commander Talgat
Musabayev. Waiting nearby was U.S. Astronaut Andy Thomas, who
officially became a member of Discovery's crew at the moment of hatch
opening. Thomas completed 130 days as an occupant of Mir, wrapping up
a total of 907 days spent by seven U.S. astronauts aboard the Russian
complex as long duration crew members

  Following a welcoming ceremony and gift exchange ceremony, the two
crews conducted joint safety briefings and began transfer operations
between the two vehicles before the nine members of the Discovery-Mir
complex enjoyed a meal together.

  Discovery's crew will begin an eight hour sleep period at 7:06
p.m. and be awakened at 3:06 a.m. on Friday to begin the first full
day of joint docked operations.

  The Discovery-Mir complex is in a 208 x 196 n.m. orbit circling the
Earth every 91 minutes.

  The next STS-91 mission status report will be issued at 6 a.m. on
Friday.