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February 25, 1996
Web posted at: 12:15 p.m. EST
From Correspondent John Holliman
(CNN) -- With computer glitches apparently behind them, the astronauts of space shuttle Columbia prepared Sunday to unreel an electricity-making "satellite on a string" later in the day.
The release of a metal ball at the end of 13-mile long toothpick-thin cable was postponed for 24 hours on Saturday as the crew and ground controllers worked to remedy computer problems.
"So far, all activities are proceeding very well," NASA spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said Sunday. "No problems have been observed." Hawley said the process of casting out the satellite will take more than five hours to complete.
As the potentially dangerous experiment begins, a 38-foot (12-meter) boom will lift the Italian-made satellite out of the shuttle's cargo bay. If the metal ball swings toward Columbia, shuttle commander Andrew Allen is responsible for steering the spacecraft out of the way.
If all goes well, the tethered metal ball will sweep through Earth's magnetic field at the end of the long cable. (162K AIFF sound or 162K WAV sound) Scientists hope to generate up to 5,0000 volts of electricity, with the hope such a device could one day power a space station.
NASA extended the 14-day mission by one day to allow time to complete all scientific tests. Two extra days were built into the mission to cover delays. Plans now call for the shuttle to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:26 a.m. EDT (1226 GMT) on March 8.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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