The Nation : Secret Shuttle Mission to Conclude Today

The military astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis planned to end their secret mission today, having deployed a powerful spy satellite over the Soviet Union, sources said. Atlantis is scheduled to touch down at 3:36 p.m. today, the fifth day of their mission, at Edwards Air Force Base, NASA announced about 24 hours prior to the landing. NASA and Air Force officials previously had kept quiet about the mission, saying they would break their silence only to give 24-hour notice on the shuttle’s landing time or if a major problem developed. NASA also said the weather forecast at Edwards was favorable for the landing day.