Shuttle Astronauts Gain Time to Continue Mapping Earth

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — After saving enough fuel aboard space shuttle Endeavour for nine days of Earth-mapping, NASA decided Friday to eke out nine more hours.

Endeavour’s astronauts were supposed to retract their 197-foot radar antenna mast Sunday night. But NASA said it will leave the mast out until Monday morning to collect more data.

“Another 6 1/2 times around the world,” Mission Control told the crew.

“That’s super news,” commander Kevin Kregel replied.

Here’s the catch: By adding nine more hours of mapping, NASA gives up any chance for astronauts to go out and crank in the mast if it jams. There won’t be enough time for a spacewalk before Endeavour heads back Tuesday.

The mast--the longest rigid structure ever flown in space and worth an estimated $35 million--would have to be ejected and left to burn up in the atmosphere.

Milt Heflin, mission operations representative, said it is a gamble worth taking. He said that the mast was extended with ease Feb. 11.

Scientists had been promised 10 full days of mapping. But just a few weeks before the flight, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration reduced that to nine days. The space agency said it wanted to give the astronauts enough time to conduct a spacewalk in case the mast jammed on the way back in.

Then, once Endeavour lifted off, the ninth day of mapping was jeopardized by a balky thruster on the end of the mast. Because of the thruster problem, the shuttle had to use more fuel to keep the mast pointed in the right direction.