In one instance, Endeavour piloted to within 30 feet (nine meters) of where it was flown on first flight in April. Called interferometry, it required repeated, nearly coincidental imaging passes with SIR-C/X-SAR over target sites. The maneuvering capability of the orbiter was demonstrated anew in the latter half of mission, when different data-gathering method was tried. On flight day six, mission extended one day by Mission Management Team. Flying for fourth time on the shuttle, MAPS is designed to measure global distribution of carbon monoxide. Special readings were taken with another SRL element, Measurement of Air Pollution from satellites (MAPS), to gain better understanding of carbon monoxide emissions from burning forest. Mission also took advantage of opportunity to study fires set in British Columbia, Canada, for forest management purposes. Also tested was ability of SRL-2 imaging radars, Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) and X- band Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR), to discern difference between such human-induced phenomena as an oil spill in the ocean and naturally occurring film. Besides repeating data takes over same locations as on first flight, unusual events also imaged, including erupting volcano in Russia and islands of Japan after earthquake there. SRL-2 was activated on flight day one, and around-the-clock observations conducted by astronauts split into two teams. Flying SRL during different seasons allowed comparison of changes between first and second flights. ![]() STS-68 marked second flight in 1994 of Space Radar Laboratory (first flight was STS-59 in April), part of NASA’s Mission to Planet Earth. ![]() ![]() Wisoff, Mission Specialist Mission Highlights Mission Duration: 11 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes, 8 seconds Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
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