It was mounted in an overhead window where limited field of view (FoV) and signal attenuation from the glass severely impacted receiver performance.

During the deployment on September 12, 1993, two Super*Zip explosive cords in the Airborne Support Equipment cradle (ASE) designed to release the spacecraft, one primary and the other a backup, simultaneously detonated.

Using multiple spot beam antennas and advanced on-board switching and processing systems, ACTS pioneered new initiatives in communications satellite technology.

NASA Glenn Research Center was responsible for the development, management, and operation of ACTS as part of a long legacy of experimental communications satellites.

After fulfilling its original mission as a key part of the ACTS Gigabit Satellite Network, the spacecraft continued operations through a partnership between the space agency and a nonprofit consortium.

On September 16, 1993, spacewalkers James H. Newman and Carl E. Walz performed an extravehicular activity (EVA) designed to evaluate tools, tethers and a foot restraint platform.

Their findings reassured the designers and planners of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing flight that their preparations were sound.

As the two astronauts were cleaning up, a balky tool box lid slowed them down when they had to pry it free and close it for Discovery's trip home.

In-cabin payloads included the Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS), the Auroral Photography Experiment (APE-B), the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space (CHROMEX), High Resolution Shuttle Glow Spectroscopy (HRSGS-A), IMAX, Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP) and the Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME-III) experiment.

Newman also successfully tested a Global Positioning System receiver flying aboard Discovery as an evaluation of using such equipment to supplement the shuttle's navigation.

In another medical evaluation, Commander Frank Culbertson and Mission specialist Daniel Bursch rode a stationary bike on Discovery's lower deck as part of a continuing study of using exercise to counteract the effects of weightlessness on the body.

The information on kinds of gases in the extreme reaches of the atmosphere may be coupled with the materials exposure experiment in the cargo bay to assist with the design and construction of future spacecraft.