One 1990 shuttle flight has been completed, the retrieval last month by the Columbia of a science satellite that had been in orbit almost six years.

Not included are most earth science satellites, commercial satellites or manned missions.

But the mission's first objective, the release of a European science satellite, was delayed one day, until Sunday, because of communications problems.

Foton (or Photon) is the project name of two series of Russian science satellite and reentry vehicle programs.

Communications problems today forced the astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis to postpone for 24 hours the deployment of a 10,000-pound European science satellite.

No one was hurt, according to the agency, but four uninsured science satellites the rocket was to carry into space were lost.

A small fictional science satellite, which is used as payload on Orbiters Space Shuttle.

On Sunday, the shuttle is to release an American science satellite for two days of free-flying research involving four experiments.

UARS is a science satellite used from 1991 to 2005 to study Earth's atmosphere, including the ozone layer.

A day earlier, the shuttle retrieved another science satellite, launched by Japan last year.