Secret Atlantis Mission Due to End Tuesday

SPACE CENTER, Houston — The military astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis planned to end their secret mission Tuesday, having deployed a powerful spy satellite over the Soviet Union, sources said today.

NASA and Air Force officials have kept mum 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.

Although no official word was heard from either agency by early this afternoon, a source demanding anonymity said the crew planned to land Tuesday afternoon at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

As the five military officers began their fourth day in orbit this morning, knowledgeable sources said the crew had successfully deployed a $500-million Lacrosse satellite over the weekend. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the satellite was operating well in an orbit that carries it over 80% of the Soviet Union.