Measurements of the STS orbiter's angular stability during in-orbit operations

We report on measurements of the angular stability, commonly called 'jitter', of the STS Orbiter during normal operations in space. Measurements were carried out by measuring optically the Orbiter's roll and pitch orientation relative to the solar vector as the orbiter was held in a -Z(sub 0) solar inertial orientation (orbiter bay oriented toward the Sun). We also report observations of an interesting perturbation to the orbiter's orientation noted by the crew during the STS-60 mission. These data may be useful in analyzing the in-orbit response of the Orbiter to thruster firings and other applied torques, and may aid in the planning of future experiments that require fine-pointed operations by the orbiter.