One of the objectives of the Plasma Diagnostic Package (PDP) instrumentation on Spacelab 2 was to obtain information about the plasma wake of the shuttle orbiter. We present density and electron temperature data obtained (1) while the PDP was attached to the shuttle remote manipulator system and (2) while the PDP was a free-flying satellite. Wake crossings by the PDP from ~40 m to ~240 m behind the orbiter provide information about the structure of the mid and far wake of the orbiter. As expected the wake is characterized by density depressions, relative to the ambient ionospheric plasma, and by enhancements of the electron temperature, particularly in the near and mid wake. The observed electron temperature enhancements appear to be in line with previous spacecraft observations. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1989