STS-27

Last updated

STS-27
Atlantis taking off on STS-27.jpg
Launch of Atlantis
Names Space Transportation System-27
STS-27R
Mission type DoD satellite deployment
Operator NASA
COSPAR ID 1988-106A OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 19670 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Mission duration4 days, 9 hours, 5 minutes and 37 seconds
Distance travelled2,916,252 km (1,812,075 mi)
Orbits completed68
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft Space Shuttle Atlantis
Launch mass(Classified)
Landing mass86,616 kg (190,956 lb)
Payload mass14,500 kg (32,000 lb)
Crew
Crew size5
Members
Start of mission
Launch dateDecember 2, 1988, 14:30:34 (December 2, 1988, 14:30:34)  UTC (9:30:34 am  EST)
Launch site Kennedy, LC-39B
Contractor Rockwell International
End of mission
Landing dateDecember 6, 1988, 23:36:11 (December 6, 1988, 23:36:11) UTC (3:36:11 pm  PDT)
Landing site Edwards, Runway 17
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit
Regime Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude 437 km (272 mi)
Apogee altitude 447 km (278 mi)
Inclination 57.00°
Period 93.40 minutes
Sts-27-patch.png
STS-27 mission patch
Crew STS-27.jpg
Back row: Shepherd and Mullane
Front row: Gardner, Gibson and Ross
←  STS-26
STS-29 (28) →

STS-27 was the 27th NASA Space Shuttle mission, and the third flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Launching on December 2, 1988, on a four-day mission, it was the second shuttle flight after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of January 1986. STS-27 carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), ultimately determined to be a Lacrosse surveillance satellite. The vessel's heat shielding was substantially damaged during lift-off, and crew members thought that they would die during reentry. [1] [2] This was a situation that was similar to the one that would prove fatal 15 years later on STS-107. Compared to the damage that Columbia sustained on STS-107, Atlantis experienced more extensive damage. However, this was over less critical areas and the missing tile was over an antenna which gave extra protection to the spacecraft structure. The mission landed successfully, although intense heat damage needed to be repaired.

Contents

The mission is technically designated STS-27R, as the original STS-27 designator belonged to STS-51-I, the twentieth Space Shuttle mission. Official documentation for that mission contained the designator STS-27 throughout. As STS-51-L was designated STS-33, future flights with the STS-26 through STS-33 designators would require the R in their documentation to avoid conflicts in tracking data from one mission to another. [3]

Crew

Position Astronaut
Commander Robert L. Gibson
Third spaceflight
Pilot Guy S. Gardner
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Richard M. Mullane
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Jerry L. Ross
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3 William M. Shepherd
First spaceflight

Crew seat assignments

Seat [4] LaunchLanding Space Shuttle seating plan.svg
Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck.
Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck.
1Gibson
2Gardner
3MullaneShepherd
4Ross
5ShepherdMullane
6Unused
7Unused

Mission summary

Atlantis launches on STS-27. STS-27 liftoff.jpg
Atlantis launches on STS-27.
Damaged thermal protection tiles are clearly visible at touchdown. Sts-27 Landing.jpg
Damaged thermal protection tiles are clearly visible at touchdown.
AttemptPlannedResultTurnaroundReasonDecision pointWeather go (%)Notes
11 Dec 1988, 7:00:00 amScrubbed—Weather1 Dec 1988, 9:15 am ​(T−00:09:00 hold)Cloud cover and strong high-altitude winds. [5] Due to the secrecy of the mission, NASA did not provide live coverage until nine minutes before liftoff. [4]
22 Dec 1988, 9:30:34 amSuccess1 day 2 hours 31 minutesT−9 minute hold extended due to weather. Countdown clock was held at T−31 seconds to assess TAL weather. [6]

The Space Shuttle Atlantis (OV-104), at the time the youngest in NASA's shuttle fleet, made its third flight on a classified mission for the United States Department of Defense (DoD). It deployed a single satellite, USA-34. [7] NASA archival information has identified USA-34 as Lacrosse 1, a side-looking radar, all-weather surveillance satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). [8]

The mission was originally scheduled to launch on December 1, 1988, but the launch was postponed one day because of cloud cover and strong wind conditions at the launch site. [9] Liftoff occurred from LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on December 2, 1988, at 09:30:34 a.m. EST. Atlantis touched down on December 6, 1988, on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, at 18:36:11 EST. [6] The total mission elapsed time at wheels-stop was 4 days, 9 hours, 5 minutes, and 37 seconds. Atlantis was returned to the Kennedy Space Center on December 13, 1988, and moved into an OPF on December 14, 1988.

There has been speculation that an EVA was conducted during this mission. [10] Interviews with members of the crew several years after the flight confirmed there had been a problem with the satellite upon release, whereupon a rendezvous with the satellite was effected and repairs performed. [11] [12] These unspecified repairs could have necessitated a spacewalk, likely performed by Ross and Shepherd. As a classified DoD mission, details or confirmation of such an EVA remain unreleased. [10]

The day after Atlantis landed, the 1988 Armenian earthquake killed tens of thousands in the Soviet Union. At an astronaut meeting Gibson said, "I know many of you may have been very curious about our classified payload. While I can't go into its design features, I can say Armenia was its first target! And we only had the weapon set on stun!" [11]

Tile damage

A partly melted aluminum plate on Atlantis' underside. STS-27metalmelt.jpg
A partly melted aluminum plate on Atlantis' underside.

Atlantis' Thermal Protection System tiles sustained extensive damage during the flight. Ablative insulating material from the starboard solid rocket booster nose cap had hit the orbiter about 85 seconds into the flight, as seen in footage of the ascent. [1] The STS-27 crew also commented that white material was observed on the windshield at various times during ascent. [13] The crew made an inspection of the shuttle's impacted starboard side using the shuttle's Canadarm, but the limited resolution and range of the cameras made it impossible to determine the full extent of the tile damage.

The problem was compounded by the fact that the crew was prohibited from using their standard method of sending images to ground control due to the classified nature of the mission. The crew was forced to use a slow, encrypted transmission method, likely causing the images NASA engineers received to be of poor quality, causing them to think the damage was actually "just lights and shadows". They told the crew the damage did not look any more severe than on past missions. [1]

One report describes the crew as "infuriated" that Mission Control Center seemed unconcerned. [14] [15] When Gibson saw the damage he thought to himself, "We are going to die"; [2] he and others did not believe that the shuttle would survive reentry. Gibson advised the crew to relax because "No use dying all tensed-up", he said, [11] [12] but if instruments indicated that the shuttle was disintegrating, Gibson planned to "tell mission control what I thought of their analysis" in the remaining seconds before his death. [1] [11]

Mullane recalled that while filming the reentry through the upper deck's overhead windows, "I had visions of molten aluminum being smeared backwards, like rain on a windshield". Although the shuttle landed safely, "The damage was much worse than any of us had expected", he wrote. [11] Upon landing, the magnitude of the damage to the shuttle astonished NASA; over 700 damaged tiles were noted, and one tile was missing altogether. [5] : 153  This missing tile had fortunately been located over the aluminum mounting plate for an L-band antenna (one of six, part of the Tactical air navigation system (TACAN) landing system), perhaps preventing a burn-through of the sort that would ultimately doom Columbia in 2003. [4] [1] There was almost no damage present on the orbiter's left side. STS-27 Atlantis was the most damaged launch-entry vehicle to return to Earth successfully. [16] Gibson believed that had the shuttle been destroyed, Congress would have ended the shuttle program given that only one successful mission had occurred between his flight and the loss of Challenger. [11]

A review team investigated the cause, beginning with a detailed inspection of the Atlantis TPS damage, and a review of related inspection reports to establish an in-depth anomaly definition. An exhaustive data review followed to develop a fault tree and several failure scenarios. This and other information gained during the review formed the basis for the team's findings and recommendations. [13]

Wake-up calls

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during Project Gemini, and first used music to awaken a flight crew during Apollo 15. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities. [17]

Flight DaySongArtist/Composer
Day 2Army fight song
Day 3"Rawhide" parody Dimitri Tiomkin
Day 4"Do You Want to Know a Secret" parodyMike Cahill

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Shuttle</span> Partially reusable launch system and space plane

The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS), taken from the 1969 plan led by U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew for a system of reusable spacecraft where it was the only item funded for development.

Space Shuttle <i>Challenger</i> Space Shuttle orbiter (1983–1986)

Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099) was a Space Shuttle orbiter manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. Named after the commanding ship of a nineteenth-century scientific expedition that traveled the world, Challenger was the second Space Shuttle orbiter to fly into space after Columbia, and launched on its maiden flight in April 1983. It was destroyed in January 1986 soon after launch in a disaster that killed all seven crewmembers aboard.

Space Shuttle <i>Columbia</i> Space Shuttle orbiter (1981–2003)

Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) was a Space Shuttle orbiter manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. Named after the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe, and the female personification of the United States, Columbia was the first of five Space Shuttle orbiters to fly in space, debuting the Space Shuttle launch vehicle on its maiden flight on April 12, 1981 and becoming the first spacecraft to be re-used after its first flight when it launched on STS-2 on November 12, 1981. As only the second full-scale orbiter to be manufactured after the Approach and Landing Test vehicle Enterprise, Columbia retained unique external and internal features compared to later orbiters, such as test instrumentation and distinctive black chines. In addition to a heavier aft fuselage and the retention of an internal airlock throughout its lifetime, these made Columbia the heaviest of the five spacefaring orbiters; around 1,000 kilograms heavier than Challenger and 3,600 kilograms heavier than Endeavour when originally constructed. Columbia also carried ejection seats based on those from the SR-71 during its first six flights until 1983, and from 1986 onwards carried an imaging pod on its vertical stabilizer.

Space Shuttle <i>Discovery</i> Space Shuttle orbiter (1984–2011)

Space Shuttle Discovery is a retired American Space Shuttle orbiter. The spaceplane was one of the orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully operational orbiters to be built. Its first mission, STS-41-D, flew from August 30 to September 5, 1984. Over 27 years of service it launched and landed 39 times, aggregating more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. The Space Shuttle launch vehicle had three main components: the Space Shuttle orbiter, a single-use central fuel tank, and two reusable solid rocket boosters. Nearly 25,000 heat-resistant tiles cover the orbiter to protect it from high temperatures on re-entry.

Space Shuttle <i>Atlantis</i> Space Shuttle orbiter (1985–2011)

Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle which belongs to NASA, the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States. Atlantis was manufactured by the Rockwell International company in Southern California and was delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in Eastern Florida in April 1985. Atlantis is also the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built. Its maiden flight was STS-51-J made from October 3 to 7, 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-107</span> 2003 failed flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia

STS-107 was the 113th flight of the Space Shuttle program, and the 28th and final flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. The mission ended on February 1, 2003, with the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster which killed all seven crew members and destroyed the space shuttle. It was the 88th post-Challenger disaster mission.

Space Shuttle <i>Columbia</i> disaster 2003 American spaceflight accident

On Saturday, February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered the atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts on board. It was the second Space Shuttle mission to end in disaster, after the loss of Challenger and crew in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-1</span> First Space Shuttle mission, first orbital flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia

STS-1 was the first orbital spaceflight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. The first orbiter, Columbia, launched on April 12, 1981, and returned on April 14, 1981, 54.5 hours later, having orbited the Earth 37 times. Columbia carried a crew of two—commander John W. Young and pilot Robert L. Crippen. It was the first American crewed space flight since the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) in 1975. STS-1 was also the maiden test flight of a new American spacecraft to carry a crew, though it was preceded by atmospheric testing (ALT) of the orbiter and ground testing of the Space Shuttle system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-2</span> 1981 American crewed spaceflight

STS-2 was the second Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, and the second flight of the orbiter Columbia. The mission, crewed by Joe H. Engle and Richard H. Truly, launched on November 12, 1981, and landed two days later on November 14, 1981. STS-2 marked the first time that a crewed, reusable orbital vehicle returned to space. This mission tested the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR) as part of the OSTA-1 payload, along with a wide range of other experiments including the Shuttle robotic arm, commonly known as Canadarm. Other experiments or tests included Shuttle Multispectral Infrared Radiometer, Feature Identification and Location Experiment, Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites, Ocean Color Experiment, Night/Day optical Survey of Lightning, Heflex Bioengineering Test, and Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP). One of the feats accomplished was various tests on the Orbital Maneuvring System (OMS) including starting and restarting the engines while in orbit and various adjustments to its orbit. The OMS tests also helped adjust the Shuttle's orbit for use of the radar. During the mission, President Reagan called the crew of STS-2 from Mission Control Center in Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-41-B</span> 1984 American crewed spaceflight

STS-41-B was NASA's tenth Space Shuttle mission and the fourth flight of the Space ShuttleChallenger. It launched on February 3, 1984 and landed on February 11, 1984, after deploying two communications satellites. It was also notable for including the first untethered spacewalk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry L. Ross</span> NASA astronaut and engineer (born 1948)

Jerry Lynn Ross is a retired United States Air Force officer, engineer, and a former NASA astronaut. Ross is a veteran of 7 Space Shuttle missions, making him the joint record holder for most spaceflights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-61-B</span> 1985 American crewed spaceflight

STS-61-B was the 23rd NASA Space Shuttle mission, and its second using Space Shuttle Atlantis. The shuttle was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 26, 1985. During STS-61-B, the shuttle crew deployed three communications satellites, and tested techniques of constructing structures in orbit. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, at 16:33:49 EST on December 3, 1985, after 6 days, 21 hours, 4 minutes, and 49 seconds in orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-30</span> 1989 American crewed spaceflight to deploy Magellan

STS-30 was the 29th NASA Space Shuttle mission and the fourth mission for Space Shuttle Atlantis. It was the fourth shuttle launch since the Challenger disaster and the first shuttle mission since the disaster to have a female astronaut on board. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on May 4, 1989, and landed four days later on May 8, 1989. During the mission, Atlantis deployed the Venus-bound Magellan probe into orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-28</span> 1989 American crewed spaceflight for the Department of Defense

STS-28 was the 30th NASA Space Shuttle mission, the fourth shuttle mission dedicated to United States Department of Defense (DoD) purposes, and the eighth flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. The mission launched on August 8, 1989, and traveled 3,400,000 km (2,100,000 mi) during 81 orbits of the Earth, before landing on runway 17 of Edwards Air Force Base, California, on August 13, 1989. STS-28 was also Columbia's first flight since January 1986, when it had flown STS-61-C, the mission directly preceding the Challenger disaster of STS-51-L. The mission details of STS-28 are classified, but the payload is widely believed to have been the first SDS-2 relay communications satellite. The altitude of the mission was between 295 km (183 mi) and 307 km (191 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-36</span> 1990 American crewed spaceflight for the Department of Defense

STS-36 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Atlantis carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) into orbit. STS-36 was the 34th shuttle mission overall, the sixth flight for Atlantis, and the fourth night launch of the shuttle program. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on February 28, 1990, and landed on March 4, 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-43</span> 1991 American crewed spaceflight to deploy TDRS-5

STS-43, the ninth mission for Space Shuttle Atlantis, was a nine-day mission whose primary goal was launching the TDRS-E satellite (TDRS-5). The flight also tested an advanced heatpipe radiator for potential use on the then-future space station and conducted a variety of medical and materials science investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-114</span> 2005 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-114 was the first "Return to Flight" Space Shuttle mission following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Discovery launched at 10:39 EDT on her 31st flight on July 26, 2005. The launch, 907 days after the loss of Columbia, was approved despite unresolved fuel sensor anomalies in the external tank that had prevented the shuttle from launching on July 13, its originally scheduled date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Shuttle orbiter</span> Spaceplane component of the Space Shuttle

The Space Shuttle orbiter is the spaceplane component of the Space Shuttle, a partially reusable orbital spacecraft system that was part of the discontinued Space Shuttle program. Operated from 1981 to 2011 by NASA, the U.S. space agency, this vehicle could carry astronauts and payloads into low Earth orbit, perform in-space operations, then re-enter the atmosphere and land as a glider, returning its crew and any on-board payload to the Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 in spaceflight</span>

This article outlines notable events occurring in 1995 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-135</span> 2011 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS and final flight of the Space Shuttle program

STS-135 was the 135th and final mission of the American Space Shuttle program. It used the orbiter Atlantis and hardware originally processed for the STS-335 contingency mission, which was not flown. STS-135 launched on July 8, 2011, and landed on July 21, 2011, following a one-day mission extension. The four-person crew was the smallest of any shuttle mission since STS-6 in April 1983. The mission's primary cargo was the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Raffaello and a Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier (LMC), which were delivered to the International Space Station (ISS). The flight of Raffaello marked the only time that Atlantis carried an MPLM.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Harwood, William (March 27, 2009). "Legendary commander tells story of shuttle's close call". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Tell Me A Story: Astronaut Hoot Gibson's and Atlantis' Close Call". Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. April 25, 2015.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  3. ↑ Jenkins, Dennis R. (2016). "Chapter 18 - Destiny Fulfilled - The Intended Purpose". Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon - 1972-2013. Vol. III: The Flight Campaign (1 ed.). Forest Lake, Minnesota: Specialty Press. p. 132. ISBN   978-1580072496.
  4. 1 2 3 Becker, Joachim. "Spaceflight mission report: STS-27". SPACEFACTS. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Katnik, Gregory N.; Higginbotham, Scott A. (February 1, 1989). Ice/frost/debris assessment for space shuttle mission STS-27R, December 2, 1988 (PDF) (Report). NASA. TM 102144. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Legler, Robert D.; Bennett, Floyd V. (September 1, 2011). "Space Shuttle Missions Summary" (PDF). Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Program Office. NASA. p. 2-29. NASA/TM–2011–216142. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 21, 2020.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. ↑ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  8. ↑ "Lacrosse 1". Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2010.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  9. ↑ Benedict, Howard (December 1, 1988). "Launch is delayed". The Free Lance–Star. Vol. 104, no. 283. pp. 2, 20. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Cassutt, Michael (August 2009). "Secret Space Shuttles". Air & Space magazine. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Evans, Ben (January 30, 2012). "Into the Black: NASA's Secret Shuttle Missions – Part Two". AmericaSpace. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Evans, Ben (December 9, 2018). "'Dying All Tensed-Up': 30 Years Since the Troubled Secret Mission of STS-27". AmericaSpace. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021.
  13. 1 2 STS-27R OV-104 Orbiter TPS Damage Review Team, Summary Report - Volume I (PDF) (Report). Vol. 1. NASA. February 1, 1989. Retrieved July 3, 2011.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  14. ↑ Wade, Mark. "STS-27". Astronautix. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  15. ↑ Mullane, Mike (2006). Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut. New York City, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 290. ISBN   978-0743296762.
  16. ↑ Gebhardt, Chris (July 2, 2011). "OV-104/ATLANTIS: An International Vehicle for a Changing World". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  17. ↑ Fries, Colin (March 13, 2015). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls" (PDF). History Division. NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.