STS-400

Last updated

STS-400
Endeavour at LC-39B for STS-400.jpg
Endeavour on standby at LC-39B, ready to rescue the crew of STS-125 if needed
Mission typeCrew rescue
Mission duration7 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft Space Shuttle Endeavour
Crew
Crew size4 up
11 down
Members Christopher Ferguson
Eric A. Boe
Robert S. Kimbrough
Stephen G. Bowen
Landing Scott D. Altman
Gregory C. Johnson
Michael T. Good
Megan McArthur
John M. Grunsfeld
Michael J. Massimino
Andrew J. Feustel
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Inclination 28.5 degrees
Insignia STS-400.png
"Unofficial" Mission Emblem  
Comparison of International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope orbits Comparison ISS HST orbits globe centered in Cape Verde.svg
Comparison of International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope orbits

STS-400 was the Space Shuttle contingency support (Launch On Need) flight that would have been launched using Space Shuttle Endeavour if a major problem occurred on Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-125, the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission (HST SM-4). [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Due to the much lower orbital inclination of the HST compared to the ISS, the shuttle crew would have been unable to use the International Space Station as a "safe haven", and NASA would not have been able to follow the usual plan of recovering the crew with another shuttle at a later date. [3] Instead, NASA developed a plan to conduct a shuttle-to-shuttle rescue mission, similar to proposed rescue missions for pre-ISS flights. [3] [5] [6] The rescue mission would have been launched only three days after call-up and as early as seven days after the launch of STS-125, since the crew of Atlantis would only have about three weeks of consumables after launch. [2]

The mission was first rolled out in September 2008 to Launch Complex 39B two weeks after the STS-125 shuttle was rolled out to Launch Complex 39A, creating a rare scenario in which two shuttles were on launch pads at the same time. [3] In October 2008, however, STS-125 was delayed and rolled back to the VAB.

Initially, STS-125 was retargeted for no earlier than February 2009. This changed the STS-400 vehicle from Endeavour to Discovery. The mission was redesignated STS-401 due to the swap from Endeavour to Discovery. STS-125 was then delayed further, allowing Discovery mission STS-119 to fly beforehand. This resulted in the rescue mission reverting to Endeavour, and the STS-400 designation being reinstated. [4] In January, 2009, it was announced that NASA was evaluating conducting both launches from Complex 39A in order to avoid further delays to Ares I-X, which, at the time, was scheduled for launch from LC-39B in the September 2009 timeframe. [4] It was planned that after the STS-125 mission in October 2008, Launch Complex 39B would undergo the conversion for use in Project Constellation for the Ares I-X rocket. [4] Several of the members on the NASA mission management team said at the time (2009) that single-pad operations were possible, but the decision was made to use both pads. [2] [3]

Crew

The crew assigned to this mission was a subset of the STS-126 crew: [2] [7]

Position Launching AstronautLanding Astronaut
Commander Christopher Ferguson
Pilot Eric A. Boe
Mission Specialist 1 Robert S. Kimbrough
Mission Specialist 2
Flight Engineer		 Stephen G. Bowen
STS-125 CommanderNone Scott D. Altman
STS-125 PilotNone Gregory C. Johnson
STS-125
Mission Specialist 1		None Michael T. Good
STS-125
Mission Specialist 2		None Megan McArthur
STS-125
Mission Specialist 3		None John M. Grunsfeld
STS-125
Mission Specialist 4		None Michael J. Massimino
STS-125
Mission Specialist 5		None Andrew J. Feustel

Early mission plans

Atlantis (foreground) and Endeavour on LC-39A and LC-39B in 2008. Space shuttles Atlantis (STS-125) and Endeavour (STS-400) on launch pads.jpg
Atlantis (foreground) and Endeavour on LC-39A and LC-39B in 2008.

Three different concept mission plans were evaluated: The first would be to use a shuttle-to-shuttle docking, where the rescue shuttle docks with the damaged shuttle, by flying upside down and backwards, relative to the damaged shuttle. [6] It was unclear whether this would be practical, as the forward structure of either orbiter could collide with the payload bay of the other, resulting in damage to both orbiters. The second option that was evaluated, would be for the rescue orbiter to rendezvous with the damaged orbiter, and perform station-keeping while using its Remote Manipulator System (RMS) to transfer crew from the damaged orbiter. This mission plan would result in heavy fuel consumption. The third concept would be for the damaged orbiter to grapple the rescue orbiter using its RMS, eliminating the need for station-keeping. [7] The rescue orbiter would then transfer crew using its RMS, as in the second option, and would be more fuel efficient than the station-keeping option. [6]

The concept that was eventually decided upon was a modified version of the third concept. The rescue orbiter would use its RMS to grapple the end of the damaged orbiter's RMS. [1] [8]

Preparations

Diagram showing one of the proposals for crew and equipment transfers during STS-400. STS400CT.svg
Diagram showing one of the proposals for crew and equipment transfers during STS-400.

After its most recent mission (STS-123), Endeavour was taken to the Orbiter Processing Facility for routine maintenance. Following the maintenance, Endeavour was on stand-by for STS-326 which would have been flown in the case that STS-124 would not have been able to return to Earth safely. Stacking of the solid rocket boosters (SRB) began on 11 July 2008. One month later, the external tank arrived at KSC and was mated with the SRBs on 29 August 2008. Endeavour joined the stack on 12 September 2008 and was rolled out to Pad 39B one week later.

Since STS-126 launched before STS-125, Atlantis was rolled back to the VAB on 20 October, and Endeavour rolled around to Launch Pad 39A on 23 October. When it was time to launch STS-125, Atlantis rolled out to pad 39A. [4]

Mission plan

The Mission would not have included the extended heatshield inspection normally performed on flight day two. [1] [3] Instead, an inspection would have been performed after the crew was rescued. [1] [3] On flight day two, Endeavour would have performed the rendezvous and grapple with Atlantis. [1] [7] On flight day three, the first EVA would have been performed. [1] [3] [7] During the first EVA, Megan McArthur, Andrew Feustel and John Grunsfeld would have set up a tether between the airlocks. [2] [3] They would have also transferred a large size Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) and, after McArthur had repressurized, transferred McArthur's EMU back to Atlantis. Afterwards they would have repressurized on Endeavour, ending flight day two activities. [1]

The final two EVA were planned for flight day three. [1] [3] During the first, Grunsfeld would have depressurized on Endeavour in order to assist Gregory Johnson and Michael Massimino in transferring an EMU to Atlantis. He and Johnson would then repressurize on Endeavour, and Massimino would have gone back to Atlantis. [1] He, along with Scott Altman and Michael Good would have taken the rest of the equipment and themselves to Endeavour during the final EVA. They would have been standing by in case the RMS system should malfunction. [8] The damaged orbiter would have been commanded by the ground to deorbit and go through landing procedures over the Pacific, with the impact area being north of Hawaii. [2] [3] On flight day five, Endeavour would have had a full heat shield inspection, and land on flight day eight. [1] [2] [3]

This mission could have marked the end of the Space Shuttle program, as it is considered unlikely that the program would have been able to continue with just two remaining orbiters, Discovery and Endeavour . [9]

On Thursday, 21 May 2009, NASA officially released Endeavour from the rescue mission, freeing the orbiter to begin processing for STS-127. This also allowed NASA to continue processing LC-39B for the upcoming Ares I-X launch, as during the stand-down period, NASA installed a new lightning protection system, similar to those found on the Atlas V and Delta IV pads, to protect the newer, taller Ares I rocket from lightning strikes. [10] [11]

Emblem and Crew Patches

As a contingency mission, STS-400 was not given official support by NASA for the production of a crew patch or emblem. However artwork was created for use by the mission team as an unofficial emblem by Mike Okuda, who also illustrated the official patch of STS-125. [12]

As described by Paul F. Dye, Lead Flight Director of the mission, the emblem "adopts many of the elements seen in a rescue organization's patch - the square cross, bold letterers and border, and simple design. The idea is that the emblem instantly identifies the rescue organization in a crowd of others. In this case, the Shuttle outlines identify the purpose of our organization." [13] In addition, the emblem contains 11 stars, symbolizing the combined 11 crew-members who would return to earth onboard STS-400.

The first flight crew assigned to the mission created another, more humorous design depicting a St. Bernard with its traditional barrel of brandy replaced by the Hubble Space Telescope. The final flight crew though were unsatisfied with this as a crew patch, and contacted longtime NASA artist Tim Gagnon about creating a new one, but never formally approved a design before the mission was scrubbed. [14]

The first STS-400 flight crew's unofficial patch STS-400 Crew patch.jpg
The first STS-400 flight crew's unofficial patch

See also

Related Research Articles

Space Shuttle <i>Columbia</i> Former 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 upper North American Pacific coast 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. As only the second full-scale orbiter to be manufactured after the Approach and Landing Test vehicle Enterprise, Columbia retained unique features indicative of its experimental design compared to later orbiters, such as test instrumentation and distinctive black chines. In addition to a heavier 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. 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>Atlantis</i> Retired 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">Space Shuttle program</span> 1972–2011 United States human spaceflight program

The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Its official name, Space Transportation System (STS), was taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. It flew 135 missions and carried 355 astronauts from 16 countries, many on multiple trips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-31</span> 1990 American crewed spaceflight to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope

STS-31 was the 35th mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program. The primary purpose of this mission was the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) into low Earth orbit. The mission used the Space Shuttle Discovery, which lifted off from Launch Complex 39B on April 24, 1990, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A</span> Historic launch pad operated by NASA and SpaceX

Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is the first of Launch Complex 39's three launch pads, located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The pad, along with Launch Complex 39B, was first constructed in the 1960s to accommodate the Saturn V launch vehicle, and has been used to support NASA crewed space flight missions, including the historic Apollo 11 moon landing and the Space Shuttle. The site is currently leased by SpaceX and supports launches of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-116</span> 2006 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-116 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. Discovery lifted off on December 9, 2006, at 20:47:35 EST. A previous launch attempt on December 7 had been canceled due to cloud cover. It was the first night launch of a Space Shuttle since STS-113 in November 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-117</span> 2007 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-117 was a Space Shuttle mission flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis, launched from pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center on June 8, 2007. Atlantis lifted off from the launch pad at 19:38 EDT. Damage from a hail storm on February 26, 2007, had previously caused the launch to be postponed from an originally-planned launch date of March 15, 2007. The launch of STS-117 marked the 250th orbital human spaceflight. It was also the heaviest flight of the Space Shuttle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39</span> Historic Apollo Moonport

Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, United States. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built as the Apollo program's "Moonport" and later modified for the Space Shuttle program.

Space Shuttle missions designated STS-3xx were rescue missions which would have been mounted to rescue the crew of a Space Shuttle if their vehicle was damaged and deemed unable to make a successful reentry. Such a mission would have been flown if Mission Control determined that the heat shielding tiles and reinforced carbon-carbon panels of a currently flying orbiter were damaged beyond the repair capabilities of the available on-orbit repair methods. These missions were also referred to as Launch on Demand (LOD) and Contingency Shuttle Crew Support. The program was initiated following loss of Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003. No mission of this type was launched during the Space Shuttle program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-127</span> 2009 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-127 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It was the twenty-third flight of Space ShuttleEndeavour. The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module: the Exposed Facility, and the Exposed Section of the Experiment Logistics Module (ELM-ES). When Endeavour docked with the ISS on this mission in July 2009, it set a record for the most humans in space at the same time in the same vehicle, the first time thirteen people have been at the station at the same time. Together they represented all ISS program partners and tied the general record of thirteen people in space with the first such occurrence of 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-126</span> 2008 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-126 was the one hundred and twenty-fourth NASA Space Shuttle mission, and twenty-second orbital flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour (OV-105) to the International Space Station (ISS). The purpose of the mission, referred to as ULF2 by the ISS program, was to deliver equipment and supplies to the station, to service the Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ), and repair the problem in the starboard SARJ that had limited its use since STS-120. STS-126 launched on 15 November 2008 at 00:55:39 UTC from Launch Pad 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) with no delays or issues. Endeavour successfully docked with the station on 16 November 2008. After spending 15 days, 20 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds docked to the station, during which the crew performed four spacewalks, and transferred cargo, the orbiter undocked on 28 November 2008. Due to poor weather at Kennedy Space Center, Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base on 30 November 2008 at 21:25:09 UTC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-133</span> 2011 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS and final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery

STS-133 was the 133rd mission in NASA's Space Shuttle program; during the mission, Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station. It was Discovery's 39th and final mission. The mission launched on February 24, 2011, and landed on March 9, 2011. The crew consisted of six American astronauts, all of whom had been on prior spaceflights, headed by Commander Steven Lindsey. The crew joined the long-duration six person crew of Expedition 26, who were already aboard the space station. About a month before lift-off, one of the original crew members, Tim Kopra, was injured in a bicycle accident. He was replaced by Stephen Bowen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-125</span> 2009 American crewed spaceflight to the Hubble Space Telescope

STS-125, or HST-SM4, was the fifth and final Space Shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis occurred on May 11, 2009, at 2:01 pm EDT. Landing occurred on May 24 at 11:39 am EDT, with the mission lasting a total of just under 13 days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-129</span> 2009 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-129 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Atlantis was launched on November 16, 2009, at 14:28 EST, and landed at 09:44 EST on November 27, 2009, on runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. It was also the last Shuttle mission of the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-130</span> 2010 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-130 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Space ShuttleEndeavour's primary payloads were the Tranquility module and the Cupola, a robotic control station with six windows around its sides and another in the center, providing a 360-degree view around the station. Endeavour launched at 04:14 EST on February 8, 2010 and landed at 22:22 EST on February 21, 2010, on runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-132</span> 2010 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-132 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station on May 16, 2010. STS-132 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center on May 14, 2010. The primary payload was the Russian Rassvet Mini-Research Module, along with an Integrated Cargo Carrier-Vertical Light Deployable (ICC-VLD). Atlantis landed at the Kennedy Space Center on May 26, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B</span> Historic launch pad operated by NASA

Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B) is the second of Launch Complex 39's three launch pads, located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The pad, along with Launch Complex 39A, was first designed for the Saturn V launch vehicle, which at the time was the United States' most powerful rocket. Typically used to launch NASA's crewed spaceflight missions since the late 1960s, the pad is currently configured for use by the agency's Space Launch System rocket, a Shuttle-derived launch vehicle which is currently used in the Artemis program and subsequent Moon to Mars campaigns. The pad had also been leased by NASA to aerospace company Northrop Grumman, for use as a launch site for their Shuttle-derived OmegA launch vehicle, for National Security Space Launch flights and commercial launches, before the OmegA program was cancelled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-134</span> 2011 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS and final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour

STS-134 was the penultimate mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the 25th and last spaceflight of Space ShuttleEndeavour. This flight delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station. Mark Kelly served as the mission commander. STS-134 was expected to be the final Space Shuttle mission if STS-135 did not receive funding from Congress. However, in February 2011, NASA stated that STS-135 would fly "regardless" of the funding situation. STS-135, flown by Atlantis, took advantage of the processing for STS-335, the Launch on Need mission that would have been necessary if the STS-134 crew became stranded in orbit.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Shuttle retirement</span> End of NASA Space Shuttle program in 2011

The retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle fleet took place from March to July 2011. Discovery was the first of the three active Space Shuttles to be retired, completing its final mission on March 9, 2011; Endeavour did so on June 1. The final shuttle mission was completed with the landing of Atlantis on July 21, 2011, closing the 30-year Space Shuttle program.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 NASA Mission Operations Directorate (2 June 2008). "STS-400 Flight Plan" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NASA (5 May 2009). "STS-400: Ready and Waiting". NASA. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Atkinson, Nancy (17 April 2009). "The STS-400 Shuttle Rescue Mission Scenario". Universe Today . Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Bergin, Chris (19 January 2009). "STS-125/400 Single Pad option progress – aim to protect Ares I-X". NASASpaceflight.com . Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  5. ↑ Bergin, Chris (9 May 2006). "Hubble Servicing Mission moves up". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  6. 1 2 3 Copella, John (31 July 2007). "NASA Evaluates Rescue Options for Hubble Mission". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  7. 1 2 3 4 NASA (9 September 2008). "STS-125 Mission Overview Briefing Materials". NASA. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  8. 1 2 Bergin, Chris (11 October 2007). "STS-400 – NASA draws up their Hubble rescue plans". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  9. ↑ Watson, Traci (22 March 2005). "The mission NASA hopes won't happen". USA Today. Retrieved 13 September 2006.
  10. ↑ Harwood, William (21 May 2009). "Iffy weather forecast for Friday's shuttle landing". CBS News, Spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
  11. ↑ Bergin, Chris (22 May 2009). "Endeavour in STS-127 flow". NASA Spaceflight.com. Retrieved 24 May 2009.
  12. ↑ "Graphic artist on the final frontier: an interview with Mike Okuda". The Space Review.
  13. ↑ "STS-400 patches". NASAspaceflight.
  14. ↑ "STS-400 (STS-125 LON) mission patches". collectspace.

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.