STS-49

Last updated

STS-49
Three Crew Members Capture Intelsat VI - GPN-2000-001035.jpg
Hieb, Akers, and Thuot assist in capturing the Intelsat 603 satellite from its derelict orbit.
Names Space Transportation System-49
Mission type Intelsat 603 satellite repair
Operator NASA
COSPAR ID 1992-026A OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 21963 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Mission duration8 days, 21 hours, 17 minutes, 39 seconds
Distance travelled5,948,166 km (3,696,019 mi)
Orbits completed141
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft Space Shuttle Endeavour
Launch mass116,390 kg (256,600 lb) [1]
Landing mass91,279 kg (201,236 lb)
Payload mass16,984 kg (37,443 lb) [2]
Crew
Crew size7
Members
EVAs 4
EVA duration
  • 22 hours, 27 minutes
  • 1st EVA: 3 hours, 43 minutes
  • 2nd EVA: 5 hours, 30 minutes
  • 3rd EVA: 5 hours, 29 minutes
  • 4th EVA: 7 hours, 45 minutes
Start of mission
Launch dateMay 7, 1992, 23:40:00 (May 7, 1992, 23:40:00)  UTC (7:40 pm  EDT)
Launch site Kennedy, LC-39B
Contractor Rockwell International
End of mission
Landing dateMay 16, 1992, 20:57:39 (May 16, 1992, 20:57:39) UTC (1:57:39 pm  PDT) [3]
Landing site Edwards, Runway 22
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit
Regime Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude 268 km (167 mi)
Apogee altitude 341 km (212 mi)
Inclination 28.32°
Period 90.60 minutes
Instruments
Sts-49-patch.png
STS-49 mission patch
STS-49 crew 2.jpg
From left: Thornton, Melnick, Thuot, Brandenstein, Chilton, Akers and Hieb
  STS-45 (46)
STS-50 (48) 

STS-49 was NASA's maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which launched on May 7, 1992. The primary goal of its nine-day mission was to retrieve an Intelsat VI satellite, Intelsat 603, which failed to leave Low Earth orbit two years before, attach it to a new upper stage, and relaunch it to its intended geosynchronous orbit. After several attempts, the capture was completed with the only three-person extravehicular activity (EVA) in space flight history. [4] It would also stand until STS-102 in 2001 as the longest EVA ever undertaken.

Contents

Crew

Position Astronaut
Commander Daniel Brandenstein
Fourth and last spaceflight
Pilot Kevin P. Chilton
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Richard Hieb
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2
Flight Engineer
Bruce E. Melnick
Second and last spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3 Pierre J. Thuot
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 4 Kathryn C. Thornton
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 5 Thomas Akers
Second spaceflight

Spacewalks

EVA 1
EVA 2
EVA 3
EVA 4

Crew seat assignments

Seat [5] LaunchLanding Space Shuttle seating plan.svg
Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck.
Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck.
1Brandenstein
2Chilton
3HiebThuot
4Melnick
5ThuotHieb
6Thornton
7Akers

Mission highlights

The Intelsat 603 satellite, stranded in an unusable orbit since launch aboard a Commercial Titan III launch vehicle in March 1990, was captured by crewmembers during an extravehicular activity (EVA) and equipped with a new perigee kick motor. The satellite was subsequently released into orbit and the new motor fired to put the spacecraft into a geosynchronous orbit for operational use.

The capture required three EVAs: a planned one by astronauts Thuot and Hieb, who were unable to attach a capture bar to the satellite from a position on the RMS (Canadarm); a second unscheduled but identical attempt the following day; and finally, an unscheduled but successful hand capture by Thuot, Hieb and Akers as commander Brandenstein delicately maneuvered the orbiter to within a few feet of the 4,215 kg (9,292 lb) communications satellite. An Assembly of Station by EVA Methods (ASEM) structure was erected in the cargo bay by the crew to serve as a platform to aid in the hand capture and subsequent attachment of the capture bar. A planned EVA also was performed by astronauts Thornton and Akers as part of the ASEM experiment to demonstrate and verify maintenance and assembly capabilities for Space Station Freedom. The ASEM space walk, originally scheduled for two successive days, was cut to one day because of the lengthy Intelsat retrieval operation.

Other "payloads of opportunity" experiments conducted included Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Ultraviolet Plume Imager (UVPI) and the Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) investigation. The mission was extended by two days to complete all the mission objectives.

On flight day 7, the Ku-band antenna lost its pointing capability. It had to be stowed manually during the final EVA. [3]

The following records were set during the STS-49 mission: [6]

Wake-up Calls

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Project Gemini, and first used music to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15. [7] A special musical track is chosen for each day in space, often by the astronauts' families, to have a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or in reference to the day's planned activities.

DaySongArtist/ComposerPlayed For
Day 2"God Bless the U.S.A." Lee Greenwood
Day 3"Rescue Me" Fontella Bass
Day 4"Theme from Winnie the Pooh"Kathy Thornton (from her Children on Mother's Day)
Day 5"Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky )" Bill Conti
Day 6"Kokomo" The Beach Boys
Day 7No song
Day 8"I wake up with a smile on my face" Boxcar Willie
Day 9"Son of a Son of a Sailor" Jimmy Buffett

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extravehicular activity</span> Activity done by an astronaut or cosmonaut outside a spacecraft

Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut in outer space outside a spacecraft. In the absence of a breathable Earthlike atmosphere, the astronaut is completely reliant on a space suit for environmental support. EVA includes spacewalks and lunar or planetary surface exploration. In a stand-up EVA (SEVA), an astronaut stands through an open hatch but does not fully leave the spacecraft. EVAs have been conducted by the Soviet Union/Russia, the United States, Canada, the European Space Agency and China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-6</span> 1983 American crewed spaceflight and maiden flight of Space Shuttle Challenger

STS-6 was the sixth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the maiden flight of the Space ShuttleChallenger. Launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 4, 1983, the mission deployed the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-1, into orbit, before landing at Edwards Air Force Base on April 9, 1983. STS-6 was the first Space Shuttle mission during which a Extravehicular activity was conducted, and hence was the first in which the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) was used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-41-C</span> 1984 American crewed spaceflight to the Solar Maximum Mission satellite

STS-41-C was NASA's eleventh Space Shuttle mission, and the fifth mission of Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch, which took place on April 6, 1984, marked the first direct ascent trajectory for a Space Shuttle mission. During the mission, Challenger's crew captured and repaired the malfunctioning Solar Maximum Mission satellite, and deployed the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) experimental apparatus. STS-41-C was extended one day due to problems capturing the Solar Max satellite, and the landing on April 13, 1984, took place at Edwards Air Force Base, instead of at Kennedy Space Center as had been planned. The flight was originally numbered STS-13.

<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">STS-41-G</span> 1984 American crewed spaceflight to deploy the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite

STS-41-G was the 13th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the sixth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger. Challenger launched on October 5, 1984, and conducted the second shuttle landing at Kennedy Space Center on October 13, 1984. It was the first shuttle mission to carry a crew of seven, including the first crew with two women, the first American Extravehicular activity (EVA) involving a woman (Sullivan), the first Australian-born person to journey into space as well as the first astronaut with a beard and the first Canadian astronaut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Akers</span> American astronaut (born 1951)

Thomas Dale Akers is a former American astronaut in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

<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-51-A</span> 1984 American crewed spaceflight to deploy and retrieve communications satellites

STS-51-A was the 14th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the second flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on November 8, 1984, and landed just under eight days later on November 16, 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-51-D</span> 1985 American crewed spaceflight to deploy communications satellites

STS-51-D was the 16th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the fourth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. The launch of STS-51-D from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, on April 12, 1985, was delayed by 55 minutes, after a boat strayed into the restricted Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) recovery zone. STS-51-D was the third shuttle mission to be extended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-51-I</span> 1985 American crewed spaceflight to Syncom IV-3

STS-51-I was the 20th mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the sixth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. During the mission, Discovery deployed three communications satellites into orbit. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 27, 1985, and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 3, 1985.

<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-37</span> 1991 American crewed spaceflight to deploy the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

STS-37, the thirty-ninth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the eighth flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, was a six-day mission with the primary objective of launching the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), the second of the Great Observatories program which included the visible-spectrum Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) and the infrared Spitzer Space Telescope. The mission also featured two spacewalks, the first since 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-51</span> 1993 American crewed spaceflight

STS-51 was a NASA Space Shuttle Discovery mission that launched the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) in September 1993. The flight also featured the deployment and retrieval of the SPAS-ORFEUS satellite and its IMAX camera, which captured spectacular footage of Discovery in space. A spacewalk was also performed during the mission to evaluate tools and techniques for the STS-61 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission later that year. STS-51 was the first shuttle mission to fly a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a Trimble TANS Quadrex. It was mounted in an overhead window where limited field of view (FoV) and signal attenuation from the glass severely impacted receiver performance. Full triple-redundant 3-string GPS would not happen until 14 years later with STS-118 in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-61</span> 1993 American crewed spaceflight to the Hubble Space Telescope

STS-61 was NASA's first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, and the fifth flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The mission launched on December 2, 1993, from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The mission restored the spaceborne observatory's vision with the installation of a new main camera and a corrective optics package (COSTAR). This correction occurred more than three and a half years after the Hubble was launched aboard STS-31 in April 1990. The flight also brought instrument upgrades and new solar arrays to the telescope. With its very heavy workload, the STS-61 mission was one of the most complex in the Shuttle's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Hieb</span> American astronaut (born 1955)

Richard James Hieb is a former NASA astronaut and a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions. He was a mission specialist on STS-39 and STS-49, and was a payload commander on STS-65. After leaving NASA he worked at AlliedSignal and Orbital before spending 14 years as an executive at Lockheed Martin. He is currently a faculty member in the University of Colorado Boulder Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-97</span> 2000 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-97 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. The crew installed the first set of solar arrays to the ISS, prepared a docking port for arrival of the Destiny Laboratory Module, and delivered supplies for the station's crew. It was the last human spaceflight of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-102</span> 2001 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-102 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-102 flew in March 2001; its primary objectives were resupplying the ISS and rotating the Expedition 1 and Expedition 2 crews. The first EVA performed on the mission remains the longest spacewalk ever undertaken at eight hours and 56 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre J. Thuot</span> American astronaut (born 1955)

Pierre Joseph Thuot is a retired United States Navy captain and NASA astronaut. He went into space three times, spending over 650 hours in space, including over 15 hours in three space walks. He is a former U.S. record holder for time spent on one spacewalk, and participated in the first three-person spacewalk.

<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">NASA Astronaut Group 11</span>

NASA Astronaut Group 11 was a group of 13 NASA astronauts announced on 4 June 1985.

References

  1. "Space Shuttle Missions Summary". NASA. Retrieved February 8, 2022.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. "Space Shuttle Missions Summary" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved February 8, 2022.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. 1 2 Fricke, Robert W. (July 1992). "STS-49: Space shuttle mission report". NASA. p. 17 of report. NASA-TM-108104. Retrieved February 8, 2022.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  4. "Facts about spacesuits and spacewalks". June 3, 2013. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2022.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  5. "STS-49". Spacefacts. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  6. "STS-49". NASA. 2001. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2022.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. Fries, Colin. "Chronology of wakeup calls" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2022.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .