| From: [email protected] (Peter E. Yee)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: NASA Headline News for 12/27/90 (Forwarded)
Date: 28 Dec 90 01:22:04 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (USENET Administration)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Headline News
Internal Communications Branch (P-2) NASA Headquarters
Thursday, December 27, 1990 Audio Service: 202 / 755-1788
This is NASA Headline News for Thursday, December 27, 1990
This is a summary of some of the most important activities and
developments which occurred in 1990.
The 1990 space flight year began in January with Columbia's flight to
retrieve the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and ended with
Columbia's flight in December to carry out a long-awaited astronomical
observation mission with the first non-astronauts to fly since the
ill-fated flight of Challenger nearly 60 months earlier.
National planning for the year began in February with Agency chief
Adm. Richard Truly launching an effort to collect the best ideas on
how to return to the Moon and go on to Mars. Former astronaut office
chief Gen. Tom Stafford was named by Truly to head the idea search.
Also in February, Truly formed a new agency office out of the Office
of Exploration and Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology. In
July, Vice President Dan Quayle announced the formation of the
Advisory Committee on the Future of the U.S. Space Program and named
Martin Marietta chief executive officer Norman Augustine to head it.
In December that group reported its recommendations to Adm. Truly and
the White House.
The 1990 science year began in February with the Voyager 1 spacecraft
taking a snapshot of nearly the entire family of planets in our solar
system. In February, Galileo flew by Venus in the first of three
planetary gravitational assist maneuvers. In April, the Hubble Space
Telescope was launched, only to have discovered weeks later that its
mirror system was ground to the wrong formula. Nevertheless, the
Hubble telescope is fulfilling its goal of providing unprecedented
astronomical views. NASA announced a repair mission which would fly
in 1993 and replace the imaging instruments with optically modified
new versions. In June, the Roentgen Satellite was launched aboard a
Delta to begin its X-ray astronomy observations. In July, the
Combined Release/Radiation Effects Satellite was launched aboard an
Atlas and began its investigations into Earth's trapped radiation belts.
By mid-summer, the Cosmic Background Explorer had completed its
initial all-sky survey of the background microwave radiation left over
from the Big Bang - providing confirmation of the Big Bang theory but
leaving cosmologists still pondering the current complexity of the
universe and how it became so. In August, Magellan went into Venus
orbit and began its planet- wide high resolution mapping mission. In
October, Ulysses was launched on the first leg of its eventual solar
polar orbit by Atlantis. In December, the Astro-1 shuttle Spacelab
mission flew for a 9-day astronomy observation mission with two non-
astronaut payload specialists aboard to help operate the science
instruments. Also in December, Galileo flew by Earth on the
second of its three-part planetary assist maneuvers.
The aeronautics year included celebration of the 75th anniversary of
the formation of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
(NACA). Experimental aircraft flights this year included
flight-testing of the swept-forward wing X-29, which met with rave
reviews from the test pilots, a computer-assisted landing system which
was flown on an experimental Boeing 737 and laminar flow air control
surfaces which were tested on an experimental Boeing 757. The
National Aerospace Plane program progressed through the year, first
with the merger of the five contractor teams into one national
contractor consortium in May and later with in the Fall with the
selection of a final configuration for the design -- a twin-tail
lifting body shape.
The following dates represent only a few of the Agency's milestones for 1990:
1/9/90 Shuttle Columbia is launched to retrieve Long Duration
Exposure Facility;
2/9/90 Galileo spacecraft flies by Venus at 9,300 miles altitude;
2/14//90 Voyager 1 takes portrait of Solar System;
2/28/90 Shuttle Atlantis is launched on a Dept. of Defense mission;
4/24/90 Shuttle Discovery is launched to deploy Hubble Space Telescope;
6/1/90 Delta 195 launches the Roentgen Satellite;
7/25/90 Atlas-Centaur-69 launches the Combined
Release/Radiation Effects Satellite;
8/10/90 Magellan goes into Venus orbit;
8/28/90 Magellan begins high resolution mapping of Venus;
10/6/90 Shuttle Discovery is launched to deploy Ulysses spacecraft;
11/15/90 Shuttle Atlantis is launched on final secret Dept. of Defense mission;
12/2/90 Shuttle Columbia is launched for Spacelab Astro-1 astronomy mission;
12/8/90 Galileo spacecraft flies by Earth at 620 miles altitude.
Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA
Select TV. All times are Eastern. **indicates a live program.
Thursday, 12/27/90
11:30 am NASA Update is transmitted;
12:00 pm Adm. Truly Holiday Message to NASA staff;
12:30 pm 1990 Year in Review program;
1:00 pm Back Space series, "SkyLab";
1:30 pm Life Sciences at Manned Spacecraft Center.
All events and times may change without notice. This report is filed
daily, Monday through Friday, at 12:00 pm, EST. It is a service of
Internal Communications Branch at NASA Headquarters. Contact:
CREDMOND on NASAmail or at 202/453-8425.
NASA Select TV: Satcom F2R, Transponder 13, C-Band, 72
degrees West Longitude, Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz.
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| From: [email protected] (Peter E. Yee)
Date: 28 Dec 90 22:35:30 GMT
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Bruce Buckingham
407/867-2468 Dec. 28, 1990
KSC RELEASE NO. 205 - 90
KSC ROUNDS OUT 1990 WITH SUCCESS AND PREPARES FOR 1991
In the world of Space Shuttles and payloads at Kennedy Space
Center, 1990 proved to be a year of numerable successes and
challenges. Six Shuttles were launched from and returned to KSC,
including one unplanned end-of-mission KSC landing. But
challenges ranging from liquid hydrogen leaks on Columbia (STS-
35) and Atlantis (STS-38) to a record number of launch delays on
mission STS-36 kept engineers and managers on the edge of their
seats.
KSC began the year with a mission to retrieve the Long
Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and concluded with the ASTRO-1
observatory mission. Between these missions were the long
anticipated launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the deployment
of the Ulysses spacecraft to study the polar regions of the Sun,
and two Department of Defense dedicated missions. Of the six
Shuttle's launched from KSC in 1990, three were nighttime
launches.
All missions were scheduled to land at Edwards Air Force
Base, California. All but one did. Atlantis, returning from its
DOD mission in November, made an unscheduled but perfect landing
at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. This was the first KSC end-of-
mission landing in over five years and it demonstrated the
ability of the KSC landing crews to prepare for a dramatic
touchdown with little notice.
Challenging the launch team and hundreds of support
personnel this summer were elusive liquid hydrogen leaks on the
orbiters Columbia and Atlantis. After four special tanking tests
and a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building for destack,
Altantis was finally cleared for launch on mission STS-38.
Columbia, prior to mission STS-35, underwent four launch
scrubs, two rollbacks to the VAB, and two special tanking tests.
Special "leak-buster" teams ultimately were formed utilizing over
700 NASA and contractor employees, all with a "can-do" attitude,
to outfit Columbia's aft compartment with hazardous gas detectors
and cameras for the special tanking tests. Their hard work paid
off when all of the leaks were eventually pinpointed and
repaired.
1990 SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS:
The following is a brief summary of the 1990 shuttle
missions (all times are Eastern):
STS-32 -- Columbia was launched at 7:35 a.m. on Jan. 9. It landed
at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., at 4:35 a.m. on Jan. 20.
MISSION: The primary mission objectives were the deployment of
the SYNCOM IV-F5 Navy synchronous communications satellite and
the retrieval of NASA's Long Durations Exposure Facility (LDEF).
SYNCOM was successfully deployed on the second day of the
mission. Orbiter rendezvous with LDEF occurred on Jan. 12,
followed by the dramatic grapple by the Remote Manipulator System
and berthing in the payload bay for return to Earth. LDEF was
later returned to KSC where the 57 experiment trays housed on the
satellite were removed for inspection.
LDEF had been stranded in space for over five years and was
in danger of burning up in the Earth's atmosphere if not
recovered soon. Its retrieval had been placed on hold following
the Challenger mishap.
STS-36 -- Atlantis was launched at 2:50 a.m. on Feb. 28. It
landed at EAFB at 1:09 p.m. on March 4.
MISSION: This was the sixth mission totally dedicated to the
Department of Defense. Originally scheduled for launch on Feb.
22, Atlantis experienced six launch delays due to adverse weather
and illness of the crew commander.
STS-31 -- Discovery was launched at 8:33 a.m. on April 24. It
landed at EAFB at 9:49 a.m. on April 29.
MISSION: The mission was devoted to the successful deployment of
the Hubble Space Telescope approximately 24 hours after launch.
HST is the first of the four great observatories which will aid
in astronomical explorations. HST is the largest telescope ever
put into space. It will be studying the universe in both visible
and ultraviolet light.
The primary mirror on the Hubble Space Telescope is 94.5
inches in diameter. It is capable of detecting objects 12 to 14
billion light years distant and with at least 10 times the
clarity of ground based telescopes. Producing images at a rate of
about 20 a day and more than 7,000 a year, over 100,000 pictures
are expected to be taken over the telescope's 15 year life span.
HST, however, is not without its problems. Shortly after
deployment and initial check out, it was discovered HST's primary
mirror had been made with a flaw, a spherical aberration. A
future Shuttle mission, planned for July 1993, is scheduled to
rendezvous with HST to correct the error.
HST consists of five primary instruments: A high resolution
spectrograph, the wide field/planetary camera, the faint object
spectrograph, the high speed photometer, and the faint object
camera developed by the European Space Agency (ESA).
For this mission, a significant modification was made to
Discovery's braking system with the installation of newly
designed carbon brakes on the main landing gear. These carbon
brakes are able to withstand longer distance braking and higher
braking temperatures of up to 2100 degrees F. The normal
temperature operating range is 1200 degrees F. for the older
beryllium brakes. The carbon brakes can be used for 20 or more
landings before replacement is needed, saving time for orbiter
turnaround processing. This a key step in making landings at
Kennedy Space Center a regular occurrence. Plans are underway for
the installation of carbon brakes on the remaining orbiters.
STS-41 -- Discovery was launched at 7:47 a.m. on Oct. 6. It
landed at EAFB at 9:58 a.m. on Oct. 10.
MISSION: The Ulysses spacecraft was deployed successfully from
Discovery about six hours after launch, embarking on a five-year
mission to explore the uncharted regions of the Sun's north and
south poles. The ESA-built explorer was boosted out of Earth
orbit using the attached IUS and PAM-S upper stages. Its initial
trajectory will take it out to the planet Jupiter for a
gravitational assist necessary to sling the 809-pound spacecraft
into it solar polar orbit. The Jupiter encounter is scheduled for
February 1992, south solar pole pass in June 1994, north solar
pole pass in June 1995, and end-of-mission in September 1995.
Ulysses is the third interplanetary probe launched by the
Shuttle. The project is a cooperative endeavor between the
European Space Agency and NASA. Ulysses was designed and built by
the Federal Republic of Germany.
STS-38 -- Atlantis was launched at 6:48 p.m. on Nov. 15. It
landed at Kennedy Space Center at 4:43 p.m. on Nov. 20.
MISSION: This was the seventh and final classified mission
totally dedicated to the Department of Defense.
Atlantis was originally scheduled for launch in July 1990.
However, a precautionary liquid hydrogen tanking test conducted
at the pad on June 29 indicated a hydrogen fuel leak on the
external tank side of the orbiter/ET 17-inch quick disconnect
umbilical. Two subsequent liquid hydrogen tanking tests
determined the leak could not be fixed at the pad and the vehicle
was returned to the VAB on Aug. 9 for destack operations.
Atlantis was returned to the Orbiter Processing Facility and new
seals were placed in the 17-inch liquid hydrogen disconnect
umbilical. Meanwhile, a new external tank was attached to the
solid rocket boosters in the VAB. The Shuttle was returned to the
pad and a fourth tanking test was performed on Oct. 24. This test
proved the fix had stopped any significant leakage of liquid
hydrogen and the vehicle was cleared for flight.
STS-35 -- Columbia was launched at 1:49 a.m. on Dec. 2. It landed
at EAFB at 12:54 a.m. on Dec. 11.
MISSION: The payload aboard Columbia, ASTRO-1, consisted of four
unique, yet complementary, telescopes that captured the universe
in the ultraviolet and x-ray spectrums. Three telescopes were
dedicated to study the ultraviolet: the Hopkins Ultraviolet
Telescope, the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter
Experiment, and the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. The Broad Band
X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) was made for viewing in the x-ray
wavelength. The seven member crew divided into two shifts and
were able to operate the telescopes around the clock. The mission
was not without problems, however, when both instrument pointing
system data display units failed and pointing of the ultraviolet
telescopes had to be controlled from the ground. BBXRT was
unaffected and the quality of the ASTRO images continued to be
good.
This was the first Shuttle mission to be controlled by three
NASA installations. Columbia was directed as usual from Mission
Control at Johnson Space Center, Houston Tx. But the three
ultraviolet telescopes in the observatory were directed from the
Payload Operations Control Center at Marshall Space Flight
Center, Huntsville, Al. The Broad Band X-Ray Telescope and its
separate pointing system were operated by a special team at
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
STS-35 was scheduled for a May 30 liftoff, but launch was
scrubbed when high concentrations of liquid hydrogen were
detected during propellant loading near the 17-inch umbilical
line connecting the orbiter and the external tank and in the
orbiter's aft compartment. After rollback to the Vehicle Assembly
Building and destack, the 17-inch liquid hydrogen umbilical was
replaced with the umbilical from the Shuttle Endeavour (currently
under construction in Calif.). Columbia was then returned to the
pad and prepared for another launch attempt in late August. Due
to a problem with the BBXRT payload, launch was delayed for six
days. During the tanking for launch attempts on Sept. 6 and Sept.
18, the liquid hydrogen leak again manifested itself in the
orbiter's aft compartment. A fix at the pad was attempted and the
subsequent tanking test on October 30 proved the repairs were
effective.
Columbia awaited the launch of Atlantis on mission STS-38
from the adjacent pad and was then launched 17 days later.
1990 NASA SUPPORTED EXPENDABLE VEHICLE MISSIONS
In addition to shuttle launches, NASA/KSC supported the
launch of ROSAT on a Delta expendable vehicle and the Combined
Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) on an Atlas
Centaur.
The following is a brief summary of these missions.
ROSAT: Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT) Project is a cooperative
program involving NASA, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the
United Kingdom. The primary objectives of the ROSAT project are
to make a detailed all-sky survey of X-ray sources, and perform
detailed follow-up studies of some 1,000 of the anticipated
50,000 - 100,000 sources that will be detected in the survey.
ROSAT was launched aboard an Air Force Delta II expendable
launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Complex 17
at 5:48 p.m. June 1, 1990.
CRRES: The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite
(CRRES) is a joint NASA/U.S. Air Force mission to study the
effects of chemical releases on the Earth's ionosphere and
magnetosphere and to monitor the effects of space radiation
environment on sophisticated electronics. The CRRES satellite
will use chemicals released to briefly trace invisible magnetic
field lines and waves with luminous particles.
CRRES was launched aboard a General Dynamics commercial
Atlas/Centaur (AC-69) expendable vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station Complex 36 at 3:21 p.m. July 25, 1990.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Again, KSC played a leading role in bolstering the local
economy. Space-related employment and contracts at KSC generated
a $1.37 billion boost to the Florida economy during fiscal year
1990. This represents an increase of about $132 million over the
previous year.
Employment numbers at KSC also rose. Permanent federal
employees now number over 2,600. On-site contractors nudged the
12,700 mark while 3,250 individuals were employed through
construction and tenant jobs. All in all, the total number of
workers employed at KSC at the end of FY90 totaled approximately
18,500.
NEW FACILITIES AND MODIFICATIONS
A giant step was made this year in moving several thousand
KSC employees from made-over box cars, trailers and prefabricated
modules to a well equipped office building. In March, the
300,000-square-foot Operation Support Building (OSB) was official
dedicated and opened to over 1700 employees. The new OSB was
built by W&J Construction Corp. of Cocoa, Fla. at a cost of about
$28,000,000.
Contained in the six-story facility, along with much needed
office space, are a technical documentation center, photo
analysis facility, technical libraries, multi-purpose conference
rooms, a barber shop, concession areas and a fully equipped
exercise facility.
* * * *
Understanding a growing need many employees have at KSC, the
NASA/KSC Exchange Council reached an agreement with Tutor Time
International, Inc. for the design, construction, staffing and
operation of an employee child care center. The idea resulted
from an employee's suggestion and work by several organizations
and employees through a specialized committee set up to plan a
facility.
Tutor Time was selected to operate the facility and
construction was completed this December. The single-story,
6,600-square-foot building will initially provide care for up to
140 children ranging in age from infants through preschoolers.
The facility will be open for operation Jan. 2, 1991.
* * * *
Funds amounting to $3.2 million were also allocated to
complete the four-lane widening of Kennedy Parkway South (State
Road 3), one of KSC's busiest highways. Final Congressional
approval was received, paving the way for long awaited relief of
severe traffic congestion during rush hour. The ground breaking
occurred in November and construction is scheduled for completion
by mid-1991. This, coupled with Brevard County's commitment to
widen its portion of the much traveled Route 3, will help insure
KSC employees of a saver and quicker drive to and from work.
* * * *
In February, a dedication ceremony for NASA's new Spacecraft
Solid Rocket Motor High Energy X-Ray Facility was held. This new
facility, located on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, will be
used for a variety of high energy radiography testing, including
the capability to verify propellant integrity on spacecraft solid
rocket motors.
The facility, which consists of a high bay exposure cell
with a reinforced concrete wall 6 feet, 7 inches thick,
represents a significant upgrade in KSC abilities to meet current
and projected new payload requirements. It was constructed at a
cost of $2.9 million.
* * * *
At Kennedy Space Center's Spaceport USA, another ground
breaking took place. NASA and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation
began the construction of the monument titled, "Space Mirror,"
dedicated to the fallen astronauts who have lost their lives in
training and in space. In addition, an educational facility for
teachers and students will be constructed as a "living memorial"
to provide quality information and materials of instruction in
the field of aeronautics and space in support of America's space
program.
The projects will be funded in part by AMF's portion (50
percent) of the proceeds from the sale of Challenger license
tags. Additional funding will come from private and corporate
donations. The educational facility will be located adjacent to
the astronaut's memorial, scheduled for completion early next
year.
* * * *
As a result of the series of liquid hydrogen leaks on the
orbiters this summer, an external tank/orbiter umbilical hydrogen
dispersion system was designed for installation on the three
mobile launcher platforms. The dispersion system is designed to
provide a nitrogen rich air flow around the hydrogen 17-inch
disconnect line between the orbiter and external tank. The system
will reduce hazardous concentrations of hydrogen should they form
during tanking operations and not be dispersed through normal
ambient conditions. Firing room personnel will be able to control
the dispersion system from the Launch Control Center.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Technology transfer has always been important to managers at
KSC. NASA invests a great deal of time and resources toward the
goals of exploring the universe and finding better ways to live
and operate in the hostile environment of space. But unless this
technology is transferred to the everyday activities of life on
earth, the vast majority of the world's population will never
experience the practical applications of space technology.
One example of this spin-off technology returned to KSC this
year. While designing an upgrade to the Space Station Logistics
and Resupply section of the Payload Support Building, engineers
concluded that space derived heat pipes would be applicable to
assist in lowering energy costs associated with cooling the
facility.
Heat pipes were initially used as an efficient cooling
method for satellites in space. Later they were adapted to assist
in the air conditioning and dehumidification of earth-bound
buildings. Now, heat pipes will be used at KSC, and with a
substantial amount of energy savings.
* * * *
Kennedy Space Center also continues to be a leader in the
fields of plant and medical research.
The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) has
distinguished KSC as a front runner in searching for ways to grow
plants in the microgravity environment of space. Earlier this
year, the Hanger 'L' Life Sciences Facility was expanded by
3,500-square feet. This additional room will allow the Biomedical
Operations and Research Office to upgrade research capabilities.
An example will be the continued ability to "farm" proven
forms of space harvests such as lettuce and soybeans. It will
also provide additional capabilities for studying the closed
acquaculture system -- including a fish pond -- for use in future
long term space habitation.
* * * *
NASA/KSC and the American Cancer Society continued a
cooperative cost sharing agreement to provide funding and
technology transfer to the University of South Florida, Tampa,
Fla., for research in cancer prevention, detection and treatment.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding, NASA/KSC activities
include: make available necessary laboratories and equipment,
coordinate assistance from other NASA centers and outside
organizations; provide technical evaluations; and provide
qualified personnel to serve as project leaders.
MILESTONES REACHED
In April, during the rollout of the Space Shuttle Columbia
from the Vehicle Assembly Building to pad 39-A for the launch of
STS-35 mission, Kennedy Space Center's Crawler Transporter number
2 passed the 1,000-mile landmark. Weighing in at over 3,000 tons,
it took the tracked vehicle 25 years to roll the odometer. At a
pace of less than two miles per hour over the past quarter
century, the giant transporter has been operated by 10 different
drivers and has supported Apollo, Skylab, and Space Shuttle
missions. The crawler transporter provided continuous service to
the nation's space effort in the four decades from the 1960s into
the 1990s.
The crawler transporter was the dark horse in the
competition of concepts to provide a means to deliver the launch
vehicle from the assembly building to the pad. But in 1962,
following a full year of study, the cross-land tracked vehicle
was voted the most feasible. As the largest land vehicle ever
built, the six-million-pound, 131-foot-long, 114-foot-wide, and
20-to-26 foot adjustable height transporter has proven itself as
an invaluable asset to the space program.
* * * *
Also celebrating a historic milestone were the American and
Soviet crew members of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. Their
reunion at KSC on July 26 marked the 15th anniversary of their
1975 flight. The ASPT mission was history's first international
joint manned space flight. The link-up of the Apollo and Soyuz
spacecraft occurred on July 17-19, 1975.
WHAT'S AHEAD
As KSC ponders the future, 1991 seems to hold an abundance
of opportunity for the nation's space program. Two primary
payloads have already been delivered to the launch facility for
processing for missions next year. They are the four unclassified
DOD payloads for mission STS-39 and the Gamma Ray Observatory,
slated for mission STS-37.
Next year NASA has scheduled seven Space Shuttle missions to
be launched from Kennedy Space Center and one expendable vehicle
launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The current
manifest calls for an Air Force Delta 2 to launch NASA's Extreme
Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) in early fall. This spacecraft will
identify, map, and catalog extreme ultraviolet sources in the
universe.
The seven shuttle missions scheduled for 1991 are (in launch
order):
STS-39 -- Discovery on a DOD unclassified mission. Payload: Air
Force Program-675 (AFP-675), designed to collect infrared data to
support Strategic Defense Initiative program; Infrared Background
Signature Survey (IBSS), designed to obtain infrared measurements
on rocket plumes, shortwave infrared Earth-limb, shuttle
environment, and chemical release from the payload bay while
detached in proximity to the Orbiter; Space Test Program (STP-
01), the first in a series of secondary experiments; Multi-
Purpose Experiment Canister (MPEC), an extended Hitchhiker-G, GAS
canister capable of deploying an internally stowed payload.
STS-37 -- Atlantis will deploy the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO),
the second in a series of four great observatories. GRO will
explore the most energetic part of the spectrum across a much
greater wavelength range than earlier observatories.
The GRO will enable us to determine if most of the known
gamma radiation arriving from the universe originates in quasars
and pulsars, or whether there are other sources of gamma ray
emissions. The focus of GRO will be to investigate gamma ray
sources emitted by stars and distant galaxies.
STS-40 -- Columbia will carry the Space Life Sciences
Laboratory (SLS-1) to investigate the effects of weightlessness
exposure using both man and animal specimens. (This will be
Columbia's last mission prior to being ferried to California for
extensive modifications. Modification operations are expected to
last about a year.)
STS-43 -- Discovery will carry into orbit a NASA Tracking and
Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E). This satellite is designed to
replace the partially functional TDRS west satellite currently in
orbit.
STS-44 -- Atlantis will deploy a Defense Support Program (DSP)
satellite. Atlantis will also carry additional Department of
Defense payloads on board.
STS-48 -- Discovery will deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research
Satellite (UARS) to improve man's knowledge of the atmosphere
above the troposphere. This satellite will study chemical
processes acting within and upon earth's stratosphere,
mesosphere, and lower thermosphere.
STS-42 -- Atlantis on the first International Microgravity
Laboratory (IML-01). Housed in a Spacelab long module, this
mission will be devoted to material and life sciences studies.
* * * *
Also, NASA's newest shuttle orbiter, Endeavour, is scheduled
to be delivered to Kennedy Space Center early next summer.
Endeavour will arrive at KSC atop NASA's newest modified 747
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Endeavour's first flight will be in May
1992 on Space Shuttle mission STS-49, a mission to retrieve,
repair and redeploy a communications satellite for the
International Telecommunications Satellite organization
(INTELSAT). STS-49 will also feature the first extravehicular
activity by man since return to flight in 1988.
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