| Title: | Space Exploration |
| Notice: | Shuttle launch schedules, see Note 6 |
| Moderator: | PRAGMA::GRIFFIN |
| Created: | Mon Feb 17 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Thu Jun 05 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 974 |
| Total number of notes: | 18843 |
Article: 12
From: [email protected] (Peter E. Yee)
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: KSC closes out another successful year and prepares for 1992
(Forwarded)
Date: 19 Dec 91 21:10:28 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Bruce Buckingham
407/867-2468 Dec. 19, 1991
KSC RELEASE NO. 143 - 91
KSC CLOSES OUT ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR AND PREPARES FOR 1992
Kennedy Space Center ended the year 1991 with quality and
success in mind. Throughout the past 12 months, the KSC team has
responded to the challenges set forth by the space agency and in
many cases exceeded those expectations.
KSC successfully launched six Space Shuttle missions during
the past year, began flight processing for the newest orbiter in
the fleet, and began construction of several facilities that will
be key to America's future role in space.
The first Shuttle launch of 1991 did not occur as early as
originally hoped. When cracks were found on the orbiter Discovery
(STS-39) external tank door hinge mechanisms -- after the vehicle
was at the pad -- the vehicle was returned to the Orbiter
Processing Facility for repairs.
Processing was then focused on Atlantis' mission STS-37 and
the Gamma Ray Observatory, which turned out to be the year's
first mission. Thereafter, the launch team was able to meet the
launch schedule and mission objectives for the rest of the year.
Later, another problem with cracks was overcome. This time
microscopic cracks were found on several T-seals located between
the orbiter's wing leading edge reinforced carbon-carbon thermal
barrier panels. The seals were repaired or replaced and flight
schedules resumed.
Also, for the first time since 1986, several Space Shuttle
missions were scheduled for possible prime site landing not only
at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., but at KSC as well. Two
flights did in fact make planned landings at Kennedy's shuttle
landing facility in 1991.
A renewed confidence from the Shuttle program office to
resume planned landings back at KSC was rewarded when Discovery
(STS-39) and Atlantis (STS-43) made perfect touchdowns on the
15,000-foot-long runway.
Late this year, NASA announced the Program Director for
Space Shuttle will move office functions from Washington, D.C. to
KSC. The post will be headed by Leonard S. Nicholson, currently
the Space Shuttle Program Deputy Director. Nicholson will replace
Robert L. Crippen in the position, but will be joining him in
Florida as Crippen becomes KSC's new Center Director. The moves
are effective Jan. 1, 1992.
Outgoing Center Director Forrest McCartney will leave KSC's
top post at the end of the year. His tenure as KSC's fourth
Center Director saw the space agency through 19 safe and
successful Shuttle missions and numerous unmanned expendable
vehicle launches.
1991 SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS:
The following is a brief summary of the 1991 Shuttle
missions (all times are Eastern):
STS-37 -- Atlantis was launched at 9:22 a.m. on April 5. It
landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., at 9:55 a.m. on April
11.
MISSION: The primary objective of this mission was to deploy the
Gamma Ray Observatory into low earth orbit. The observatory, the
second of NASA's four "Great Observatories," was designed to
conduct an extensive on-orbit search for celestial gamma ray
emissions over a two-year period. When the spacecraft's high gain
antenna failed to deploy properly, crewmen Jerry Ross and Jay Apt
made an unscheduled contingency spacewalk to free the antenna.
The spacecraft has already returned significant new
information about the sources of gamma rays in the universe.
The next day after deployment of the observatory, Ross and
Apt performed the first scheduled spacewalk since 1985 to test
and judge various means for astronauts to move themselves and
equipment on Space Station Freedom.
STS-39 -- Discovery was launched at 7:33 a.m. on April 28. It
landed at KSC at 2:55 p.m. on May 6.
MISSION: This was the eighth mission dedicated to the Department
of Defense, however, it was the first unclassified DOD mission.
The unclassified payload consisted of Air Force Program-675;
Infrared Background Signature Survey; and Space Test Pallet
Satellite.
Discovery made an unplanned landing at KSC's shuttle landing
facility when unacceptable weather conditions persisted at
Edwards Air Force Base. This was the seventh time in 40 shuttle
missions an orbiter landed at KSC.
STS-40 -- Columbia was launched at 9:24 a.m. on June 5. It landed
at EAFB at 11:51 a.m. on June 14.
MISSION: The third Space Shuttle mission of the year was designed
around the first Spacelab Life Sciences mission, SLS-1, the first
spacelab dedicated entirely to life sciences research. During the
mission's nine-day flight, the seven member crew performed about
18 different experiments to explore how the heart, lungs, blood
vessels, and other body organs responded to microgravity.
The crew also studied possible causes of space sickness and
the changes in muscles and bones during space flight and the
readjustment to gravity once back on Earth. Twenty-nine rats were
carried onboard to facilitate the experiments on bone and muscle.
STS-43 -- Atlantis was launched at 11:02 a.m. on Aug. 2. It
landed at KSC at 8:23 a.m. on Aug. 11.
MISSION: The principal objective of this mission was the
deployment of NASA's fourth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
(TDRS). Following deployment from the orbiter's payload bay, the
Inertial Upper Stage Booster successfully placed the 4,905 pound
communications satellite into geosynchronous orbit about 22,300
miles above the Earth.
Atlantis landed back at KSC's shuttle landing facility in
the first planned end-of-mission landing at KSC since 1985.
STS-48 -- Discovery was launched at 7:11 p.m. on Sept. 12. It
landed at EAFB at 3:38 a.m. on Sept. 18.
MISSION: The mission objectives of the Upper Atmosphere Research
Satellite (UARS) are to better understand the character of the
ozone depletion of the Earth's upper atmosphere and to continue
the assessments of human activities in current atmospheric
changes. UARS was successfully deployed on day three of this
five-day mission. It will monitor events in the Earth's higher
atmospheric regions over the north and south poles for two years.
The satellite has performed flawlessly since launch.
STS-44 -- Atlantis was launched at 6:44 p.m. on Nov. 24. It
landed at EAFB at 5:34 p.m. on Dec. 1.
MISSION: The second non-classified Department of Defense payload
to be launched aboard the Shuttle this year featured the Defense
Support Program (DSP) satellite. This spacecraft was designed to
detect nuclear detonations and missile launches while stationed
about 22,000 miles above the earth. Following DSP deployment on
the first day of flight, the crew concentrated on a variety of
secondary military and medical payloads and experiments on board.
The mission was cut short by three days due to the failure
of one of three Inertial Measurement Units. Landing had been
scheduled for KSC. Due to the failed instrument, flight rules
dictated a landing at EAFB on the next opportunity available.
NEW KSC FACILITIES AND MODIFICATIONS
After Discovery (STS-48) landed at Edwards Air Force Base
and was ferried back to KSC on Sept. 26, the vehicle was towed to
the newest of KSC's Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) bays. First
flow processing went well for the new bay. Discovery, now slated
for mission STS-42 in Jan. 1992, was transferred to the Vehicle
Assembly Building on Dec. 13.
The new OPF bay, located north of the VAB, is the most
modern of the three processing facility bays. It is about the
same size as the other two and adjacent to a new two-story
support area. OPF bay 3 was initially used for off-line orbiter
inspections, repair work and vehicle modifications. It was
upgraded to full support status in September and will greatly
enhance KSC's efficiency and ability to process vehicles for
launch.
* * * *
In anticipation of the time NASA will begin launching
elements for the assembly of Space Station Freedom, construction
began on the half-million-square-foot Space Station Processing
Facility (SSPF) located in KSC's Industrial Area. Ground was
broken on March 26 for the facility which, when complete, will be
occupied by about 1,000 NASA and contractor employees.
The three-story SSPF will have over 63,000 square feet of
dedicated payload processing space. It is the largest new
construction facility undertaken at KSC since the Apollo era. The
total cost of construction is valued at about $56 million. It is
due to be completed in late 1994.
* * * *
In May, ground was broken for the Canister Cleaning and
Rotation Facility (CCRF). The multi-purpose facility will be used
for cleaning and maintaining KSC's twin payload transport
canisters. Each canister is 65 feet long and is used to transfer
both horizontal and vertical payloads between payload and orbiter
processing facilities and the launch pads.
The new CCRF will allow workers the necessary space to
properly store, clean and when necessary rotate to horizontal or
vertical the canisters without having to make unnecessary trips
to the VAB to use the overhead bridge cranes. The CCRF will have
7,200 square feet of high bay outfitted with a 100-ton crane for
lifting and rotation. The facility will be located in the KSC
Industrial Area behind the Headquarters Building. The total
construction cost of the CCRF is about $5.3 million. It is
scheduled to be operational by mid-1992.
Also in May, ground was broken for KSC's new Space Shuttle
Processing Control Center (PCC). This three-story, 99,000-square-
foot facility will be dedicated to orbiter testing, launch team
training and Launch Processing Systems maintenance for the Space
Shuttle. The PCC will be located between the OPF and the
Operations Support Building in the Launch Complex 39 area.
The $8.9 million facility is scheduled to be operational by
June 1992. It will compliment the existing Launch Control Center
in performing the hundreds of Shuttle tests required during
processing flows each year.
* * * *
Modifications were made to Launch pad 39-B, causing the pad
to go off-line for about six months this year. About 50
modification and repair contracts were earmarked for pad work.
Modifications and improvements were made to the environmental
control system, the payload changeout room, the rotating service
structure, and hardware and electrical systems. This down-time
also provided an opportunity to make improvements to the safety
and overall efficiency of the launch facility.
The estimated cost of the modifications is about $3.3
million. The first Space Shuttle to be launched from pad 39-B
following this work will be Endeavour's maiden flight, scheduled
for next year on mission STS-49.
* * * *
Several enhancements are underway for KSC's shuttle landing
facility. Increases to the safety margins for Space Shuttle
landings include improved lighting systems, re-paving both ends
of the runway, and shoring-up the 3-mile-long landing strip's
shoulders. The estimated cost of the project is about $350,000.
* * * *
The four-lane widening of Kennedy Parkway South (State Road
3), one of KSC's busiest highways, was completed this past summer
giving long awaited relief from severe traffic congestion during
rush hours. The $3.2 million project was coupled with Brevard
County's commitment to widen its portion of the much traveled
Route 3. With work on KSC's portion of the highway complete, KSC
employees are assured of a safer and quicker drive to and from
work.
* * * *
At KSC's Spaceport USA, NASA and the Astronauts Memorial
Foundation (AMF) completed construction of a monument dedicated
to fallen astronauts titled, "Space Mirror."
Vice-President Dan Quayle joined NASA Administrator Richard
Truly to visit the monument on opening day, May 9, 1991. They
addressed a crowd of nearly two thousand who had gathered on the
six-acre tract to see the 42-foot-high by 50-foot-wide wall of
polished granite. Etched on the "Space Mirror" are the names of
14 astronauts who have died while furthering the cause of space
exploration. Mechanically driven and computer controlled, the
mirror rotates in sequence with the rising and setting of the sun
each day.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Space-related employment and contracts at KSC boosted
Florida's economy by $1.4 billion during fiscal year 1991. This
represents an increase of about $100 million over the previous
year.
Employment numbers at KSC also rose. Permanent federal
employees at KSC now number about 2,700. Nearly 3,500 people were
employed through construction and tenant jobs at KSC. The
majority of workers at KSC are employed by on-site contractors
and total about 12,900. Overall, approximately 19,050 workers
were employed at KSC through the close of the fiscal year on
September 30.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS
RECYCLING
KSC entered 1991 on a major paper recycling drive that has
only grown during the past 12 months. In February the General
Services Administration contracted with East Coast Paper Stock
Inc. of Rockledge, Fla., to purchase waste paper generated at
KSC. To date the KSC paper recycling program has exceeded one
million pounds of reusable paper and the number is growing daily.
Estimates indicate KSC could recycle nearly 50,000 pounds of
paper every week once the paper program is fully operational.
TASK TEAM LEADER
A revolutionary concept in management has taken hold in the
Shuttle processing world. Task team leaders are being assigned to
various qualifying functions and jobs with the purpose of
streamlining resources, focusing management oversight and
reducing paperwork. As jobs are scheduled, a task leader is
assigned to track its progress. With the assistance of team
members, this individual has the authority to make decisions and
arrange for help to keep the job moving. This person will help
focus the work and be responsible for the entire operation from
start to finish.
Currently, more than 1,800 jobs on the Space Shuttle have
been targeted for a task team leader. The intent of the task
leader is to make work in the OPF more efficient. The long term
effect will ultimately reduce the amount of time a vehicle spends
in the OPF, allowing the program a higher flight rate.
The task team leader concept is credited for contributing to
the record OPF flow of Atlantis for mission STS-43. Atlantis was
in the OPF for a record low 59 days, besting the post-Challenger
record by 10 days. Originally, managers had hoped for a 65-day
flow at best. The relatively small number of orbiter problems was
also a help in breaking the record, giving workers a jump on the
major tasks and shortening the schedule.
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Another major thrust within KSC management in 1991 is the
Total Quality Management concept. TQM teams are being formed
weekly as KSC strives to implement this new way of management.
The initial teams are being formed by non-management-level
workers. More and more of that is giving way to a rise in teams
formed from management levels down as supervisors and managers
become familiar with TQM principles.
MILESTONES REACHED
NASA's newest Space Shuttle orbiter, Endeavour, was
delivered to KSC on May 7. The new orbiter was rolled out of the
Rockwell manufacturing facility in Palmdale, Calif., on April 25,
and ferried cross-country on NASA's newest modified 747 Shuttle
Carrier Aircraft.
Endeavour is the fifth Space Shuttle to be built -- the
first in over four years. Endeavour was funded as a replacement
vehicle for the Space Shuttle Challenger, following its loss in
January 1986.
The new orbiter features two distinct differences from its
three sister ships. Endeavour, designated OV-105, sports a drag
chute modification to aid in decelerations and reduce loads on
the brakes and landing gear. Endeavour also has been equipped
with additional internal plumbing and electrical connections to
support extended duration missions of two weeks or more.
The vehicle was temporarily located in the Vehicle Assembly
Building when first delivered to KSC. While there several major
components were installed including the liquid hydrogen 17-inch
disconnect, ammonia boiler, flash evaporator and external tank
door drive mechanisms.
On July 25, Endeavour was transferred to OPF bay 1. It was
powered up for the first time at KSC on August 8. This milestone
in the first flow processing of the new vehicle signified the
kick-off of major electrical tests.
Endeavour is targeted to be rolled out of the OPF and to the
VAB for solid rocket booster and external tank stacking early
next year. Endeavour will then be moved out to the newly modified
pad 39-B for the mandatory Flight Readiness Firing of the three
main engines.
Endeavour's first mission, STS-49, is currently targeted for
May 1992. The primary objective of the mission involves the
retrieval, repair and re-boosting of the INTELSAT-VI
communications satellite. Extra-vehicular activity, or
spacewalks, will be required to successfully perform this
objective.
* * * *
The first of NASA's operational Space Shuttle orbiters,
Columbia, was sent off to the Rockwell Facility in Palmdale,
Calif., about two months following the delivery of Endeavour to
KSC. At Palmdale, Columbia has been treated to extensive
modifications to support extended duration missions. The oldest
of NASA's orbiters will also undergo structural inspections and
systems maintenance.
About 50 modifications are planned for Columbia. These
include the installation of improved nose wheel steering
capability, carbon brakes on the main landing gear and five new
general purpose computers. Columbia also will be outfitted with
the drag chute modification and its thermal protection system
will be upgraded.
Part of NASA's long range plans involve keeping Shuttles in
space for longer periods of time. Columbia, with its new capacity
for extended flight, will be the first orbiter to fly a planned
13-day mission -- the United States Microgravity Laboratory-1,
scheduled for the summer of 1992.
* * * *
The $40 million complex of Spaceport USA, the NASA visitors
center at Kennedy Space Center, celebrated its 25th anniversary
July 16. The first tour of Kennedy Space Center occurred in 1966
and the first permanent facility was opened at the present
location of Spaceport USA in 1967. This year alone, nearly 2
million people have trekked through Florida's fourth most popular
tourist attraction.
WHAT'S AHEAD
KSC continues to keep an eye on the future as planning and
scheduling for the next year proceeds. NASA has manifested eight
Space Shuttle missions in 1992 and three expendable vehicle
launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The 1992 expendable schedule begins with NASA's Extreme
Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) scheduled for launch in May aboard an
Air Force Delta 2. This spacecraft will identify, map and catalog
extreme ultraviolet sources in the universe.
Other expendable missions include Geotail to be launched on
a McDonnell Douglas Delta 2 and the Mars Observer to be launched
on a Martin Marietta Titan III.
Half of the Space Shuttle missions scheduled for next year
will feature spacelab components. The majority of astronauts'
time on missions STS-42, STS-45, STS-50 and STS-47 will be spent
in spacelab modules housed in the payload bay of the orbiters.
These modules are currently under build-up at KSC.
The eight Shuttle missions scheduled for 1992 are (in launch
order):
STS-42 -- Discovery will carry into orbit the first International
Microgravity Laboratory (IML) mission. The seven member crew will
spend seven days in space conducting a variety of experiments on
materials and life sciences. These experiments are designed to
accommodate research in the zero gravity environment of space.
IML-1 is an international research endeavor combining the
efforts of hundreds of scientists from 18 countries. The week
long mission will have experiments conducted 24 hours a day.
Following this mission, Discovery will be returned to the
OPF for refurbishments and modifications similar to those
currently in work on Columbia.
STS-45 -- Atlantis will carry into orbit the Atmospheric
Laboratory for Applications and Sciences (ATLAS-1). The seven
member crew on this eight-day mission will concentrate their
efforts on measuring the effects of the sun on the Earth's
atmosphere and climate. Effects of industrial facilities and
agricultural activities on our planet will also be evaluated.
Additional studies will focus on various sources of ultraviolet
light in the universe and determine what effect the Earth's
electric and magnetic fields have on each other. Around the clock
experimentation is scheduled.
STS-49 -- Endeavour's maiden flight will feature the most
complex satellite retrieval mission ever undertaken by NASA. This
seven-day mission will involve spacewalking astronauts to
rendezvous with the stranded INTELSAT-VI (International
Telecommunications Satellite) and attach to it a solid rocket
motor for re-boosting.
INTELSAT was launched aboard a Titan vehicle in March 1990.
Due to a satellite/launch vehicle separation problem, the
spacecraft was left stranded in low Earth orbit. The orbit was
stabilized and plans worked out to perform the rescue in space.
Endeavour will carry into orbit a 23,000 pound perigee kick
motor in a specially designed cradle located in the payload bay
of the orbiter. Using special power tools with extensions and
electrical connectors, two astronauts will capture the INTELSAT
and attach to it the new kick motor. The mission is scheduled to
conclude with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base. Upon landing,
the new orbiter drag chute modification will be deployed.
STS-50 -- Making the first return to flight since extensive
modification and refurbishment is the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Modifications to Columbia allow this to be the first extended
duration orbiter (EDO) flight. The mission is scheduled to last
13 days. Two additional days in flight are possible with
provisions added for potential contingency.
Columbia's mission is to take into orbit the United States
Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1). These spacelab mounted
experiments will center on microgravity materials processing
technology and science and research requiring a low-gravity
environment. Space station technology and applications will be
emphasized during the flight. USML consists of 10 scientific
experiments and associated hardware housed in a long spacelab
module. A crew of seven will operate the experiments during the
possible record breaking mission.
STS-46 -- Atlantis will deploy EURECA (European Retrievable
Carrier) on flight day 1 of the mission and the TSS (Tethered
Satellite System) on flight day 4. EURECA is currently at the
Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. TSS is
a cooperative NASA/Italian project and is currently being
processed for launch in the Operations and Checkout Building.
EURECA is a European Space Agency sponsored, reusable, free-
flying platform. It will be deployed from the payload bay and
retrieved about a year later by the Space Shuttle. TSS is a 5-
foot in diameter spherical satellite weighing about 1,140 pounds.
It will be doled out on a superstrong conducting cord, a Kevlar
cord about the diameter of pencil lead. Then, like trolling for
fish, it will dangle from the payload bay at a length of about 12
miles before being reeled back in.
The tether reel is designed to hold up to 68 miles of
tether. The TSS satellite itself is composed of eight exterior
sections with access doors for servicing batteries, windows for
sun and Earth sensors, and surface mounted umbilical connectors.
STS-47 -- Endeavour, on its second mission, will carry into
orbit Spacelab-J (Japan) on a seven-day flight. This cooperative
effort between NASA and NASDA (National Space Development Agency
of Japan) will feature 22 materials experiments and 12 life
sciences experiments. STS-47 payload specialist Mamoru Mohri will
be the first Japanese astronaut to fly aboard the Shuttle.
STS-52 -- Columbia will deploy the Laser Geodynamic Satellite,
or LAGEOS, spacecraft. LAGEOS is designed to help establish a
system of very precise Earth geodesy. LAGEOS is a passive payload
with its entire surface covered with special reflectors. The
spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at KSC early next year for
processing. The mission is scheduled to last nine days and carry
a crew of six.
STS-53 -- The last mission manifested for next year is the Space
Shuttle Discovery, returning to service following extensive
modifications. Discovery is slated for a four-day flight
dedicated to the Department of Defense. A crew of five is
scheduled to fly.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 774.1 | KSC closes out 1992 with 8 space shuttle launches and 5 expendable vehicle launches | PRAGMA::GRIFFIN | Dave Griffin | Thu Dec 17 1992 10:39 | 322 |
George H. Diller December 11, 1992 Kennedy Space Center KSC Release No: 167-92 Kennedy Space Center successfully launched eight Space Shuttle missions in 1992, with five flights ending at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. The Expendable Vehicles Directorate at KSC also coordinated launch activities for 5 liftoffs of scientific spacecraft. Improved efficiency was the watchword for 1992. The launch countdown for all eight Shuttle missions began on the day set by NASA management at the Flight Readiness Review (FRR). Seven were launched on the date set at the FRR, with one mission, STS-47, lifting off on the hour, minute and second scheduled. None had any major flight or ground support equipment hardware (GSE) problems and there were no in-flight anomalies associated with processing work. Additionally, Shuttle processing work hours, overtime, GSE open paperwork and vehicle problem reports were reduced significantly. Launches in 1992 began with the Space Shuttle Discovery. On January 22, at 9:53 a.m. EST, Discovery lifted off from Pad 39-A on STS-42, carrying the first International Microgravity Laboratory, or IML-1. The international crew consisted of Commander Ronald J. Grabe, Pilot Stephen S. Oswald, Mission Specialists William F. Readdy, Norman E. Thagard, David C. Hil- mers, Canadian Payload Specialist Roberta L. Bondar and German Payload Specialist Ulf D. Merbold. The crew conducted experiments on the human nervous system's adaptation to low gravity and the effects of microgravity on other life forms such as shrimp, eggs, lentil seedlings, fruit fly eggs and bacteria. Low gravity materials processing experiments included crystal growth from a variety of substances such as enzymes, a virus, and mercury iodide. There were also 10 Get Away Special canisters on board, a number of mid-deck payloads and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program experiments. Landing was on Jan. 30 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Runway 22, on orbit 129, with a mission duration of 8 days, 1 hour, 14 minutes, 45 seconds. The second flight of the year was STS-45 with the Space Shuttle Atlantis. This was the first launch of ATLAS-1, or the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science. Liftoff was on March 24 at 8:13 a.m. EST from Pad 39-A. The seven crew members aboard included Commander Charles F. Bolden, Pilot Brian Duffy, Mission Specialists Kathryn D. Sullivan, C. Michael Foale, David C. Leestma and Payload Specialists Byron K. Lichtenberg and Belgium's Dirk D. Frimout. The ATLAS-1 experiments were mounted on pallets in the orbiter's cargo bay and included 12 instruments from the U.S., France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Japan. Studies were conducted in atmospheric chemistry, solar radiation, space plasma physics and ultraviolet astronomy. Other payloads included SSBUV, or the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet experiment, one Get Away Special experiment and six mid-deck experiments. Landing came on orbit 143 on April 2 at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33. The mission elapsed time was 8 days, 22 hours, 9 minutes, 24 seconds. The maiden flight of NASA's new Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-49, produced the most spectacular mission of the year as its seven member astronaut crew set out to retrieve an Intelsat satellite stranded in low earth orbit. Endeavour's first launch, the third Space Shuttle launch of the year, occurred on May 7 at 7:40 p.m. EDT from Pad 39-B. Aboard were Commander Dan C. Brandenstein, Pilot Kevin P. Chilton and Mission Specialists Bruce E. Melnick, Thomas D. Akers, Richard J. Hieb, Kathryn C. Thornton and Pierre J. Thuot. Carrying a new perigee kick motor into orbit to be attached to the satellite, the capture required three EVA's and the first spacewalk ever by three astronauts. Eventually shagged by hand so that a special capture bar could be attached, the 4.5-ton satellite was maneuvered by the astronauts into the payload bay, mated to the solid rocket motor and then released back into space. A planned EVA also was performed by astronauts Thornton and Akers as part of the Assembly of Station by EVA Methods (ASEM) to verify assembly and maintenance techniques for Space Station Freedom. The flight set a record for the longest EVA time for a single mission: 25 hours and 27 minutes. There were also three secondary "payload of opportunity" experiments. Landing occurred on May 16 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Runway 22, on Orbit 141. The mission elapsed time was 8 days, 21 hours, 17 minutes, 38 seconds. This was also the first use of the orbiter drag chute during landing. The fourth launch of 1992 was the Space Shuttle Columbia, embarking on mission STS-50. The primary payload was the first United States Microgravity Laboratory, USML-1, a manned Spacelab module with connecting tunnel to the orbiter crew compartment. Launch occurred on June 25 at 12:12 p.m. EDT from Pad 39-A. USML was a national effort to advance microgravity research in a broad number of disciplines. Crew members included Commander Richard N. Richards, Pilot Kenneth D. Bowersox, Mission Specialists Bonnie J. Dunbar, Carl J. Meade and Ellen S. Baker and Payload Specialists Lawrence J. DeLucas and Eugene H. Trinh. The first Extended Duration Orbiter flight was also the longest Space Shuttle flight to date, lasting 13 days, 19 hours, 30 minutes, 4 seconds. The 11 primary experiments provided new information on the effects of long-term human stay in space. Three secondary experiments were also flown. Landing was on July 9, orbit 220, at the Kennedy Space Center on Runway 33. The Space Shuttle Atlantis embarked on the STS-46 mission in July for flight number five in 1992. Aboard were the European Space Agency's European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) and the Tethered Satellite System (TSS). Astronauts aboard included Commander Loren J. Shriver, Pilot Andrew M. Allen, Mission Specialists Jeffery A. Hoffman, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Marsha S. Ivins and Claude Nicollier and Payload Specialist Franco Malerba from Italy. Launch from Pad 39-B was on July 31 at 9:57 a.m. EDT. After the successful deployment of EURECA, the crew's attention was turned to the release of the Tethered Satellite. However, during deployment, the satellite reached a maximum distance of only 860 feet from the orbiter, instead of the planned 12.5 miles, because of a jammed tether line. After numerous attempts to free the line, TSS operations were curtailed and the satellite was stowed for return to Earth. Eight secondary experiments were also flown on the mission. Landing on orbit 127 occurred on Aug. 8 at KSC using runway 33, with a mission elapsed time of 7 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes, 3 seconds. KSC's sixth Space Shuttle launch of the year was with Endeavour carrying the Spacelab-J laboratory module. A joint mission between NASA and Japan's NASDA space agency, microgravity investigations were conducted in the disciplines of materials science and life sciences. Launch from Pad 39-B occurred on Sept. 12 at 10:23 a.m. EDT. Aboard Endeavour were commander Robert L. Gibson, Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Mission Specialists Mark C. Lee, N. Jan Davis and Mae C. Jemison and Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri of Japan. Three space firsts were recorded: the first Japanese astronaut to fly aboard the Space Shuttle, the first African-American woman to fly in space and the first married couple to fly on the same space mission. Spacelab J included 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, seven by NASA, and two more were collaborative efforts. Some of the materials science investigations covered fields including electronic materials, fluid dynamics, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys. Life sciences experiments included animal and human physiology, space radiation, biological development, biological rhythms and cell separation. Test subjects included the astronauts, frogs and frog eggs, carp, chicken embryos, fruit flys, plant seeds and fungi. There were five mid-deck experiments, plus 12 Get Away Special canisters in the cargo bay. Landing was at Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 20, on Runway 33. The mission elapsed time was 7 days, 22 hours, 31 minutes, 11 seconds, with a touchdown on Orbit 127. The seventh launch of 1992 was Columbia on the STS-52 mission. The crew members included Commander James B. Weatherbee, Pilot Michael A. Baker, Mission Specialists Willam M. Shepard, Tamara E. Jernigan and Charles Lacy Veach and Payload Specialist Steven G. MacLean of Canada. The liftoff occurred on Oct. 22 at 1:10 p.m. EDT from Pad 39-B. The primary objective of STS-52 was to deploy the Laser Geodynamic Satellite (LAGEOS II) atop an Italian Research Interim Stage (IRIS) upper stage booster. LAGEOS II was a joint effort between NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). USMP-1, the first U.S. Microgravity Payload, was also part of Endeavour's STS-52 primary mission, conducting three experiments using weightlessness to research the potential of space manufacturing of new materials. There were also more than a dozen secondary experiments aboard, carried in the cargo bay and on Columbia's mid-deck. Landing of Columbia was on orbit 159 at the Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 1, Runway 33, with a mission elapsed time of 9 days, 20 hours, 56 minutes, 13 seconds. The last flight of 1992 was that of the Space Shuttle Discovery, launched on a mission for the Department of Defense. This was Discovery's fifteenth launch, most for any orbiter in the fleet. Launch from Pad 39-A was at 8:24 a.m. EST on December 2. While the primary payload was classified, there were a dozen unclassified secondary payloads aboard. The STS-53 astronauts included Commander David Walker, Pilot Robert Cabana and Mission Specialists Guion Bluford, Michael Clifford and James Voss. Landing was diverted to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., because of cloud cover at KSC, with a landing on Runway 22, orbit 115. Mission elapsed time was 7 days, 7 hours, 19 minutes, 17 seconds. There were five expendable vehicles launches in 1992 involving NASA, Air Force and contractor personnel from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The first unmanned launch of 1992 was NASA's Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) aboard an Air Force Delta II rocket from Launch Complex 17. Liftoff occurred on June 7 at 12:50 p.m. from Pad 17-A. The spacecraft carried four telescopes into orbit to map and study extreme ultraviolet sources within and also outside of the Milky Way galaxy. The second unmanned launch of the year was Geotail, a spacecraft in the International Solar Terrestrial Physics Program (ISTP). The spacecraft was developed by Japan in a collaborative launch initiative with NASA. This was the first mission to be flown under NASA's Medium Expendable Launch Vehicle contract, awarded to McDonnell Douglas for a civil launch of a Delta II vehicle. Liftoff occurred at 10:26 a.m. on July 24 from Pad A at Launch Complex 17. The third and final unmanned flight from the Cape was the Mars Observer spacecraft atop a Martin Marietta Titan III rocket. The launch occurred from Complex 40 on September 25 at 1:05 p.m. Attached to the spacecraft was the first TOS, or Transfer Orbit Stage, a solid propellant single stage upper stage booster manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation. The Titan III/TOS combination placed the spacecraft on a near-perfect planetary trajectory for an 11-month cruise toward Mars. There were also two NASA Scout launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, performed by a KSC launch team on temporary duty at the west coast launch site. A NASA science payload, the Small Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX) was launched from Space Launch Complex 5 on July 3 at 10:19 a.m. EDT. Also launched aboard a NASA Scout vehicle was a research and development payload for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. The payload was called MSTI, which stands for Miniature Seeker Technology Integration, and was the first in a planned series. The launch occurred at 8:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 21. It was the 116th successful launch of a Scout. In addition to a busy launch year, other significant milestones and accomplishments were achieved by KSC in 1992. Pad 39-B was returned to service for Endeavour's maiden voyage after $3.5 million dollars in modifications and upgrades. A total of 51 modifications were made to improve processing efficiency and enhance safety at the pad. The Orbiters Columbia and Discovery were also returned to the fleet after a period of extensive improvements and modifications were made, approximately 50 in number. A drag chute was added, the nose wheel steering was improved, new carbon brakes and improved auxiliary power units were added, and five new general purpose computers were installed. Also, Columbia became an "extended duration orbiter," capable of flying missions of 16 days or more. In mid-October, Orbiter Atlantis was returned to the Rockwell plant in Palmdale for similar modifications. In April this year, a milestone in construction was reached when the final structural steel beam was hoisted atop the giant Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF). The SSPF is the biggest new construction effort undertaken at KSC since the Apollo era, comprising a total of 466,000 square feet. The building is expected to be ready for use in mid-1994. In late July, the new Space Shuttle Processing Control Center (PCC) was dedicated. The new three-story, 99,000-square-foot facility is dedicated to Space Shuttle orbiter testing, launch team training, and maintenance of the Launch Processing System (LPS). The building houses control rooms for orbiter processing control equipment and will provide Space Shuttle engineers with state-of-the-art areas to improve and maintain their skills during processing flows of the orbiters. The facility's first floor consists of offices, workshops and laboratories for the maintenance and testing of LPS and related equipment. The second floor contains additional office space and areas for launch team training and computer software production. Orbiter control rooms dominate the third floor. Ground was broken in October for the new Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) being constructed in the KSC Industrial Area near the exisiting Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The facility will be used to process the propulsion assemblies that provide the thrust to allow Space Station Freedom to maintain its orbit and attitude. Other hazardous operations such as spacecraft fueling and spin testing can also be performed there. The facility replaces the Payload Spin Test Facility on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station which has been turned over to the U.S. Air Force to support Delta launches. The HPF will feature a 1,800-square-foot environmentally controlled high bay and spin table, with an adjacent 9,000-square-foot low bay area. Another ground-breaking took place Dec. 10 at Spaceport USA for a new education facility sponsored by the Astronaut Memorial Foundation. It will be operated for the educational community by the KSC Education Office and the Foundation. Several functions now being performed in facilities on KSC and Spaceport USA will move to the new facility. Enhancements were made at the Shuttle Landing Facility this year in an effort to increase safety margins for orbiter landings. These improvements included a beef-up of the shoulders, replacing the runway lights and adding conduit for future electrical needs. In the area of Life Sciences at NASA's Hangar L on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, scientists pulled out their pruning shears and scales once again to harvest nearly 350 pounds of potatoes grown without soil inside a computer-controlled biomass chamber. The potato harvest was the eleventh in the history of KSC's Closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) program. Previous crops have included lettuce, wheat and soybeans. The program is con- tinuing to provide information on how astronauts can grow much of their own food in space. The year 1993 will again prove to be a busy time for NASA-KSC. A total of eight Space Shuttle launches and four expendable vehicle launches are scheduled. Among the payloads to be launched on the Space Shuttle will be TDRS-F, another in the series of NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellites; two laboratory modules including Spacelab D-2 in collaboration with Germany and also NASA's Spacelab Life Sciences-2; the second in the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science, known as ATLAS-2, mounted on Spacelab pallets; the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) to be deployed from the Space Shuttle on a Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS); the first flight of Spacehab, a pressurized crew cabin extension module with numerous additional mid-deck locker space for experiments; a mission for the retrieval of EURECA, the European Space Agency's European Retrievable Carrier; and a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, two launches for NASA are tentatively planned. These include a Delta launch for WIND, a satellite to investigate the solar wind, and the Atlas Centaur launch of GOES-I, the first in the next generation of geostationary weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Two Scout launches are also scheduled for the KSC launch team from Vandenberg Air Force Base. MSTI-2, and also RADCAL which stands for Radiation Calibration experiment -- a research and development payload for the U.S. Air Force. | |||||