STS-71
|
|
STS-71 is a Space Shuttle program mission.
| Space Shuttle program | |
|---|---|
| Mission Insignia | |
| |
| Mission Statistics | |
| Mission: | STS-71 |
| Shuttle: | Atlantis |
| Launch Pad: | 39-A |
| Launch: | June 27, 1995 19:32:19 UTC |
| Landing: | KSC July 7, 1995 at 14:55:28 UTC on Runway 15. |
| Duration: | 9 days, 19 hours, 23 minutes, 9 seconds |
| Orbit Altitude: | 170 nautical miles (315 km) |
| Orbit Inclination: | 51.6 degrees |
| Distance Traveled: | 4.1 million miles (6.6 million km) |
| Crew photo | |
| Missing image STS-71_crew.jpg | |
| Previous Mission: STS-67 |
Next Mission: STS-70 |
| Contents |
Crew
- Robert L. Gibson (5), Commander
- Charles J. Precourt (2), Pilot
- Ellen S. Baker (3), Mission Specialist
- Bonnie J. Dunbar (4), Mission Specialist
- Gregory J. Harbaugh (3), Mission Specialist
Launched: Mir-19 Crew
- Anatoly Solovyev (4), MIR-19 crew upload
- Nikolai Budarin (1), MIR-19 crew upload
Landed: Mir-18 Crew
- Norman E. Thagard (5), MIR-18 crew download
- Vladimir Dezhurov (1), MIR-18 crew download
- Gennady Strekalov (6), MIR-18 crew download
Mission Parameters
- Mass: 12,191 kg payload
- Perigee: 342 km
- Apogee: 342 km
- Inclination: 51.6°
- Period: 88.9 min
1st Mir docking mission
- Docked: June 29, 1995, 13:00:16 UTC
- Undocked: July 4, 1995, 11:09:42 UTC
- Time Docked: 4 days, 22 h, 9 min, 26 s
Mission Highlights
The primary objectives of this flight were to rendezvous and perform the first Shuttle docking between the Space Shuttle and the Russian Space Station Mir on June 29. In the first such docking in twenty years, Atlantis delivered relief crew of two cosmonauts.
Other prime objectives are on-orbit joint United States of America-Russian life sciences investigations aboard SPACELAB/Mir, logistical resupply of the Mir, recovery of US astronaut - Norman E. Thagard and the delivery of two cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyev and Nikolai Budarin to Mir.
Secondary objectives include filming with the IMAX camera and the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II (SAREX-II) experiment.
STS-71 marked a number of historic firsts in human spaceflight history: 100th U.S. human space launch conducted from Cape; first U.S. Space Shuttle-Russian Space Station Mir docking and joint on-orbit operations; largest spacecraft ever in orbit; and first on-orbit changeout of Shuttle crew.
Docking occurred at 9 a.m. EDT, June 29, using R-Bar or Earth radius vector approach, with Atlantis closing in on Mir from directly below. R-bar approach allows natural forces to brake orbiter's approach more than would occur along standard approach directly in front of space station; also, R-bar approach minimizes number of orbiter jet firings needed for approach. Manual phase of docking began with Atlantis about a half-mile (800 m) below Mir, with Gibson at controls on aft flight deck. Stationkeeping performed when orbiter was about 250 feet (76 m) from Mir, pending approval from Russian and U.S. flight directors to proceed. Gibson then maneuvered orbiter to a point at about 30 feet (9 m) from Mir before beginning final approach to station. Closing rate was close to targeted 0.1 foot per second (30 mm/s) and closing velocity was approximately 0.107 foot per second (33 mm/s) at contact. Interface contact was nearly flawless: less than one inch (25 mm) lateral misalignment and an angular misalignment of less than 0.5 degrees per axis. Docking occurred about 216 nautical miles (400 km) above Lake Baykal region of the Russian Federation. Orbiter Docking System (ODS) with Androgynous Peripheral Docking System served as actual connection point to a similar interface on the docking port on Mir's Krystall module. ODS located in forward payload bay of Atlantis, performed flawlessly during docking sequence.
When linked, Atlantis and Mir formed largest spacecraft ever in orbit, with a total mass of almost one-half million pounds (about 225 metric tons) orbiting some 218 nautical miles (404 km) above the Earth. After hatches on each side opened, STS-71 crew passed into Mir for welcoming ceremony. On same day, Mir 18 crew officially transferred responsibility for station to Mir 19 crew, and two crews switched spacecraft.
For next five days, about 100 hours total, joint U.S.-Russian operations conducted, including biomedical investigations, and transfer of equipment to and from Mir. Fifteen separate biomedical and scientific investigations were conducted, using Spacelab module installed in aft portion of Atlantis' payload bay, and covering seven different disciplines: cardiovascular and pulmonary functions; human metabolism; neuroscience; hygiene, sanitation and radiation; behavioral performance and biology; fundamental biology; and microgravity research. Mir 18 crew served as test subjects for investigations. Three Mir 18 crew members also carried out intensive program of exercise and other measures to prepare for re-entry into gravity environment after more than three months in space.
Numerous medical samples as well as disks and cassettes transferred to Atlantis from Mir, including more than 100 urine and saliva samples, about 30 blood samples, 20 surface samples, 12 air samples, several water samples and numerous breath samples taken from Mir 18 crew members. Also moved into orbiter was a broken Salyut-5 computer. Transferred to Mir were more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of water generated by the orbiter for waste system flushing and electrolysis; specially designed spacewalking tools for use by the Mir 19 crew during a spacewalk to repair a jammed solar array on the Spektr module; and transfer of oxygen and nitrogen from Shuttle's environmental control system to raise air pressure on the station, requested by Russians to improve Mir consumables margin.
Spacecraft undocked on July 4, following a farewell ceremony, with Mir hatch closing at 3:32 p.m. EDT. July 3 and hatch on Orbiter Docking System shut 16 minutes later. Gibson compared separation sequence to a "cosmic" ballet: Prior to Mir-Atlantis undocking, Mir 19 crew temporarily abandoned station, flying away from it in their Soyuz spacecraft so they could record images of Atlantis and Mir separating. Soyuz unlatched at 6:55 a.m. EDT, and Gibson undocked Atlantis from Mir at 7:10 a.m. EDT.
Returning crew of eight equaled largest crew (STS-61A, October 1985) in Shuttle history. To ease their re-entry into gravity environment after more than 100 days in space, Mir 18 crew members Thagard, Dezhurov and Strekalov lay supine in custom-made recumbent seats installed prior to landing in orbiter middeck.
Inflight problems included a glitch with General Purpose Computer 4 (GPC 4), which was declared failed when it did not synchronize with GPC 1; subsequent troubleshooting indicated it was an isolated event, and GPC 4 operated satisfactorily for remainder of mission.
Related articles
External links
- NASA mission summary (http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-71/mission-sts-71.html)
| Previous Mission: STS-67 |
Space Shuttle program | Next Mission: STS-70 |