STS-64
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STS-64 is a Space Shuttle program mission.
| Space Shuttle program | |
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| Mission Insignia | |
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| Mission Statistics | |
| Mission: | STS-64 |
| Shuttle: | Discovery |
| Launch Pad: | 39-B |
| Launch: | September 9, 1994 6:22:35pm EDT. |
| Landing: | September 20, 1994 5:12:52pm EDT. Runway 4, Edwards AFB, California |
| Duration: | 10 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes, 57 seconds. |
| Orbit Altitude: | 140 nautical miles (259 km) |
| Orbit Inclination: | 57 degrees |
| Distance Traveled: | 4,500,000 miles (7,242,048 km) |
| Crew photo | |
| Missing image STS064(S)002.jpg | |
| Previous Mission: STS-65 |
Next Mission: STS-68 |
| Contents |
Crew
- Richard N. Richards (4), Commander
- L. Blaine Hammond, Jr. (2), Pilot
- Jerry M. Linenger (1), Mission Specialist 1
- Susan J. Helms (2), Mission Specialist 2
- Carl J. Meade (3), Mission Specialist 3
- Mark C. Lee (3), Mission Specialist 4
Mission Parameters
- Mass: 9,260 kg payload
- Perigee: 259 km
- Apogee: 269 km
- Inclination: 56.9°
- Period: 89.5 min
Space walks
- Lee and Meade - EVA 1
- EVA 1 Start: September 16, 1994 - 14:42 UTC
- EVA 1 End: September 16, - 21:33 UTC
- Duration: 6 hours, 51 minutes
Mission Highlights
The STS-64 mission will carry the LIDAR In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE), a project to measure atmospheric parameters from a space platform utilizing laser sensors, the Robot Operated Materials Processing System (ROMPS) to investigate robot handling of thin film samples, and the Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN-201). SPARTAN is a free-flying retrievable platform with two telescopes to study the solar wind, a continuous stream of electrons, heavy protons and heavy ions ejected from the sun and traveling through space at speeds of almost 1 million miles per hour. The solar wind frequently causes problems on Earth by disrupting navigation, communications and electrical power.
The STS-64 mission will also carry the Shuttle Plume Impingement Flight Experiment (SPIFEX). This experiment is designed to directly measure RCS plume loads in the far-field regime under actual on-orbit conditions. Discovery's payload bay also contains a GAS bridge assembly with 12 GAS canisters (G-178, G-254, G-312, G-325, G-417, G-453, G-454, G-456, G-485, G-506 and G-562). One additional experiment in the payload bay is the Trajectory Control Sensor (TCS) package positioned on an Adaptive Payload Carrier. It will provide relative trajectory data on a target vehicle operating in close proximity (less than 5000ft) of the Orbiter. The TCS will provide range and range rate data for target vehicles having a reflective surface. Additionally, the TCS provides bearing, bearing rate, attitude, and attitude rates for target vehicles utilizing special retro-reflectors.
In Discovery's middeck area, STS-64 will carry the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) system, the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE), the Biological Research in Canister III (BRIC-III) experiment, the Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME-III) experiment. Other experiments onboard STS-64 include Military Application of Ship Trails (MAST), Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II (SAREX-II) and Air Force Maui Optical Site Calibration Test (AMOS).
STS-64 marked first flight of Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) and first untethered U.S. extravehicular activity (EVA) in 10 years. LITE payload employs lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging, a type of optical radar using laser pulses instead of radio waves to study Earth's atmosphere. First spaceflight of lidar was highly successful technology test. LITE instrument operated for 53 hours, yielding more than 43 hours of high-rate data. Unprecedented views were obtained of cloud structures, storm systems, dust clouds, pollutants, forest burning and surface reflectance. Sites studied included atmosphere above northern Europe, Indonesia and the south Pacific, Russia and Africa. Sixty-five groups from 20 countries are making validation measurements with ground-based and aircraft instruments to verify LITE data. LITE science program is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth.
Mission Specialists Lee and Meade completed 28th EVA of Space Shuttle program on Sept. 16. During six-hour, 15- minute EVA, they tested new backpack called Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER), designed for use in event crew member becomes untethered while conducting an EVA.
On fifth day of mission, Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy-201 (SPARTAN-201) free flyer was released using Remote Manipulator System arm. Making its second flight on Shuttle, SPARTAN-201 designed to collect data about acceleration and velocity of solar wind and to measure aspects of sun's corona. Data recorded for playback after return to Earth. SPARTAN-201 retrieved after two days of data collection.
Other cargo bay payloads: Shuttle Plume Impingement Flight Experiment (SPIFEX), a 33-foot (10-meter) long instrumented extension for Shuttle robot arm. SPIFEX designed to collect data about orbiter Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters to aid understanding about potential effects of thruster plumes on large space structures, such as Mir space station or planned international space station. Robot Operated Processing System (ROMPS) was first U.S. robotics system operated in space, mounted in two Get Away Special (GAS) canisters attached to cargo bay wall. A GAS bridge assembly in cargo bay carried 12 cans, 10 holding self-contained experiments.
Middeck experiments included: Biological Research in Canister (BRIC) experiment to investigate effects of spaceflight on plant specimens; Military Application of Ship Tracks (MAST) to take high-resolution imagery of ship tracks and to analyze wake formation and dissipations; Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE) to supply information on flame propagation over fuels in space; Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME III) to measure ionizing radiation; Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREX II) to demonstrate feasibility of short-wave radio contacts between orbiter and ground-based amateur radio operators; and Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) test, which required no onboard hardware.
Related articles
- Space science
- Space shuttle
- List of space shuttle missions
- List of human spaceflights chronologically
External links
- NASA mission summary (http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-64/mission-sts-64.html)
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Space Shuttle program | Next Mission: STS-68 |