Category Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006

Flight Crew

ZALETIN, Sergei Viktorovich, 40, Russian Air Force, commander, 2nd mission Previous mission: Soyuz TM30 (2000)

De WINNE, Frank, 41, Belgian Air Force, flight engineer 1 LONCHAKOV, Yuri Valentinovich, 37, Russian Air Force, flight engineer 2, 2nd mission

Previous mission: STS-100 (2001)

Flight Log

The crew for TMA1 seemed to be finalised in July 2002, with Mir veteran Sergei Zaletin and ESA Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne being joined by N Sync pop singer Lance Bass as the third space flight participant. This was the latest in a long line of suggested “millionaire” fare-paying cosmonauts for the flight. However, by 20 August, no payment from sponsors was forthcoming and Bass was removed from the crew.

To fill the seat and return the crew to a full complement of three, back-up commander Yuri Lonchakov was reassigned at short notice to fly the mission, the inaugural flight of the new Soyuz TMA1 spacecraft. TMA (Transport, Modification, Anthropometric) featured changes to allow taller and smaller crew members to fly in it, which meant that many of the American astronauts that had previously been unsuitable for Soyuz or ISS missions could now be considered for TMA training, a timely factor that became very fortunate in the next few months. Internal systems and provisions for comfort would allow crew members between 1.5 and 1.9m tall, instead of the previous 1.64 and 1.82 m in the TM craft.

Soyuz TMA1 was the first new variant of Soyuz to fly without a prior unmanned flight, and it docked with ISS on 1 November. During the week aboard the station, the two Russian cosmonauts briefed the Russian ISS-5 crew members on the features of

The first TMA crew pose for a group photo with the ISS-5 resident crew. In foreground is ISS-5 commander Valeri Korzun, in middle row is TMA1 commander Sergei Zalyotin (left) and Belgian ESA astronaut Frank De Winne. In the back row l to r are ISS-5 FE Peggy Whitson, TMA1 FE Yuri Fonchakov and ISS-5 FE Sergei Treshev

the new spacecraft, assisted them with their work in the Russian segment, and participated in a small Russian science programme. They also assisted their Belgian colleague with his work. De Winne, the Belgian astronaut, conducted an ESA programme under the codename of Odessa that comprised 23 experiments. The programme featured research in the fields of biology, human physiology, physical sciences and education. He also talked with six students from universities in Scotland, Italy and The Netherlands who were at the ESA Taxi Flight Operations Coordination Centre (TOCC) at ESTEC in The Netherlands.

The crew landed in the TM34 spacecraft, the final descent of that variant of vehicle. According to Zaletin, the landing itself was “a little hard” as the vehicle hit the ground and tumbled a few times before coming to a halt. It was the first Russian night landing in ten years. The new TMA1 spacecraft, now docked to the ISS, would provide a return capability for the ISS-5 crew in the event of an emergency. This

capability was passed over to the ISS-6 crew in December, though they had not expected to use it.

Milestones

235th manned space flight 94th Russian manned space flight 87th manned Soyuz mission 1st manned Soyuz TMA mission 5th ISS Soyuz mission (5S)

4th ISS Taxi flight 4th ISS visiting mission

1st manned flight of (R7) Soyuz FG launch vehicle

Flight Crew

WETHERBEE, James Donald, 49, USN, commander, 6th mission Previous missions: STS-32 (1990); STS-52 (1992); STS-63 (1995); STS-86 (1997); STS-102 (2001)

LOCKHART, Paul Scott, 46, USAF, pilot, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-111 (2002)

LOPEZ-ALEGRIA, Michael Eladio, 44, USN, mission specialist 1, 3rd mission Previous missions: STS-73 (1995); STS-92 (2000)

HERRINGTON, John Bennett, 44, USN, mission specialist 2

ISS-6 crew up only:

BOWERSOX, Kenneth Duane, 45, USN, mission specialist 3, ISS-6 commander, 5th mission

Previous missions: STS-50 (1990); STS-61 (1993); STS-73 (1995); STS-82 (1997) BUDARIN, Nikolai Mikhailovich, 49, civilian, Russian mission specialist 4, ISS-6 flight engineer and Soyuz commander, 3rd mission Previous missions: Mir EO-19/STS-71 (1995); Soyuz TM27 (1998)

PETTIT, Donald Roy, 47, civilian, mission specialist 5, US ISS-6 science officer

ISS-5 crew down only:

TRESCHEV, Sergei Vladimiriovich, 43, civilian, Russian ISS-5 flight engineer, mission specialist 3

KORZUN, Valery Nikolayevich, 49, Russian Air Force, ISS-5 and Soyuz commander, mission specialist 4, 2nd mission Previous mission: Soyuz TM24 (1996)

WHITSON, Peggy Annette, 42, civilian, ISS-5 science officer, mission specialist 5

John Herrington (left) and Michael Lopez-Alegria work on the newly installed Port One (PI) Truss on ISS. Herrington is holding handrails attached to the CETA-B (2) cart

Flight Log

Higher than allowed oxygen levels detected in the orbiter’s mid-body postponed the 11 November launch attempt, which was reset for 18 November. Technicians found a fatigued flexible hose to be the cause and this was replaced, but during the repair a platform impacted the RMS in the payload bay. The necessary inspections delayed the launch to 22 November. Bad weather at the TAL sites forced a further 24-hour delay in launch before the mission finally got off the ground. Docking with the station was achieved during FD 3 (25 November) and the following day, the P1 Truss was relocated to the port end of the SO Truss and automatically bolted in place. Unbeknown at the time, this would be the last time a Shuttle docked to the station for over 3O months.

The three EVAs on this mission were conducted in support of the truss installa­tion, as well as for a number of other tasks. EVA 1 (26 Nov for 6 hours 45 minutes) saw Lopez-Alegria (EV1) and Herrington (EV2) complete the electrical, power and fluid connections to the P1 Truss and install the SPD, ensuring that the quick disconnection mechanisms were functioning correctly. They also released launch locks on the CETA-B cart and installed the Node Wireless video system External Transceiver Assembly (WETA) antenna. This would give reception for the EVA helmet cameras without the presence of a Shuttle. The second EVA (on Thanksgiving Day, 28 Nov, for 6 hours 10 minutes) saw the crew continue the electrical and plumbing connections and the installation of a second WETA on P1. The CETA-B (or 2) cart was also installed on the S1 Truss and secured to the CETA-A (or 1) cart. The third EVA (30 Nov for 7 hours) saw the completion of the SPD installation and troubleshooting of the stalled MT. The astronauts also freed and deployed a UHF antenna that had become snagged during relocation work.

During the flight, the ISS-5 crew handed over the command of the station to the ISS-6 crew and together, both resident crews worked to repair faulty hardware and install new equipment in the station. STS-113 had delivered over 1,969 kg of hardware and supplies to ISS, including new science experiments. The Shuttle’s engines were used in a series of burns to raise the orbit of the station. The formal hand-over of resident crews occurred shortly after the docking and the completion of safety brief­ings. Though no one knew it at the time, this would be the last Shuttle-based resident crew exchange for some time. Following undocking on 2 December, the Shuttle encountered four days of landing attempts being waived off due to bad weather, before finally making it on 7 December. This was the first time a mission had received three consecutive days of landing cancellations. This was also the last successfully completed Shuttle mission (launch to landing) for over two-and-a-half years.

Milestones

236th manned space flight

142nd US manned space flight

112th Shuttle mission

19th flight of Endeavour

56th US and 89th flight with EVA operations

16th Shuttle ISS mission

6th Endeavour ISS mission

5th Shuttle ISS resident crew exchange mission

1st native American (Chickasaw nation) to fly and walk in space (Herrington)

SUMMARY Posted by admin in Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 on November 2, 2015 On a bright spring day in April 1961, a young Russian pilot climbed aboard a new type of vehicle – a manned spacecraft. He was about to attempt what no one had tried before. A former ballistic missile, adapted for carrying a man but not totally safe from error, was going to blast him on an eight-minute ride from Earth into space. For 108 minutes he would fly around his home planet, then endure, inside his protective spacecraft, the fiery heat of re-entry, before ejecting to descend by parachute to his native soil. In those 108 minutes, Yuri Gagarin moved from obscurity to one of the most famous names in human history. No matter how many people follow his trail from Earth, he will always be the first, the pioneer, the one who took mankind’s first step out of the cradle. On any listing of most space experience in the 45 years since that flight, Gagarin’s name will appear at the very bottom, but his achievement, his courage and his very persona will forever fly higher than any record book can show. In the Cold War race for technical and national supremacy between America and the Soviet Union, their Arms Race spawned another race, to place the first person into space. Once that was done, their eyes turned towards our nearest solar neighbour, the Moon. This time, the Americans would win the race, but they would also come out losers. Though other missions under the Vostok, Voskhod, Mercury and Gemini programmes were planned it is probable that nothing more would have been achieved that could not have been achieved by later programmes, probably far more safely. America’s triumph with Apollo was short lived. In the spirit of determination and achievement that Kennedy’s famous speech had engendered in the American psyche, great plans were laid for what would happen after the Moon landing goal had been achieved. The potential for extended duration missions in Earth orbit, orbital research and development flights, and reaching further targets was all lost in a wave of public apathy and political debate on the value of Apollo lunar programme once Apollo 11 had achieved Kennedy’s goal. An expanded lunar exploration programme was abandoned, even with some of the hardware built and paid for. That hardware was placed in museums or left to rot, bygone icons of a forgotten era. America had other more pressing goals at home to think about that seemed to better justify, or at least consumed, the tax dollar. For the Soviets, losing the Moon race was painful, but they turned their attention to a new target, the creation of a long term space station. Over the next thirty years, their programme and understanding of what it took to spend significant amounts of time in space grew, culminating with the Mir programme. Mir remained in orbit 15 years, and was permanently occupied for almost ten of them. Successive crews battled with shortages, failures and set backs, as well as huge success and hard-won achieve­ment in stretching the human space experience from days and weeks, to months and years. If Apollo was the shining star of the first era of pioneering manned space exploration, then surely Mir was as bright a star in the second period as humans truly began to understand how to live and work in space. Over in the United States America turned to the Space Shuttle. As with earlier programmes, this was envisaged as just one part pf a large space infrastructure. Grandiose plans included Earth and lunar orbital space bases, a lunar base, manned flights to Mars and even hotels and factories in orbit, all foreseen long before Shuttle ever flew. When it did, the reality of what it could actually do became readily apparent. And dreams remained dreams. The Shuttle could fly short research missions, capture, repair and redeploy space satellites, and fly mixed cargos into and out of space, but it could not do it as regularly or as cheaply as once thought. Shuttle could not reduce the cost per kilogram of reaching orbit, fly every two weeks, and launch everything America, and most of the world wanted to assign to it. And with no orbiting platform to deliver this cargo to, it became little more than an expensive and risky space truck. The loss of Challenger and her crew of seven was the final straw. Soon the commercial customers and military chiefs backed away from Shuttle as a new goal was set – a space station so large that it would need an international group of partners to build, support, and pay for it. Space Station Freedom was another dream born from those visions of huge space cities in the 1950s and early 1960s. It was one thing aiming for a space station of this complexity, however, but quite another to build and pay for it. Costs, complications and problems grew to bursting point and by the early 1990s, the Space Shuttle, the space station, and even NASA itself, looked in dire straits. In Russia, years of papering over the cracks in both the space programme and the national economy finally caught up with them and the once-mighty Soviet Union and most of the communist world collapsed in an expensive and tragic mess. Born from the turmoil was a new cooperative programme in space. Russia would join what was now the International Space Station programme. There was still a decade or so of hard work and sometimes fraught discussions, but one thing the ISS programme has shown, as anyone involved in it will underline, is that international teamwork and cooperation can achieve such a global and extensive goal. And the Shuttle could finally prove that it was capable of the task originally envisioned for it way back in those grandiose plans – supplying and constructing a space station. The loss of Columbia in 2003 has dealt a final blow to a Shuttle programme that has been flying for 25 years, although the infrastructure created by ISS will keep the programme going for a while longer. By the 45th year of human space flight, the Shuttle was on the road to its second recovery, the crew complement of ISS was restored, tourists were paying a lot of money for the chance of making one short flight around the Earth, and a new player had entered the scene – China. The success of ISS is that it has been “international” and perhaps that is the way forward. Large national space programmes are relics of the past and cooperation across the globe in space may help with cooperation across the globe for more terrestrial goals. This book therefore records the trail from Gagarin to this 45th year; the successes and the failures, the milestones and the tragedies. We hope that it provides a handy reference of what has gone before as we stand on the edge of what could be about to happen. As the 50th anniversaries of these first space flights approach between 2011 and 2021 – the first manned space flights, first EVAs, first docking, first lunar flights, first extended flights, and first space station – the future of human space flight seems to be forward-looking once again. Though the flight path may be unsteady, contingencies and back up plans have to be prepared, and mission objectives may change, Gagarin’s trail is still bright and strong. And, as he said at the moment his rocket left Earth for the stars… “Poyekhali! … Off we go!” Soviets on the Moon Posted by admin in Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 on November 2, 2015 The abandoned Soyuz manned lunar programme would have featured circumlunar missions under the L1 programme on the Proton launch vehicle (later flown unmanned by Zond spacecraft), and manned lunar landing (L3) missions launched on the massive N1. Though the N1 was launched unmanned four times between 1969 and 1972, each failed just seconds into flight, effectively putting the final nail in the coffin of the Soviet manned lunar programme that had been beaten by the success of Apollo. Chinese orbital launch vehicle The Long March 2F booster will be the workhorse of the Chinese manned spacecraft programme, carrying further Shenzhou craft into orbit. Unmanned launches com­menced in November 1999, with the first manned flight made in 2003 and the second in 2005. This vehicle is an adaptation of the Long March 2E, which was upgraded for manned flight. In 2002, it received the official name of Shenjian (Magic Arrow). The height of the vehicle (with shroud and launch tower) is 58.34 m and it features a central core first stage of four YF-20B engines (300-ton thrust) and four strap-on boosters each with the YF-20 engine (300-ton thrust). The second stage features a single YF-22 engine with 93.5-ton thrust. LONG-DURATION SPACEFLIGHT Posted by admin in Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 on November 2, 2015 With the loss of the race to the Moon, the Soviets reported that they had actually never intended to go there anyway. Their plan was to develop a long-duration orbital station. It was years before the truth came out and the details of their abandoned lunar programme became known. However, their statement was partially correct, as a military-based space platform called Almaz had been in development for years, supported by other Soyuz-type military variants. Almaz would not be the first station launched, however. To hasten the launch of the first Soviet space station, elements of Soyuz were added to a civilian variant called DOS and amalgamated into the world’s first space station – Salyut. This was launched two years before the Americans launched Skylab, which was itself fabricated from left over Apollo lunar hardware. Soyuz Critical to sustaining long-duration space flight is the supply of sufficient logistics and the rotation of the crews. For this, the Soviets called upon their orbital lunar space­craft Soyuz, adapting it to fly as a space station ferry craft (in manned and unmanned versions) and to serve as a crew rescue craft while docked to the station. The Soyuz vehicle was one of the most successful programmes in space history. Although the first manned mission in 1967 was a failure and resulted in the first casualty of space flight, a series of variants – Soyuz, Soyuz T, TM and TMA – have carried many crews to the Salyut and Mir national space stations and continue to do so to the current Inter­national Space Station. The programme will soon be entering its 40th year. After recovering from the loss of Soyuz 1 and the death of its cosmonaut, the Soviets evolved a series of missions to develop the rendezvous and docking technique they had intended to use on the way to the Moon, now amended for the space station programme. In addition, a short series of solo Soyuz flights flew space station equipment, conducting a series of test and supplementary flights to the often troubled Salyut series of stations. The “original” Soyuz spacecraft was designed as a Vostok successor in about 1962. It weighed 6,450 kg (14,222 lb) and was 8.85m (29 ft) long from the base of its instrument section to the tip of its docking probe. The 2.3 m (7.5 ft) long, 2.3 m (7.5 ft) diameter instrument section, called the Equipment Module (EM), included a UDMH-nitric oxide prime and back-up propulsion system, for orbital manoeuvres and retro-fire. The prime engine had a burn time of 500 seconds and a thrust of 417 kg (919lb). The instrument section included two 3.6m (12ft) by 1.9m (6ft) solar panels. The Soyuz, workhorse of the Russian space programme, is photographed on approach to a space station The flight and Descent Module (DM) was shaped like an inverted cup and measured 2.2 m (7 ft) long and 2.3 m (7.5 ft) in diameter. It included up to three seats and systems such as hydrogen peroxide ACS thrusters, a beacon, sun and infra-red sensors, and rendezvous radar beacons. It was equipped with one drogue and one main parachute (plus a reserve), which opened at about 8,500m (28,000 ft) altitude, and, beneath a jettisonable heat shield, a soft-landing retro-rocket to reduce speed to 0.3m/sec (1 ft/ sec) at 1 m (3 ft) altitude. Attached to the flight module was an Orbital Module (OM), a spherical capsule containing extra housekeeping and science equipment and which acted as an airlock for EVAs. This was 2.65 m (8.69 ft) long and 2.25m (7.3 ft) in diameter. The OM was discarded after retro-fire. It also included a 1.2 m (4 ft) long docking probe at its tip. The Soyuz 12 spacecraft was basically the same as the earlier Soyuz craft, except the crew wore spacesuits (following the loss of the Soyuz 11 crew who hadn’t). The craft was equipped with only batteries for power, and no solar panels, as it was intended as a space station ferry with only a two-day independent flight capability. Soyuz T – for Transport – was introduced in 1979 and weighed about 6,850 kg (15,104 lb). It was a redesigned Soyuz ferry vehicle, reconfigured to take a crew of three and with two solar panels which allowed independent flight for four rather than two days. Also included were new computers, controls and telemetry systems. The major change to the Soyuz was its fully integrated fuel system, with attitude control thrusters using the same fuel source as the main propulsion unit. The thrust of the main engine was reduced to 315 kg (695 lb) but there were now 26 ACS thrusters aboard. The main reason for this was that some previous docking failures could have been overcome had the cosmonauts been able to transfer fuel from the ACS system to the main spacecraft engine. Soyuz T2 was preceded by three unmanned tests under the Cosmos label (869, 1001 and 1074) and one Soyuz (Tl) in 1979. Soyuz TM – Transport Modification – was introduced in 1986 and weighed about 7,100 kg (15,653 lb). This was an uprated and heavier Soyuz T spacecraft, incorporat­ing new primary and back-up parachutes, improved power systems and retro-rockets, and the capability to carry 200 kg (441 lb) more payload and return to Earth with 50 kg (110 lb). Soyuz TM was also equipped with a rendezvous and docking system com­patible with the Mir Kurs system. Soyuz TM1 was an unmanned test flight to Mir in 1986. Soyuz TMA – Transport Modification Anthropometric – was introduced in 2002 and was more of a systems and internal upgrade than a structural one, measuring and weighing about the same as the TM. The requirement for a new version of Soyuz was in part due to larger (American) crew members being assigned to Soyuz missions. New seating support structures and modifications to the descent landing engines meant a slightly greater landing mass was possible, allowing regular three-person crews to be flown. In addition, the controls and displays now featured more computer displays and smaller electronics systems. There were no unmanned TMA precursor flights. An unmanned variant called Progress was introduced in 1978 and has also been upgraded (Progress M, M1). This has been used to re-supply Soviet space stations with fuel, logistics and orbital re-boost capability and is still an integral element in the ISS programme. AND 6A Posted by admin in Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 on November 2, 2015

Int. Designation	1965-100A (Gemini 7); 1965-104A (Gemini 6A)
Launched	4 and 15 December 1965
Launch Site	Pad 19, Cape Kennedy, Florida
Landed	16 December 1965
Landing Site	Both spacecraft splashed down in the western Atlantic
Launch Vehicle	Titan II GLV No. 7 (Gemini 7) and GLV No. 6 (Gemini 6A); spacecraft serial number 7 (Gemini 7) and 6 (Gemini 6A)
Duration	13 days 18 hrs 35 min 1 sec (Gemini 7); 1 day 1 hr 51 min 54 sec (Gemini 6A)
Callsign	Gemini Seven; Gemini Six
Objective	Fourteen-day extended-duration mission (Gemini 7); first space rendezvous (Gemini 6A with Gemini 7)

Flight Crew

BORMAN, Frank, 37, USAF, command pilot Gemini 7

LOVELL, James Arthur Jr., 37, USN, pilot Gemini 7

SCHIRRA, Walter Marty Jr., 42, USN, command pilot Gemini 6A, 2nd

mission

Previous mission: Mercury-Atlas 8 (1962)

STAFFORD, Thomas Patten Jr., 35, USAF, pilot Gemini 6A

Flight Log

NASA continued its pre-Apollo rehearsals with plans for Gemini 6 to perform the first docking in space and then for Gemini 7 to keep two men “in the can” for 14 days. The first objective was to be met on 25 October 1965 when an Atlas Agena was to place the Agena second stage (housing a docking port and a rendezvous radar antenna) in orbit as a target for Gemini 6, which would be launched 90 minutes later. With astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford already in Gemini 6 at Pad 19, the Atlas thundered away from Pad 14, but the Agena exploded and the frustrated astronauts were grounded. NASA hatched a plan to overcome the setback. They would launch Gemini 7 first, on Gemini 6’s original Titan, then launch Gemini 6 to rendezvous with Gemini 7. The plan was announced by President Johnson himself, the space supporter who had persuaded President Kennedy to shoot for the Moon.

So first Gemini 7 – with crewmen Frank Borman and James Lovell looking like aliens in their lightweight, 8 kg (18 lb) spacesuits, with strange hoods rather than helmets – took off at 14: 30 hrs on Saturday 4 December, sharing US television screens with a football match. The astronauts entered a 28.9° inclination orbit with a maximum altitude of 327 km (203 miles) and sat it out in the tight confines, waiting

Gemini 6 photographed from Gemini 7

for Gemini 6 to be launched on 12 December. Lovell was allowed to take off his spacesuit, while Borman had to endure the flight with electrodes fixed to his head and suffer the indignity of bursting his urine bag after filling it, rather than before. Contrary to the media coverage, pioneering space flight was an endurance, not a picnic.

The Gemini 6 astronauts had a new experience to endure on 12 December, when at 09:54 hrs local time their Titan II ignited, only to shut down 1.2 seconds later when a dust cap left in a gas generator caused imperfect combustion. This was spotted by the malfunction detection system. Although the spacecraft clock had started, Schirra knew instinctively that he had not lifted off. He elected not to pull the ejection lever, which would have subjected him and Stafford to a 20-G ride, killing the rendezvous mission and probably crippling them. Stafford had been to the launch pad twice and had not lifted off. However, at 08:37 hrs on 15 December, he finally did so, and the space chase was on. Gemini 6 entered an 8.9° orbit which would reach a maximum apogee of 311 km (193 miles).

Lovell (left) and Borman look tired but happy after their 14-day marathon flight

Seven very carefully planned and controlled manoeuvres brought Gemini 6 to within 15 cm (6 in) of Gemini 7. Officially, the rendezvous had been achieved at 14:33hrs Cape time. It was the greatest feat in manned space flight so far, and the media coverage epitomised the excitement of the 1960s space race. Five hours 18 minutes and a lot of good natured bantering (and a seasonal “Jingle Bells” from Schirra and Stafford) later, Gemini 6 backed away and made a landing at T + 1 day 1 hour 51 minutes 54 seconds, just 11.2km (7 miles) from USS Wasp. Borman and Lovell continued their endurance flight and the operation of 18 science experiments, finally landing 10.4 km (6 miles) from the USS Wasp at T + 13 days 18 hours 35 minutes 1 second. This is the longest US two-crew space flight. They were light-headed and stooping as they walked across the carrier deck, but had proved beyond a doubt that man had a place in space.

Milestones

18th and 19th manned space flights 10th and 11th US manned space flights 4th and 5th Gemini manned flights 1st space rendezvous 1st flight cancellation (Gemini 6)

1st launch pad abort (Gemini 6A)

1st four-man joint mission

Flight Crew

ARMSTRONG, Neil Alden, 35, civilian, command pilot SCOTT, David Randolph, 34, USAF, pilot

Flight Log

The first space docking was on the agenda for Gemini 8, and Scott was to make a two-hour spacewalk “around the world” at the end of a 28 m (92 ft) tether and attached to a 42 kg (93 lb) Extravehicular Support Package. The crew had been inside Gemini 8 for 14 minutes when the Agena target thundered away from Pad 14. Their own launch came at 10: 41 hrs local time, although the Titan II seemed a bit sluggish to start with. Perfect orbit was achieved, with a 28.9° inclination and an apogee-perigee of 292-160 km (181-99 miles). The Agena was 1,963 km (1,220 miles) away and the space chase began. It ended with a “real smoothie” of a docking, as Armstrong described it, at T + 6 hours 32 minutes and at a speed of about 8 cm (3 in) per second.

The matter-of-fact docking complete, the first US space emergency then began in a rather insidious manner. First, the two spacecraft rolled 30° out of position and the crew thought that the Agena, which was causing some concern on the ground anyway, was at fault. They disengaged its control system and brought the two craft under control using Gemini’s thrusters. Suddenly, a faster roll developed and the crew decided to separate from the Agena barely 27 minutes after docking, backing away as they did with a short burst of the thrusters. Then things got pretty violent. Gemini went into a 70 rpm roll and yaw combined, and the crew came close to their physio­logical limits. Thruster 8 had short-circuited and was firing intermittently, the crew discovered later. There was only one thing to do, which was to cut off the OAMS thrusters and fire the re-entry control system.

Mission rules dictated an emergency return to Earth and Gemini 8 splashed down about 800 km (497 miles) east of Okinawa at T + 10 hours 41 minutes 26 seconds, glad to have made water and not a remote jungle. After an uncomfortable three-hour wait, the crew was met by the USS Leonard F. Mason and they climbed aboard from the

Gemini 8 approaches the Agena docking target

rolling sea up a Jacob’s ladder. Both astronauts would have another ladder later in their careers, this time to step down, as Gemini 8 was the only flight whose crew members both subsequently walked on the Moon.

Milestones

20th manned space flight 12th US manned space flight 6th Gemini manned flight 1st space docking 1st emergency return to Earth

STS-5 Posted by admin in Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 on November 2, 2015

Int. Designation	1982-110A
Launched	11 November 1982
Launch Site	Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landed	16 November 1982
Landing Site	Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, California
Launch Vehicle	OV-102 Columbia/ET-6/SRB A15; A16/SSME #1 2007; #2 2006; #3 2005
Duration	5 days 2 hrs 14 min 26 sec
Callsign	Columbia
Objective	First “operational” Shuttle mission – commercial satellite deployment mission

Flight Crew

BRAND, Vance DeVoe, 51, civilian, commander, 2nd mission Previous mission: Apollo 18 ASTP (1975)

OVERMYER, Robert Franklyn, 46, USMC, pilot ALLEN, Joseph Percival, 45, civilian, mission specialist 1 LENOIR, William Benjamin, 43, civilian, mission specialist 2

Flight Log

The news of the death of Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev, events in Poland, and a British spy scandal served to overshadow this unique space flight, which began at 07: 19hrs local time at the Kennedy Space Center. Commander Vance Brand, pilot Bob Overmyer and mission specialist Bill Lenoir (evaluating the MS2/Flight Engineer role for ascent), were seated in the flight deck, while the other mission specialist, Joe Allen, was seated below in the mid-deck, which also served as the kitchen and toilet. Columbia was still fitted with ejection seats for the commander and pilot but they were not armed. The crew was the first from America not to have any means of escape in the event of a launch accident and were also the first to fly in flight overalls, and oxygen – fed helmets, in case of cabin depressurisation.

After MECO and two OMS burns, Columbia was in its 256 km (159 miles) maximum altitude 28.4° inclination orbit. At T + 7 hours 58 minutes 35 seconds into the mission, the crew dispatched the communications satellite SBS from its spin table in the payload bay, on the first commercial manned trucking mission, earning for NASA a cool $12 million. The satellite’s own Pam D upper stage fired later, to place it into a geostationary transfer orbit where it would normally have been placed by a conventional expendable launch vehicle. Another satellite, Canada’s Anik 3, was launched later and the crew proudly displayed an “Ace Trucking Company – We Deliver’’ sign to TV cameras.

One of the commercial satellite deployment operations during STS-5

There were disappointments, however. First Overmyer was space sick, vomiting at T + 6 hours and continuing to feel queasy. Lenoir felt less sick, describing his symptoms as a “wet belch”. The astronauts were prescribed drugs and were also angry that their illness was publicised, possibly to the detriment of their careers. In future, NASA decided, if an astronaut was sick it would remain a confidential matter. The first Shuttle spacewalk by Allen and Lenoir was delayed by a day, and then never took place at all because both astronauts experienced spacesuit problems on the brink of opening the airlock door. Lenoir’s primary oxygen pressure regulator failed and Allen’s fan assembly sounded like a motorboat. Allen, now seated in the flight deck (evaluating the FE role for entry), took pictures during re-entry, which was like being inside a blast furnace, he said.

Columbia was aiming for a lake bed landing at Edwards Air Force Base but was diverted to the concrete runway 22 because the “dry” lake was rather wet. Main gear touchdown came at T + 5 days 2 hours 14 minutes 26 seconds, the longest four-crew space flight.

Milestones

88th manned space flight

36th US manned space flight

5th Shuttle flight

5th flight of Columbia

1st flight with four crew members

1st flight of mission specialists

1st manned space flight to deploy commercial satellites

1st flight with cancelled EVA operations

1st launch and landing by crew member not seated in cockpit

1st US flight with no emergency crew escape

1st US flight by crew without spacesuits

1st US flight to carry engineers

STS 51-1 Posted by admin in Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 on November 2, 2015

STS-41 Posted by admin in Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 on November 2, 2015

Int. Designation	1990-090A
Launched	6 October 1990
Launch Site	Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landed	10 October 1990
Landing Site	Runway 22, Edwards AFB, California
Launch Vehicle	OV-103 Discovery/ET-32/SRB BI-040/SSME #1 2011; #2 2031; #3 2107
Duration	4 days 2 hrs 10 min 4 sec
Call sign	Discovery
Objective	Deployment of Ulysses solar polar probe by IUS-17/PAM-S upper stages; secondary payload bay experiments included Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet hardware; Intelsat Solar Array Coupon

Flight Crew

RICHARDS, Richard Noel, 44, USN, commander, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-28 (1989)

CABANA, Robert Donald, 41, USMC, pilot MELNICK, Bruce Edward, 40, USCG, mission specialist 1 SHEPHERD, William McMichael, 41, USN, mission specialist 2, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-27 (1988)

AKERS, Thomas Dale, 39, USAF, mission specialist 3

Flight Log

Originally intended to be deployed from Challenger by the liquid-fuelled Centaur upper stage during the STS 61-F mission in May 1986, the joint NASA/ESA Ulysses solar polar probe mission was delayed by the loss of Challenger in the STS 51-L accident of January 1986. The decision not to fly Centaur stages on the Shuttle over safety concerns and to use the IUS/PAM upper stages instead meant that Ulysses would miss the 1986 launch window. It soon became clear that the Shuttle would not be ready for the June 1987 window and, to ease the 1989 launch schedule, NASA rescheduled the mission to October 1990. Difficulties with the leaking propulsion systems on Atlantis and Columbia during the summer of 1990 placed added pressure to launch STS-41 on time but, despite three short delays due to ground equipment and the weather problems, STS-41 finally left the ground just 12 minutes into the 2.5 hour window.

The crew successfully deployed the IUS combination carrying Ulysses just 6 hours 1 minute 42 seconds after leaving the launch pad. Following the deployment of their primary payload, the crew of STS-41 concentrated on the variety of mid-deck and

Ulysses atop of the IUS/PAM-S upper stages is back-dropped against the blackness of deep space at the start of its five-year mission to the Sun

payload bay experiments for the remainder of their short mission. Though the flight of STS-41 lasted only just over 4 days and is one of the shortest missions in the programme, the primary payload mission has lasted much longer. After more than 16 years in space, the Ulysses probe continues to function, transmitting important solar and interplanetary data back to Earth. To a degree, therefore, the “mission” of STS-41 continues.

Just over an hour after the deployment, the first stage of the IUS burned for 110 seconds, boosting the spacecraft from 29,237 kph to 36,283 kph. The second stage burned for 106 seconds, further increasing the speed to 41,158 kph, before the PAM-S fired for 88 seconds, resulting in a speed of 54,915 kph. Ten minutes later, the space­craft was separated from the upper stage to begin its long flight towards the Sun via Jupiter. The probe made its 375 km closest approach to Jupiter on 8 February 1992. Its first southern polar zone pass between 26 June and 6 November reached 80°S (13 September). Its first northern polar pass occurred between 19 June and 30 Sep­tember 1995 and saw the official completion of its primary mission. Its closest approach at 1.34AU occurred on 12 March 1995. It took almost five years from launch to the second polar pass, though it took only 8 hours to journey the 382,942 km from Earth to the orbit of the Moon, a trip that took Apollo astronauts three days to complete. Ulysses completed its second pass of both poles in 2001. Its third southern polar pass is planned for 2006/2007 and its third northern polar pass for 2007/2008.

Milestones

135th manned space flight 66th US manned space flight 36th Shuttle flight 11th Discovery flight

3rd Shuttle solar system deployment mission 1st three stage IUS deployment mission 1st solar polar probe

1st US Coast Guard officer (Melnick) to fly in space

STS-46 Posted by admin in Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 on November 2, 2015

Int. Designation	1992-049A
Launched	31 July 1992
Launch Site	Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landed	8 August 1992
Landing Site	Runway 33, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Launch Vehicle	OV-104 Atlantis/ET-48/SRB-BI052/SSME #1 2032; #2 2033; #3 2027
Duration	7 days 23 hrs 15 min 3 sec
Call sign	Atlantis
Objective	Deployment of ESA’s European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) and operation of joint NASA/ISA Tethered Satellite System (TSS)

Flight Crew

SHRIVER, Loren James, 48, USAF, commander, 3rd mission Previous missions: STS 51-C (1985); STS-31 (1990)

ALLEN, Andrew Michael, 36, USMC, pilot NICOLLIER, Claude, 47, civilian, ESA mission specialist 1 IVINS, Marsha Sue, 41, civilian, mission specialist 2, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-32 (1990)

HOFFMAN, Jeffrey Alan, 47, civilian, mission specialist 3, payload commander, 3rd mission

Previous missions: STS 51-D (1985); STS-35 (1990)

CHANG-DIAZ, Franklin Raymond de Los Angeles, 42, civilian, mission specialist 4, 3rd mission

Previous missions: STS 61-C (1986); STS-34 (1989)

MALERBA, Franco, 46, civilian, Italian Space Agency payload specialist

Flight Log

The launch of STS-46 was delayed just 45 seconds at T — 5 minutes, to verify that the APUs were ready to start. The deployment of the European Space Agency’s European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) was delayed by one day due to a problem with its data-handling system. Following deployment from Atlantis using the RMS, EUR – ECA’s thrusters were fired to boost the platform to its planned operating altitude of about 500 km. The firing was planned to last 24 minutes, but lasted only six minutes due to unexpected altitude data from EURECA. The problem was resolved and the engines were restarted to place the payload in its operational orbit during the sixth day of the mission. EURECA was subsequently retrieved and returned to Earth during the STS-57 mission in 1993.

The EURECA satellite is hoisted above Atlantis’s payload bay by the RMS prior to deploy­ment. The 16-mm lens gives this 35-mm frame a “fish eye’’ effect. The Tethered Satellite System in centre frame is stowed in the payload bay prior to its planned operations later in the mission

The delay to the EURECA deployment also delayed the Tethered Satellite System experiment for a day. The objective of TSS was to demonstrate the technology of long – tethered systems in space and to demonstrate that such systems were useful for research. The investigations planned for the system on this mission included a variety of space plasma physics and electrodynamics investigations. TSS could operate in the upper reaches of the atmosphere at an altitude higher than the operating range of balloons but below that of orbiting satellites, providing prolonged data gathering far beyond that of sounding rockets. The experiment, if successful, would probably lead to follow-on research into the use of tether systems for generating electrical power, spacecraft propulsion, broadcasting from space, studying the atmosphere, using the atmosphere as a wind tunnel and controlled microgravity experiments.

The 518 kg satellite featured a 1.6-meter sphere mounted on both a pallet in the cargo bay and on the Spacelab Mission Peculiar Equipment Support Structure (MPESS) that supports TSS orbiter-based science instruments. The sphere had an electrically conductive surface and carried its science instruments mounted on extend­able booms. The extended boom satellite support structure measured twelve metres when fully extended above the payload bay and the motorised reel used to deploy the satellite could hold up to 108 km of tether (on STS-46, this was limited to 20 km). A data acquisition system would acquire data from the satellite and control it when

deployed. The programme envisaged 30 hours of deployed activity, with twelve experiments gathering data on the satellite, the support structure and the environment in which it was flying.

During this mission, the system suffered several failures. The No. 2 umbilical failed to retract from the tethered satellite and the satellite itself failed to deploy on the first “flyaway” attempt. The deployment was also punctuated by an unplanned stop at 179 metres, a second at 256 metres, and the inability to either deploy or retrieve the satellite at 224 metres. During STS-46, the satellite reached a maximum distance of 256 metres, instead of the planned 20 kilometres on the initial deployment, due to a jammed tether line. Despite numerous attempts over several days to free the tether, TSS operations were curtailed and the satellite successfully stowed for return to Earth. Post-flight investigations revealed that a protruding 4-inch bolt had hampered deploy­ment operations. Slack tether during the deployment operations was also likely to have resulted in the cable snagging in the Upper Tether Control Mechanism.

Frustrated by their setbacks with TSS, the crew nevertheless completed a range of secondary experiments and payloads, working on a two-shift system. Allen, Nicollier and Malerba formed the Blue Team, while Ivins, Hoffman and Chang-Diaz were the Red Team. Mission commander Shriver worked with either team. There were six NASA experiments located in the payload bay. These were designed to study the effects of the space environment on materials and equipment that were planned for future use on Space Station Freedom. The 70 mm IMAX Cargo Bay Camera was also in the payload bay and was remotely controlled by the crew from the aft flight deck to film scenes from the mission for use in future IMAX films. There were also three secondary payloads located in the mid-deck area, which the crew worked on during their flight.

The mission was extended by one day in order to complete science activities. This would be the last flight of Atlantis prior to a scheduled inspection and modification period. This was later extended to include additional modifications that would allow Atlantis to dock with the Mir space station. Atlantis was shipped to Rockwell in October 1992. Its next mission would be STS-66 in 1994.

Milestones

153rd manned space flight

79th US manned space flight

49th Shuttle mission

12th flight of Atlantis

6th flight of Shuttle pallet mission

1st European mission specialist (Nicollier)

1st European RMS operator (Nicollier)

1st Italian in space (Malerba)

TSS-1 was the longest structure ever flown in space (256 metres) Allen celebrates his 37th birthday in space (4 Aug)

Int. Designation	1994-039A
Launched	8 July 1994
Launch Site	Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landed	23 July 1994
Landing Site	Runway 33, Shuttle Landing Facility, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Launch Vehicle	OV-102 Columbia/ET-64/SRB BI-066/SSME #1 2019; #2 2030; #3 2017
Duration	14 days 17 hrs 55 min 00 sec
Call sign	Columbia
Objective	Second flight of the International Microgravity Laboratory using a Spacelab Long Module configuration

Flight Crew

CABANA, Robert Donald, 45, USMC, commander, 3rd mission Previous missions: STS-41 (1990); STS-53 (1992)

HALSELL Jr., James Donald, 37, pilot

HIEB, Richard James, 38, civilian, mission specialist 1, payload commander, 3rd mission

Previous missions: STS-39 (1991); STS-49 (1992)

WALZ, Carl Erwin, 38, USAF, mission specialist 2, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-51 (1993)

CHIAO, Leroy, 33, civilian, mission specialist 3 THOMAS, Donald Alan, 39, civilian, mission specialist 4 MUKAI, Chiaki, 41, civilian, Japanese payload specialist 1

Flight Log

Following a smooth countdown, the mission of STS-65 carrying the IML-2 science payload got off to a perfect start. Once in orbit, the crew divided into the two teams (Red Shift – Cabana, Halsell, Hieb and NASDA PS Mukai; Blue Shift – Walz, Chiao and Thomas), working around the clock to operate not only the IML-2 science programme, but also a range of secondary and mid-deck experiments. This flight carried more than twice the experiments flown on IML-1 two years before and was supported by an international team of 210 scientists representing six space research organisations (ESA, CSA, CNES, DARA, NASDA and NASA).

The life sciences programme consisted of fifty experiments, divided into bio­processing, space biology, human physiology and radiation biology. Part of these investigations required the European Biorack facility, which was making its third trip into space. The Biorack housed 19 experiments, featuring chemicals and biological

The first Japanese woman to fly in space, Chiaki Mukai, is shown entering the IML-2 Spacelab module from the connecting tunnel from the mid-deck of Columbia during the 15-day mission

samples that included bacteria, mammalian and human cells, isolated tissues and eggs, sea urchin larvae, fruit flies and plant seedlings. Thirty materials-processing experi­ments were also conducted, using nine facilities. In the Protein Crystallisation Facility (flying for the second time), approximately 5,000 video images were taken of crystals grown during the mission. This mission also advanced the concept of remote tele­science, with researchers on the ground able to monitor their experiments in real time as they were operated aboard the orbiter. At the end of the mission, the Spacelab Mission Operations Control Center at Huntsville in Alabama reported that over 25,000 payload commands had been issued, a new record.

In addition to the IML investigations the mission also flew the Orbital Accel­eration Research Experiment (OARE), the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) and the Military Application of Ship Track (MAST) payloads, as well as the SAREX amateur radio equipment. The Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS), which did not require equipment, was also part of the research programme of this flight. On top of all this, there were also more than a dozen Detailed Test Objectives and more than fifteen Detailed Supplementary Objectives assigned to the mission, as well as the ongoing programme of biomedical studies as part of the EDO Medical Project (EDOMP), and the Earth photography and observation programme.

The crew also set up a video to record the experience of riding in the crew cabin during launch and entry for the first time. On 20 July, the crew honoured the 25th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, noting that the historic mission also featured a spacecraft called Columbia (the Command and Service Module). The

22 July landing was waived off due to the possibility of rain showers around the Cape but the next day the conditions were good to support a return to Earth. This was the final flight of Columbia prior to its scheduled modification and refurbishment period at Rockwell’s facility in California. OV-102 left the Cape in October 1994 and returned in April 1995 to begin preparations for its next mission on STS-73.

Milestones

171st manned space flight

93rd US manned space flight

63rd Shuttle mission

17th flight of Columbia

4th EDO mission

2nd flight of IML configuration

1st Japanese woman to fly in space (Mukai)

Longest single flight to date by a female (Mukai)

1st use of video-tape to record lift-off and re-entry from inside flight deck

Flight Crew

RICHARDS, Richard Noel, 48, USN, commander, 4th mission Previous missions: STS-28 (1989); STS-41 (1990); STS-50 (1992) HAMMOND Jr., Blaine, 42, USAF, pilot, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-39 (1991)

LINENGER, Jerry Michael, 39, USN, mission specialist 1 HELMS, Susan Jane, 36, USAF, mission specialist 2, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-54 (1993)

MEADE, Carl Joseph, 43, USAF, mission specialist 3, 3rd mission Previous missions: STS-38 (1990); STS-50 (1992)

LEE, Mark Charles, 42, USAF, mission specialist 4, 3rd mission Previous missions: STS-30 (1989); STS-47 (1992)

Flight Log

Weather conditions delayed the launch of STS-64 by almost two hours into a two – and-a-half-hour window, but otherwise the launch was untroubled. Once on orbit, the Lidar-in-space Technology Experiment (LITE), mounted on a Spacelab pallet in the payload bay, was activated on FD 1 and became operational the next day. It operated for almost a week of activities, resulting in what official reports called a “highly successful technology test.” The Lidar (light detection and radar) method of optical radar used laser pulses instead of radio waves to study the atmosphere of Earth, as part of the NASA Mission to Planet Earth programme. Sixty-five groups of researchers from twenty countries took part in the experiment, which also employed simultaneous airborne and ground-based measurements to verify the data collected by the LITE payload. The experiments operated for 53 hours, of which 43 hours were of high-rate data quality. Atmosphere “sites” located high above northern Europe, Indonesia and the South Pacific area, Russia and Africa were targeted and from

Meade tests the new SAFER system 130 nautical miles above the Earth. Hardware supporting the Lidar-in-space Technology Experiment (LITE) is at the lower right. The photo was taken from the RMS shoulder joint camera. The robot arm is also captured in the scene upper right

the data collected, new information on the structure of clouds, storm systems, dust clouds and pollutants in the atmosphere was obtained. Furthermore, the data was used to understand the effects of forest fires and how reflective the surface of the Earth was at different points and changing times of the day, in varying “seasonal” conditions.

On FD 5, the Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy-201 (SPARTAN-201) was deployed by the RMS. This was the unit’s second mission and was designed to investigate the acceleration and velocity of solar wind, as well as taking measurements of the Sun’s corona. The collected data was stored on board for downloading once back on Earth and the vehicle was retrieved on FD 7.

During FD 8, Lee (EV1) and Meade (EV2) performed the only EVA of the mission, but one which was a milestone in the preparations for expanded EVA operations at ISS. During the EVA, the two astronauts evaluated the Simplified

Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER). The RMS remained active and on hand in case of problems. The SAFER unit was designed to provide a usable back-up if an astronaut became untethered during EVA. In some circumstances, the Shuttle would be capable of manoeuvring to “scoop up” a stranded astronaut (though this has not yet been necessary), but the ISS is far less manoeuvrable, so an alternative personal safety system would be required. This unit was a scaled-down version of the MMU flown during 1984 and was designed for emergency situations only (but with built-in back up systems). Propulsion came from 24 fixed-position thrusters. The 1.36 kg nitrogen supply, which could be recharged from the orbiter nitrogen system, could provide about a 3m/sec change in velocity until the gas was expelled. The unit also had an attitude control system and a 28-volt battery pack, which could be charged in orbit. During the EVA, both astronauts flew several short translation and rotation sequences, with data recorded in the SAFER unit for analysis after the mission. The unit was an outstanding success, as the astronauts soon learned that it used less nitrogen than predicted. They also evaluated the SAFER attitude hold system by manually tumbling each other. Despite Meade rolling Lee faster than planned, the attitude control system in Lee’s unit worked perfectly to correct his rotation. Both astronauts replenished their SAFERs about seven times during the EVA and the only problems during the excursion were Meade reporting that his feet had gone cold, and that evaluation of the Electronic Cuff Check (ECC) list, which was designed to replace the paper cuff checklists that had been used since Apollo 12, proved disappointing.

Aside from the LITE payload, STS-64 also carried the Shuttle Plume Im­pingement Flight Experiment, a 10 m RMS extension that was designed to collect data on the RCS thrusters, which would help in understanding their effects in close proximity to large space structures such as Mir or ISS. As with all Shuttle flights, a suite of mid-deck experiments was carried on this mission, many of which had flown before. The mission was extended by a day to maximise the collection of data and was increased by a further 24 hours on 19 September due to storms at the Cape. The following day, two attempts at landing at the Cape were also abandoned due to the weather, so the mission was diverted to Edwards for the third landing window of the day.

Milestones

172nd manned space flight

94th US manned space flight

64th Shuttle mission

19th flight of Discovery

30th US and 55th flight with EVA operations

1st flight of LITE

1st untethered US EVA for 10 years 1st tests of SAFER

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