STS-98

Flight Crew

USACHEV, Yuri Vladimirovich, 42, civilian, ISS-2 and Soyuz commander,

4th mission

Previous missions: Soyuz TM18 (1994); Soyuz TM23 (1996); STS-101 (2000) VOSS, James Shelton, 51, US Army, ISS-2 flight engineer 1, 5th mission Previous missions: STS-44 (1991); STS-53 (1992); STS-69 (1995); STS-101 (2000) HELMS, Susan Jane, 42, USAF, ISS-2 flight engineer 2, 5th mission Previous missions: STS-54 (1993); STS-64 (1994); STS-78 (1996); STS-101 (2000)

Flight Log

On 10 March, the second ISS crew arrived at the station and formed part of a ten – person crew aboard ISS until the departure of Discovery on 19 March. Following the departure of STS-102, the ISS-2 crew was fully occupied with the commencement of science work and activation of the Destiny laboratory, as well as the introduction of robotics on the station with the delivery of the SSRMS (Canadarm2) during the STS-100 mission.

The science programme for this flight encompassed 38 investigations – 18 Amer­ican and 20 Russian experiments – in plant biology, biology, assessment of the ISS environment, radiation studies, Earth observations, biotechnology, protein crystal growth, medical, materials sciences, technology and education. In addition to the science programme, the crew would host the crews of STS-100,104 and 105, as well as the first visiting mission by Soyuz TM32 to exchange their Soyuz ferry. The latter included the first space tourist (space flight participant), American businessman Dennis Tito. To support the science work, the ISS Payload Operations Center located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, began round-the – clock operations with this residency. Additional science racks for Destiny were delivered via the MPLM carried by STS-100 and STS-105.

April was a busy month for the ISS-2 crew, with the undocking of Progress M44, the relocation of Soyuz TM31 from the Zarya nadir port to the Zvezda aft port, the

flight of STS-100 delivering Canadarm2, and the first Soyuz Taxi mission, Soyuz TM32. In May, they received the Progress M1-6 cargo craft and the following month (8 Jun), Voss and Usachev completed a 19-minute IVA in the Zvezda docking node moving a storage site in the docking node to the nadir docking port position. This had originally been in the front docking port of Zvezda, which was now permanently docked to the rear of Zarya, and would be more useful in the nadir location of the service module instead. During the IVA, Helms remained in the US segment in case she needed to evacuate to Soyuz TM32, which was docked to the Zarya nadir port. She would have awaited her two colleagues there, as they would have been able to enter the Soyuz via the OM EVA hatch in an emergency (a procedure only evaluated during the Soyuz 5/4 docking and EVA transfer mission in 1969). In the event, this procedure was not called upon.

In July, STS-104 delivered the Joint Airlock (Quest). During the docked opera­tions, Helms and Voss used the new SSRMS to remove the airlock from the bay of the Shuttle and position it on Unity, where it was permanently attached by the STS-104 EVA crew members. The following month, the ISS-2 crew were relieved by the ISS-3 crew, who arrived on the STS-105 mission that would take the second expedition crew home after 167 days in space.

Milestones

2nd ISS resident crew

1st ISS EO crew to be launched by Shuttle

Flight Crew

ROMINGER, Kent Vernon, 44, USN, commander, 5th mission Previous missions: STS-73 (1995); STS-80 (1996); STS-85 (1997); STS-96 (1999) ASHBY, Jeffrey Shears, 46, USN, pilot, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-93 (1999)

HADFIELD, Chris Austin, 41, Canadian Air Force, mission specialist 1,

2nd mission

Previous mission: STS-74 (1995)

PHILLIPS, John Lynch, 50, civilian, mission specialist 2 PARAZYNSKI, Scott Edward, 39, civilian, mission specialist 3, 4th mission Previous missions: STS-66 (1994); STS-86 (1997); STS-95 (1998)

GUIDONI, Umberto, 46, civilian, ESA mission specialist 4, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-75 (1996)

LONCHAKOV, Yuri Valentinovich, 36, Russian Air Force, mission specialist 5

Flight Log

Endeavour docked to the ISS on 21 April with an international crew comprising astronauts from the US, Canada, Italy and Russia. In the payload bay was the second Italian-made MPLM (Raffaello) with 3.4 tons of cargo, including two more science racks for Destiny. Also aboard the orbiter was the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), Canadarm2. The crew would not open the hatches to greet each other this time, in order to preserve respective air pressure levels in the two spacecraft as the Endeavour crew prepared for their EVAs. Endeavour would remain docked to the station for 195 hours.

During the first EVA (22 Apr for 7 hours 10 minutes), the RMS lifted a Spacelab pallet to a cradle on the Destiny lab, where Hadfield (EV1) and Parazynski (EV2)

removed the UHF antenna and installed it on the lab structure. They then unfolded the Canadarm2 and attached one end to Destiny while the arm was still secured on the pallet. Computer cables were then attached to the arm to give it computer communications with the lab. The next day, ISS-2 astronauts Helms and Voss

commanded the new arm to “walk off” the pallet and grab an electrical grapple fixture on the lab, which would supply data, power and telemetry to the arm. As the crew relocated the station arm, the Shuttle’s RMS was used to relocate the Raffaello logistics module to the station for later transfer of its 2,700 kg of cargo. This included two science racks and three US commercial payloads. The second EVA (24 Apr for 7 hours 40 minutes) saw the two astronauts connect power and Data Grapple Fixture circuits on Destiny for the station arm’s operations. Old hardware was removed from the exterior of the station and spares were relocated from the Shuttle to a storage rack on the US lab. The astronauts also rewired power and data connections for the SSRMS. Despite some early problems with a back-up system (resolved by disconnect­ing and reconnecting the cables at the base of the arm), the power paths in both primary and redundant modes were completed.

A problem with station computers meant that some communications had to be routed through the Space Shuttle and while the problem was investigated, some work on the SSRMS was curtailed. Suspected software errors were thought to be the cause of the communication problems. The STS-100 docked mission to ISS was extended a day to support station operations while the problem was resolved over the next couple of days. On FD 9, the MPLM was returned by RMS to the payload bay of Endeavour. Inside was 726 kg of material for the return to Earth. The next day, the computer problems had been resolved, and the SSRMS was commanded to take the 1,361 kg pallet from its cradle on Destiny and “hand it over’’ to the Shuttle RMS, which replaced it in the payload bay. The exchange of the pallet from arm to arm was the first ever robotic-to-robotic transfer in space.

On the same day, the crew were informed of the launch of Soyuz TM32 carrying the first space tourist, Dennis Tito. The Shuttle crew undocked from ISS on 29 April and 14 hours later, with STS-100 still in orbit, the Soyuz TM crew docked to ISS. Aboard Endeavour, the crew received a weather waive-off from the Cape for 24 hours and the following day, with no improvement in the weather at the Cape, the first landing opportunity at Edwards AFB in California was taken up instead.

Milestones

224th manned space flight

134th US manned space flight

104th Shuttle mission

16th flight of Endeavour

9th Shuttle ISS mission

3rd Endeavour ISS mission

48th US and 81st flight with EVA operations

2nd MPLM flight

1st flight of MPLM-2 Raffaello

1st Canadian EVA (Hadfield)

1st robotic-to-robotic transfer in space

Flight Crew

COCKRELL, Kenneth Dale, 50, civilian, commander, 4th mission Previous missions: STS-56 (1993); STS-69 (1995); STS-80 (1996)

POLANSKY, Mark Lewis, 44, civilian, pilot

CURBEAM Jr., Robert Lee, 38, USN, mission specialist 1, 2nd mission Previous mission: STS-85 (1997)

IVINS, Marsha Sue, 49, civilian, mission specialist 2, 5th mission Previous missions: STS-32 (1990); STS-46 (1992); STS-62 (1994); STS-81 (1997) JONES, Thomas David, 46, civilian, mission specialist 3, 4th mission Previous missions: STS-59 (1994); STS-68 (1994); STS-80 (1996)

Flight Log

STS-98 had been rolled to the launch pad on 3 January 2001, but after concerns were raised over the integrity of SRB cables, it was taken back to the VAB 19 January (the original day of launch). A series of 36 “wiggle tests” were completed on the cables before they were cleared for the new launch date of 7 February. The vehicle was back on the pad by 26 January. After docking with ISS on FD 3 at the PMA-3 location on Unity, the hatches were opened for the initial transfer of logistics to the station. During four hours of joint operations with the ISS-1 crew, the Shuttle crew transferred three 45.4 litre water bags, a spare Zvezda computer, cables for powering up Destiny, personal gifts for the crew from their families, fresh food and new movies. Atlantis remained docked with ISS for 165 hours, with the hatches opened for a total of 63 hours during that time.

During FD 4, the US laboratory Destiny was successfully relocated to the forward port of Unity by RMS. This was done by first using the robotic arm to remove the PMA-2 from the front port and relocate it to the Z1 Truss. The RMS then returned to the payload bay to lift the 16-ton laboratory out to mate it with the front port of the Unity Node. An automatic bolt system permanently secured the lab to the

Node. The next day, ISS-1 commander Bill Shepherd and STS-98 commander Ken Cockrell entered Destiny for the first time, activating systems and filming onboard scenes with the IMAX camera. They activated air systems, fire extinguishers, alarm systems and computers. The PMA-2 was relocated from the Z1 Truss to the front of Destiny two days later.

The three EVAs by Jones (EV1) and Curbeam (EV2) (10 Feb for 7 hours 34 minutes, 12 Feb for 6 hours 50 minutes, and 14 Feb for 5 hours 25 minutes) supported the move of Destiny, with the two astronauts connecting electrical, data and coolant lines. They also provided visual clues for the relocation of hardware, as Ivins operated the RMS from the aft flight deck of the Shuttle. The astronauts placed covers over the launch restraints pins that had held Destiny in the payload bay and attached a vent to part of the lab’s vent systems, as well as installing handrails and sockets on the exterior to support future EVAs. They also inspected the PMA-2 and Destiny connections and solar array connections. In an evaluation of a possible EVA rescue situation, Jones and Curbeam also tested how difficult it would be for a spacewalker to carry an immobile crew member back to the Shuttle airlock. During the first EVA, a small amount of frozen ammonia crystals leaked as Curbeam attached the coolant line. It soon dissipated and posed no problems, but decontamination actions were followed by both the EVA crew (Curbeam remained in the Sun for 90 minutes while Jones brushed off his colleague’s suit) and the Shuttle crew (Cockrell, Polansky and Ivins wore oxygen masks for 20 minutes after re-pressurisation of the airlock, which had been partially pressurised to flush out any contaminants).

After the third EVA, the crew opened the internal hatches again to complete the transfer of logistics. In all 1,360 kg of supplies were transferred to the station and around 386 kg of trash (used batteries, packaging material, empty food containers and other items) were brought back to Atlantis. The orbit of the station was also re­boosted by the engines of the Atlantis once again prior to undocking. The addition of Destiny increased the internal volume of the habitable modules by 10.75 m3, the combined habitable modules now totalling over 36.9 m3, more volume than any other manned spacecraft in history.

Launched inside the laboratory were five systems racks that provided electrical power, cooling water, air revitalisation and temperature-humidity control. There were locations for up to 18 additional science racks, with six due for launch on the next mission. In addition to science facilities, the new module provide ISS with ECLSS, a thermal control system, a guidance and control system, navigation and electrical power systems, and support for EVA, robotics communications and track­ing. Destiny’s arrival greatly expanded the scope of operations at the station.

Milestones

222nd manned space flight

132nd US manned space flight

102nd Shuttle mission

23rd flight of Atlantis

7th Shuttle ISS mission

3rd Atlantis ISS mission

46th US and 79th flight with EVA operations

Flight Crew

WETHERBEE, James Donald, 48, USN, commander, 5th mission Previous missions: STS-32 (1990); STS-52 (1992); STS-63 (1995); STS-86 (1997) KELLY, James McNeil, 36, USAF, pilot

THOMAS, Andrew Sydney Withiel, 49, civilian, mission specialist 1,

3rd mission

Previous mission: STS-77 (1996); STS 89/91 (1996)

RICHARDS, Paul William, 36, mission specialist 2

ISS-2 crew up only:

VOSS, James Shelton, 51, US Army, mission specialist 3, ISS-2 flight engineer 1, 5th mission

Previous missions: STS-44 (1991); STS-53 (1992); STS-69 (1995); STS-101 (2000) HELMS, Susan Jane, 42, USAF, mission specialist 4, ISS-2 flight engineer 2, 5th mission

Previous missions: STS-54 (1993); STS-64 (1994); STS 78 (1996); STS-101 (2000) USACHEV, Yuri Vladimirovich, 42, civilian, Russian mission specialist 5,

ISS-2 and Soyuz commander, 4th mission

Previous missions: Soyuz TM18 (1994); Soyuz TM23 (1996); STS-101 (2000) ISS-1 crew down only:

KRIKALEV, Sergei Konstaninovich, 42, civilian, Russisn ISS-1 flight engineer, mission specialist 3, 5th mission

Previous missions: Soyuz TM7 (1988); Soyuz TM12 (1991); STS-60 (1994); STS-88/ISS (1998)

SHEPHERD, William McMichael, 51, USN, ISS-1 commander, mission specialist 4, 4th mission

Previous missions: STS-27 (1988); STS-41 (1990); STS-52 (1993)

GIDZENKO, Yuri Pavolich, 38, Russian Air Force, ISS-1 Soyuz commander, mission specialist 5, 2nd mission Previous mission: Soyuz TM22 (1995)

Flight Log

This mission delivered the second resident crew to the station, along with almost 5 tons of supplies carried aboard the first Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM). Almost 1 ton of unwanted material was returned to Earth in the MPLM at the end of the mission. Docking with the ISS at the PMA-2 location on 10 March was followed a couple of hours later by the opening of hatches, with all ten crew members greeting each other in the spacious Destiny laboratory.

Two EVAs were completed during the mission. The first by Voss (EV1) and Helms (EV2) (11 Mar for 8 hours 56 minutes) was before they began their residency

aboard the station and set a record for the longest EVA in Shuttle history. Their task was to prepare PMA-3 to be moved from Unity to make room for MPLM Leonardo, moving an antenna from the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) to allow the PMA-3 to be stowed there while Leonardo was being unloaded. A Lab Cradle Assembly was also relocated from the payload bay of Discovery to the side of Destiny where it would form the base of the Space Station RMS (SSRMS) to be delivered on the following Shuttle mission (STS-100). The second EVA by Thomas (EV3) and Richards (EV4) (13 Mar for 6 hours 21 minutes) included installation of an External Stowage Platform (ESP) for spare parts and the attachment of a spare ammonia coolant pump to the platform. Heater, power and control cables were also connected in preparation for the station robotic arm delivery.

During the almost 214 hours docked to ISS (a record), the hatches were open for a total of 142 hours. Leonardo was moved from the payload bay of Discovery to the CBM on 11 Mar. It was relocated back in the payload bay on 18 March after the mission had been extended a day to ensure the module was correctly emptied and properly repacked for entry and landing. The official transfer of crew members between ISS-1 and 2 was staggered over several days to allow necessary briefings to be completed without interrupting the significant logistics transfer between the vehicles. Usachev replaced Gidzenko on 10 March, Voss swapped with Krikalev on 11 March and Helms with Shepherd on 14 March, with Shepherd passing formal command of ISS to Usachev on 19 March. Each resident crew member relocated their personal Soyuz couch liners in the process of exchange. The returning ISS-1 crew took their places in recumbent seats on the mid-deck of Discovery (first evaluated during Shuttle-Mir missions) for the return to Earth. The successful operations allowed a smooth hand-over between the crews with as little interruption to station activities as possible. This was the first time a complete ISS resident crew had been exchanged on the Shuttle (something that had occurred on Mir only once, in 1995).

Milestones

223rd manned space flight

133rd US manned space flight

103rd Shuttle mission

29th flight of Discovery

8th Shuttle ISS mission

3rd Discovery ISS mission

47th US and 80th flight with EVA operations

1st Shuttle resident crew exchange mission

1st flight of Multi-Purpose Logistics Module

1st flight of MPLM-1 Leonardo