STS-104

Summary

STS-104 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis. Its primary objectives were to install the Quest Joint Airlock and help perform maintenance on the International Space Station. It launched on 12 July 2001 at 09:04 UTC, and returned to Earth without incident after successful docking, equipment installation, and three spacewalks.

STS-104
Quest being grappled by Canadarm2, prior to its installation on the ISS
NamesSpace Transportation System-104
Mission typeISS assembly
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID2001-028A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.26862
Mission duration12 days, 18 hours, 36 minutes, 39 seconds
Distance travelled8,500,000 kilometres (5,300,000 mi)
Orbits completed200
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSpace Shuttle Atlantis
Launch mass117,129 kilograms (258,225 lb)
Landing mass94,009 kilograms (207,254 lb)
Payload mass8,241 kilograms (18,168 lb)
Crew
Crew size5
Members
EVAs3
EVA duration16 hours, 30 minutes
Start of mission
Launch date12 July 2001, 09:04 (2001-07-12UTC09:04Z) UTC
Launch siteKennedy LC-39B
End of mission
Landing date25 July 2001, 03:38 (2001-07-25UTC03:39Z) UTC
Landing siteKennedy SLF Runway 15
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude372 kilometres (231 mi)
Apogee altitude390 kilometres (240 mi)
Inclination51.6 degrees
Period92.2 minutes
Docking with ISS
Docking portPMA-2
(Destiny forward)
Docking date14 July 2001 03:08 UTC
Undocking date22 July 2001 04:54 UTC
Time docked8 days, 1 hour, 46 minutes

Left to right: Seated - Charles O. Hobaugh, Steven W. Lindsey; Standing - Michael L. Gernhardt, Janet L. Kavandi, James F. Reilly
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Crew edit

Position Astronaut
Commander Steven W. Lindsey
Third spaceflight
Pilot Charles O. Hobaugh
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Michael L. Gernhardt
Fourth and last spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Janet L. Kavandi
Third and last spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3 James F. Reilly
Second spaceflight

Mission highlights edit

 
Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-104 mission.

The primary purpose of the flight was to deliver and install the Quest airlock. The Joint Airlock is a pressurized flight element consisting of two cylindrical chambers attached end-to-end by a connecting bulkhead and hatch. Once installed and activated, the ISS airlock became the primary path for International Space Station space walk entry and departure for U.S. spacesuits, which are known as Extravehicular Mobility Units, or EMUs. In addition, the Joint Airlock is designed to support the Russian Orlan spacesuit for EVA activity.

The Joint Airlock is 20 ft (6.1 m) long, 13 ft (4.0 m) in diameter and weighs 6.5 short tons (5.9 metric tons). It is made from steel and aluminum, and manufactured at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) by the Space Station main contractor Boeing. The ISS-airlock has two main components: a crew airlock and an equipment airlock for storing EVA gear and EVA preflight preps. STS-104 also carries a spacelab pallet with four High Pressure Gas Assembly containers that were attached to the exterior of the airlock.

Mission Specialists Michael Gernhardt and James Reilly conducted three space walks while Space Shuttle Atlantis was docked to the International Space Station. They spent a total of 16 hours and 30 minutes outside. During the first space walk, Gernhardt and Reilly assisted in the installation of the airlock. During the second and third excursions, they focused on the external outfitting of the Quest airlock with four High Pressure Gas Tanks, handrails and other vital equipment. The third spacewalk was conducted from Quest itself.[1]

STS-104 was the final Space Shuttle mission to have a five-member crew. All succeeding missions would have six or seven (except the final mission STS-135, which had 4).

First flight of Block II SSME edit

STS-104 was the first shuttle mission to fly with a "Block II" SSME. Post-launch analysis indicated an anomaly occurred when the engine was shut down. The cause was determined and the mitigation approach was demonstrated on the STS-108 flight in November 2001.[2]

Space walks edit

  • Gernhardt and Reilly – EVA 1
  • EVA 1 Start: 15 July 2001 – 03:10 UTC
  • EVA 1 End: 15 July 2001 – 09:09 UTC
  • Duration: 5 hours, 59 minutes
  • Gernhardt and Reilly – EVA 2
  • EVA 2 Start: 18 July 2001 – 03:04 UTC
  • EVA 2 End: 18 July 2001 – 09:33 UTC
  • Duration: 6 hours, 29 minutes
  • Gernhardt and Reilly – EVA 3
  • EVA 3 Start: 21 July 2001 – 04:35 UTC
  • EVA 3 End: 21 July 2001 – 08:37 UTC
  • Duration: 4 hours, 02 minutes
 
The payload bay of STS-104 imaged by TV camera during its approach to the ISS, no still photography was made of this event

Wake-up calls edit

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, which was first used to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15.[3] Each track is specially chosen, often by their families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.[3][4]

Flight Day Song Artist/Composer
Day 2 "Wallace Courts Murron" Braveheart Soundtrack
Day 3 "God of Wonders" Caedmons Call
Day 4 "Space Cowboy" 'N Sync, from the soundtrack to Space Cowboys
Day 5 "No Woman, No Cry" Bob Marley
Day 6 "Nobody Does It Better" Carly Simon, from the soundtrack to The Spy Who Loved Me
Day 7 "Happy Birthday, Darling" Conway Twitty
Day 8 "All I Wanna Do" Sheryl Crow
Day 9 "A Time to Dance" Space Center Intermediate School Symphonic Band
Day 10 "I Could Write a Book" Harry Connick Jr., from the soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally...
Day 11 "Who Let the Dogs Out?" The Baha Boys
Day 12 "Orinoco Flow" Enya
Day 13 "Honey, I'm Home" Shania Twain
Day 14 "Hold Back the Rain" Duran Duran

See also edit

References edit

  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

  1. ^ "Giving the space station a doorway to space". NASA. Archived from the original on 13 August 2001.
  2. ^ Greene, William D.; Kynard, Michael H. (2002). "Understanding and Resolution of the Block 2 SSME, STS-104 Engine Shutdown Pressure Surge In-Flight Anomaly". NASA Sti/Recon Technical Report N. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. 03: 05846. Bibcode:2002STIN...0305846G.
  3. ^ a b Fries, Colin (25 June 2007). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls" (PDF). NASA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 June 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  4. ^ NASA (11 May 2009). "STS-104 Wakeup Calls". NASA. Archived from the original on 24 July 2001. Retrieved 31 July 2009.

External links edit