The ATLAS 1 mission, flown on Space Transportation System Flight 45 (STS-45) aboard Atlantis/OV-104, was launched on March 24.1992, at 84:13:13:40 GMT (8:13 am. EST) from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Launch was 1 day and 13 minutes later than originally planned. The March 23 launch was scrubbed and rescheduled for 24 hours later due to indications of possible fuel leaks (later disproved) during the tanking operation. The 13 minute hold for weather on March 24 forced an immediate replan of the mission timeline which was accomplished with no science lost. Total crew size was seven consisting of two Payload Specialists (PS), two Mission Specialists (MS) for payload operations, and a Commander, Pilot, and Orbiter MS. The two alternate PS assigned to the ATLAS 1 mission were an integral part of the Payload Operations Control Center (POW) mission support team. The orbit was circular (160 x 159 nautical miles) and had an inclination of 57 degrees. The payload bay doors were opened at Mission Elapsed Time (MET) 0/01:58 and Spacelab activation was completed at MET 0/02:49. The planned 8 day mission was extended to 9 days. The added day to the mission resulted in all instruments, except SEPAC and FAUST, obtaining additional observations. The ATLAS 1 experiments operated around the clock during 136 orbits. Over 1000 timeline changes were made, as science teams identified additional opportunities to gather data Over 210 Orbiter maneuvers were made to maximize the science return. ALAE, MAS, and ATMOS were the last experiments to be operating, and were shutdown at approximately MET g/12:37. Spacelab deactivation was completed at MET 8/15:34. The Spacelab operations were essentially flawless throughout the mission. The performance of the Environmental Control Subsystem (ECS), Command and Data Management Subsystem (CDMS), and the Electrical Power and Distribution Subsystems (EPDS) performance was nominal. No structural problems were reported or detected during the mission. None of the problem reports generated at MSFC or at JSC, during the ATLAS 1 mission, reflect a Spacelab subsystem failure or significant anomaly requiring tracking on the MSFC Flight Investigation Initiative (FII) list. Landing was at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), the primary landing site, at 6:23 a.m. EST on April 2,1992 (MET 8/22:10). A KSC landing was important for a rapid turn-around for the ATLAS 2 mission which is scheduled for launch less than one year away (March 1993). ATLAS 2 is to have an atmospheric/ solar science focus and is not a direct reflight of ATLAS 1. The overall success of the mission can be attributed to the combined team effort of those involved in mission preparation and real-time operations during the execution of the mission.


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    Titel :

    First Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS 1) Post Launch Mission Operation Report


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1993


    Format / Umfang :

    10 pages


    Medientyp :

    Report


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch