STS-99
Names | Space Transportation System-99 |
---|---|
Mission type | Radar imaging |
Operator | NASA |
COSPAR ID | 2000-010A |
SATCAT no. | 26088 |
Mission duration | 11 days, 5 hours, 39 minutes, 41 seconds |
Distance travelled | 6,540,000 kilometers (4,060,000 mi) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Endeavour |
Launch mass | 116,376 kilograms (256,565 lb) |
Landing mass | 102,363 kilograms (225,672 lb) |
Payload mass | 13,154 kilograms (29,000 lb) |
Crew | |
Crew size | 6 |
Members | |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 11 February 2000, 17:43 | UTC
Launch site | Kennedy LC-39A |
End of mission | |
Landing date | 22 February 2000, 23:23 | UTC
Landing site | Kennedy SLF Runway 33 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Perigee altitude | 224 kilometres (139 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 242 kilometres (150 mi) |
Inclination | 57.0 degrees |
Period | 89.2 minutes |
STS-99 mission patch Left to right - Front: Mohri, Thiele; Back: Voss, Kregel, Gorie, Kavandi |
STS-99 was a Space Shuttle mission using Endeavour, that launched on 11 February 2000 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The primary objective of the mission was the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) project. This was also the last solo flight of Endeavour; all future flights for Endeavour became devoted to the International Space Station. STS-99 was also the first Shuttle mission of the 2000s.
Crew
Position | Astronaut[1] | |
---|---|---|
Commander | Kevin R. Kregel Fourth and last spaceflight | |
Pilot | Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie Second spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 1 | Only spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 2 | Janet L. Kavandi Second spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 3 | Janice E. Voss Fifth and last spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 4 | Mamoru Mohri , NASDA Second and last spaceflight |
Mission highlights
The
SRTM used C-band and X-band
The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission mast was deployed successfully to its full length, and the antenna was turned to its operation position. After a successful checkout of the radar systems, mapping began at 00:31 EST, less than 12 hours after launch. Crewmembers split into two shifts so they could work around the clock, and began mapping an area from 60 degrees north to 56 degrees south. Data was sent to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for analysis, and early indications showed the data to be of excellent quality.
Mapping proceeded fairly smoothly, but during an attitude-hold period for payload mapping during the second day of flight, it was determined that orbiter propellant usage had doubled from 0.07 to 0.15% an hour. The increase was caused by a failure of the payload cold-gas thrust system that was used to offset the gravity gradient torque of the mast. As a result of this failure, orbiter propellant was being used at a higher-than-planned rate to maintain the attitude of the vehicle. Measures to reduce the expenditure were evaluated and based on the analysis, enough propellant could be saved to complete the planned 9-day plus science mission.
The first of a series of "flycast" maneuvers during the mission was also made on the second day of flight. The flycast maneuver was designed to reduce strain on the almost 200 foot (61 m) mast extending from Endeavour's payload bay when adjustments to Endeavour's orbit were needed.
The orbiter, which flew tail-first during mapping operations, was moved to a nose-first attitude with the mast extending upward. A brief reaction control system pulse began the maneuver. This caused the mast to deflect slightly backwards then rebound forward. As it reached vertical, a stronger thrust was applied, arresting the mast's motion and increasing the orbiter's speed.
Radar data gathering concluded at 06:54 EST on the tenth day of flight after a final sweep across Australia. During 222 hours and 23 minutes of mapping, Endeavour's radar images filled 332 high density tapes and covered 99.98% of the planned mapping area – land between 60 degrees north latitude and 56 degrees south latitude – at least once and 94.6% of it twice. Only about 80,000 square miles (210,000 km2) in scattered areas remained unimaged, most of them in North America and most already well mapped by other methods. Enough data was gathered to fill the equivalent of 20,000 CDs.
Also aboard Endeavour was a student experiment called
STS-99 also saw the recommissioning of the Spacelab pallet system, despite the Spacelab system being discontinued almost two years prior.
The 2007
This was the last mission to fly with the original Space Shuttle cockpit layout in 18 straight years. Although the next mission (STS-101) featured the "glass cockpit" on Atlantis, Endeavour and sister orbiter Discovery continued flying with the original cockpit layout until after the Columbia disaster.
Attempt | Planned | Result | Turnaround | Reason | Decision point | Weather go (%) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 31 Jan 2000, 12:47:00 pm | scrubbed | — | technical | 31 Jan 2000, 2:08 am | 60% | avionics problem[2] |
2 | 1 Feb 2000, 12:44:00 pm | scrubbed | 0 days, 23 hours, 57 minutes | technical | 1 Feb 2000, 3:30 am | avionics problem[3] | |
3 | 11 Feb 2000, 12:30:00 pm | success | 9 days, 23 hours, 46 minutes | 90% |
Wake-up calls
NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the
: 4 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.[4]: 44 [5]Flight Day | Team | Song | Artist/Performer | Played for | Link[5] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day 1 | Blue Team | "Time for Me to Fly" | REO Speedwagon | WAV | |
Day 2 | Red Team Blue Team |
"Some Guys Have All The Luck" "Eye in the Sky" |
Alan Parsons Project
|
WAV WAV | |
Day 3 | Red Team Blue Team |
"Jumpin' Jive" "Linus and Lucy" |
Cab Calloway/Joe Jackson Vince Guaraldi |
WAV WAV | |
Day 4 | Red Team Blue Team |
"Radar Love" "Journey to the Stars" |
Golden Earring Godiego |
WAV WAV | |
Day 5 | Red Team Blue Team |
" Canon in D "
|
Johann Pachebel / George Winston
|
Kevin Kregel[a] |
WAV WAV |
Day 6 | Red Team Blue Team |
"Smack Dab in the Middle" "We Saw the Sea" |
U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club
|
WAV WAV | |
Day 7 | Red Team Blue Team |
" Die Moldau " "Take a Little Less" |
Boston Symphony Orchestra Barton and Sweeney |
WAV WAV | |
Day 8 | Red Team Blue Team |
"Magic Carpet Ride" "Rawhide" |
Steppenwolf Frankie Laine |
WAV WAV | |
Day 9 | Red Team Blue Team |
"Catch the Moments As They Fly (Shannon River Dance)" "One After 909" |
Traditional Celtic Music / Jeff Victor The Beatles |
Kevin Kregel |
WAV WAV |
Day 10 | Red Team | "Walk Don't Run" | California Guitar Trio | WAV | |
Day 11 | Blue Team | "Stay" | Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
|
Not listed |
See also
Notes
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the
- ^ Dumoulin, Jim (29 June 2001). "STS-99 Day 1 Highlights". NASA. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ "Shuttle Endeavour grounded by weather, avionics problem". CBS News. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
- ^ "MEC replacement ordered; launch postponed to at least Feb. 9". CBS News. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
- ^ a b Fries, Colin (13 March 2015). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls" (PDF). NASA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ a b c NASA (9 April 2002). "STS-99 Wakeup Calls". NASA Human Spaceflight. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
External links
- NASA mission summary Archived 1 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- STS-99 Video Highlights Archived 13 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- USGS: Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Fact Sheet 2009-3087 (Sep 2009)