Jump to content

STS-32: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m →‎Mission summary: fix convert template spelling to American English per WP:ENGVAR using AWB
mNo edit summary
 
(46 intermediate revisions by 29 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|1990 American crewed spaceflight to retrieve the Long Duration Exposure Facility}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2011}}

{{more footnotes|date=May 2008}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = STS-32
| name = STS-32
| names_list = [[Space Transportation System]]-32<br/>STS-32R
| image = 1990 s32 LDEF and Columbia over Namibia.jpg
| image_caption = ''Columbia'' retrieves the Long Duration Exposure Facility
| image = 1990 s32 LDEF and Columbia over Namibia.jpg
| image_caption = ''Columbia'' retrieves the [[Long Duration Exposure Facility]].
| insignia = STS-32 patch.png
| image_size = 300px
| mission_type = [[Syncom|Syncom IV-F5]] (also known as [[Syncom|Leasat 5]]) [[Communications satellite|military communications satellite]]) deployment<br/>[[Long Duration Exposure Facility|LDEF satellite retrieval]]
| operator = [[NASA]]
| COSPAR_ID = 1990-002A
| SATCAT = 20409
| mission_duration = 10{{nbsp}}days, 21{{nbsp}}hours, 0{{nbsp}}minutes, 36{{nbsp}}seconds (achieved)
| distance_travelled = {{cvt|7258096|km}}
| orbits_completed = 172
| spacecraft = {{OV|102}}
| launch_mass = {{cvt|116117|kg}}
| landing_mass = {{cvt|103571|kg}}
| payload_mass = {{cvt|12014|kg}}
| crew_size = 5
| crew_members = {{Unbulleted list|[[Daniel Brandenstein]]|[[Jim Wetherbee]]|[[Bonnie J. Dunbar]]|[[Marsha Ivins]]|[[G. David Low]]}}
| launch_date = January 9, 1990, 12:35:00{{nbsp}}[[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]
| launch_rocket = [[Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']]
| launch_site = [[Kennedy Space Center]], [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A|LC-39A]]
| launch_contractor = [[Rockwell International]]
| landing_date = January 20, 1990, 09:35:36{{nbsp}}UTC
| landing_site = [[Edwards Air Force Base]],<br/>Runway 22
| orbit_reference = [[Geocentric orbit]]
| orbit_regime = [[Low Earth orbit]]
| orbit_periapsis = {{cvt|296|km}}
| orbit_apoapsis = {{cvt|361|km}}
| orbit_inclination = 28.45°
| orbit_period = 91.10 minutes
| apsis = gee
| instruments = {{ubl|American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE)|Characterization of Neurospora Circadian Rhythms (CNCR)|Fluid Experiment Apparatus (FEA)|Latitude / Longitude Locator (L3)|Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE)|Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)}}
| insignia = STS-32 patch.png
| insignia_caption = STS-32 mission patch
| insignia_size = 200px
| crew_photo = STS-32 crew.jpg
| crew_photo_caption = Standing: [[Marsha Ivins]], [[G. David Low]], [[Bonnie J. Dunbar]]<br/>Seated: [[Daniel Brandenstein]], [[Jim Wetherbee]]
| crew_photo_size = 300px
| programme = '''[[Space Shuttle program]]'''
| previous_mission = [[STS-33]] (32)
| next_mission = [[STS-36]] (34)
}}


'''STS-32''' was the 33rd mission of [[NASA]]'s [[Space Shuttle program]], and the ninth launch of {{OV|102}}. Launched on January 9, 1990, it marked the first use of the [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A|Launch Complex 39A]] of [[Kennedy Space Center]] since 1986; it also marked the first use of [[Mobile launcher platform|Mobile Launcher Platform-3]] (MLP-3) in the [[Space Shuttle program]]. STS-32 was, at the time, the longest shuttle mission yet conducted, with a duration of nearly 11 days. Before STS-32, the only mission of the same duration had been [[STS-9]] in 1983. On January 20, 1990, STS-32 executed the third night landing of the shuttle program. STS-32 was also the first Shuttle mission of the 1990s.
| spacecraft = {{OV|102}}
| mission_type = Satellite deployment<br/>Satellite retrieval
| operator = [[NASA]]
| COSPAR_ID = 1990-002A
| SATCAT = 20409
| orbits_completed = 172
| distance_travelled = {{convert|7258096|km}}
| mission_duration = 10 days, 21 hours, 36 seconds
| launch_mass = {{convert|116117|kg}}
| landing_mass = {{convert|103571|kg}}
| payload_mass = {{convert|12014|kg}}


The mission was technically designated '''STS-32R''', as the original STS-32 designator had been used internally for [[STS-61-C]], the 24th Space Shuttle mission. Official documentation and flight paperwork for that mission had contained the designator STS-32 throughout. Flights with the [[STS-26]] through [[STS-33]] designators used the '''R''' in their documentation to avoid conflicts in tracking data from one mission to another.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jenkins|first1=Dennis|title=Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon 1972-2013|date=2013|publisher=Specialty Press|location=Volume III|isbn=9781580072496|page=144|edition=1st}}</ref>
| launch_site = [[Kennedy Space Center|Kennedy]] [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|LC-39A]]
| launch_date = {{start-date|9 January 1990, 12:35:00|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC


== Crew ==
| landing_date = {{end-date|20 January 1990, 09:35:37|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC
{{Spaceflight crew
| landing_site = [[Edwards Air Force Base|Edwards]] Runway&nbsp;22
| terminology = Astronaut


| position1 = Commander
| crew_size = 5
| crew1_up = [[Daniel Brandenstein]]
| crew_members = [[Daniel Brandenstein|Daniel C. Brandenstein]]<br/>[[Jim Wetherbee|James D. Wetherbee]]<br/>[[Bonnie Dunbar|Bonnie J. Dunbar]]<br/>[[Marsha Ivins|Marsha S. Ivins]]<br/>[[G. David Low]]
| flights1_up = Third
| crew_photo = STS-32 crew.jpg
| crew_photo_caption = Clockwise from top left: Ivins, Low, Dunbar, Wetherbee, Brandenstein.


| apsis = gee
| position2 = Pilot
| orbit_epoch =
| crew2_up = [[Jim Wetherbee]]
| flights2_up = First
| orbit_reference = [[geocentric orbit|Geocentric]]
| orbit_regime = [[Low Earth orbit|Low Earth]]
| orbit_periapsis = {{convert|296|km}}
| orbit_apoapsis = {{convert|361|km}}
| orbit_period = 91.1 min
| orbit_inclination = 28.5 degrees


| position3 = Mission Specialist 1
| programme = [[Space Shuttle program]]
| previous_mission = [[STS-33]]
| crew3_up = [[Bonnie J. Dunbar]]
| flights3_up = Second
| next_mission = [[STS-36]]
}}


| position4 = Mission Specialist 2
'''STS-32''' was the 33rd mission of [[NASA]]'s [[Space Shuttle program]], and the 9th launch of [[Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']]. Launched on 9 January 1990, it marked the first use of Launch Pad A at [[Kennedy Space Center]]'s Complex 39 since 1986; it also marked the first use of [[Mobile Launcher Platform]] No. 3 (MLP-3) in the Space Shuttle program. STS-32 was, at the time, the longest shuttle mission yet conducted, with a duration of nearly 11 days. Before STS-32, the only mission of the same duration had been [[STS-9]] in 1983. On 20 January 1990, STS-32 executed the third night landing of the shuttle program.
| crew4_up = [[Marsha Ivins]]
| flights4_up = First


| position5 = Mission Specialist 3
== Crew ==
| crew5_up = [[G. David Low]]
{{Spaceflight crew
| flights5_up = First
|terminology = Astronaut
|position1 = Commander
|crew1_up = [[Daniel Brandenstein|Daniel C. Brandenstein]]
|flights1_up = Third
|position2 = Pilot
|crew2_up = [[Jim Wetherbee|James D. Wetherbee]]
|flights2_up = First
|position3 = Mission Specialist 1
|crew3_up = [[Bonnie Dunbar|Bonnie J. Dunbar]]
|flights3_up = Second
|position4 = Mission Specialist 2
|crew4_up = [[Marsha Ivins|Marsha S. Ivins]]
|flights4_up = First
|position5 = Mission Specialist 3
|crew5_up = [[G. David Low]]
|flights5_up = First
}}
}}

=== Crew seating arrangements ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Seat<ref>{{cite web|title=STS-32|url=http://spacefacts.de/mission/english/sts-32.htm|publisher=Spacefacts|access-date=February 26, 2014}}</ref>
! Launch
! Landing
| rowspan="6" style="text-align: center;" | [[File:Space Shuttle seating plan.svg|150px]]<br />Seats 1–4 are on the Flight Deck. Seats 5–7 are on the Middeck.
|-
! S1
| Brandenstein
| Brandenstein
|-
! S2
| Wetherbee
| Wetherbee
|-
! S3
| Dunbar
| Low
|-
! S4
| Ivins
| Ivins
|-
! S5
| Low
| Dunbar
|}


== Launch preparations ==
== Launch preparations ==
[[Launch Complex 39]]A was modified extensively in preparation for the launch, with STS-32 being the first launch from the refurbished pad since STS-61-C in 1986. [[NASA]] made improvements to the crew emergency [[wikt:egress|egress]] system and the shuttle payload room, increased anti-freeze protection for the water systems, installed debris traps used during propellant loading, and added more weather protection features and an umbilical to provide power, instrumentation and controls to the heaters for the [[solid rocket booster]] field joints.
Launch Complex 39A was modified extensively in preparation for the launch, with STS-32 being the first launch from the refurbished pad since STS-61-C in 1986. NASA made improvements to the crew emergency egress system and the shuttle payload room, increased anti-freeze protection for the water systems, installed debris traps used during propellant loading, and added more weather protection features and an umbilical to provide power, instrumentation and controls to the heaters for the [[solid rocket booster]] (SRB) field joints.


MLP-3, the oldest of the three [[Apollo program|Apollo]]-era launch structures, also underwent extensive remodeling for use with the shuttle. These modifications included the removal of the umbilical tower, the reconfiguring of three exhaust holes, and amendments to the electrical and mechanical ground support systems.
MLP-3, the oldest of the three [[Apollo program|Apollo]]-era launch structures, also underwent extensive remodeling for use with the shuttle. These modifications included the removal of the umbilical tower, the reconfiguring of three exhaust holes, and amendments to the electrical and mechanical ground support systems.


== Mission summary ==
== Mission summary ==
[[Image:1990 s32 Liftoff.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The launch of STS-32 from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A.]]
[[Image:1990 s32 Liftoff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|The launch of STS-32 from LC-39A]]
[[Image:1990 s32 Syncom 4-F5 Deployment.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Syncom IV-F5 satellite is deployed.]]
[[Image:1990 s32 Syncom 4-F5 Deployment.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|The Syncom IV-F5 satellite is deployed.]]
[[Image:STS-32 Return to KSC - GPN-2000-000677.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']], returning to [[Kennedy Space Center]] (KSC) after the successful STS-32 mission, flies past the [[Vehicle Assembly Building]] at KSC, secured atop the [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft]].]]
[[Image:STS-32 Return to KSC - GPN-2000-000677.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|{{OV|102}}, returning to [[Kennedy Space Center]] (KSC) after the successful STS-32 mission, flies past the [[Vehicle Assembly Building]] at KSC, secured atop the [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft]].]]

STS-32 launched from [[Kennedy Space Center]] (KSC), [[Florida]], on 9 January 1990 at 7:35:00&nbsp;am EST. The launch was initially scheduled for 18 December 1989, but was later postponed to allow the modifications to Pad A to be completed and verified. The second scheduled launch, on 8 January 1990, was aborted due to weather conditions. ''Columbia'' had a mission launch weight of 255,994&nbsp;lb (116,117&nbsp;kg).
STS-32 launched from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, on January 9, 1990, at 7:35:00&nbsp;a.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]. The launch was initially scheduled for December 18, 1989, but was later postponed to allow the modifications to Pad A to be completed and verified. The second scheduled launch, on January 8, 1990, was aborted due to weather conditions. ''Columbia'' had a mission launch weight of {{cvt|116117|kg}}
The primary objectives of the mission were to deploy the [[Syncom]] IV-F5 defense communications [[satellite]] (also known as Leasat 5),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/leasat.htm|title=Leasat Military Communications Satellite|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org|year=2011|accessdate=1 February 2013}}</ref> and to retrieve NASA's [[Long Duration Exposure Facility]] (LDEF), whose retrieval had been delayed for 4{{frac|1|2}} years by scheduling changes and the [[Challenger disaster|''Challenger'' disaster of 1986]]. Syncom IV-F5 was deployed on the second flight day, and a third-stage Minuteman solid perigee kick motor propelled it into a [[geosynchronous orbit]]. Dunbar retrieved the LDEF on the fourth day of the flight using the shuttle's [[Canadarm|Remote Manipulator System]]. The timeliness of the retrieval was of critical importance, because a high rate of solar flux had increased the density of the LDEF's orbital environment and accelerated its rate of [[orbital decay]]. Specialists who carefully monitored the stability of the craft's orbit had anticipated that if the LDEF was not retrieved in time, it would pass too low for the shuttle to safely reach, and could be destroyed during re-entry in February 1990. Thus, the mission's exact liftoff time was determined about 12 hours before launch, using the latest tracking data on LDEF. It was flown on a {{convert|352|km|sp=us}} orbit inclined 28.5 degrees to the [[equator]].
The primary objectives of the mission were to deploy the [[Syncom]] IV-F5 [[Communications satellite|military communications satellite]] (also known as [[Syncom|Leasat 5]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/leasat.htm|title=Leasat Military Communications Satellite|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org|year=2011|access-date=February 1, 2013}}</ref> and to retrieve NASA's [[Long Duration Exposure Facility]] (LDEF), whose retrieval had been delayed for 4{{frac|1|2}} years by scheduling changes and the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|''Challenger'' disaster of 1986]]. Syncom IV-F5 (Leasat-5) was deployed on the second flight day, and a third-stage Minuteman [[Apogee kick motor|solid apogee kick motor]] propelled it into a [[geosynchronous orbit]]. Dunbar retrieved the LDEF on the fourth day of the flight using the shuttle's Remote Manipulator System ([[Canadarm]]). The timeliness of the retrieval was of critical importance, because a high rate of [[Solar irradiance|solar flux]] had increased the density of the LDEF's orbital environment and accelerated its rate of [[orbital decay]]. Specialists who carefully monitored the stability of the craft's orbit had anticipated that if the LDEF was not retrieved in time, it would pass too low for the shuttle to safely reach, and could be destroyed during re-entry in February 1990. Thus, the mission's exact liftoff time was determined about 12 hours before launch, using the latest tracking data on LDEF. It was flown on a {{cvt|352|km}} orbit [[Orbital inclination|inclined]] 28.45° to the [[equator]].


The crew performed a 4{{frac|1|2}}-hour photographic survey of the free-flying structure, which held 57 science, technology and applications experiments. The 12-sided cylinder, about the size of a small [[bus]], was then berthed in the orbiter's payload bay for return to Earth.
The crew performed a 4{{frac|1|2}}-hour photographic survey of the free-flying structure, which held 57 science, technology and applications experiments. The 12-sided cylinder, about the size of a small [[satellite bus]], was then berthed in the orbiter's payload bay for return to [[Earth]].


NASA had planned to acquire data on the crew members' exposure to long periods of [[zero gravity]], and its effects on the crew's performance while landing the orbiter after an extended mission. STS-32 set a new shuttle duration record of nearly eleven days. An orbiter kit was developed to allow the shuttle to operate for up to 16 days in Earth orbit, and would later make its debut on ''Columbia'''s [[STS-50]] mission in 1992.
NASA had planned to acquire data on the crew members' exposure to long periods of [[Weightlessness|zero gravity]], and its effects on the crew's performance while landing the orbiter after an extended mission. STS-32 set a new shuttle duration record of nearly eleven days. An orbiter kit was developed to allow the shuttle to operate for up to 16 days in Earth orbit, and would later make its debut on ''Columbia''{{'}}s [[STS-50]] mission in 1992.


The retrieval of LDEF was filmed with an [[IMAX]] camera, and appeared in the IMAX film [[Destiny in Space]] in 1994. Earth observation footage from the camera also appeared in the 1991 film [[Blue Planet (film)|Blue Planet]].
The retrieval of LDEF was filmed with an [[IMAX]] camera, and appeared in the IMAX film ''[[Destiny in Space]]'' in 1994. Earth observation footage from the camera also appeared in the 1990 film [[Blue Planet (film)|''Blue Planet'']].


''Columbia'' landed safely on 20 January 1990 at 1:35:37&nbsp;am PST on Runway 22 of [[Edwards Air Force Base]], [[California]]. The shuttle had a landing weight of {{convert|103571|kg}}. The roll-out distance was {{convert|3271|m}}, and the roll-out time was 62 seconds. The orbiter returned to KSC on 26 January 1990.
''Columbia'' landed safely on January 20, 1990, at 1:35:37&nbsp;a.m. [[Pacific Time Zone|PST]] on Runway 22 of [[Edwards Air Force Base]], [[California]]. The orbiter had a landing weight of {{cvt|103571|kg}}. The roll-out distance was {{cvt|3271|m}}, and the roll-out time was 62{{nbsp}}seconds. The orbiter returned to KSC on January 26, 1990.


=== Mid-deck payloads ===
=== Mid-deck payloads ===
In addition to the Syncom IV-F5 satellite, STS-32 carried a number of mid-deck scientific payloads, some of which had already been flown on previous shuttle missions. The experiments included:
In addition to the Syncom IV-F5 (Leasat-5) satellite, STS-32 carried a number of mid-deck scientific payloads, some of which had already been flown on previous shuttle missions. The experiments included:
{{bulleted list
* Characterization of [[Neurospora crassa|Neurospora]] Circadian Rhythms (CNCR)
|Characterization of [[Neurospora crassa|Neurospora]] Circadian Rhythms (CNCR)
* Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)
|Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)
* Fluid Experiment Apparatus (FEA)
|Fluid Experiment Apparatus (FEA)
* American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE)
|American Flight [[Echocardiography|Echocardiograph]] (AFE)
* Latitude / Longitude Locator (L3)
|[[Latitude]] / [[Longitude]] Locator (L3)
* Mesoscale Lightning Experiment(MLE)
|Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE)
* [[IMAX]] camera
|[[IMAX]] camera
* Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment
|Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment

}}
==Mission insignia==
The three stars on the left and two stars on the right of STS-32's insignia symbolized the flight's numerical designation in the Space Transportation System's mission sequence.


== Wake-up calls ==
== Wake-up calls ==
NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the [[Project Gemini]], and first used music to wake up a flight crew during [[Apollo 15]]. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.<ref name="chronology">{{cite news|first=Colin|last=Fries|title=Chronology of Wakeup Calls|date=June 25, 2007|publisher=NASA|url=https://history.nasa.gov/wakeup%20calls.pdf|access-date=August 13, 2007|archive-date=December 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220093919/https://history.nasa.gov/wakeup%20calls.pdf|url-status=dead}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>
NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the [[Gemini program]], and first used music to wake up a flight crew during [[Apollo 15]].

Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.<ref name="chronology">
{{cite news
| first = Colin
| last = Fries
| title = Chronology of Wakeup Calls
| date = 25 June 2007
| publisher = NASA
| url = http://history.nasa.gov/wakeup%20calls.pdf
| format = [[PDF]]
| accessdate = 13 August 2007
}}
</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
Line 122: Line 150:
|-
|-
| Day 2
| Day 2
| "What’s More American?"
| "What's More American?"
| [[Bing Crosby]]
| [[Bing Crosby]]
|-
|-
Line 170: Line 198:
|}
|}


== Mission insignia ==
==See also==
The three stars on the left and two stars on the right of STS-32's insignia symbolized the flight's numerical designation in the [[Space Transportation System]]'s mission sequence. The inverted orbiter on the mission patch reflects the overhead phasing required for rendezvous with LDEF. LDEF had dropped to such a low altitude that the orbiter could not do the usual lower-orbit catch-up because of the thicker atmosphere, and had to reach the LDEF from above.

== See also ==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [[List of space shuttle missions]]
* [[List of human spaceflights]]
* [[List of human spaceflights chronologically]]
* [[List of Space Shuttle missions]]


==References==
== References ==
{{Include-NASA}}
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{reflist}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-32/mission-sts-32.html NASA mission information]
* [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-32/mission-sts-32.html NASA mission information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207012022/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-32/mission-sts-32.html |date=December 7, 2008 }}
* [http://www.nss.org/resources/library/shuttlevideos/shuttle33.htm STS-32 Video Highlights]
* [http://www.nss.org/resources/library/shuttlevideos/shuttle33.htm STS-32 Video Highlights] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715085703/http://www.nss.org/resources/library/shuttlevideos/shuttle33.htm |date=July 15, 2014 }}


{{Space Shuttle Columbia}}
{{Space Shuttle Columbia}}
{{All U.S. Space Shuttle Missions}}
{{Orbital launches in 1990}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Sts-032}}
[[Category:Space Shuttle missions]]
[[Category:Space Shuttle missions]]
[[Category:Edwards Air Force Base]]
[[Category:Edwards Air Force Base]]
[[Category:1990 in spaceflight]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 1990]]
[[Category:Spacecraft which reentered in 1990]]

Latest revision as of 19:15, 19 April 2024

STS-32
Columbia retrieves the Long Duration Exposure Facility.
NamesSpace Transportation System-32
STS-32R
Mission typeSyncom IV-F5 (also known as Leasat 5) military communications satellite) deployment
LDEF satellite retrieval
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID1990-002A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.20409
Mission duration10 days, 21 hours, 0 minutes, 36 seconds (achieved)
Distance travelled7,258,096 km (4,509,972 mi)
Orbits completed172
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSpace Shuttle Columbia
Launch mass116,117 kg (255,994 lb)
Landing mass103,571 kg (228,335 lb)
Payload mass12,014 kg (26,486 lb)
Crew
Crew size5
Members
Start of mission
Launch dateJanuary 9, 1990, 12:35:00 UTC
RocketSpace Shuttle Columbia
Launch siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39A
ContractorRockwell International
End of mission
Landing dateJanuary 20, 1990, 09:35:36 UTC
Landing siteEdwards Air Force Base,
Runway 22
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude296 km (184 mi)
Apogee altitude361 km (224 mi)
Inclination28.45°
Period91.10 minutes
Instruments
  • American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE)
  • Characterization of Neurospora Circadian Rhythms (CNCR)
  • Fluid Experiment Apparatus (FEA)
  • Latitude / Longitude Locator (L3)
  • Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE)
  • Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)

STS-32 mission patch

Standing: Marsha Ivins, G. David Low, Bonnie J. Dunbar
Seated: Daniel Brandenstein, Jim Wetherbee
← STS-33 (32)
STS-36 (34) →
 

STS-32 was the 33rd mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the ninth launch of Space Shuttle Columbia. Launched on January 9, 1990, it marked the first use of the Launch Complex 39A of Kennedy Space Center since 1986; it also marked the first use of Mobile Launcher Platform-3 (MLP-3) in the Space Shuttle program. STS-32 was, at the time, the longest shuttle mission yet conducted, with a duration of nearly 11 days. Before STS-32, the only mission of the same duration had been STS-9 in 1983. On January 20, 1990, STS-32 executed the third night landing of the shuttle program. STS-32 was also the first Shuttle mission of the 1990s.

The mission was technically designated STS-32R, as the original STS-32 designator had been used internally for STS-61-C, the 24th Space Shuttle mission. Official documentation and flight paperwork for that mission had contained the designator STS-32 throughout. Flights with the STS-26 through STS-33 designators used the R in their documentation to avoid conflicts in tracking data from one mission to another.[1]

Crew

[edit]
Position Astronaut
Commander Daniel Brandenstein
Third spaceflight
Pilot Jim Wetherbee
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Bonnie J. Dunbar
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Marsha Ivins
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3 G. David Low
First spaceflight

Crew seating arrangements

[edit]
Seat[2] Launch Landing
Seats 1–4 are on the Flight Deck. Seats 5–7 are on the Middeck.
S1 Brandenstein Brandenstein
S2 Wetherbee Wetherbee
S3 Dunbar Low
S4 Ivins Ivins
S5 Low Dunbar

Launch preparations

[edit]

Launch Complex 39A was modified extensively in preparation for the launch, with STS-32 being the first launch from the refurbished pad since STS-61-C in 1986. NASA made improvements to the crew emergency egress system and the shuttle payload room, increased anti-freeze protection for the water systems, installed debris traps used during propellant loading, and added more weather protection features and an umbilical to provide power, instrumentation and controls to the heaters for the solid rocket booster (SRB) field joints.

MLP-3, the oldest of the three Apollo-era launch structures, also underwent extensive remodeling for use with the shuttle. These modifications included the removal of the umbilical tower, the reconfiguring of three exhaust holes, and amendments to the electrical and mechanical ground support systems.

Mission summary

[edit]
The launch of STS-32 from LC-39A
The Syncom IV-F5 satellite is deployed.
Space Shuttle Columbia, returning to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) after the successful STS-32 mission, flies past the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC, secured atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

STS-32 launched from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, on January 9, 1990, at 7:35:00 a.m. EST. The launch was initially scheduled for December 18, 1989, but was later postponed to allow the modifications to Pad A to be completed and verified. The second scheduled launch, on January 8, 1990, was aborted due to weather conditions. Columbia had a mission launch weight of 116,117 kg (255,994 lb)

The primary objectives of the mission were to deploy the Syncom IV-F5 military communications satellite (also known as Leasat 5),[3] and to retrieve NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), whose retrieval had been delayed for 41⁄2 years by scheduling changes and the Challenger disaster of 1986. Syncom IV-F5 (Leasat-5) was deployed on the second flight day, and a third-stage Minuteman solid apogee kick motor propelled it into a geosynchronous orbit. Dunbar retrieved the LDEF on the fourth day of the flight using the shuttle's Remote Manipulator System (Canadarm). The timeliness of the retrieval was of critical importance, because a high rate of solar flux had increased the density of the LDEF's orbital environment and accelerated its rate of orbital decay. Specialists who carefully monitored the stability of the craft's orbit had anticipated that if the LDEF was not retrieved in time, it would pass too low for the shuttle to safely reach, and could be destroyed during re-entry in February 1990. Thus, the mission's exact liftoff time was determined about 12 hours before launch, using the latest tracking data on LDEF. It was flown on a 352 km (219 mi) orbit inclined 28.45° to the equator.

The crew performed a 41⁄2-hour photographic survey of the free-flying structure, which held 57 science, technology and applications experiments. The 12-sided cylinder, about the size of a small satellite bus, was then berthed in the orbiter's payload bay for return to Earth.

NASA had planned to acquire data on the crew members' exposure to long periods of zero gravity, and its effects on the crew's performance while landing the orbiter after an extended mission. STS-32 set a new shuttle duration record of nearly eleven days. An orbiter kit was developed to allow the shuttle to operate for up to 16 days in Earth orbit, and would later make its debut on Columbia's STS-50 mission in 1992.

The retrieval of LDEF was filmed with an IMAX camera, and appeared in the IMAX film Destiny in Space in 1994. Earth observation footage from the camera also appeared in the 1990 film Blue Planet.

Columbia landed safely on January 20, 1990, at 1:35:37 a.m. PST on Runway 22 of Edwards Air Force Base, California. The orbiter had a landing weight of 103,571 kg (228,335 lb). The roll-out distance was 3,271 m (10,732 ft), and the roll-out time was 62 seconds. The orbiter returned to KSC on January 26, 1990.

Mid-deck payloads

[edit]

In addition to the Syncom IV-F5 (Leasat-5) satellite, STS-32 carried a number of mid-deck scientific payloads, some of which had already been flown on previous shuttle missions. The experiments included:

  • Characterization of Neurospora Circadian Rhythms (CNCR)
  • Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)
  • Fluid Experiment Apparatus (FEA)
  • American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE)
  • Latitude / Longitude Locator (L3)
  • Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE)
  • IMAX camera
  • Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment

Wake-up calls

[edit]

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

Flight Day Song Artist/Composer
Day 2 "What's More American?" Bing Crosby
Day 3 "The Banana Boat Song" parody
Day 4 "Let It Snow" parody
Day 5 "Hello Dolly" parody
Day 6 "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"
Day 7 "Notre Dame Victory March"
Day 8 "Bow Down to Washington" University of Washington
Day 9 "Glory, Glory, Colorado" University of Colorado
Day 10 "Danny Boy" Larry Bird
Day 11 "Washington and Lee" Washington and Lee University
Day 12 "Born to Be Wild" Steppenwolf
Day 13 "Anchors Aweigh" Charles A. Zimmerman

Mission insignia

[edit]

The three stars on the left and two stars on the right of STS-32's insignia symbolized the flight's numerical designation in the Space Transportation System's mission sequence. The inverted orbiter on the mission patch reflects the overhead phasing required for rendezvous with LDEF. LDEF had dropped to such a low altitude that the orbiter could not do the usual lower-orbit catch-up because of the thicker atmosphere, and had to reach the LDEF from above.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Jenkins, Dennis (2013). Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon 1972-2013 (1st ed.). Volume III: Specialty Press. p. 144. ISBN 9781580072496.
  2. ^ "STS-32". Spacefacts. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  3. ^ "Leasat Military Communications Satellite". GlobalSecurity.org. 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  4. ^ Fries, Colin (June 25, 2007). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls" (PDF). NASA. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2007. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=STS-32&oldid=1219777422"