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* Rendezvous tools checkout
* Rendezvous tools checkout


<!--(Unhide as required)===Flight Day 3===
===Flight Day 3===
* Rendezvous with the ISS
* Rendezvous with the ISS
* Rendezvous pitch maneuver photography of Endeavour’s thermal protection system by [[Expedition 27]] crew members Nespoli and Coleman
* Rendezvous pitch maneuver photography of Endeavour’s thermal protection system by [[Expedition 27]] crew members Nespoli and Coleman
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*Endeavour's final landing at KSC-->
*Endeavour's final landing at KSC


==Spacewalks==
==Spacewalks==

Revision as of 13:31, 16 May 2011

STS-134
COSPAR ID2011-020A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.37577Edit this on Wikidata
End of mission

STS-134 (ISS assembly flight ULF6)[7] is the penultimate voyage of NASA's Space Shuttle program. The mission marks the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour.[8] This flight will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station.[9] Mark E. Kelly will serve as the mission commander. STS-134 was expected to be the final space shuttle mission if STS-135 did not receive funding from Congress; however, in February 2011, NASA stated that STS-135 would fly "regardless" of the funding situation.[10][11] The Launch On Need mission, a contingency mission to rescue a stranded STS-134 crew, would be the STS-335 flight, flown by Atlantis.

Changes in the design of the main payload, AMS-02, as well as delays to STS-133 have led to delays in the mission. The first launch attempt on April 29 was scrubbed at 12:20 p.m. by launch managers due to problems with two heaters on one of the orbiter's auxiliary power units (APU). Endeavour launched successfully on May 16, 2011.[12]

Kelly's wife, US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, flew to Florida to view the first launch attempt, her first trip since moving from Tucson to Houston for rehabilitation after being seriously wounded in the January 2011 Tucson shooting. Giffords was again at KSC for the launch, "one of the most anticipated in years," according to The New York Times.

US President Barack Obama had scheduled a visit to Kennedy Space Center on April 29 to view the launch,[13] and despite the canceled launch attempt before his arrival, he still toured an Orbiter Processing Facility at Launch Complex 39 and met with Giffords and the six crewmembers.[14]

Crew

Mission poster, based on a Star Trek promotional poster.[15]
April 26, 2011: The crew arrived at the Shuttle Landing Facility in T-38 jets.

NASA announced the STS-134 crew on 10 August 2009.[16]

Position Astronaut
Commander Mark E. Kelly
Fourth spaceflight
Pilot Gregory H. Johnson
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Michael Fincke
Third spaceflight
EV2
Mission Specialist 2 Roberto Vittori, ESA
Third spaceflight
Flight Engineer
Mission Specialist 3 Andrew J. Feustel
Second spaceflight
EV1
Mission Specialist 4 Gregory Chamitoff
Second spaceflight
EV3

Crew notes

On 13 January 2011, after the 2011 Tucson shooting in which Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly's wife, was critically wounded, NASA named Frederick W. Sturckow as backup commander for this mission.[17]

Mission parameters

  • Mass:[5][18]
    • Total liftoff weight: 4,524,863 pounds (2,052,443 kg)
    • Orbiter liftoff weight: 268,580 pounds (121,830 kg)
    • Orbiter landing weight: 203,354 pounds (92,240 kg)
    • Payload weight: 34,760 pounds (15,770 kg)
  • Perigee: TBD
  • Apogee: TBD
  • Inclination: 51.6°
  • Period: 91 minutes

Background

The Space Shuttle had been scheduled to be retired from service after STS-133, but controversy over the cancellation of several International Space Station components, most notably the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, in order to meet deadlines for the retirement of the shuttle, caused the United States Government to consider ordering an additional mission.[19] On 19 June 2008, the United States House of Representatives passed the NASA Authorization Act of 2008, giving NASA funding for one additional mission to "deliver science experiments to the station".[19]

The same mandate was included in the U.S. Senate version of the NASA Authorization Act that was unanimously approved by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on 25 June 2008.[20] It was amended and passed by the full Senate on 25 September 2008, passed by the House on 27 September 2008, and signed by President George W. Bush on 15 October 2008.[21][22] Bush had previously opposed any additional shuttle missions, as they could delay the transition to Project Constellation.[23] In the spring of 2009, the Obama Administration included funds for the STS-134 mission in its proposed 2010 NASA budget.[24]

This was planned to be the final regularly scheduled mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Program, but with the passing of an appropriations bill authorizing the conversion of STS-335 to STS-135, this will no longer be the case.[25]

Mission payload

A computer generated image showing AMS-02 mounted to the ISS S3 Upper Inboard Payload Attach Site.

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 2 (AMS-02)

Main article: Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 2 (AMS-02), will be carried to the ISS in Endeavour's payload bay. AMS-02 will be attached to the ISS's S3 truss segment. The AMS-02 unit is a particle physics detector which contains a large permanent magnet. The AMS-02 unit is designed to search for antimatter and the origin and structure of dark matter.[18]

According to the original design plan, a cryogenic, superconducting magnet system was developed for the AMS-02. This was a critical technology, enabling a high sensitivity needed to achieve mission objectives.[26] Late in its development, poorly understood anomalous heating in the cryogenic magnet system was discovered. As a result, the AMS-02 experiment leader, Samuel C. C. Ting, decided to replace the superconducting magnet inside the spectrometer with the permanent magnet previously used in AMS-01.[27] [28]

ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 3

The ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3) will carry several Orbital Replacement Units (ORU) that are too large or too heavy for other spacecraft to carry to the International Space Station (ISS). These ORUs include a High Pressure Gas Tank (HPGT), Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA), S band Antenna Sub-System Assembly #2 & 3 (SASA), Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator (SPDM) Arm with Orbital Replacement Unit change-out mechanism, Space Test Program Houston 3 Department of Defense payload and a spare ELC pallet controller avionics box.[18]

Materials on International Space Station Experiment

The STS-134 mission will deliver the Materials on International Space Station Experiment 8 (MISSE) experiments and will return MISSE 7 to earth. MISSE 7 has been on the ISS since its delivery on STS-129.[18]

Sensor Test of Orion Rel-nav Risk Mitigation Detailed Test Objective (STORRM DTO) kit

The Orion Rel-nav Sensor will be mounted on the Orbiter Docking System (ODS) in Trajectory Control Sensor slot 1 and on an Adaptive Payload Carrier in bay 3 port of the Payload Bay. For the STORRM DTO Endeavour will fly a nominal Orbiter trajectory to and from ISS Pressurized Mating Adapter-2.

On STS-131, the docking target on the ISS was enhanced with reflectors to allow for the characterization of the Orion Rel-Nav sensors’ performance during rendezvous and proximity operations with the ISS.

These proximity operations will be tested during approach and docking, undocking, flyaround (time-permitting), and during a modified separation a from the ISS. During the modified separation the crew will perform a series of re-rendezvous burns that will put the Orbiter on an Orion-like rendezvous profile. After the re-rendezvous is complete, instead of re-docking to the ISS the crew will perform a full separation.[18]

GLACIER Freezer Module

STS-134 will carry a new Glacier to the ISS and will return two old ones. The Glacier units are used to store and return science samples on the space shuttle.[18]

Orbiter Boom Sensor System

STS-134 will leave its Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) permanently on the ISS for use in reaching places that the Canadarm2 can't get to on its own.[18] The usefulness of having an OBSS available for use at the station was demonstrated during Scott Parazynski's repair of the torn P6 solar panel on STS-120. The feasibility of leaving an OBSS attached to ISS for a long period of time was demonstrated when the STS-123 mission left one behind for use during the STS-124 mission two months later.

Lego

Endeavour is due to carry 13 Lego kits to the ISS, where astronauts will build models and see how they react in microgravity, as part of the Lego Bricks in Space program. The results will be shared with schools as part of an educational project.[29][30]

STEM Bars

Endeavor will carry in its food stores specialized nutrition bars called STEM Bars which were created by high school sisters Mikayla and Shannon Diesch. The nutrition bars were certified for spaceflight by meeting a specific NASA developed nutritional profile and had to pass strict microbial testing. STEM Bars are being flown to support the work by the Battle Creek Michigan based sisters to raise awareness of the importance of STEM education amongst their peers, an outreach effort which they started after they won the 2010 Conrad Foundation Spirit of Innovation Awards.[31]

Mission experiments

Endeavour will perform four Department of Defense payloads of opportunity: MAUI, SEITI, RAMBO-2, and SIMPLEX. All four of these experiments require engine and thruster firings. They will be completed if there is sufficient propellants on board Endeavour.

Mission milestones

The mission marks:

  • 165th NASA manned space flight
  • 134th shuttle mission since STS-1
  • 25th flight of Endeavour
  • 36th shuttle mission to the ISS
  • 109th post-Challenger mission
  • 21st post-Columbia mission

Shuttle processing

A technician makes his way across a platform in Endeavour's aft section as work began to remove and replace the aft load control assembly-2. Located in the orbiter's aft avionics bay 5, the assembly is believed to have caused heaters on a fuel line for Endeavour's auxiliary power unit-1 to fail April 29, 2011, during the first launch attempt.

Rollout

Rollout of Space Shuttle Endeavour commenced on 10 March 2011 at 19:56 EST and terminated on 11 March 2011 at 03:49 EST.[32]

  • Endeavour leaving the Vehicle Assembly Building.
    Endeavour leaving the Vehicle Assembly Building.
  • Endeavour sat on Launch Pad 39A as a storm passed prior to the rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, Thursday, April 28, 2011.
    Endeavour sat on Launch Pad 39A as a storm passed prior to the rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, Thursday, April 28, 2011.
  • Endeavour sat on Launch Pad 39A after the rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, Friday, April 29, 2011.
    Endeavour sat on Launch Pad 39A after the rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, Friday, April 29, 2011.

Launch pad fatality

At around 07:40 EDT on 14 March 2011, United Space Alliance engineer James Vanover committed suicide[33][34] by jumping from the launch pad, pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center. Endeavour was at the pad when the incident occurred. As a result, work on the space shuttle was suspended for the day whilst grief counseling was offered to the workforce. NASA officials believe this was the first launch pad fatality since 1981.[35][36]

Mission timeline

Source: Press Kit[5] and FOX-News/Live[37]

Flight Day 1

  • Launched on time on 16 May 2011.[37]
    • Reached maximum dynamic pressure of 754 PSI at approximate altitude of 30,000 feet and solid rocket boosters (SRB) separation at approximately 150,000 feet.[37]
  • Payload bay door opening
  • Ku-band antenna deployment
  • AMS Activation
  • Shuttle robotic arm activation and payload bay survey
  • Umbilical well and handheld external tank photo and TV downlink

Flight Day 2

Flight Day 3

  • Rendezvous with the ISS
  • Rendezvous pitch maneuver photography of Endeavour’s thermal protection system by Expedition 27 crew members Nespoli and Coleman
  • Docking to Harmony/pressurized mating adapter 2
  • Hatch opening and welcoming
  • Shuttle robotic arm grapple of Express Logistics Carrier-3, unberthing from Endeavour’s payload bay, handoff to Canadarm2 and installation on the Port 3 truss segment

Flight Day 4

  • Shuttle robotic arm unberth of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), handoff to Canadarm2 and installation of AMS on the Starboard 3 truss segment
  • Spacewalk 1 procedure review
  • Spacewalk 1 campout and prebreathe by Feustel and Chamitoff

Flight Day 5

  • Spacewalk 1 by Feustel and Chamitoff (MISSE experiment retrieval and installation, ammonia jumper installation between Port 3 and Port 6 truss segments, Destiny lab wireless communications hardware installation)

Flight Day 6

  • Orbiter boom sensor system (OBSS) grapple by Canadarm2 and handoff to shuttle robotic arm
  • Crew off-duty period
  • Spacewalk 2 procedure review
  • Spacewalk 2 campout and prebreathe by Feustel and Fincke

Flight Day 7

  • Spacewalk 2 by Feustel and Fincke (Port Solar Alpha Rotary Joint cover removal and lubrication, Starboard 1 truss radiator grapple bar stowage, refill of the P6 Photovoltaic Thermal Control System (PVTCS) from the P1 External Thermal Control System (ETCS), Dextre robot latching end effector lubrication)

Flight Day 8

  • Crew off-duty period
  • Spacewalk 3 procedure review

Flight Day 9

In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) prebreathe by Feustel and Fincke Spacewalk 3 by Feustel and Fincke (Zarya PDGF installation, PDGF data cable installation, vision system installation, Strela adapter relocation)

Flight Day 10

• Late inspection of Endeavour’s thermal protection system heat shield • Spacewalk 4 procedure review • Spacewalk 4 campout and prebreathe by Fincke and Chamitoff

Flight Day 11

  • Spacewalk 4 by Fincke and Chamitoff (install the OBSS at the Starboard 0/Starboard 1 truss interface, swap out of the OBSS grapple fixtures, retrieval of the Port 6 truss segment power and data grapple fixture, release of retention systems on the Dextre spare robotic arm; this is the final scheduled spacewalk by Shuttle crew members)

Flight Day 12

  • Post-spacewalk spacesuit reconfiguration
  • Joint crew news conference
  • Farewells and hatch closure
  • Rendezvous tools checkout

Flight Day 13

  • Undocking and flyaround of ISS
  • STORRM detailed test objective for re-rendezvous demonstration
  • Final separation

Flight Day 14

  • Cabin stowage
  • Flight control system checkout
  • Reaction control system hot-fire test
  • Deorbit preparation briefing
  • Ku-band antenna stowage

Flight Day 15

  • Deorbit preparations
  • Payload bay door closing
  • Deorbit burn
  • Endeavour's final landing at KSC

Spacewalks

Four spacewalks (EVAs) are scheduled during the flight.[38] These EVAs are currently scheduled to be the final EVAs conducted by a shuttle crew.

EVA Spacewalkers Start (UTC) End (UTC) Duration
EVA 1
 Drew Feustel
Greg Chamitoff 		Flight day 5

6 hours 30 minutes
Fuestel and Chamitoff will retrieve the two MISSE 7 experiments and install a new package of MISSE 8 experiments on ELC-2, which is already on the station. They will install jumpers between segments on the left-side truss, or backbone of the station, for ammonia refills; vent nitrogen from an ammonia servicer; and install an external wireless communication antenna on the Destiny laboratory that will provide wireless communication to the Express Logistics Carriers mounted on the station’s truss.
EVA 2
 Feustel
Mike Fincke 		Flight day 7

6 hours 30 minutes
Fuestel and Fincke will refill radiators with ammonia. They also will complete venting the early ammonia system, lubricate a left-side solar joint and parts of Dextre, a two-armed space station robot capable of handling delicate assembly tasks currently performed by spacewalkers.
EVA 3
 Feustel
Fincke 		Flight day 9

6 hours 30 minutes
Fuestel and Fincke will install a grapple, a handle for the robotic arm on the station to grab on to, on the Zarya module to support robotic operations based from the Russian segment. They also will install additional cables to provide backup power to the Russian portion of the space station.
EVA 4
 Fincke
Chamitoff 		Flight day 11

6 hours 30 minutes
Fincke and Chamitoff will stow the shuttle's 50-foot Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) on the right-side truss on a permanent stowage fixture, retrieve the grapple from the station's left-side truss and use it as a replacement for the grapple currently on the boom. They then will release restraints from one of the arms on Dextre and replace thermal insulation on one of the spare gas tanks for the Quest airlock.

Launch attempts

Attempt Planned Result Turnaround Reason Decision point Weather go (%) Notes
1 29 Apr 2011, 3:47:52 pm scrubbed — technical 29 Apr 2011, 12:20 pm ​(T-2:36:01) 70% Heater failure in auxiliary-power-unit[39]
2 16 May 2011, 8:56:00 am Success 16 days 17 hours 8 minutes 70%

Wake-up calls

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, which was then first used to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15. 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.[40][41]

NASA opened the selection process to the public for the first time for STS-133 where the public was invited to vote on two songs used to wake up astronauts on previous missions to wake up the STS-133 crew. The public was invited to submit original songs where two songs will be selected to wake up the STS-134 crew.[42]

See also

References

  1. ^ Endeavour space shuttle launch faces more delay
  2. ^ Launch slips to NET May 8
  3. ^ STS-134 launch windows
  4. ^ Moskowitz, Clara. "NASA Delays Last Launch of Shuttle Endeavour Due to Malfunction". Space.com. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d "STS-134 Press Kit" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. ^ Clara Moskowitz. "NASA's Next-to-Last Shuttle Launch to Blast Off May 16". Space.com. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  7. ^ NASA (September 24, 2009). "Consolidated Launch Manifest". NASA. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
  8. ^ Robert Z. Pearlman (April 26, 2010). "NASA shuffles shuttle schedule: Endeavour to fly after Discovery for final planned flight". collectSPACE.com. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  9. ^ NASA (October 14, 2009). "NASA's Shuttle and Rocket Missions". NASA. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
  10. ^ NASA managers insist STS-135 will fly – Payload options under assessment | NASASpaceFlight.com
  11. ^ STS-134 Mission Status
  12. ^ Endeavour soars on 2nd-to-last space shuttle trip, Associated Press, May 16, 2011.
  13. ^ Henry Fountain (April 26, 2011). "In Endeavour's Final Act, the Supporting Cast Draws Outsize Attention". New York Times. Retrieved pril 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ "Obama heading to Kennedy Space Center despite shuttle launch postponement". USA Today. 29 April 2011.
  15. ^ Nancy Atkinson (March 17, 2010). "STS-134 Does Star Trek with New Poster". www.universetoday.com. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  16. ^ "NASA Assigns Crew for STS-134 Shuttle Mission, Change to STS-132". NASA. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 2010-09-08.
  17. ^ "NASA Announces Backup Commander For STS-134 Mission". NASA. January 13, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Chris Gebhardt (2009). "STS-134: PRCB Baselines Penultimate Shuttle Flight to Take AMS to Station". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved Jan 19 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  19. ^ a b Brian Berger (2008). "House Approves Bill for Extra Space Shuttle Flight". Space.com. Retrieved October 25, 2008.
  20. ^ NASA/LOC (2008). "To authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration". The Library of Congress. Retrieved October 25, 2008.
  21. ^ NASA. "House Sends NASA Bill to President's Desk, Reaffirms Commitment to Balanced and Robust Space and Aeronautics Program". Spaceref.com.
  22. ^ Mark Matthews (2008). "Bush signs NASA authorization act". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 25, 2008.
  23. ^ Jeff Hecht (2008). "White House and Congress squabble over NASA's mission". New Scientist magazine - blog entry. Retrieved October 25, 2008.
  24. ^ Ed O'Keefe (2009). "NASA Shuttle Retirement Postponed ... Maybe". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  25. ^ Jim Abrams (September 29, 2010). "NASA bill passed by Congress would allow for one additional shuttle flight in 2011". Associated Press. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  26. ^ Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - Project Page
  27. ^ Dennis Overbye (April 23, 2010). "Change in Experiment Will Delay Shuttle's End". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  28. ^ The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - About AMS-02
  29. ^ Banks, Dave (2011-04-28). "Space Shuttle Endeavour Launches Tomorrow With a Special Payload". Wired News. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  30. ^ Eaton, Kit (2011-04-29). "Space Shuttle Endeavour: Made Of Spare Parts". Fast Company. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  31. ^ Hein, Alexandra (2011-05-01). "tang-meet-stem-food-experiment-endeavour". Fox News. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  32. ^ "Shuttle Endeavour Rolls to Launch Pad for Final Mission". FOX News. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
  33. ^ Rhian, Jason. "March 14 Death at Shuttle Launch Pad Ruled Suicide". Aviation Week.
  34. ^ Goddard, Jacqui. "NASA engineer James Vanover committed suicide Endeavour launch tower".
  35. ^ "Space shuttle worker falls to death". Fox 35 WOFL. 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  36. ^ Atkins, William (2011-03-15). "Employee dies at NASA STS-134 launch site". IT Wire. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  37. ^ a b c FOX New and FOX Live
  38. ^ "STS-134 Mission Summary" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  39. ^ "Space shuttle STS-134: Engineering problem scrubs launch". Orlando Sentinel. 29 April 2011.
  40. ^ "Chronology of Wakeup Calls". NASA. 2005-08-02.
  41. ^ "STS-134 Wakeup Calls". NASA. November, 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ "NASA's Space Rock". NASA. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
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