Ross Credit: www.spacefacts.de |
Status: Inactive; Active 1980-2012. Born: 1948-01-20. Spaceflights: 7 . Total time in space: 58.04 days. Birth Place: Crown Point, Indiana.
Educated Purdue; Edwards. USAF test pilot.
Official NASA Biography as of June 2016:Jerry L. Ross (Colonel, USAF, Ret.)
NASA Astronaut (Former)
PERSONAL DATA: Born January 20, 1948, in Crown Point, Indiana. He is married to the former Karen S. Pearson of Sheridan, Indiana. They have two children. He enjoys genealogy, traveling, photography, stained glass, woodworking and model rocketry. His parents, Donald J. Ross and Phyllis E. (Dillabaugh) Ross, are deceased. Karen’s mother, Wilma Pearson, resides in Sheridan, Indiana. Her father, Morris D. Pearson is deceased.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Crown Point High School, Crown Point, Indiana, in 1966; received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 1970 and 1972, respectively.
ORGANIZATIONS: Lifetime Member of the Association of Space Explorers, the Purdue Alumni Association and the Clan Ross Association of the USA. He served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Space Explorers, USA from 2011 through 2013.
SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded two Defense Superior Service Medals, the Air Force Legion of Merit, four Defense Meritorious Service Medals, two Air Force Meritorious Service Medals and the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement. He was a Distinguished Graduate of the United State Air Force Test Pilot School and the recipient of the Outstanding Flight Test Engineer Award, Class 75B. Ross received 15 NASA medals. He was awarded the American Astronautical Society’s Victor A. Prather Award for spacewalking achievements (1985, 1990 and 1999) and the Flight Achievement Award (1992, 1996, 1999 and 2002). Ross received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Purdue University in 2000 and the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award from Purdue University in 2004. His home town school system has named an elementary school in his honor. In May 2014, Ross was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
AIR FORCE EXPERIENCE: Ross, an Air Force ROTC student at Purdue University, received his commission upon graduation in 1970. After receiving his master’s degree from Purdue in 1972, he entered active duty with the Air Force and was assigned to the Ramjet Engine Division of the Air Force Aero-Propulsion Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He conducted computer-aided design studies on ramjet propulsion systems, served as the project engineer for captive tests of a supersonic ramjet missile using a rocket sled track and served as the project manager for preliminary configuration development of the ASALM strategic air-launched missile. From June 1974 to July 1975, he was the Laboratory Executive Officer and Chief of the Management Operations Office. Ross graduated from the United States Air Force Test Pilot School’s Flight Test Engineer Course in 1976 and was subsequently assigned to the 6510th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. While on assignment to the 6510th’s Flight Test Engineering Directorate, he was project engineer on a limited flying qualities evaluation of the RC-135S aircraft and, as lead B-1 flying qualities flight test engineer, he was responsible for the stability and control and flight control system testing performed on the B-1 aircraft. He was also responsible, as chief B-1 flight test engineer, for training and supervising all Air Force B-1 flight test engineer crewmembers and for performing mission planning for the B-1 offensive avionics test aircraft.
Ross has flown in 21 different types of aircraft, holds a private pilot’s license and has logged more than 4,100 flying hours, the majority in military aircraft. He retired from the Air Force on March 31, 2000.
NASA EXPERIENCE: In February 1979, Ross was assigned by the Air Force to the Payload Operations Division at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center as a payload officer/flight controller, responsible for the flight operations integration of military payloads into the space shuttle. Ross was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. His technical assignments since then have included EVA (spacewalks); Robotics; Space Shuttle Landing Chase Team; support crewman for STS-41B, 41C and 51A; spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) during STS-41B, 41C, 41D, 51A and 51D; Chief of the Mission Support Branch; member of the 1990 Astronaut Selection Board; Acting Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office; Chief of the Astronaut Office EVA and Robotics Branch and Astronaut Office Branch Chief for Kennedy Space Center Operations Support. From 2004 to 2007, he served as the Chief Astronaut of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC).
Ross flew as a mission specialist on STS-61B (1985), STS-27 (1988) and STS-37 (1991); was the Payload Commander on STS-55/Spacelab-D2 (1993); and served as a mission specialist on the second space shuttle to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir, STS-74 (1995), the first International Space Station assembly mission, STS-88 (1998) and on another Space Station assembly mission, STS-110 (2002). A veteran of seven space flights, Ross has more than 1,393 hours in space, including 58 hours and 18 minutes of EVA on nine spacewalks. He was the first human to be launched into space seven times. These seven flights comprise a world record that Ross now shares with one other NASA astronaut. Both his number of spacewalks and time on spacewalks are all time second highest among NASA astronauts.
Ross served as Chief of the Vehicle Integration Test Office at the Johnson Space Center from 2003 through 2011.
He retired from NASA on his birthday, January 20, 2012, and released his autobiography, “Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA’s Record-Setting Frequent Flyer” in January 2013. He will release a children’s book, “Becoming a Spacewalker, My Journey to the Stars” in September 2014.
SPACEFLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-61B was launched at night from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 26, 1985. During the mission, the crew deployed the MORELOS-B, AUSSAT II and SATCOM Ku-2 communications satellites and operated numerous experiments inside the space shuttle. Ross conducted two 6-hour spacewalks to demonstrate Space Station construction techniques with the EASE/ACCESS experiments. After completing 108 Earth orbits in 165 hours, 4 minutes and 49 seconds, STS-61B Atlantis landed on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 3, 1985.
STS-27 Atlantis launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on December 2, 1988. The mission carried a Department of Defense payload as well as a number of secondary payloads. After 68 Earth orbits in 105 hours, 6 minutes and 19 seconds, the mission concluded with a dry lakebed landing on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 6, 1988.
STS-37 Atlantis launched from KSC on April 5, 1991, and deployed the 35,000-pound Gamma Ray Observatory, the heaviest civilian satellite ever launched by a Shuttle and the second of NASA’s four “great observatories.” Ross performed two spacewalks totaling 10 hours and 49 minutes to manually deploy the obstructed Gamma Ray Observatory antenna and to test prototype Space Station EVA hardware. After 93 Earth orbits in 143 hours, 32 minutes and 44 seconds, the mission concluded with a landing on Runway 33 at Edwards Air Force Base on April 11, 1991.
From April 26, 1993, to May 6, 1993, Ross served as Payload Commander/Mission Specialist on STS-55 aboard the Orbiter Columbia. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 22, after 160 Earth orbits in 239 hours and 45 minutes. Nearly 90 experiments were conducted during the German-sponsored Spacelab D-2 mission to investigate life sciences, material sciences, physics, robotics, astronomy and Earth and its atmosphere.
STS-74 was NASA’s second space shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. STS-74 launched on November 12, 1995, and landed at Kennedy Space Center on November 20, 1995. During the 8-day flight the crew aboard Atlantis attached a permanent docking module to Mir, conducted a number of secondary experiments and transferred 3,000 pounds of supplies and experiment equipment between Atlantis and the Mir station. The STS-74 mission was accomplished in 129 Earth orbits, with Atlantis traveling 3.4 million miles in 196 hours, 30 minutes and 44 seconds.
STS-88 Endeavour (December 4 to December 15, 1998) was the first ISS assembly mission. During the 12-day mission, the U.S.-built Unity module was mated with the orbiting, unmanned Russian Zarya module. Ross performed three spacewalks totaling 21 hours and 22 minutes to connect umbilicals and attach tools and hardware to the exterior of the core modules of the station. The crew also deployed two small satellites, Mighty Sat 1 and SAC-A. The mission was accomplished in 185 Earth orbits in 283 hours and 18 minutes.
STS-110 Atlantis (April 8-19, 2002) was the 13th Shuttle mission to visit the ISS. This, the first mission in the final phase of the ISS assembly, included the delivery and installation of the S0 (S-Zero) Truss, the first use of the station’s robotic arm to maneuver spacewalkers around the station and the first time that all of the spacewalks performed on a Shuttle mission were based from the Station’s Quest Airlock. Ross performed two EVAs totaling 14 hours and 9 minutes. Mission duration was 259 hours and 42 minutes, with 171 Earth orbits.
Ross supported the Space Shuttle Program as an astronaut from before the first launch in April 1981 to the last landing in July 2011. He also supported the International Space Station Program from its inception through the completion of assembly of the space station in 2011.
MAY 2014
Ross has flown in 21 different types of aircraft, holds a private pilot's license, and has logged over 2,800 flying hours, the majority in military aircraft.
Ross was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. His technical assignments since then have included: EVA, RMS, and chase team; support crewman for STS 41-B, 41-C and 51-A; spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) during STS 41-B, 41-C, 41-D, 51-A and 51-D; Chief of the Mission Support Branch; member of the 1990 Astronaut Selection Board; and Acting Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office. A veteran of five space flights, Ross has logged 850 hours in space, including nearly 23 hours on four spacewalks.
Ross was a mission specialist on the crew of STS 61-B which launched at night from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 26, 1985. During the mission the crew deployed the MORELOS-B, AUSSAT II, and SATCOM Ku-2 communications satellites, conducted two 6-hour space walks to demonstrate Space Station construction techniques with the EASE/ACCESS experiments, and operated numerous other experiments. After completing 108 orbits of the Earth in 165 hours, STS 61-B Atlantis landed on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 3, 1985.
Ross then flew as a mission specialist on the crew of STS-27, on board the Orbiter Atlantis, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on December 2, 1988. The mission carried a Department of Defense payload, as well as a number of secondary payloads. After 68 orbits of the earth in 105 hours, the mission concluded with a dry lakebed landing on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 6, 1988.
Ross flew as a mission specialist on STS-37 aboard the Orbiter Atlantis. The mission launched from KSC on April 5, 1991, and deployed the 35,000 pound Gamma Ray Observatory. Ross performed two space walks totaling 10 hours and 49 minutes to manually deploy the stuck Gamma Ray Observatory antenna and to test prototype Space Station Freedom hardware. After 93 orbits of the Earth in 144 hours, the mission concluded with a landing on Runway 33, at Edwards Air Force Base, on April 11, 1991.
From April 26, 1993 through May 6, 1993, Ross flew as Payload Commander/Mission Specialist on STS-55 aboard the Orbiter Columbia. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 22, after 160 orbits of the Earth in 240 hours. Nearly 90 experiments were conducted during the German-sponsored Spacelab D-2 mission to investigate life sciences, material sciences, physics, robotics, astronomy, and the Earth and its atmosphere.
Most recently, Ross was a mission specialist on STS-74, NASA's second Space Shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. STS-74 launched on November 12, 1995, and landed at Kennedy Space Center on November 20, 1995. During the 8 day flight the crew aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis attached a permanent docking module to Mir, conducted a number of secondary experiments, and transferred 1-1/2 tons of supplies and experiment equipment between Atlantis and the Mir station. The STS-74 mission was accomplished in 129 orbits of the Earth, traveling 3.4 million miles in 196 hours, 30 minutes, 44 seconds.
STS-61-B Astronaut Jerry Ross at threshold of airlock compartment following EVA Credit: NASA |
The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.
Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm..
Manned seven crew. Deployed Morelos 2, Aussat 2, Satcom K2, OEX. Payloads: Deploy SATCOM (RCA-Satellite Communi-cations) Ku-2 with Payload Assist Module (PAM)-D II. Deploy Morelos (Mexico communications satellite)-B with PAM-D. Deploy AUSSAT (Australian communications satellite)-2 with PAM-D. EASE/ACCESS (Assembly of Structures— Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures) by extravehicular activity (EVA) astronauts, Continuous Flow Electrophore-sis System (CFES), Diffusive Mixing of Organic Solutions (DMOS), IMAX camera, one getaway special (GAS), Linhof camera and Hasseblad camera.
Manned five crew. Deployed a classified payload. Orbits of Earth: 68. Landed at: Runway 17 dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base, . Landing Speed: 359 kph. Touchdown miss distance: 447.00 m. Landing Rollout: 2,171.00 m. Payloads: DoD Mission.
Manned five crew. Unscheduled EVA to manually deploy the Gamma-Ray Observatory's high-gain antenna, which failed to deploy upon ground command. Payloads: Gamma-Ray Observatory (GRO), Crew/ Equipment Translation Aids (part of Extravehicular Activity Development Flight Experiment), Ascent Particle Monitor (APM), Bioserve Instrumentation Technology Associates Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BlMDA), Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)-Block Il, Space Station Heatpipe Advanced Radiator Element (SHARE)-ll, Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX)-ll, Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME)-lIl, Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) Calibration Test.
Rendezvoused and docked with Mir space station on November 15. Delivered the Russian-built 316GK Shuttle-Mir docking module to Mir.Payloads: Shuttle-Mir Mission 2; docking module with two attached solar arrays; IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC); Glow Experiment (GLO-4)/ Photogrammetric Appendage Structural Dynamics Experiment (PASDE) Payload (GPP); Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) II.
The seven astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Discovery were awakened at 3:09 a.m. this morning to make final preparations for their return to Earth later this morning. "La Cucaracha," a well-known Spanish song, was played for Mission Specialist Pedro Duque at the request of his wife, Consuelo. Additional Details: here....
With the first component of the International Space Station encapsulated in its nose fairing, a 180-foot long Russian Proton rocket was transported to its launch pad at dawn today at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan in preparation for liftoff Friday to begin assembly of the new complex. Additional Details: here....
Flight controllers in Moscow and Houston continue to monitor systems on the Zarya control module and briefed the STS-88 astronauts earlier today on its status on the eve of the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to carry the second component of the International Space Station to orbit. Additional Details: here....
The first International Space Station assembly mission was postponed for 24 hours when the brief 5-minute launch window ran out before flight controllers could fully analyze the cause of a master alarm that sounded inside the Space Shuttle Endeavour's crew cabin. Additional Details: here....
Five Americans and one Russian set off to begin building the International Space Station at 2:36 a.m. CST today, launching from Kennedy Space Center with the first American-built component of the station -- a connecting module named Unity -- in the Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay. The shuttle's climb to orbit was flawless. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour's six astronauts wrapped up their first day in space a bit later than planned, at approximately 8:21 a.m. Central time today, when they began an abbreviated sleep period. Crew members were trouble-shooting a minor problem with the Orbiter Communications Adapter (OCA) system, which is used to transmit software files between the Space Shuttle and the flight controllers on the ground. A wake-up call from Mission Control is planned for 3:36 p.m. Central time, for the crew to begin their first full day of on-orbit activities. Additional Details: here....
STS-88 Commander Bob Cabana and his crew received their first wake up call from Mission Control this afternoon at 3:36 p.m. CST to begin their first full day of on orbit activities. The crew were awakened with the song "Get Ready" by the Temptations, an appropriate description of the full slate of activities the crew will be involved with as they get ready for the important events of the flight by checking out the equipment and tools that will be utilized during rendezvous, docking and space walking activities. Additional Details: here....
First attempted launch of STS-88 was scrubbed at 09:03 GMT on December 3 due to a problem with a hydraulic system sensor. Launch came the next day, with Endeavour entering an initial 75 km x 313 km x 51.6 degree orbit. Half an orbit after launch, at 09:19 GMT, Endeavour fired its OMS engines to raise the orbit to 180 km x 322 km x 51.6 degree.
On December 5 at 22:25 GMT Nancy Currie unberthed the Unity space station node from the payload bay using the RMS arm. She then moved the Unity to a position docked to the Orbiter Docking System in the payload bay in readiness for assembly with the Russian-launched Zarya FGB ISS component. After rendezvous with the Zarya FGB module, on December 6 at 23:47 GMT Endeavour grappled Zarya with the robot arm, and at 02:07 GMT on December 7 it was soft docked to the PMA-1 port on Unity. After some problems hard dock was achieved at 02:48 GMT. Unity and Zarya then formed the core of the future International Space Station. Ross and Newman made three space walks to connect cables between Zarya and Unity, on December 7, 9 and 12. On the last EVA a canvas tool bag was attached to the exterior of Unity to provide tools for future station assembly workers. Docking cables were disconnected to prevent Unity and Zarya from inadvertently undocking. Following an internal examination of the embryonic space station, Endeavour undocked at 20:30 GMT on December 13. The SAC-A and Mightysat satellites were ejected from the payload bay on December 14 and 15. Deorbit burn was December 16 at 03:48 GMT, and Endeavour landed at 04:53:29 GMT, on Runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center.
Payloads included:
Endeavour's crew awoke at 10:36 a.m. CST today to begin the orbital assembly of the International Space Station, uniting the first two station modules, Zarya and Unity. The astronauts were awakened to the sounds of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," requested by Commander Bob Cabana's daughter, Sarah. Additional Details: here....
Following a wake-up call from Mission Control at 11:41 a.m. CST today, Endeavour's six astronauts began preparing for the first of three scheduled space walks. The wake-up song, "Jerry the Rigger," was in honor of Mission Specialist Jerry Ross, who with fellow Mission Specialist Jim Newman, will conduct more than 18 hours of space walks during this flight. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour's astronauts continued the assembly of the International Space Station late Sunday, mating the Russian-built Zarya control module with the U.S.-built Unity connecting module in the shuttle's cargo bay following a flawless rendezvous and grapple of Zarya. Additional Details: here....
The first U.S. segment of the International Space Station came to life Monday night as the Unity module was activated for the first time. Activation followed the connection of electrical and data cables by Astronauts Jerry Ross and Jim Newman during a 7-hour, 21-minute space walk. Additional Details: here....
At the request of Commander Bob Cabana, Mission Control delayed Endeavour's wake-up call by one-half hour today, waking the crew at 12:06 p.m. CST, after the astronauts remained up past their scheduled sleep time to enjoy the view and relax following a very busy and successful day yesterday. The crew was awakened by Dwight Yokum's "Streets of Bakersfield," requested by the wife of Pilot Rick Sturckow, a California native. Additional Details: here....
After enjoying a half day of rest yesterday, Endeavour's crew was awakened at 10:36 a.m. Central time to begin preparations for a second spacewalk. The crew awoke to the tune "Floating in the Bathtub," selected for Mission Specialist Jim Newman by his wife, Mary Lee. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour's six astronauts awoke at 10:41 a.m. CST today and are preparing for a historic day - entry into the International Space Station for the first time. The crew was awakened to Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," played for Mission Specialist-2, Nancy Currie at the request of her husband, David. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour's crew was awakened at 10:36 a.m. CST today to continue their work of preparing the International Space Station for future crews. "Trepak," a Russian dance from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" ballet, was played as the wake-up music in honor of cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Sergei Krikalev. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour's astronauts opened the new International Space Station for business Thursday, entering the Unity and Zarya modules for the first time and establishing an S-band communications system that will enable U.S. flight controllers to monitor the outpost's systems. Additional Details: here....
For the first time ever, the new International Space Station Flight Control Room in Houston issued a wake-up call to orbiting astronauts. At 10:36 a.m. CST, space station communicator Astronaut Mike Fincke awoke Endeavour's crew with the song" Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" as they prepare to say "goodnight" to the space station. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour's crew awoke to the sounds of James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)," today, in honor of the good feelings evoked by this successful first International Space Station Assembly mission. That wake-up call from Mission Control at 11:36 a.m. today, marks the start of the final full-day of operations for the six-member crew of STS-88. Additional Details: here....
NASA's final Shuttle mission of 1998 came to an end this evening with the landing of Space Shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center. Following a 4.6 million mile journey, STS-88 Commander Bob Cabana guided the orbiter down onto runway 15 with landing gear touchdown occurring at 9:54 p.m. CST. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour's astronauts awoke to the sounds of Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" today, and are now preparing for a return trip to Earth. The wake-up call came at 11:36 a.m. CST, and was chosen by the flight control team to energize the six crew members in anticipation of tonight's landing in Florida, marking the 10th nighttime Shuttle landing in the program's history. Additional Details: here....
International Space Station flight controllers successfully completed two test firings of the Zarya module's two large thrusters this week, checking out the software and systems required for an automated rendezvous and docking with the third station module, scheduled to be launched from Russia in mid-1999. Additional Details: here....
Columbia's astronauts made final preparations Tuesday evening to come home after a successful five-day flight. Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jeff Ashby and Mission Specialists Cady Coleman, Steve Hawley and Michel Tognini were awakened at 2:31 p.m. CDT Tuesday to "A Little Traveling Music" by Barry Manilow, requested by Hawley's wife Eileen, and "The Air Force Song," played for Collins and Coleman. Additional Details: here....
Discovery astronauts completed their third and final space walk Friday evening, replacing a failed radio transmitter and installing a new solid state recorder. After the successful completion of those tasks, Lead Flight Director Linda Ham announced Friday evening that the STS-103 mission had met all criteria for complete success. Discovery astronauts are scheduled to release Hubble a little before 5 p.m. CST on Christmas Day. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour astronauts began mapping operations on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, which will provide maps of the Earth unprecedented in accuracy and uniformity. The first swath was begun as the orbiter crossed over southern Asia and continued until Endeavour flew over the continent's eastern coast and moved over the northern Pacific Ocean. The mapping will continue through the mission until the antenna mast is retracted before landing. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour's astronauts are looking forward to using one more small bonus in mapping operations time. They were given an additional 10 minutes, bringing the total to nine days, 18 hours and 10 minutes. The additional minutes have been added to allow one more mapping pass across Australia, rather than turning off the radar just as the spacecraft approaches the nation's coastline. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour's astronauts finished their successful Shuttle Radar Topography Mission mapping operations early Monday, then retracted the system's 200-foot mast into its payload bay canister. The mast, the longest rigid structure ever deployed in space, supported the external antenna structure during more than 222 hours of data gathering that mapped almost 100 percent of all planned sites around the world. Additional Details: here....
The Zvezda service module is in excellent shape a day after its launch aboard a Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Zvezda was launched at 12:56 a.m. EDT Wednesday and was on its own 10 minutes later after the Proton's third stage separated and fell away from the module. Additional Details: here....
Following a successful week of docked operations, the seven astronauts aboard Shuttle Atlantis will depart the International Space Station later this evening, leaving behind the more than three tons (6,600 pounds) of supplies and equipment that was transferred to the orbiting facility. Additional Details: here....
Discovery's astronauts prepared for a Monday landing after high crosswinds at Kennedy Space Center caused a delay of at least one day in their return to Earth and the end of their successful mission to expand the International Space Station and ready it for its first crew. Additional Details: here....
Discovery glided to a textbook landing under sunny skies at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Tuesday, completing a successful mission to the International Space Station. The crew spent more than two extra days in space because of unfavorable weather at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and at Edwards. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour astronauts deployed the second of two huge solar wings on the International Space Station Monday in a slow and deliberate, almost two-hour-plus process that began at 6:52 p.m. The other solar wing, the starboard wing, was deployed nonstop Sunday in about 13 minutes. Additional Details: here....
Atlantis' astronauts are hoping that the third time will be the charm today as an improving weather forecast at the Kennedy Space Center holds hope for the Shuttle's return to the Florida spaceport following two consecutive days of weather related wave-offs. Additional Details: here....
The 10 astronauts and cosmonauts aboard Discovery and the International Space Station will spend another day docked to the orbiting science outpost to pack for the trip home. Discovery's STS-102 mission now will end with a landing back in Florida about 1 a.m. Wednesday. Additional Details: here....
The crewmembers aboard the Discovery / International Space Station complex were awakened shortly before 4:30 a.m. Central time today to the sounds of the overture from "The Barber of Seville" by Rossini, a tribute to Expedition Three Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, who along with Commander Frank Culbertson and Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov, will move over to the ISS today to take up residency. Additional Details: here....
Endeavour lifted off this afternoon on the final space shuttle mission of 2001, and, after a flawless climb to orbit, it is now on its way to deliver a fresh crew to the International Space Station and return home a crew that has spent four months in space. Additional Details: here....
The United States astronauts and Russian cosmonauts aboard the shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station paused this morning to remember and honor the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, as did many Americans across the country and citizens of nations around the world. Additional Details: here....
Finishing up a month which saw the crew conduct two spacewalks, Expedition Four Commander Yury Onufrienko and Astronauts Dan Bursch and Carl Walz spent a quiet week aboard the complex this week, completing a host of maintenance tasks, physical exercise and evaluations, and science experiments. Additional Details: here....
The space shuttle Columbia landed at Kennedy Space Center early Tuesday after a 10-day, 22-hour and 10-minute mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Columbia astronauts conducted five successful spacewalks during their STS-109 mission to improve the orbiting observatory. Additional Details: here....
With the International Space Station and the Expedition Four crew orbiting high overhead, the shuttle Atlantis lifted off this afternoon on a complex mission to install a 43-foot long truss structure as the backbone for future expansion of the orbital outpost. Additional Details: here....
Launch delayed from March 22, April 4. Space Shuttle Atlantis entered an orbit of approximately 59 x 229 km x 51.6 deg at 2052 UTC, and separated from the External Tank, ET-114. ET-114 reached apogee around 2122 UTC and reentered over the Pacific about 2150 UTC at the end of its first orbit. Atlantis fired its OMS engines at apogee to raise its perigee to 155 km. Further orbit changes will lead to a rendezvous with the Space Station on Station mission 8A. STS-110 carried the S0 truss segment to the Station. The truss was the first segment of the main backbone of the Station which was to grow to carry the large solar panel wings and radiators. Cargo manifest:
Atlantis gently docked with the International Space Station this morning over southern China, setting the stage for the installation of a 13 1/2 ton truss structure to the complex tomorrow and the ultimate expansion of the ISS to the length of a football field. Additional Details: here....
Atlantis has closed the distance between it and the International Space Station to less than 1,800 statute miles, and is continuing its approach in anticipation of docking with the station at 11:06 a.m. central time today. The linkup should occur as the two spacecraft fly over south-central China, to the southwest of Shanghai. The Atlantis crew, Commander Mike Bloomfield, Pilot Steve Frick and mission specialists Rex Walheim, Ellen Ochoa, Lee Morin, Jerry Ross and Steve Smith, was awakened at 3:44 a.m. by "Rapunzel Got a Mohawk," performed by Joe Scruggs. The song was played for Ochoa, at the request of her family. Additional Details: here....
Construction of a framework for expanded research begins today as the S-Zero (S0) truss segment is installed on the International Space Station. The truss will provide support for the cooling and power systems necessary to attach additional laboratories to the complex. Additional Details: here....
The expansion of the International Space Station continued today with the installation of the 13 1/2 ton S0 (S-Zero) truss segment on the orbital outpost. Assisted by Expedition Four Flight Engineer Dan Bursch, Atlantis Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa gently lifted the truss out of the shuttle's payload bay at 5:30 a.m. Central time through the use of the station's robotic arm and maneuvered it onto a clamp at the top of the station's Destiny Laboratory. It took just under four hours to complete the delicate procedure. Additional Details: here....
After successful installation of the S-Zero (S0) Truss and a spacewalk on Thursday, the focus of today's activities will shift from external construction of the International Space Station to the transfer of equipment, supplies and experiments between the space shuttle Atlantis and the orbiting laboratory. Additional Details: here....
The ten crewmembers of the Atlantis / International Space Station complex transferred experiments and supplies into their respective vehicles today as the latest addition to the station, the S-Zero (S0) Truss, continued to pass its initial checkouts with flying colors. Additional Details: here....
Construction of the International Space Station continues today with the second of four scheduled spacewalks to install the S-Zero (S0) Truss segment. Shuttle astronauts Jerry Ross and Lee Morin will float out of the station's Quest Airlock about 9:34 a.m. Additional Details: here....
Outfitting of the newest component of the International Space Station continues today with the mission's third spacewalk. Shuttle astronauts Steve Smith and Rex Walheim will continue installation work on the S-Zero (S0) Truss, now permanently attached to the station's U.S. laboratory Destiny. Additional Details: here....
The first railcar in space crept down the track of a newly installed truss structure at the International Space Station today, paving the way for the future use of the system on which the station's robotic arm will be mounted to travel the full length of the complex. Additional Details: here....
The first space railroad car will get a trial run today, highballing along 26 feet of the track atop the International Space Station's new S-Zero (S0) Truss at a maximum speed of one inch per second, or 100 yards an hour. The 1,900-pound Mobile Transporter begins its run about 6:30 a.m. Additional Details: here....
Atlantis astronauts Jerry Ross and Lee Morin completed the outfitting of the new S-Zero (S0) truss on the International Space Station today during a 6 hour, 37 minute spacewalk, installing a ladder, testing electrical switches for upcoming truss expansion and attaching external lights and equipment to be used in future assembly work. Additional Details: here....
Shuttle astronauts Jerry Ross and Lee Morin will make the fourth and final spacewalk of the STS-110 mission of Atlantis today, stepping out of the International Space Station's Quest airlock at 9:34 a.m. Many of their tasks focus on helping future spacewalkers. Additional Details: here....
Atlantis' astronauts tested out their ship's systems today and packed their gear, aiming for an early afternoon landing at the Kennedy Space Center Friday to wrap up a 4 ½ million mile mission to deliver a huge backbone truss structure to the International Space Station. Additional Details: here....
After traveling more than 4½ million miles on a successful International Space Station assembly mission that saw four spacewalks during installation of the first segment of the station's main truss, Atlantis is scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Center today. Additional Details: here....
With improved weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center, Endeavour lifted off at 4:23 p.m. CDT today, beginning a complex mission to continue the assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station and bring a new trio of residents to the orbital outpost. Additional Details: here....
Expedition Five Commander Valery Korzun and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev stepped outside the Pirs Docking Compartment of the International Space Station today to swap out Japanese space exposure experiments and a Russian experiment measuring jet thruster residue on the exterior of the Zvezda Service Module in a 5 hour, 21 minute spacewalk. Additional Details: here....
On its own again following yesterday's undocking from the International Space Station, Space Shuttle Atlantis and its crew today focuses on readying the orbiter for the return to Earth tomorrow at 10:44 a.m. Weather forecasts indicate pristine conditions across the southeastern U.S. tomorrow with clear skies and light winds. Additional Details: here....
The Year 2003 began quietly for the International Space Station Expedition 6 crew. Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin, and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit crossed the international date line 15 times during the last day of 2002, officially greeting the new year at midnight Greenwich Mean Time during their sleep shift. The first day of the new year involved only a few routine maintenance tasks, exercise and time off for the crew. Additional Details: here....
Columbia's astronauts conducted scientific studies ranging from the behavior of granular materials in weightlessness to the effects of microgravity on fungi, and filmed the sprites associated with thunderstorms across the globe as their scientific research flight continued in its fifth day. Additional Details: here....
Approaching three months into their stay in space aboard the International Space Station, the Expedition 6 crewmembers continued unpacking newly arrived supplies this week, watched their home's altitude rise, held a news conference and operated the station's robotic arm. Additional Details: here....