STS-106 Credit: NASA |
AKA: Atlantis;ISS-2A.2b. Launched: 2000-09-08. Returned: 2000-09-20. Number crew: 7 . Duration: 11.80 days.
Atlantis was launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B. Solid rocket boosters RSRM-75 and external tank ET-103 were used to loft the orbiter into space. The initial orbit of 72 x 328 km x 51.6 deg was circularized by the Shuttle's OMS engines at apogee.
Atlantis docked with the PMA-2 adapter on the International Space Station at 05:51 GMT on September 10. The orbiter's small RCS engines were used to gently reboost the station's orbit several times.
Astronauts Lu and Malenchenko made a spacewalk on September 11 beginning at 04:47 GMT. They rode the RMS arm up to Zvezda and began installing cables, reaching a distance of 30 meters from the airlock when installing Zvezda's magnetometer. Total EVA duration was 6 hours 21 minutes.
During their 12-day flight, the astronauts spent a week docked to the International Space Station during which they worked as movers, cleaners, plumbers, electricians and cable installers. In all, they spent 7 days, 21 hours and 54 minutes docked to the International Space Station, outfitting the new Zvezda module for the arrival of the Expedition One crew later this fall.
The Shuttle undocked from ISS at 03:44 GMT on September 18 and made two circuits of the station each lasting half an orbit, before separating finally at 05:34 GMT. The payload bay doors were closed at 04:14 GMT on September 20 and at 06:50 GMT the OMS engines ignited for a three minute burn lowering the orbit from 374 x 386 km x 51.6 deg to 22 x 380 km x 51.6 deg. After entry interface at 07:25 GMT, the orbiter glided to a landing on runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center with main gear touchdown at 07:56:48 GMT for a mission duration of 283 hr 11min.
NASA Official Mission Summary
STS-106
Mission: International Space Station Flight 2A.2b
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launched: September 8, 2000, 8:45:47 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: September 20, 2000, 3:58:01 a.m. EDT
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 9,127 feet
Rollout Time: 73 seconds
Revolution: 185
Mission Duration: 11 days, 19 hours, 12 minutes and 15 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.9 million
Crew Members
Commander Terrence W. Wilcutt, Pilot Scott D. Altman, Mission Specialists Daniel C. Burbank, Edward T. Lu, Richard A. Mastracchio, Yuri I. Malenchenko and Boris V. Morukov.
Mission Highlights
STS-106, during its 11-day mission to the International Space Station, completed all assigned mission objectives to prepare the station for the first crew scheduled to launch in October. The mission to the 143-foot-long station focused on unloading nearly three tons of cargo from the orbiter and a Progress supply craft already docked to the opposite end of the International Space Station.
On flight day two, Atlantis completed a successful rendezvous and docking with the ISS in early morning setting the stage for six days of outfitting.
A 6 hour and 14 minute Extravehicular Activity (EVA) was completed successfully on day three, 16 minutes ahead of the planned schedule by Lu and Malenchenko. The spacewalk's objective focused on routing and connecting nine power, data and communications cables between the Zvezda module and the other Russian-built module, Zarya, as well as installing the six-foot-long magnetometer to the station to serve as a compass showing the station in respect to the Earth. Lu and Malenchenko used tethers and handrails along the ISS to make their way to a point more than 100 feet above the cargo bay, the farthest any tethered spacewalker has ventured outside the shuttle. They completed this with the assistance of their inside crewmates Burbank and Mastracchio who deftly maneuvered them around with the robotic arm. This spacewalk celebrates the sixth spacewalk in support of the station assembly and the 50th spacewalk in space shuttle history.
On flight day four the crew entered the International Space Station through Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 (PMA-2) to begin the transfer operations of more than three tons of hardware and supplies. Atlantis' crew was the first to see the interior of the Russian Zvezda service module since it was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in July. Additionally, a reboost was performed using the orbiter's Reaction Control System (RCS) to place the station in a higher orbit.
Transfer of supplies and maintenance tasks continued well into the fifth day, while orbiter consumables remained above the required levels allowing managers to extend the mission one additional day.
Activities on flight day five included the installation of three batteries inside Zvezda. In order to reduce the weight for launch, Zvezda was launched with only five of its eight batteries in place.
Lu and Malenchenko spent much of flight day seven installing voltage and current stabilizers in Zvezda. Components of the Elektron system, equipment sent into orbit to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen, were installed and will be activated after the first crew arrives.
The crew transferred more than 6,000 pounds of material - including six 100 pound bags of water, all of the food for the first resident crew, office supplies, onboard environmental supplies, a vacuum cleaner and a computer and monitor - to the interior of the station.
The astronauts spent a total of 5 days, 9 hours and 21 minutes inside the station before closing the hatch on the orbiting outpost. Wilcutt and Altman commanded a series of four altitude boosts to place the station in an orbit of approximately 241 by 233 statute miles, raising the average altitude by 14 miles. After spending 7 days, 21 hours and 54 minutes linked to the station, Atlantis undocked at 11:46 p.m. EDT as Wilcutt and Altman fired Atlantis' jets to move to a distance of about 450 feet for a double-loop flyaround.
Statistics
99th Shuttle Mission
Atlantis OV-104 - 22nd Flight
KSC Landing 52
Milestones:
OPF -- 5/29/00 VAB -- 8/07/00 PAD -- 8/13/00
Payload: 4th Space Station Flight ISS-2A.2b (SPACEHAB/DM,ICC)
Mission Objectives:
Space Station assembly flight ISS-2A.2b utilized the SPACEHAB Double Module and the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) to bring supplies to the station. The mission also included 2 spacewalks.
Hardware:
SRB: BI-102PF SRM: RSRM-75 ET : ET-103A MLP : SSME-1: SN-2052 SSME-2: SN-2044 SSME-3: SN-2047
Landing:
September 19, 2000 KSC 3:56 a.m. EDT KSC Runway 15
The deorbit burn to bring Atlantis in for a landing on runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center occurred on time at 2:50 a.m. EDT.
Main Gear Touchdown 3:56:48 a.m EDT (MET 11 days 19 hours 11 min 2 sec) Nose Gear Touchdown 3:56:57 a.m.EDT (MET 11 days 19 hours 11 min 11 sec) Wheel Stop 3:58:01 a.m.EDT (MET 11 days 19 hours 12 min 15 sec)
STS-106 Credit: www.spacefacts.de |
Progress M1-3 automatically docked with the International Space Station on August 8 at 20:13 GMT at the rear Zvezda port. The supply ship began refuelling of the station a few days later. It remained attached for offloading of its dry cargo by the STS-106 crew. It later separated from Zvezda's rear port at 0405 GMT November 1 and was deorbited over the Pacific at 0705 GMT.
Space Shuttle Atlantis rocketed into space at 7:46 this morning and is on course to rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday. At the time of Atlantis' launch, the 67-ton station was flying above Hungary, southwest of Budapest. Additional Details: here....
Atlantis was launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B. Solid rocket boosters RSRM-75 and external tank ET-103 were used to loft the orbiter into space. The inital orbit of 72 x 328 km x 51.6 deg was circularised by the Shuttle's OMS engines at apogee.
Atlantis docked with the PMA-2 adapter on the International Space Station at 05:51 GMT on September 10. The orbiter's small RCS engines were used to gently reboost the station's orbit several times.
Astronauts Lu and Malenchenko made a spacewalk on September 11 beginning at 04:47 GMT. They rode the RMS arm up to Zvezda and began installing cables, reaching a distance of 30 meters from the airlock when installing Zvezda's magnetometer. Total EVA duration was 6 hours 21 minutes.
During their 12-day flight, the astronauts spent a week docked to the International Space Station during which they worked as movers, cleaners, plumbers, electricians and cable installers. In all, they spent 7 days, 21 hours and 54 minutes docked to the International Space Station, outfitting the new Zvezda module for the arrival of the Expedition One crew later this fall.
The Shuttle undocked from ISS at 03:44 GMT on September 18 and made two circuits of the station each lasting half an orbit, before separating finally at 05:34 GMT. The payload bay doors were closed at 04:14 GMT on September 20 and at 06:50 GMT the OMS engines ignited for a three minute burn lowering the orbit from 374 x 386 km x 51.6 deg to 22 x 380 km x 51.6 deg. After entry interface at 07:25 GMT, the orbiter glided to a landing on runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center with main gear touchdown at 07:56:48 GMT for a mission duration of 283 hr 11min.
Their first full day in space was a busy one for the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard Atlantis as they moved ever closer to an early Sunday morning linkup with the International Space Station. Docking is scheduled to occur at 12:52 a.m. central time Sunday as the two spacecraft soar high above Kazakhstan. Additional Details: here....
STS-106 Mission Commander Terry Wilcutt along with his crew, Pilot Scott Altman and Mission Specialists Ed Lu, Rick Mastracchio, Dan Burbank, Yuri Malenchenko and Boris Morukov, were awakened at 5:46 p.m. CDT today. The wake up song from Mission Control was " I Say a Little Prayer" which was played for Wilcutt. All seven astronauts are now busy with final preparations for the docking with the International Space Station set for early tomorrow morning. Atlantis is planned to make the third docking with the station at 12:52 a.m. Additional Details: here....
"All Star" by the band Smash Mouth. The song was played for the two space walkers at the request of the EVA training and flight control teams to celebrate what will be the sixth space walk in support of station assembly and the 50th space walk in Space Shuttle history.
The seven member STS-106 crew was awakened just before 7 p.m. CDT to begin its fourth day of orbital activities and its first full day of docked operations with the International Space Station. The main focus of today's efforts will be a 6 ½ hour space walk conducted by Mission Specialists Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko. Additional Details: here....
Commander Terry Wilcutt steered Space Shuttle Atlantis to a smooth link-up with the International Space Station at 12:51 a.m. CDT Sunday, setting the stage for six days of outfitting to make the orbiting outpost ready for its first residents in early November. Additional Details: here....
STS-106 Commander Terry Wilcutt along with Pilot Scott Altman and Mission Specialists Ed Lu, Rick Mastracchio, Dan Burbank, Yuri Malenchenko and Boris Morukov were awakened at 6:46 p.m. this evening to begin their third day of docked operations. The wake up song, The Hukilau Song by Big Kahuna and the Copa Cat Pack, was played for Lu at the request of his sister. Additional Details: here....
The additional mission day will give Wilcutt, Pilot Scott Altman and Mission Specialists Ed Lu, Rick Mastracchio, Dan Burbank, Yuri Malenchenko and Boris Morukov more time to prepare the orbiting facility for the arrival of the first station crew when it docks to the station in early November. Additional Details: here....
The STS-106 astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis were awakened just before 7 p.m. Central to begin another day of electrical work and transfer activities as they near the halfway point of docked operations with the International Space Station. With 189 hours, 40 minutes of planned Atlantis-ISS docked time, the halfway point of docked operations will be reached at 11:45 p.m. this evening. Additional Details: here....
The seven astronauts aboard the Atlantis-International Space Station will soon resume their transfer activities as they start their 5th day of docked operations inside the orbiting facility. As of the start of their workday today, approximately one third of the almost three tons of supplies and equipment have already been moved into the station. Additional Details: here....
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station earlier today completed final electrical installations in both the Zvezda and Zarya modules and transferred another station-based experiment to demonstrate control technologies to suppress unwanted vibrations. Additional Details: here....
STS-106 Mission Commander Terry Wilcutt and his crew were awakened at 6:46 p.m. Central to begin their final full day of docked operations with the International Space Station. By the end of their workday on Sunday morning, Atlantis' astronauts will have finished their efforts of making the orbiting facility a home for the arrival of the first permanent residents of the outpost and all of the hatches between Atlantis and the station will have been closed in preparation for the Shuttle's departure on Sunday evening. 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....
The seven STS-106 astronauts and cosmonauts turned out the lights and closed the doors on a new home in space today after spending a week working as movers, cleaners, plumbers, electricians and cable installers. In all, more than 6,600 pounds of supplies were left behind for use by Expedition crews that will live aboard the International Space Station. Additional Details: here....
Having departed the International Space Station last night, Atlantis' crew will now spend a day checking the shuttle's equipment and stowing away gear in preparation for the trip home, aiming for a 2:56 a.m. CDT landing on Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Additional Details: here....
The STS-106 astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis are preparing for their return to Earth with a planned predawn touchdown on the 3-mile long Shuttle Landing Facility runway at the Kennedy Space Center at 2:56 a.m. CDT Wednesday. The forecasted weather for early Wednesday shows essentially favorable conditions with some concern for rain showers in the vicinity of the Florida spaceport. Additional Details: here....
Atlantis' crew turned its attention to checking shuttle systems and packing up equipment for the return home scheduled for 2:56 a.m. CDT, Wednesday back at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The weather forecast calls for scattered clouds, a light sea-breeze, and only a slight chance of rain off the coast. Additional Details: here....