WWW.SHUTTLEPRESSKIT.COM

Updated August 29, 2000

ATLANTIS

RETURNS 

TO THE

SPACE STATION

STS-106
STS-106

Table of Contents

Mission Index ................................................................................................................1

Mission Overview .........................................................................................................4

Mission Objectives .....................................................................................................11

Crew .............................................................................................................................14

Flight Day Summary Timeline ...................................................................................17

EVAs

STS-106 EVA ..............................................................................................................18

Payloads

Spacehab Logistics Double Module ............................................................................21

Integrated Cargo Carrier ..............................................................................................22

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus ...........................................................23

Getaway Special G-782 ...............................................................................................26

Space Experiment Module 8 ........................................................................................29

Experiments 

HTD 1403 Micro Wireless Instrumentation System (Micro WIS)

HEDS Technology Demonstration .............................................................32

Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) Enhanced Gaseous Nitrogen (EGN) Dewar ................34

DTO/DSO/RME

DTO 700-14 Single-String Global Positioning System .................................................36

DTO 700-21 SIGI Orbital Attitude Readiness ..............................................................37

DTO 805 Crosswind Landing Performance .................................................................38

DSO 493 Monitoring Latent Virus Reactivation and Shedding in Astronauts

Using Saliva Kits ..........................................................................................39

DSO 496 Individual Susceptibility to Postflight Orthostatic Intolerance (Tilt Test) .......40

DSO 498 Space Flight and Immune Function .............................................................41

DSO 499 Eye Movements and Motion Perception Induced by Off-Vertical-Axis

Rotation (OVAR) at Small Angles of Tilt After Space Flight .........................42
STS-106

Shuttle Reference and Data 

Shuttle Abort Modes ....................................................................................................43

Space Shuttle Rendezvous Maneuvers .......................................................................48

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters ..........................................................................49

Space Shuttle Super-Lightweight Tank (SLWT) ..........................................................57

Mission Benefits ........................................................................................................58

Media Assistance ......................................................................................................61

Contacts .....................................................................................................................63
STS-106

Atlantis OV104

Launch: Friday, September 08, 2000

8:45 AM (eastern time)

Crew

Commander: Terrence Wilcutt

Pilot: Scott D. Altman

Mission Specialist 1: Edward T. Lu

Mission Specialist 2: Richard A. Mastracchio 

Mission Specialist 3: Daniel C. Burbank

Mission Specialist 4: Yuri I. Malenchenko 

Mission Specialist 5: Boris V. Morukov 

Launch

Orbiter: Atlantis OV104

Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39B

Launch Window: 2.5 Minutes

Altitude: 173 Nautical Miles, 199 Statute Miles

Inclination: 51.6 Degrees

Duration: 10 Days 19 Hrs. 9 Min.

1
STS-106

Vehicle Data

Shuttle Liftoff Weight: 4519645 lbs.

Orbiter/Payload Liftoff Weight: 254099 lbs.

Orbiter/Payload Landing Weight: 221271 lbs.

Payload Weights

ICC 4,528 pounds (ICC plus cargo)

LDM 18,000 pounds

Software Version: OI-27

Space Shuttle Main Engines: (1 MB pdf)

SSME 1: 2052 SSME 2: 2044 SSME 3: 2047

External Tank: ET-103A

SRB Set: BI-102PF/RSRM-75

Shuttle Aborts

Abort Landing Sites

 RTLS: Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility

 TAL: Zaragoza

 AOA: Edwards Air Force Base, California

Landing

Landing Date: 09/19/00

Landing Time: 3:54 AM (eastern time)

Primary Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility

2
STS-106

Payloads

Cargo Bay

Space Experiment Module 8

Getaway Special G-782

Spacehab Logistics Double Module

In-Cabin

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA)

3
STS-106

Mission Overview

Atlantis Returns to the International Space Station 

Atlantis returns to the International Space Station (ISS) for the second time in four 

months on NASA’s third Shuttle flight of the year to complete outfitting of the first 

home in space for the first crew of the rapidly expanding facility.

Five American astronauts and two Russian cosmonauts are set to launch on the STS106 mission no earlier than September 8 at 8:45 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39-B at 

the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It will be Atlantis’ 22nd mission and the 99th 

flight in Shuttle program history.

Veteran Astronaut Terry Wilcutt (Col., USMC) leads the seven-man crew, 

commanding his second Shuttle flight and making his fourth trip into space. During 

the planned 11-day mission, Wilcutt and his crewmates will spend a week inside the 

ISS unloading supplies from both a double Spacehab cargo module in the rear of 

Atlantis’ cargo bay and from a Russian Progress M-1 resupply craft docked to the aft 

end of the Zvezda Service Module. Zvezda, which linked up to the ISS on July 26, 

will serve as the early living quarters for the station and is the cornerstone of the 

Russian contribution to the ISS.

The goal of the flight is to prepare Zvezda for the arrival of the first resident, or 

Expedition, crew later this fall and the start of a permanent human presence on the 

new outpost. That crew, Expedition Commander Bill Shepherd, Soyuz Commander 

Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev, is due to launch in a Soyuz 

capsule from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in late October for a fourmonth "shakedown" mission aboard the ISS.

In addition, Dr. Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko (Col., Russian Air Force), both making 

their second flights into space, will conduct a 6 1⁄2-hour space walk on the fourth day of 

the flight to hook up electrical, communications and telemetry cables between Zvezda 

and the Zarya Control Module, whose computers handed over commanding functions 

to the Service Module’s computers in a smooth transition in late July. Lu and 

Malenchenko will also install a magnetometer to the exterior of Zvezda. The 

magnetometer will serve as a three-dimensional compass designed to minimize 

Zvezda propellant usage by relaying information to the module’s computers regarding 

its orientation relative to the Earth.

It will be the second joint U.S.-Russian space walk outside a Space Shuttle, following 

on the work conducted by Astronaut Scott Parazynski and Cosmonaut Vladimir Titov 

outside Atlantis while docked to the Mir Space Station during the STS-86 mission in 

October 1997. Lu, designated EV 1, will wear the space suit marked by red stripes, 

while Malenchenko, EV 2, will wear the pure white suit.

4
STS-106

This will be Lu’s first space walk, while Malenchenko 

conducted a pair of space walks totaling 12 hours during 

his four-month stay aboard Mir in 1994. Dan Burbank (Lt. 

Cmdr, USCG), who is a space rookie, will serve as the 

space walk choreographer.

Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio, also a space novice, 

will be the prime robot arm operator for the mission, using 

the Canadian-built arm to move Lu and Malenchenko around the ISS as they conduct 

their assembly work. Mastracchio is backed up on arm operations by Pilot Scott 

Altman (Cmdr., USN), making his second flight into space.

The final member of the crew is Russian Cosmonaut Dr. Boris Morukov, making his 

first flight into space. Morukov will be responsible for unloading supplies from the 

Progress vehicle during the docked phase of the flight. 

When Wilcutt guides Atlantis in for its docking with the ISS on the third day of the 

mission, he will find the new station a much larger facility than the one left by the 

STS-101 crew during its flight in May. With the addition of the Zvezda and the 

Progress resupply ship, the ISS will measure 143 feet in length, roughly the height of 

a 13-story building, and will weigh 67 tons, twice the size of the ISS back in May. The 

joining of Zvezda to the ISS and the arrival of the Progress provides about 8,800 

cubic feet of habitable volume for Station crew members, roughly the size of a 

comfortable apartment. By the time the U.S. Laboratory Destiny is installed on the 

ISS in January, the Station will have surpassed both Skylab and Mir in total livable 

space.

On the fifth day of the flight, Atlantis’ crew will enter the ISS, opening the hatch for the 

first time to Zvezda and to the Progress to begin unloading 1,300 pounds of goods 

from the Russian craft for the first resident crew, including items ranging from clothing 

to medical kits, personal hygiene kits, laptop computers, a color printer, vacuum 

cleaners, food warmers for Zvezda’s galley, trash bags and critical life support 

hardware, including an Elektron oxygen generation unit and a Vozdukh carbon 

dioxide removal unit. Elektron and Vozdukh will be unstowed from the Progress and 

moved into Zvezda, but will not be installed and activated until the Expedition One 

crew arrives on board. The first toilet for the ISS will be delivered to Zvezda on the 

last day of the crew’s work inside the Station for installation this fall once the 

Expedition 1 crew is on board.

Among the first tasks facing Atlantis’ crew will be the installation of three batteries and 

associated electronic components in Zvezda and replacement of two of the six 

batteries in the Zarya module, completing the work begun by the STS-101 crew in 

May. Zvezda was launched from Baikonur on July 12 with five of its eight battery sets 

already installed. Lu and Malenchenko will be in charge of the installation work in 

Zvezda. Also earmarked for Zvezda is the activation of two gas masks, which will 

serve as standard emergency equipment for ISS crews and three fire extinguishers. 

5
STS-106

In addition, American-Russian power conversion units will be installed in Zvezda on 

this flight to route electricity from huge solar arrays which will be installed on the STS97 mission to the Russian modules. Electrical components to charge the batteries of 

Soyuz or Progress vehicles visiting the ISS will be installed in Zvezda as well.

While Morukov spends most of his time unloading supplies from the Progress, 

Mastracchio will be in charge of unloading 2 tons of equipment from the Spacehab 

module, including medical equipment for the ISS’ Crew Health Care System, or 

CheCS, which will serve as the heart of the station’s clinic for orbiting crews, and a 

treadmill device and bicycle ergometer which will serve as the first exercise gear for 

crews on board the ISS. Associated hardware for the treadmill which will prevent its 

use from disturbing sensitive microgravity experiments, will be installed by the 

crewmembers near the end of their stay on board.

On the tenth day of the flight, Atlantis will undock from the ISS and Altman will 

conduct a flyaround of the newly expanded station to enable his crewmates to 

conduct photo documentation of the outpost. 

Two days later, Wilcutt will fly Atlantis to a predawn landing at the Kennedy Space 

Center, setting the stage a few days later for the launch of a second Russian 

Progress ship to the Station and a plethora of Shuttle assembly flights to turn the 

complex into a working research facility.

6
STS-106

International Space Station Assembly Sequence:

Revision F (August 2000)

Date Flight

Launch

Vehicle Element(s)

Nov. 20, 1998 1A/R Russian Proton • Zarya Control Module

(Functional Cargo Block - FGB) 

Dec. 4, 1998 2A U.S. Orbiter 

STS-88 

• Unity Node (1 Stowage Rack) 

• 2 Pressurized Mating Adapters attached to Unity 

May 27, 1999 2A.1 U.S. Orbiter 

STS-96 

• SPACEHAB - Logistics Flight 

May 19, 2000 2A.2a U.S. Orbiter 

STS-101

• SPACEHAB - Maintenance Flight 

July 12, 2000 1R Russian Proton • Zvezda Service Module

Sept. 8, 2000 2A.2b U.S. Orbiter

STS-106 

• SPACEHAB - Logistics Flight 

Oct. 5, 2000 3A U.S. Orbiter 

STS-92 

• Integrated Truss Structure (ITS) Z1 

• Pressurized Mating Adapter - 3 

• Ku-band Communications System 

• Control Moment Gyros (CMGs) 

Oct. 30, 2000 2R Russian Soyuz • Soyuz 

• Expedition 1 Crew

Nov. 30, 2000 4A U.S. Orbiter

STS-97

• Integrated Truss Structure P6 

• Photovoltaic Module 

• Radiators 

Jan. 18, 2001 5A U.S. Orbiter 

STS-98 

• Destiny Laboratory Module

Feb. 15, 2001 5A.1 U.S. Orbiter 

STS-102 

• Logistics and Resupply; Lab Outfitting 

• Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) 

carries equipment racks 

March 2001 4R Russian Soyuz • Docking Compartment 1 (DC-1) 

• Strela Boom 

7
STS-106

Date Flight

Launch

Vehicle Element(s)

April 19, 2001 6A U.S. Orbiter 

STS-100

• Rafaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) 

(Lab outfitting) 

• Ultra High Frequency (UHF) antenna 

• Space Station Remote Manipulator System 

(SSRMS)

May 17, 2001 7A U.S. Orbiter

STS-104 

• Joint Airlock 

• High Pressure Gas Assembly 

June 21, 2001 7A.1 U.S. Orbiter

STS-105

• Donatello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) 

Oct. 4, 2001 UF-1 U.S. Orbiter

STS-109 

• Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) 

• Photovoltaic Module batteries 

• Spares Pallet (spares warehouse) 

Jan. 2002 8A U.S. Orbiter • Central Truss Segment (ITS S0) 

• Mobile Transporter (MT) 

Feb. 2002 UF-2 U.S. Orbiter • Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) with 

payload racks 

• Mobile Base System (MBS) 

May 2002 9A U.S. Orbiter • First right-side truss segment (ITS S1) with 

radiators 

• Crew & Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart A 

June 2002 ULF1 U.S. Orbiter • Utilization and Logistics Flight 

Oct. 2002 11A U.S. Orbiter • First left-side truss segment (ITS P1) 

• Crew & Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart B 

Oct. 2002 9A.1 U.S. Orbiter • Russian provided Science Power Platform (SPP) 

with four solar arrays 

Dec. 2002 12A U.S. Orbiter • Second left-side truss segment (ITS P3/P4) 

• Solar array and batteries 

Feb. 2003 12A.1 U.S. Orbiter • Third left-side truss segment (ITS P5) 

• Logistics and Supplies 

8
STS-106

Date Flight

Launch

Vehicle Element(s)

April 2003 13A U.S. Orbiter • Second right-side truss segment (ITS S3/S4) 

• Solar array set and batteries (Photovoltaic Module) 

June 2003 13A.1 U.S. Orbiter • Logistics and Supplies 

Aug. 2003 3R Russian Proton • Universal Docking Module (UDM) 

Aug. 2003 5R Russian Soyuz • Docking Compartment 2 (DC2) 

Oct. 2003 UF-4 U.S. Orbiter • Express Pallet

• Spacelab Pallet carrying "Canada Hand" (Special 

Purpose Dexterous Manipulator) 

Nov. 2003 10A U.S. Orbiter • US Node 2 

Feb. 2004 1J/A U.S. Orbiter • Japanese Experiment Module Experiment 

Logistics Module (JEM ELM PS) 

• Science Power Platform (SSP) solar arrays with 

truss 

April 2004 ATV • European Automated Transfer Vehicle

May 2004 1J U.S. Orbiter • Kibo Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) 

• Japanese Remote Manipulator System (JEM RMS) 

June 2004 10A.1 U.S. Orbiter • Propulsion Module 

Sept. 2004 UF-3 U.S. Orbiter • Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) 

• Express Pallet

Oct. 2004 1E U.S. Orbiter • European Laboratory - Columbus Module 

Jan. 2005 2J/A U.S. Orbiter • Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility 

(JEM EF) 

• Solar Array Batteries 

• Cupola 

Feb. 2005 UF-5 U.S. Orbiter • Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) 

• Express Pallet

9
STS-106

Date Flight

Launch

Vehicle Element(s)

TBD 9R Russian Proton • Docking and Stowage Module (DSM) 

May 2005 14A U.S. Orbiter • Science Power Platform (SPP) Solar Arrays 

• Zvezda Micrometeroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) 

Shields 

June 2005 UF-6 U.S. Orbiter • Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) 

• Batteries 

July 2005 20A U.S. Orbiter • US Node 3 

Aug. 2005 8R Russian Soyuz • Research Module 1 

Sept. 2005 16A U.S. Orbiter • Habitation Module 

Oct. 2005 17A U.S. Orbiter • Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) 

• Destiny racks 

Dec. 2005 18A U.S. Orbiter • Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) 

Jan. 2006 19A U.S. Orbiter • Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) 

March 2006 15A U.S. Orbiter • Solar Arrays and Batteries (Photovoltaic Module 

S6) 

March 2006 10R Russian Soyuz • Research Module 2 

April 2006 UF-7 U.S. Orbiter • Centrifuge Accommodation Module (CAM) 

Notes: Additional Progress, Soyuz, H-II Transfer Vehicle and Automated Transfer Vehicle flights for 

crew transport, logistics and resupply are not listed. 

10
STS-106 

Mission Objectives

Primary Objective

Among priority tasks to be completed during the STS-106 mission of Atlantis to 

the International Space Station are: 

--Changing Zvezda, the Service Module, from launch to flight configuration by 

installing six ground repressurization inlet caps, removing fire extinguisher 

launch restraint bolts and activating gas masks in the module for the Expedition 

1 crew. 

--Logistics activities, including unloading the Progress cargo vessel into the ISS 

and transferring equipment, supplies and water from the shuttle to the ISS. 

--Removing the TORU docking unit and the aft docking probe from the Zarya 

module. 

--Replacing two batteries on Zarya and installing three batteries and associated 

electronic equipment on the Zvezda, installing voltage converters in the Zvezda 

and performing other electrical system work in that module. 

--A spacewalk to connect power, data and communications cables between the 

Zvezda and Zarya, and install a magnetometer. 

--Installation of a treadmill and related equipment. 

--Air monitoring tasks, formaldehyde monitoring, replace and return three 

passive dosimeters in Unity and install four others in the Zvezda, as well as 

performing acoustic measurements in the Zvezda. 

--Testing of the Space Integrated Global Positioning System/Internal Navigation 

System (SIGI). 

--Installation of the toilet in the Zvezda. 

--Performing ISS reboost with Atlantis and a shuttle flyaround of the ISS, both if 

propellant is available.

11
STS-106

Progress Overview

During STS-106, the astronauts will transfer logistical material from the Progress supply 

vehicle to the ISS.

The Progress is an automated version of the Soyuz, and was developed to carry 

propellant and cargo to the Salyut and Mir space station. It will serve the same purpose 

for the ISS. Although ISS has its own propulsion system, generally it is the Progress 

vehicle that will perform periodic reboost maneuvers to maintain the ISS orbital altitude.

The Progress is approximately the same size as the Soyuz, but it has a slightly higher 

mass at launch of approximately 7150 kg. The Progress spacecraft docks automatically 

to the ISS, and the TORU system acts as a backup remote control docking system. 

The Progress is composed of three modules: the Cargo Module, the Refueling Module, 

and the Instrument/Propulsion Module.

A modified version of the Progress M, called the Progress M1, is planned for operation 

with the ISS. This version will have more propellant tanks for refueling, as the entire 

Refueling Module is devoted to fuel. Water will be carried in the Cargo Module.

The Progress payload includes cargo in the pressurized Cargo Module and propellant in 

the Refueling Module. Excess propellant that is usually in the propulsion system tanks 

in the Instrumentation/ Propulsion Module can also be used by the ISS. 

The table below summarizes the approximate payload capacity of the Progress vehicle. 

Category Progress M Progress M1

Total payload limit (kg) 2350 2230 - 3200

Maximum pressurized cargo (kg) 1800 1800

Maximum water (kg) 420 In Cargo Module

Maximum air or oxygen (kg) 50 40

Maximum Refueling Module propellant (kg) 850 1700

Propellant surplus available to ISS (kg) 250 185 - 250

Trash disposal in Cargo Module (kg) 1000 - 1600 1000 - 1600

Wastewater (kg) 400 In Cargo Module

Cargo volume (m 3 ) 6.6 6.6

12
STS-106

The relative amounts of pressurized cargo, refueling propellant, air, and water will vary 

within the constraints of the total payload limit. For example, if the maximum amount of 

propellant is carried, the amount of pressurized cargo will be less than the maximum 

amount. The payload masses for Progress M1 will increase within the ranges shown as 

improvements are made to the Soyuz launch vehicle. The lowest value corresponds to 

the capability with the current Soyuz launcher.

Cargo Module

The Progress Cargo Module is similar in construction to the Soyuz Orbital Module. The 

Cargo Module carries pressurized cargo that the crew transfers into the ISS through the

docking hatch. After the Cargo Module is unloaded, trash, unwanted equipment, and 

wastewater can be loaded into the Progress for disposal when the spacecraft leaves the 

ISS. 

Refueling Module

In place of the Soyuz Descent Module, the Progress has a module containing propellant 

tanks. The Progress is able to transfer propellant into the ISS propulsion system 

through fluid connectors in the docking ring. The propellant in the Refueling Module can 

also be used by the thrusters on the Progress vehicle for controlling and reboosting the 

ISS. The Progress M has four propellant tanks (two each for fuel and oxidizer) and two 

water tanks. The Progress M1 will have eight propellant tanks and no water tanks. In 

the Progress M1, water will be delivered in separate containers carried in the Cargo 

Module.

Instrumentation/Propulsion Module

The Progress Instrumentation/Propulsion Module is similar to the module on Soyuz, but 

on Progress it is twice as long and contains additional avionics equipment. The larger 

Instrumentation Compartment carries avionics that would be contained in the Descent 

Module in the Soyuz.

13
STS-106 

Crew Profile Menu

Commander: Terrence Wilcutt 

As Commander, Wilcutt is responsible for mission success and crew 

safety and is the ultimate authority for all mission decisions. He will be 

the prime crew member for the rendezvous and docking with the 

International Space Station.

Previous Space Flights:

Wilcutt flew as the Shuttle pilot on two missions, STS-68 in 1994 and 

STS-79 in 1996. He previously commanded STS-89 in 1998, the 

mission that flew Andy Thomas to Mir and returned David Wolf from his 128-day stay on Mir.

Ascent Seating: Flight Deck - Port Forward

Entry Seating: Flight Deck - Port Forward

Pilot: Scott D. Altman 

Altman is responsible for many orbiter systems during launch and 

landing and will back up Commander Terry Wilcutt during the 

rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station. He will 

also back up his crewmates on preparations for the space walk and 

operation of the remote manipulator system.

Previous Space Flights:

Altman previously piloted Columbia during the 1998 STS-90 Neurolab flight.

Ascent Seating: Flight Deck - Starboard Forward

Entry Seating: Flight Deck - Starboard Forward

Mission Specialist 1: Edward T. Lu 

Lu will be teamed with Yuri Malenchenko to perform the spacewalk. 

During that EVA, the crew will install FBG/SM power cables, install the 

foot restraint and magnetometer extension pole on the Service 

Module, re-install the Magnetometer unit on the pole and dispose the 

cover on the Shuttle.

Previous Space Flights:

Lu previously served as a mission specialist on STS-84 in 1997.

Ascent Seating: Flight Deck - Starboard Aft

Entry Seating: Mid Deck - Starboard

EV1 

14
STS-106 

Mission Specialist 2: Richard A. Mastracchio 

As the Flight Engineer during Atlantis' launch and landing, Mastracchio 

will be seated behind Commander Terry Wilcutt and Pilot Scott Altman 

on the flight deck, monitoring key Shuttle systems. Mastracchio will 

use the 50-foot long robot arm to aid his EVA crewmates.

Previous Space Flights:

This will be Mastracchio's first flight.

Ascent Seating: Flight Deck - Center Aft

Entry Seating: Flight Deck - Center Aft

RMS 

Mission Specialist 3: Daniel C. Burbank 

Burbank will serve as a backup spacewalker, and will back up 

"intravehicular" crew member Boris Morukov during the spacewalk. 

Previous Space Flights:

This will be Burbank's first flight.

Ascent Seating: Mid Deck - Port

Entry Seating: Flight Deck - Starboard Aft

Mission Specialist 4: Yuri I. Malenchenko 

Malenchenko will be teamed with Edward Lu to perform the 

spacewalk. During that EVA, the crew will install FBG/SM power 

cables, install the foot restraint and magnetometer extension pole on 

the Service Module, re-install the Magnetometer unit on the pole and 

dispose the cover on the Shuttle.

Previous Space Flights:

In 1994, Malenchenko served as Commander of Mir 16. He has 

logged 126 days in space, including 2 EVA's totaling 12 hours.

Ascent Seating: Mid Deck - Center

Entry Seating: Mid Deck - Center

EV2 

15
STS-106 

Mission Specialist 5: Boris V. Morukov 

Morukov will serve as the "intravehicular" crew member during the 

spacewalk, responsible for the choreography of the astronauts' work 

on the ISS.

Previous Space Flights:

This will be Morukov's first flight.

Ascent Seating: Mid Deck - Starboard

Entry Seating: Mid Deck - Starboard

IV1 

16
STS-106

Flight Day Summary

DATE TIME (EST) DAY MET EVENT

09/08/00 8:45:00 AM 1 000/00:00 Launch

09/08/00 9:29:00 AM 1 000/00:44 OMS2 Burn

09/08/00 12:30:00 PM 1 000/03:45 NC1 Burn

09/09/00 12:57:00 AM 2 000/16:12 NC2 Burn

09/09/00 4:07:00 AM 2 000/19:22 NPC Burn

09/09/00 7:46:00 AM 2 000/23:01 NC3 Burn

09/09/00 8:45:00 PM 3 001/12:00 NH Burn

09/09/00 9:31:00 PM 3 001/12:46 NC4 Burn

09/09/00 11:02:00 PM 3 001/14:17 TI Burn

09/10/00 1:54:00 AM 3 001/17:09 Docking

09/11/00 1:05:00 AM 4 002/16:20 EVA Start

09/11/00 11:00:00 PM 5 003/14:15 ISS Ingress

09/16/00 3:15:00 AM 9 007/18:30 ISS Egress

09/16/00 11:44:00 PM 10 008/14:59 Undock

09/17/00 1:33:00 AM 10 008/16:48 Final Separation

09/19/00 2:50:00 AM 12 010/18:05 Deorbit TIG

09/19/00 3:54:00 AM 12 010/19:09 KSC Landing

17
STS-106

EVAs

STATION ASSEMBLY CONTINUES DURING SPACEWALK

Overview

On the fourth day of Atlantis' flight, Mission Specialists Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko will 

venture outside into the Shuttle's cargo bay to begin the sixth space walk in support of 

the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) and the 50th space walk in 

Shuttle history.

Lu, designated EV 1, will be making his first space walk and will wear the space suit 

marked by red stripes. Malenchenko, who conducted two space walks totaling 12 hours 

during his 1994 flight aboard the Russian Mir Space Station, is designated EV 2 and will 

wear the pure white suit.

The main objective of the planned 6 1⁄2 hour space walk by Lu and Malenchenko is to 

attach a 6-foot long magnetometer and boom to a port on the newly arrived Russian 

Zvezda Service Module. The magnetometer will serve as a type of navigation tool, or 

compass, using data acquired from the Earth's magnetic field to "tell" Zvezda's 

computers how it is oriented in relation to the Earth. In doing so, Zvezda's propellent 

usage will be minimized in maintaining the orientation of the ISS until the arrival in 

January of the U.S. Laboratory Destiny, which will take over attitude control, or 

orientation, of the ISS through the Station's Control Moment Gyroscopes.

With Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio operating the Shuttle's robot arm and under 

the watchful eye of space walk choreographer Dan Burbank, who will both work at 

Atlantis' aft flight deck, Lu and Malenchenko will ride the Canadian-built arm as far as it 

will take them, about 50 feet above Atlantis' cargo bay. Then they will use tethers and 

handrails along the ISS' modules to make their way to a point more than 100 feet above 

the cargo bay for the magnetometer installation, the farthest any tethered space walker 

has ventured outside a Shuttle. This portion of the space walk should take about an 

hour and a half. Lu and Malenchenko will be twice as high above the bay as were Story 

Musgrave and Jeff Hoffman during the STS-61 mission when they mounted the top of 

the Hubble Space Telescope to replace its magnetometers. 

Once the magnetometer hook up is complete, electrical, data and television cables 

between the newly arrived Zvezda Service Module and the Zarya Control Module to 

which Zvezda is docked will be connected. In all, nine cables will be rigged between the 

two spacecraft in a procedure expected to last almost three hours.

18
STS-106

Four of the cables are critical power connections required before the end of the STS-97 

mission to the ISS to deliver the sprawling U.S. solar arrays. These cables will enable 

power to flow from the arrays to the Russian modules to augment the solar arrays on 

both Zarya and Zvezda since the U.S. arrays will shade portions of the Russians arrays 

once they are installed on the top of the Z-1 truss framework.

Two of the cables will provide an internal closed circuit video feed for crew members in 

Zvezda so they can monitor the docking of the second Russian Progress resupply 

mission to the ISS in late September which will linkup to the bottom, or nadir, docking 

port to Zarya.

Two additional cables will link data from Zvezda to Zarya for, among other things, the 

commanding of Zarya solar array pointing from Zvezda now that the Zarya's motion 

control system has been deactivated.

 A final fiber optic cable will be strung between Zvezda and Zarya to enable data to flow 

from the suits worn by Russian space walkers once the ISS airlock is installed at the 

starboard port of the Unity connecting node to accommodate joint U.S.-Russian space 

walks. Until then, ISS space walks must be conducted from Zvezda's transfer 

compartment.

This will be the second joint U.S.-Russian space walk outside a Space Shuttle. On 

October 1, 1997 on the STS-86 mission, Astronaut Scott Parazynski and Cosmonaut 

Vladimir Titov performed a five-hour space walk while Atlantis was docked to Mir. Three 

other space walks have been jointly conducted by astronauts and cosmonauts outside 

Mir without a Shuttle present:

Jerry Linenger / Vasily Tsibliev April 29, 1997 

Mike Foale / Anatoly Solovyev September 6, 1997 

Dave Wolf / Anatoly Solovyev January 14-15, 1998

There have been five previous space walks conducted for the assembly of the 

International Space Station:

STS-88 

(Endeavour)

Jerry Ross and Jim Newman conducted three space walks totaling 21 

hours, 22 minutes on Dec. 7, 9 and 12, 1998. 

STS-96 

(Discovery)

Tammy Jernigan and Dan Barry conducted one space walk lasting 7 

hours, 55 minutes on May 29, 1999. 

STS-101 

(Atlantis)

Jeff Williams and Jim Voss conducted one space walk lasting 6 hours, 

44 minutes on May 21-22, 2000.

In all, the five space walks performed to date have totaled 36 hours, 1 minute of ISS 

assembly time.

19
STS-106

EVA Timeline for STATION ASSEMBLY CONTINUES DURING 

SPACEWALK

Time Event

2/16:20 Egress

2/16:35 EVA Sortie Setup

2/17:50 Magnetometer

2/19:05 FGB-SM Cable Install

2/21:05 EVA Sortie Cleanup

2/22:35 Ingress

20
STS-106 

Spacehab Logistics Double Module

Payload Bay

18,000 pounds

Overview

SPACEHAB's Logistics Double Module is a 20-foot long, 14-foot wide, 11.2-foot high 

pressurized aluminum module carried in Atlantis' payload bay and connected to the 

middeck area of the orbiter by an access tunnel. 

For STS-106, the LDM will carry approximately 8,100 pounds of hardware, equipment 

and logistical supplies to outfit the International Space Station. 

Designed to augment the Shuttle's middeck, the double module has a total cargo 

capacity of up to 10,000 pounds and contains the systems necessary to support the 

crewmembers, such as ventilation, lighting and limited power. 

History/Background

Boeing-Huntsville developed the Logistics Double Module for SPACEHAB and serves 

as the mission integration contractor.

21
STS-106 

Integrated Cargo Carrier

4,528 pounds (ICC plus cargo)

Overview

The Integrated Cargo Carrier is an externally mounted, unpressurized, aluminum flatbed pallet, coupled with a keel-yoke assembly, that expands the Shuttle's capability to 

transport cargo. 

On STS-106, it will carry 2,865 pounds of cargo to orbit. The ICC is 8 feet long, 15 feet 

wide and 10 inches thick, with a capacity to carry up to 6,000 pounds of cargo. 

The ICC also carries the SPACEHAB-Oceaneering Space System (SHOSS) Box. 

SHOSS is an unpressurized "tool box" attached to the top of the ICC with the capacity to 

carry up to 400 pounds of tools and other flight equipment. 

22
STS-106

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA)

In-Cabin

Principal Investigator: Dr. Haig Keshishian, Yale University, and 

Dr. Timothy Hammond, Tulane University

Project Scientist: Debra Reiss-Bubenheim, NASA Ames Research Center

Overview

CGBA experiments that explore the ways biological processes are affected by 

microgravity—the near-weightlessness of space—may allow researchers to better 

understand the nervous system. Scientists also plan to use the CGBA to investigate 

growing human tissue for use in surgical procedures such as skin grafts and organ 

transplants and in developing medicines.

Two experiments will be conducted on STS-106.

Synaptogenesis in Microgravity

This primary experiment will examine how space flight affects the developing nervous 

system of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogastor). Researchers are particularly 

interested in learning how nerves that control movement navigate through the 

embryonic central nervous system and attach to the muscle fibers they will control and 

how synapses, which are the communication junctures between nerves where signals 

are transferred from one nerve to another, differentiate and develop to their mature form 

during embryonic and postembryonic life. 

The fruit fly is an ideal model for studying the effects of microgravity on normal 

developmental processes because its development on Earth is well characterized and it 

has a small set of genes. A better understanding of these effects could have 

implications not only for long-term space travel, but also for processes related to various 

diseases and the disorders of aging.

Kidney Cell Gene Expression

The second experiment is a follow-up to an STS-90 investigation. In that earlier 

experiment, microgravity caused large-scale alterations in kidney cell genes. The 

follow-up experiment will examine how microgravity alters the gene expression in kidney 

cells that ultimately enables kidneys to develop and function normally. 

The ultimate goal of this experiment is to manipulate the kidney cells to produce specific 

tissues for use in humans or as models in developing medicines. Cells grown in 

suspension in space can join together and form three-dimensional tissues similar to their 

counterparts in an intact organ. These tissues are difficult to produce in Earth's gravity.

23
STS-106 

History/Background

The Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus allows automated in-flight 

processing of a variety of biological experiments contained in eight individually 

programmable, temperature-controlled devices. The CGBA payload hardware consists 

of the generic bioprocessing apparatus (GBA), which occupies a single middeck locker, 

and the isothermal containment module (ICM), a middeck locker apparatus for storing 

biological samples in a temperature-controlled environment. 

The GBA is a self-contained mixing and heating module for processing biological fluid 

samples. Up to 120 triple-contained glass syringe fluid samples (in Lexan sheaths) are 

stored in either the ICM or a middeck locker. These fluids are manually mixed in the 

syringes and transferred to containment vials that are heated and incubated. At the end 

of the incubation period, the fluid vials are returned to the ICM or stowage locker. 

The ICM maintains a preset temperature environment, controls the activation and 

termination of the experiment samples, and serves as an interface for crew interaction, 

control, and data transfer. 

The fruit fly experiment will occupy seven sample containers, and the kidney cell gene 

expression experiment will occupy the eighth. 

The Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus is a cooperative commercial 

experiment facility sponsored by NASA's Space Product Development Program at the 

Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. BioServe Space Technologies designed, 

built, and manages the apparatus. BioServe is a NASA Commercial Space Center with 

facilities at the University of Colorado in Boulder and Kansas State University. 

24
STS-106 

Yale University and NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., are 

conducting the fruit fly research, which is cosponsored by the National Institutes of 

Health. The Fundamental Biology Program at Ames is sponsoring the kidney cell 

experiment. 

Various configurations of CGBA have flown on 13 previous Space Shuttle missions and 

2 Mir missions. The CGBA technology is being advanced and refined for future use on 

the International Space Station. 

Benefits

The interdisciplinary nature of this research offers unique educational opportunities for 

undergraduate and graduate students. Improving applications and developing new 

products will benefit U.S. industry, enhance the quality of life, and propel the field of 

biotechnology toward new frontiers.

25
STS-106 

Getaway Special G-782

Payload Bay

Principal Investigator: Keith Bennett, Washington University, St. Louis

Overview

The G-782 payload, or Aria-1 as it is known to its sponsors, is an educational project to 

give elementary and high school students in the St. Louis area an opportunity to be 

involved in hands-on space science and perhaps steer them toward science, 

engineering and technology careers. Aria-1 is a joint project of the School of 

Engineering and Applied Science of Washington University in St. Louis and the 

Cooperating School Districts, an educational consortium of 47 school districts in the 

greater St. Louis metropolitan area. 

More than 300 students from eight St. Louis schools prepared hypotheses, designed 

experiments, collected materials, and prepared flight articles under the guidance of their 

teachers. After the flight, the students will compare flight samples with ground controls 

to determine the effects of microgravity, radiation, magnetism, and other possible 

phenomena experienced in the low Earth orbit environment of the Shuttle mission. 

The student experiments are housed in a standard 5-cubic-foot getaway special 

canister that is attached to the sidewall of Atlantis' payload bay. The payload is 

completely passive and requires no crew action. 

Aria-1 Schools and Experiments

Bristol Elementary School

For this experiment, 50 first graders each drew pictures on two pieces Shrinky Dink 

plastic that are about 5 inches square. This plastic shrinks about 50% when it is 

exposed to high heat. One set of 50 plastic pieces will be heated in a toaster oven on 

Earth so the students can see the effects of heat in gravity. After the mission, the 

students will examine their Shrinky Dinks that flew on Aria-1 to determine if they were 

exposed to high temperatures. Each student will also get a souvenir—a piece of plastic 

that has flown on the Space Shuttle. 

Marissa Junior/Senior High School

Fourteen Marissa High School students are sending 18 different kinds of garden, flower, 

and crop seeds into space on Aria-1. They want to find out if the increased ultraviolet 

radiation and extreme temperature changes found in space will change how the seeds 

grow and the appearance of the plants. The experimenters will plant the seeds 

exposed to space alongside control seeds that remained on Earth and observe any 

differences in the plants. 

26
STS-106 

Glenridge Elementary School

Eight Glenridge students are investigating the reactions of everyday objects to the 

unique environment of space. They are studying the chewability of Bubblacious Bubble 

Gum, the spin patterns and the rate of germination of maple seeds, the ability of mold 

on bread to survive in space, the effects on dry cement mix and its hardening rate, and 

the ability of active dry yeast to rise. 

Ladue Junior High School

Twelve students have devised experiments whose results may have practical 

applications in space travel. One experiment will gauge the effect of space on the 

cleaning power of moist towelettes. Another will study whether space causes 

toothpaste to become hard and lose its flavor and color. One group of students would 

like to find out whether microgravity, air pressure, and temperature changes will cause 

sticky tack to lose its stickiness. In a related experiment, a student will test his 

hypothesis that glue exposed to microgravity will become thinner and less sticky. An 

experiment labeled rubberball physics by its developers will try to determine whether 

space has any lasting effects on a rubber ball. Finally, a student is sending a floppy 

disk into space to see if the data encoded on it will be affected by zero gravity. 

Hazelwood West High School

Hazelwood West High School students have several experiments on Aria-1. One will 

examine the effects of space flight on the ability of copper and superglue to withstand 

changes in gravity, temperature, and radiation. Bacteria spores will be studied to 

determine whether space exposure alters microorganisms. Finally, the experimenters 

will investigate crystal growth in frozen red beet cells. They want to know if changing 

the concentration of salt in a solution containing these cells will affect the growth of 

crystals and cell damage. 

Mary Institute Country Day School

The MICDS Middle School Science Club is sending brine shrimp, dry yeast, and two 

floppy disks into space to determine how the microgravity, temperature extremes, and 

various atmospheric pressures of space affect them. If the organisms withstand these 

conditions and "reanimate" when they return to Earth, it may suggest that simple life 

forms might exist elsewhere in the universe. If the disks retain their ability to read and 

write data, it may mean that personal computers could be used on the International 

Space Station and Shuttle missions, which would help make space exploration more 

economical. 

Center for Creative Learning

Fourth and fifth graders designed 13 experiments to answer questions about how 

different types of materials and organisms react to exposure to space because they 

realize the importance of these answers as humans move into space to live and build. 

Their experiments include studying human blood for mutations, observing changes in 

27
STS-106 

the growth patterns of bulbs, examining carrot slices infected with agrobacterium 

tumefacians for any changes in their nuclei, and studying material reactive to airborne 

particles for changes. 

Sacred Heart Elementary School of Florissant

Students from Sacred Heart School will study the effects of space on the decomposition 

of various items, specifically the rate of decomposition. Samples of seeds, toothpaste, 

moldy bread, rotting hamburger, hair, soil, water from the Meramec River, and brine 

shrimp will be sent into space in sealed vials. After the mission, the students will 

compare the amount of decomposition of the samples exposed to space with that of 

control samples that remained on Earth. The results of this experiment could lead to a 

better system of waste reduction than traditional landfills and ultimately promote better 

stewardship of our environment. 

More information on Aria-1, including a list of participating schools and experiment 

descriptions, is available at http://www.aria.cec.wustl.edu/Aria1.

History/Background 

STS-106 is the 36th Shuttle mission to participate in NASA's Getaway Special program. 

The GAS program was designed as an inexpensive way for educational, international, 

commercial, and U.S. government users to place a payload on the Space Shuttle. 

Since the program began, 157 payloads have been flown. 

Each payload must meet specific safety criteria and be screened for its propriety as well 

as its educational, scientific, and technical objectives. These guidelines preclude 

commemorative items that are intended for sale as objects that have flown in space. 

The Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va., 

manages the program. More information on the Getaway Special program can be 

found at http://www.wff.nasa.gov/~sspp/gas/gas.html. 

28
STS-106 

Space Experiment Module 8

Payload Bay

Overview

Eye lenses, seeds, water, DNA, and steel are just some of the materials that will be the 

subjects of student research on the eighth flight of the Space Experiment Module (SEM) 

project, NASA's educational initiative to increase access to space for students from 

kindergarten to college. All together, 13 passive experiments will be flown on STS-106. 

Since the first SEM flight in 1996, tens of thousands of students have flown experiments 

in space that they have created, designed, and built with the help of teachers or 

mentors. NASA provides the experiment modules, or containers, which are placed in 

standard 5-cubic-foot getaway special canisters that are mounted in the orbiter's 

payload bay. 

SEM-08 Experiments

Water, Water Everywhere

Town of Tonawanda School District, Buffalo, N.Y.; Edgemont Union Free School 

District, Scarsdale, N.Y.; Auxiliary Services for High Schools, New York City Board of 

Education 

Students will observe the effects of space on samples taken from natural bodies of 

water. The students assume that changes in radiation, gravity, and temperature will 

have no effect on the abiotic and biotic levels in the samples. 

Houston, We Have an Eye Problem

Irwin Altman School 172, Floral Park, N.Y. 

The purpose of this experiment is to determine if the high radiation of space will cause 

the layers of eye lenses to become cloudy and transmit less light. Lenses from sheep 

and cows will be used in this investigation. Contact lenses also will be tested to 

determine the effects of radiation on the amount of light they transmit. 

Investigation of Antibiotic-Resistant Mutations in a Microgravity Environment

Shoreham-Wading River High School Science Research Program, Shoreham, N.Y. 

This experiment will analyze differences in the mutation rates of antibiotic-resistant 

plasmid DNA exposed to microgravity and controls exposed to Earth's gravity. 

R.S.V.P. (Rams Space Variety Package)

Parkside High School, Salisbury, Md. 

Students will study the effect of space on seeds, film, minicassettes, and a radiation 

dosimeter. 

29
STS-106 

The Pittsburgh Steelers in Space

The DePaul Institute for the Deaf, Pittsburgh, Penn. 

Students will determine the effects of microgravity and radiation on the oxidation of 

various types of steel and the minerals involved in the manufacture of steel. 

Medicine Cabinet in Space

North Kingstown High School, North Kingstown, R.I.; Cannon School, Concord, N.C.; 

Williston Northampton School, Easthampton, Mass.; South Middle School, St. Peters, 

Mo.; Holy Family School, Harrisburg, Pa.; Ramstein American High School, Ramstein 

Air Base, Germany 

The experiment is designed to determine how common items from the medicine 

cabinet, items that could potentially be found on a long space mission, are altered by 

the space environment. 

Mars Lunch Box

Trinity Lutheran School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, partnered with students from Wales; 

Washington Junior High School, Rock Island, Ill., partnered with students in Australia; 

Northside Middle School, Hampton, Va., partnered with students in Iceland 

This experiment will study the effects of space travel on the growth of vegetable seeds. 

SINBAD (Scientific and Instructional Ballast Alternative Device)

Florida Institute of Technology, Geospace Physics Laboratory, Melbourne, Fla. 

This experiment will study the frequencies of the orbiter during launch, orbit, and 

landing; examine the effects of space flight on palm tree seeds; and study the reaction 

of acrylic latex caulking and its outgassing of water vapor. 

PEESOIL

Gates Chili High School, Rochester, N.Y.; Mynderse Academy, Seneca Falls, N.Y.; 

Northampton High School, Northampton, Mass. 

The students are studying whether microgravity and radiation have an effect on the 

fertility of soil samples as determined by the soil's biodiversity. The experimenters will 

determine the average number of different organisms found before and after the soil is 

exposed to space. 

Process of Germination and Plant Growth

Frank Elementary School, Guadalupe, Ariz. 

This experiment will determine how the space environment affects seed germination 

and plant growth. Kentucky Wonder and Quest seeds will be used in this investigation. 

30
STS-106 

Spaced Popped Popcorn

South Shore Elementary School, Crownsville, Md. 

The students predict that unpopped popcorn exposed to microgravity and radiation will 

pop at a different rate and volume than the control group, which will remain on Earth. 

Bounce and Stretch

South Shore Elementary School, Crownsville, Md. 

The students predict that microgravity and radiation will affect the physical 

characteristics of elastic materials, including balls and rubber bands. 

Germ Killers in Space

Walter S. Mills-Parole Elementary, Annapolis, Md. 

This experiment will study the effects of microgravity, radiation, and temperature on 

mouthwash and antibacterial hand gel. 

History/Background

The Space Experiment Module program is one of a number of educational initiatives of 

NASA's Shuttle Small Payloads Project. Recognizing the need to provide easy access 

to space for all students, NASA began the SEM program in 1995. SEM participants are 

encouraged to focus on the educational act of creating experiments rather than the 

complexities of engineering. 

More information about the SEM program can be found at 

http://www.wff.nasa.gov/~sspp/sem/sem.html.

Benefits 

The SEM program offers simplified access to space for students at every grade level. It 

uses cross-curriculum learning, particularly in math, science and technology, to promote 

interest in space exploration. 

31
STS-106 

Experiments

HTD 1403 Micro-Wireless Instrumentation System (Micro-WIS) 

HEDS Technology Demonstration

In-Cabin

Overview

HTD 1403 will demonstrate the operational utility and functionality of the microWIS on orbit, initially in the crew cabin of the Shuttle orbiter and then on the 

International Space Station. 

The micro-WIS consists of tiny autonomous sensors for data acquisition. Two 

versions have been developed—a transmitter and a recorder. This HTD is 

designed to demonstrate the micro-WIS transmitter and recorder. 

One of the objectives of this HTD is to obtain meaningful real-time 

measurements for use in the orbiter's environmental control and life support 

system (ECLSS) operations. The micro-WIS transmitter's simultaneous real-time 

measurements of air cabin temperatures in many interior compartments of the 

orbiter will help ECLSS operations personnel address issues encountered on 

STS-88 and early International Space Station flights. Currently, only one 

temperature reading in the aft flight deck of the orbiter is available for adjusting 

model predictions for real-time environments. 

Micro-WIS will also reduce the time it takes the crew to obtain on-orbit 

temperature measurements and will increase the capability to monitor 

temperatures over long periods. On busy Space Station assembly flights, the 

distances traveled and the time required to make the measurements can be 

prohibitive. 

Micro-WIS data will also be used to validate cabin air temperature models that 

are used to make critical predictions of the dew point on early ISS missions, 

which is important because orbiter cabin air exerts a significant influence on the 

entire station volume. Although the physical configuration of the air ducts in the 

orbiter cabin has been changed significantly, the sensors have remained the 

same and some temperature data has never been available.

History/Background

In the past, space missions have been limited by the penalties associated with 

weight and integration costs. However, breakthroughs in the miniaturization of 

very low power radio transceivers have led to the introduction of a 1-inchdiameter wireless instrumentation system that can send temperature 

measurements to a laptop computer for five months. 

32
STS-106 

Benefits

This breakthrough in miniaturization means significant cost, weight, and power 

savings for current and future space vehicles and ground test facilities and 

should revolutionize the design of future spacecraft systems. The micro-WIS onorbit demonstration should also increase the flexibility, reliability, and 

maintainability of data acquisition systems for spacecraft and lead to a reduction 

in vehicle turnaround time and increased reliability by eliminating cable 

connectors and by providing near-real-time reconfigurable data paths.

33
STS-106 

Experiments 

Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) Enhanced Gaseous Nitrogen (EGN) 

Dewar 

In-Cabin

Principal Investigator: Dr. Alexander McPherson, University of California, Irvine

Overview

The primary purpose of the EGN Dewar experiment is to demonstrate a low-cost 

platform for conducting a large number of experiments to determine the optimum 

conditions for growing large, high-quality protein crystals in space. Researchers 

require crystals of sufficient size and suitable quality for crystallographic analysis 

of their molecular structure by X-ray diffraction and computer modeling. EGN 

promises to give researchers greater access to space and the opportunity to 

conduct a statistically significant number of experiments per mission, which will 

increase the likelihood of obtaining crystals worthy of X-ray analysis. 

Researchers will also use data from EGN in selecting the methodologies and 

proteins for future liquid-liquid diffusion experiments, which will investigate the 

factors that influence the nucleation, growth, order, and stability of crystals and 

determine the effects of microgravity on those phenomena. 

Protein samples are flash frozen before a mission and placed inside the Dewar, 

a vacuum-jacketed container similar to a thermos bottle. An absorbent inner 

liner is saturated with liquid nitrogen, which keeps the samples frozen until they 

reach orbit. As the system absorbs heat, the nitrogen boils away and the 

samples begin to thaw. Crystals begin to grow when the samples have 

completely thawed. 

Astronauts will transfer the EGN payload from Atlantis' middeck to the 

International Space Station, where the crystals will continue to grow until the 

package is returned to Earth for analysis on the next Shuttle mission. EGN is the 

first microgravity science experiment to be conducted on board the International 

Space Station. 

EGN is upgrade of an experiment that was flown on Shuttle-Mir missions. The 

earlier version allowed the samples to thaw gradually over 12 to 20 days. The 

enhanced version incorporates heaters that will control the rate of nitrogen boiloff and, thus, the rate of thawing. The new design also includes devices for 

recording the temperatures inside the Dewar and storing the data.

34
STS-106 

History/Background

The gaseous nitrogen Dewar was flown on five Shuttle-Mir missions—STS-71, 

74, 76, 79, and 81. The experiment packages were transferred from the Shuttle 

orbiter to a module of the Mir station, and the samples were allowed to grow 

uninterrupted until the next Shuttle mission. 

Benefits

Proteins play an important role in every biochemical reaction in plants and 

animals. In order to understand the basic processes of living things, scientists 

must first understand proteins. Computer models of the structures of protein 

crystals grown in the near-vacuum of space are expected to improve their 

understanding of the function and behavior of proteins. Scientists also hope to 

learn more about why biological crystals grow differently in space than they do 

under the influence of Earth's gravity.

35
STS-106 

Single-String Global Positioning System

DTO 700-14

Overview

The purpose of this DTO is to evaluate the performance and operation of the 

Global Positioning System as a Shuttle navigation aid during the ascent, onorbit, entry, and landing phases of the mission. A modified military GPS 

receiver processor and the orbiter's existing GPS antenna will be used for this 

evaluation. 

This is the tenth flight for DTO 700-14. It was last flown on STS-101.

36
STS-106 

SIGI Orbital Attitude Readiness

DTO 700-21

Payload Bay

Overview

The objective of DTO 700-21 is to demonstrate the operation of the space integrated 

Global Positioning System/inertial navigation system (SIGI) on orbit. The SIGI is 

intended to be the primary GPS source for the International Space Station (ISS) and 

the primary navigation source for the crew return vehicle (CRV). The ability of the SIGI 

to perform GPS attitude determination in space has not been demonstrated. Data from 

this DTO will be used to evaluate the SIGI design before it is used on the ISS or CRV. 

The payload consists of the SIGI in a pressurized container on a GPS antenna 

mounting structure (GAMS). The SIGI has RF connections to four antenna 

assemblies, which are mounted on the corners of the GAMS. The experiment package 

is mounted on the integrated cargo carrier in the payload bay. A payload and general 

support computer (PGSC) located in SPACEHAB is used for commanding an d data 

storage. Data from two star trackers mounted on the GAMS will be collected by a 

separate PGSC inside SPACEHAB. 

This is the second flight of DTO 700-21. 

37
STS-106 

Crosswind Landing Performance

DTO 805

Overview

This DTO will continue to gather data to demonstrate the capability to perform a 

manually controlled landing with a 90-degree, 10- to 15-knot steady-state 

crosswind. This DTO can be performed regardless of landing site or vehicle 

mass properties. During a crosswind landing, the drag chute will be deployed 

after nose gear touchdown when the vehicle is stable and tracking the runway 

centerline. This DTO has been manifested on 59 previous flights. 

38
STS-106 

Monitoring Latent Virus Reactivation and Shedding in Astronauts Using 

Saliva Kits

DSO 493

Overview

The premise of this DSO is that the incidence and duration of latent virus reactivation 

in saliva and urine will increase during space flight. The objective is to determine the 

frequency of induced reactivation of latent viruses, latent virus shedding, and clinical 

disease after exposure to the physical, physiological, and psychological stressors 

associated with space flight. 

Space-flight-induced alterations in the immune response become increasingly 

important on long missions, particularly the potential for reactivation and dissemination 

(shedding) of latent viruses. An example of a latent virus is Herpes Simplex Type 1 

(HSV-1), which infects 70 to 80% of all adults. Its classic manifestations are cold 

sores, pharyngitis, and tonsillitis; and it usually is acquired through contact with the 

saliva, skin, or mucous membranes of an infected individual. However, many 

recurrences are asymptomatic, resulting in shedding of the virus. Twenty subjects 

have been studied for Epstein-Barr virus. Three additional viruses will be examined in 

an expanded subject group.

39
STS-106

Individual Susceptibility to Postflight Orthostatic Intolerance (Tilt Test)

DSO 496

Overview

It is well known that space flight alters cardiovascular function significantly. One of the 

most important changes negatively affecting flight operations and crew safety is the 

postflight loss of orthostatic tolerance, which causes astronauts to have difficulty 

walking independently and induces lightheadedness or fainting. These may impair 

their ability to leave the orbiter after it lands.

Susceptibility to postflight orthostatic hypotension is highly individual; some astronauts 

are affected very little and others have severe symptoms. This DSO will test the 

hypothesis that orthostatic hypotension is caused, in part, by gender-related 

differences in the autonomic regulation of arterial pressure and changes in autonomic 

function brought on by space flight. 

40
STS-106 

Space Flight and Immune Function

DSO 498

Overview

Astronauts face an increasing risk of contracting infectious diseases as they work and 

live for longer periods in the crowded conditions and closed environments of 

spacecraft such as the International Space Station. The effects of space flight on the 

human immune system, which plays a pivotal role in warding off infections, is not fully 

understood. Understanding the changes in immune function caused by exposure to 

microgravity will allow researchers to develop countermeasures to minimize the risk of 

infection. 

The objective of this DSO is to characterize the effects of space flight on neutrophils, 

monocytes, and cytotoxic cells, which play an important role in maintaining an effective 

defense against infectious agents. The premise of this study is that the space 

environment alters the essential functions of these elements of human immune 

response. 

Researchers will conduct a functional analysis of neutrophils and monocytes from 

blood samples taken from astronauts before and after the flight. They will also assess 

the subjects' pre- and postflight production of cytotoxic cells and cytokine. 

This study will complement previous and continuing immunology studies of astronauts' 

adaptation to space. 

41
STS-106 

Eye Movements and Motion Perception Induced by Off-Vertical-Axis 

Rotation (OVAR) at Small Angles of Tilt After Space Flight

DSO 499

Overview

Astronauts returning to Earth have experienced perceptual and motor coordination 

problems caused by sensorimotor adaptation to microgravity. The hypothesis is that 

the central nervous system changes the way it processes gravitational tilt information 

that it receives from the vestibular (otolith) system. Eye movements and perceptual 

responses during constant-velocity off-vertical-axis rotation will reflect changes in 

otolith function as astronauts readapt to gravity. The length of recovery is a function of 

flight duration (i.e., the longer astronauts are exposed to microgravity the longer they 

will take to recover). 

This DSO will examine changes in astronauts' spatial neural processing of 

gravitational tilt information following readaptation to gravity. Postflight oculomotor and 

perceptual responses during off-vertical-axis rotation will be compared to preflight 

responses to track the time of recovery. 

42
STS-106

Shuttle Reference and Data

Shuttle Abort Modes

Selection of an ascent abort mode may become necessary if there is a failure that 

affects vehicle performance, such as the failure of a space shuttle main engine or an 

orbital maneuvering system. Other failures requiring early termination of a flight, such as 

a cabin leak, might also require the selection of an abort mode.

There are two basic types of ascent abort modes for space shuttle missions: intact 

aborts and contingency aborts. Intact aborts are designed to provide a safe return of the 

orbiter to a planned landing site. Contingency aborts are designed to permit flight crew 

survival following more severe failures when an intact abort is not possible. A 

contingency abort would generally result in a ditch operation.

INTACT ABORTS

There are four types of intact aborts: abort to orbit (ATO), abort once around (AOA), 

transoceanic abort landing (TAL) and return to launch site (RTLS).

ABORT TO ORBIT (ATO)

The ATO mode is designed to allow the vehicle to achieve a temporary orbit that is 

lower than the nominal orbit. This mode requires less performance and allows time to 

evaluate problems and then choose either an early deorbit maneuver or an orbital 

maneuvering system thrusting maneuver to raise the orbit and continue the mission.

ABORT ONCE AROUND (AOA)

The AOA is designed to allow the vehicle to fly once around the Earth and make a 

normal entry and landing. This mode generally involves two orbital maneuvering system 

thrusting sequences, with the second sequence being a deorbit maneuver. The entry 

sequence would be similar to a normal entry.

TRANSOCEANIC ABORT LANDING (TAL)

The TAL mode is designed to permit an intact landing on the other side of the Atlantic 

Ocean. This mode results in a ballistic trajectory, which does not require an orbital 

maneuvering system maneuver.

43
STS-106

RETURN TO LAUNCH SITE (RTLS)

The RTLS mode involves flying downrange to dissipate propellant and then turning 

around under power to return directly to a landing at or near the launch site.

ABORT DECISIONS

There is a definite order of preference for the various abort modes. The type of failure 

and the time of the failure determine which type of abort is selected. In cases where 

performance loss is the only factor, the preferred modes would be ATO, AOA, TAL and 

RTLS, in that order. The mode chosen is the highest one that can be completed with the 

remaining vehicle performance. 

In the case of some support system failures, such as cabin leaks or vehicle cooling 

problems, the preferred mode might be the one that will end the mission most quickly. In 

these cases, TAL or RTLS might be preferable to AOA or ATO. A contingency abort is 

never chosen if another abort option exists.

The Mission Control Center-Houston is prime for calling these aborts because it has a 

more precise knowledge of the orbiter's position than the crew can obtain from onboard 

systems. Before main engine cutoff, Mission Control makes periodic calls to the crew to 

tell them which abort mode is (or is not) available. If ground communications are lost, 

the flight crew has onboard methods, such as cue cards, dedicated displays and display 

information, to determine the current abort region.

Which abort mode is selected depends on the cause and timing of the failure causing 

the abort and which mode is safest or improves mission success. If the problem is a 

space shuttle main engine failure, the flight crew and Mission Control Center select the 

best option available at the time a space shuttle main engine fails.

If the problem is a system failure that jeopardizes the vehicle, the fastest abort mode 

that results in the earliest vehicle landing is chosen. RTLS and TAL are the quickest 

options (35 minutes), whereas an AOA requires approximately 90 minutes. Which of 

these is selected depends on the time of the failure with three good space shuttle main 

engines.

The flight crew selects the abort mode by positioning an abort mode switch and 

depressing an abort push button.

44
STS-106

RETURN TO LAUNCH SITE OVERVIEW

The RTLS abort mode is designed to allow the return of the orbiter, crew, and payload 

to the launch site, Kennedy Space Center, approximately 25 minutes after lift-off. 

The RTLS profile is designed to accommodate the loss of thrust from one space shuttle 

main engine between lift-off and approximately four minutes 20 seconds, at which time 

not enough main propulsion system propellant remains to return to the launch site.

An RTLS can be considered to consist of three stages-a powered stage, during which 

the space shuttle main engines are still thrusting; an ET separation phase; and the glide 

phase, during which the orbiter glides to a landing at the Kennedy Space Center. The 

powered RTLS phase begins with the crew selection of the RTLS abort, which is done 

after solid rocket booster separation. The crew selects the abort mode by positioning 

the abort rotary switch to RTLS and depressing the abort push button. The time at 

which the RTLS is selected depends on the reason for the abort. For example, a threeengine RTLS is selected at the last moment, approximately three minutes 34 seconds 

into the mission; whereas an RTLS chosen due to an engine out at lift-off is selected at 

the earliest time, approximately two minutes 20 seconds into the mission (after solid 

rocket booster separation).

After RTLS is selected, the vehicle continues downrange to dissipate excess main 

propulsion system propellant. The goal is to leave only enough main propulsion system 

propellant to be able to turn the vehicle around, fly back towards the Kennedy Space 

Center and achieve the proper main engine cutoff conditions so the vehicle can glide to 

the Kennedy Space Center after external tank separation. During the downrange phase, 

a pitch-around maneuver is initiated (the time depends in part on the time of a space

shuttle main engine failure) to orient the orbiter/external tank configuration to a heads 

up attitude, pointing toward the launch site. At this time, the vehicle is still moving away 

from the launch site, but the space shuttle main engines are now thrusting to null the 

downrange velocity. In addition, excess orbital maneuvering system and reaction control 

system propellants are dumped by continuous orbital maneuvering system and reaction 

control system engine thrustings to improve the orbiter weight and center of gravity for 

the glide phase and landing.

The vehicle will reach the desired main engine cutoff point with less than 2 percent 

excess propellant remaining in the external tank. At main engine cutoff minus 20 

seconds, a pitch-down maneuver (called powered pitch-down) takes the mated vehicle 

to the required external tank separation attitude and pitch rate. After main engine cutoff 

has been commanded, the external tank separation sequence begins, including a 

reaction control system translation that ensures that the orbiter does not recontact the 

external tank and that the orbiter has achieved the necessary pitch attitude to begin the 

glide phase of the RTLS.

After the reaction control system translation maneuver has been completed, the glide 

phase of the RTLS begins. From then on, the RTLS is handled similarly to a normal entry.

45
STS-106

TRANSATLANTIC LANDING ABORT OVERVIEW

The TAL abort mode was developed to improve the options available when a space 

shuttle main engine fails after the last RTLS opportunity but before the first time that an 

AOA can be accomplished with only two space shuttle main engines or when a major 

orbiter system failure, for example, a large cabin pressure leak or cooling system failure, 

occurs after the last RTLS opportunity, making it imperative to land as quickly as 

possible.

In a TAL abort, the vehicle continues on a ballistic trajectory across the Atlantic Ocean 

to land at a predetermined runway. Landing occurs approximately 45 minutes after 

launch. The landing site is selected near the nominal ascent ground track of the orbiter 

in order to make the most efficient use of space shuttle main engine propellant. The 

landing site also must have the necessary runway length, weather conditions and U.S. 

State Department approval. Currently, the three landing sites that have been identified 

for a due east launch are Moron,, Spain; Dakar, Senegal; and Ben Guerur, Morocco (on 

the west coast of Africa).

To select the TAL abort mode, the crew must place the abort rotary switch in the 

TAL/AOA position and depress the abort push button before main engine cutoff. 

(Depressing it after main engine cutoff selects the AOA abort mode.) The TAL abort 

mode begins sending commands to steer the vehicle toward the plane of the landing 

site. It also rolls the vehicle heads up before main engine cutoff and sends commands 

to begin an orbital maneuvering system propellant dump (by burning the propellants 

through the orbital maneuvering system engines and the reaction control system 

engines). This dump is necessary to increase vehicle performance (by decreasing 

weight), to place the center of gravity in the proper place for vehicle control, and to 

decrease the vehicle's landing weight.

TAL is handled like a nominal entry.

ABORT TO ORBIT OVERVIEW

An ATO is an abort mode used to boost the orbiter to a safe orbital altitude when 

performance has been lost and it is impossible to reach the planned orbital altitude. If a 

space shuttle main engine fails in a region that results in a main engine cutoff under 

speed, the Mission Control Center will determine that an abort mode is necessary and 

will inform the crew. The orbital maneuvering system engines would be used to place 

the orbiter in a circular orbit.

ABORT ONCE AROUND OVERVIEW

The AOA abort mode is used in cases in which vehicle performance has been lost to 

such an extent that either it is impossible to achieve a viable orbit or not enough orbital 

maneuvering system propellant is available to accomplish the orbital maneuvering 

system thrusting maneuver to place the orbiter on orbit and the deorbit thrusting 

46
STS-106

maneuver. In addition, an AOA is used in cases in which a major systems problem 

(cabin leak, loss of cooling) makes it necessary to land quickly. In the AOA abort mode, 

one orbital maneuvering system thrusting sequence is made to adjust the post-main 

engine cutoff orbit so a second orbital maneuvering system thrusting sequence will 

result in the vehicle deorbiting and landing at the AOA landing site (White Sands, N.M.; 

Edwards Air Force Base; or the Kennedy Space Center.. Thus, an AOA results in the 

orbiter circling the Earth once and landing approximately 90 minutes after lift-off.

After the deorbit thrusting sequence has been executed, the flight crew flies to a landing 

at the planned site much as it would for a nominal entry.

CONTINGENCY ABORT OVERVIEW

Contingency aborts are caused by loss of more than one main engine or failures in 

other systems. Loss of one main engine while another is stuck at a low thrust setting 

may also necessitate a contingency abort. Such an abort would maintain orbiter integrity 

for in-flight crew escape if a landing cannot be achieved at a suitable landing field.

Contingency aborts due to system failures other than those involving the main engines 

would normally result in an intact recovery of vehicle and crew. Loss of more than one 

main engine may, depending on engine failure times, result in a safe runway landing. 

However, in most three-engine-out cases during ascent, the orbiter would have to be 

ditched. The in-flight crew escape system would be used before ditching the orbiter.

47
STS-106

Space Shuttle Rendezvous Maneuvers

COMMON SHUTTLE RENDEZVOUS MANEUVERS

OMS-1 (Orbit insertion) - Rarely used ascent abort burn 

OMS-2 (Orbit insertion) - Typically used to circularize the initial orbit following ascent, 

completing orbital insertion. For ground-up rendezvous flights, also considered a 

rendezvous phasing burn

NC (Rendezvous phasing) - Performed to hit a range relative to the target at a future 

time 

NH (Rendezvous height adjust) - Performed to hit a delta-height relative to the target 

at a future time 

NPC (Rendezvous plane change) - Performed to remove planar errors relative to the 

target at a future time

NCC (Rendezvous corrective combination) - First on-board targeted burn in the 

rendezvous sequence. Using star tracker data, it is performed to remove phasing and 

height errors relative to the target at Ti 

Ti (Rendezvous terminal intercept) - Second on-board targeted burn in the 

rendezvous sequence. Using primarily rendezvous radar data, it places the Orbiter on 

a trajectory to intercept the target in one orbit 

MC-1, MC-2, MC-3, MC-4 (Rendezvous midcourse burns) - These on-board 

targeted burns use star tracker and rendezvous radar data to correct the post-Ti 

trajectory in preparation for the final, manual proximity operations phase

48
STS-106

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters

The two SRBs provide the main thrust to lift the space shuttle off the pad and up to an 

altitude of about 150,000 feet, or 24 nautical miles (28 statute miles). In addition, the 

two SRBs carry the entire weight of the external tank and orbiter and transmit the weight 

load through their structure to the mobile launcher platform. 

Each booster has a thrust (sea level) of approximately 3,300,000 pounds at launch. 

They are ignited after the three space shuttle main engines'' thrust level is verified. The 

two SRBs provide 71.4 percent of the thrust at lift- off and during first-stage ascent. 

Seventy- five seconds after SRB separation, SRB apogee occurs at an altitude of 

approximately 220,000 feet, or 35 nautical miles (41 statute miles). SRB impact occurs 

in the ocean approximately 122 nautical miles (141 statute miles) downrange.

The SRBs are the largest solid- propellant motors ever flown and the first designed for

reuse. Each is 149.16 feet long and 12.17 feet in diameter.

Each SRB weighs approximately 1,300,000 pounds at launch. The propellant for each 

solid rocket motor weighs approximately 1,100,000 pounds. The inert weight of each 

SRB is approximately 192,000 pounds.

Primary elements of each booster are the motor (including case, propellant, igniter and 

nozzle), structure, separation systems, operational flight instrumentation, recovery 

avionics, pyrotechnics, deceleration system, thrust vector control system and range 

safety destruct system.

Each booster is attached to the external tank at the SRB''s aft frame by two lateral sway 

braces and a diagonal attachment. The forward end of each SRB is attached to the 

external tank at the forward end of the SRB''s forward skirt. On the launch pad, each 

booster also is attached to the mobile launcher platform at the aft skirt by four bolts and 

nuts that are severed by small explosives at lift-off.

During the downtime following the Challenger accident, detailed structural analyses 

were performed on critical structural elements of the SRB. Analyses were primarily 

focused in areas where anomalies had been noted during postflight inspection of 

recovered hardware.

One of the areas was the attach ring where the SRBs are connected to the external 

tank. Areas of distress were noted in some of the fasteners where the ring attaches to 

the SRB motor case. This situation was attributed to the high loads encountered during 

water impact. To correct the situation and ensure higher strength margins during 

ascent, the attach ring was redesigned to encircle the motor case completely (360 

degrees). Previously, the attach ring formed a C and encircled the motor case 270 

degrees.

49
STS-106

Additionally, special structural tests were performed on the aft skirt. During this test 

program, an anomaly occurred in a critical weld between the hold-down post and skin of 

the skirt. A redesign was implemented to add reinforcement brackets and fittings in the 

aft ring of the skirt.

These two modifications added approximately 450 pounds to the weight of each SRB.

The propellant mixture in each SRB motor consists of an ammonium perchlorate 

(oxidizer, 69.6 percent by weight), aluminum (fuel, 16 percent), iron oxide (a catalyst, 

0.4 percent), a polymer (a binder that holds the mixture together, 12.04 percent), and an 

epoxy curing agent (1.96 percent). The propellant is an 11-point star- shaped 

perforation in the forward motor segment and a double- truncated- cone perforation in 

each of the aft segments and aft closure. This configuration provides high thrust at 

ignition and then reduces the thrust by approximately a third 50 seconds after lift-off to 

prevent overstressing the vehicle during maximum dynamic pressure.

The SRBs are used as matched pairs and each is made up of four solid rocket motor 

segments. The pairs are matched by loading each of the four motor segments in pairs 

from the same batches of propellant ingredients to minimize any thrust imbalance. The 

segmented-casing design assures maximum flexibility in fabrication and ease of 

transportation and handling. Each segment is shipped to the launch site on a heavyduty rail car with a specially built cover.

The nozzle expansion ratio of each booster beginning with the STS-8 mission is 7-to-79. 

The nozzle is gimbaled for thrust vector (direction) control. Each SRB has its own 

redundant auxiliary power units and hydraulic pumps. The all-axis gimbaling capability 

is 8 degrees. Each nozzle has a carbon cloth liner that erodes and chars during firing. 

The nozzle is a convergent- divergent, movable design in which an aft pivot- point 

flexible bearing is the gimbal mechanism.

The cone- shaped aft skirt reacts the aft loads between the SRB and the mobile 

launcher platform. The four aft separation motors are mounted on the skirt. The aft 

section contains avionics, a thrust vector control system that consists of two auxiliary 

power units and hydraulic pumps, hydraulic systems and a nozzle extension jettison 

system.

The forward section of each booster contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation 

motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery 

beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety 

system.

50
STS-106

Each SRB has two integrated electronic assemblies, one forward and one aft. After 

burnout, the forward assembly initiates the release of the nose cap and frustum and 

turns on the recovery aids. The aft assembly, mounted in the external tank/SRB attach 

ring, connects with the forward assembly and the orbiter avionics systems for SRB 

ignition commands and nozzle thrust vector control. Each integrated electronic 

assembly has a multiplexer/ demultiplexer, which sends or receives more than one 

message, signal or unit of information on a single communication channel.

Eight booster separation motors (four in the nose frustum and four in the aft skirt) of 

each SRB thrust for 1.02 seconds at SRB separation from the external tank. Each solid 

rocket separation motor is 31.1 inches long and 12.8 inches in diameter.

Location aids are provided for each SRB, frustum/ drogue chutes and main parachutes. 

These include a transmitter, antenna, strobe/ converter, battery and salt water switch 

electronics. The location aids are designed for a minimum operating life of 72 hours and 

when refurbished are considered usable up to 20 times. The flashing light is an 

exception. It has an operating life of 280 hours. The battery is used only once.

The SRB nose caps and nozzle extensions are not recovered.

The recovery crew retrieves the SRBs, frustum/ drogue chutes, and main parachutes. 

The nozzles are plugged, the solid rocket motors are dewatered, and the SRBs are 

towed back to the launch site. Each booster is removed from the water, and its 

components are disassembled and washed with fresh and deionized water to limit salt 

water corrosion. The motor segments, igniter and nozzle are shipped back to Thiokol for 

refurbishment.

Each SRB incorporates a range safety system that includes a battery power source, 

receiver/ decoder, antennas and ordnance.

HOLD-DOWN POSTS

Each solid rocket booster has four hold- down posts that fit into corresponding support 

posts on the mobile launcher platform. Hold- down bolts hold the SRB and launcher 

platform posts together. Each bolt has a nut at each end, but only the top nut is 

frangible. The top nut contains two NASA standard detonators, which are ignited at solid 

rocket motor ignition commands.

When the two NSDs are ignited at each hold- down, the hold- down bolt travels 

downward because of the release of tension in the bolt (pretensioned before launch), 

NSD gas pressure and gravity. The bolt is stopped by the stud deceleration stand, 

which contains sand. The SRB bolt is 28 inches long and is 3.5 inches in diameter. The 

frangible nut is captured in a blast container.

51
STS-106

The solid rocket motor ignition commands are issued by the orbiter''s computers 

through the master events controllers to the hold- down pyrotechnic initiator controllers 

on the mobile launcher platform. They provide the ignition to the hold- down NSDs. The 

launch processing system monitors the SRB hold- down PICs for low voltage during the 

last 16 seconds before launch. PIC low voltage will initiate a launch hold.

SRB IGNITION

SRB ignition can occur only when a manual lock pin from each SRB safe and arm 

device has been removed. The ground crew removes the pin during prelaunch 

activities. At T minus five minutes, the SRB safe and arm device is rotated to the arm 

position. The solid rocket motor ignition commands are issued when the three SSMEs 

are at or above 90-percent rated thrust, no SSME fail and/or SRB ignition PIC low 

voltage is indicated and there are no holds from the LPS.

The solid rocket motor ignition commands are sent by the orbiter computers through the 

MECs to the safe and arm device NSDs in each SRB. A PIC single-channel capacitor 

discharge device controls the firing of each pyrotechnic device. Three signals must be 

present simultaneously for the PIC to generate the pyro firing output. These signalsarm, fire 1 and fire 2-originate in the orbiter general- purpose computers and are 

transmitted to the MECs. The MECs reformat them to 28-volt dc signals for the PICs. 

The arm signal charges the PIC capacitor to 40 volts dc (minimum of 20 volts dc).

The fire 2 commands cause the redundant NSDs to fire through a thin barrier seal down 

a flame tunnel. This ignites a pyro booster charge, which is retained in the safe and arm 

device behind a perforated plate. The booster charge ignites the propellant in the igniter 

initiator; and combustion products of this propellant ignite the solid rocket motor initiator, 

which fires down the length of the solid rocket motor igniting the solid rocket motor 

propellant.

The GPC launch sequence also controls certain critical main propulsion system valves 

and monitors the engine- ready indications from the SSMEs. The MPS start commands 

are issued by the onboard computers at T minus 6.6 seconds (staggered start- engine 

three, engine two, engine one- all approximately within 0.25 of a second), and the 

sequence monitors the thrust buildup of each engine. All three SSMEs must reach the 

required 90-percent thrust within three seconds; otherwise, an orderly shutdown is 

commanded and safing functions are initiated.

Normal thrust buildup to the required 90-percent thrust level will result in the SSMEs 

being commanded to the lift- off position at T minus three seconds as well as the fire 1 

command being issued to arm the SRBs. At T minus three seconds, the vehicle base 

bending load modes are allowed to initialize (movement of approximately 25.5 inches 

measured at the tip of the external tank, with movement towards the external tank).

52
STS-106

At T minus zero, the two SRBs are ignited, under command of the four onboard 

computers; separation of the four explosive bolts on each SRB is initiated (each bolt is 

28 inches long and 3.5 inches in diameter); the two T-0 umbilicals (one on each side of 

the spacecraft) are retracted; the onboard master timing unit, event timer and mission 

event timers are started; the three SSMEs are at 100 percent; and the ground launch 

sequence is terminated.

The solid rocket motor thrust profile is tailored to reduce thrust during the maximum 

dynamic pressure region.

ELECTRICAL POWER DISTRIBUTION

Electrical power distribution in each SRB consists of orbiter- supplied main dc bus 

power to each SRB via SRB buses A, B and C. Orbiter main dc buses A, B and C 

supply main dc bus power to corre sponding SRB buses A, B and C. In addition, orbiter 

main dc bus C supplies backup power to SRB buses A and B, and orbiter bus B 

supplies backup power to SRB bus C. This electrical power distribution arrangement 

allows all SRB buses to remain powered in the event one orbiter main bus fails.

The nominal dc voltage is 28 volts dc, with an upper limit of 32 volts dc and a lower limit 

of 24 volts dc.

HYDRAULIC POWER UNITS

There are two self- contained, independent HPUs on each SRB. Each HPU consists of 

an auxiliary power unit, fuel supply module, hydraulic pump, hydraulic reservoir and 

hydraulic fluid manifold assembly. The APUs are fueled by hydrazine and generate 

mechanical shaft power to a hydraulic pump that produces hydraulic pressure for the 

SRB hydraulic system. The two separate HPUs and two hydraulic systems are located 

on the aft end of each SRB between the SRB nozzle and aft skirt. The HPU 

components are mounted on the aft skirt between the rock and tilt actuators. The two 

systems operate from T minus 28 seconds until SRB separation from the orbiter and 

external tank. The two independent hydraulic systems are connected to the rock and tilt 

servoactuators.

The APU controller electronics are located in the SRB aft integrated electronic 

assemblies on the aft external tank attach rings.

The APUs and their fuel systems are isolated from each other. Each fuel supply module 

(tank) contains 22 pounds of hydrazine. The fuel tank is pressurized with gaseous 

nitrogen at 400 psi, which provides the force to expel (positive expulsion) the fuel from 

the tank to the fuel distribution line, maintaining a positive fuel supply to the APU 

throughout its operation.

53
STS-106

The fuel isolation valve is opened at APU startup to allow fuel to flow to the APU fuel 

pump and control valves and then to the gas generator. The gas generator''s catalytic 

action decomposes the fuel and creates a hot gas. It feeds the hot gas exhaust product 

to the APU two- stage gas turbine. Fuel flows primarily through the startup bypass line 

until the APU speed is such that the fuel pump outlet pressure is greater than the 

bypass line''s. Then all the fuel is supplied to the fuel pump.

The APU turbine assembly provides mechanical power to the APU gearbox. The 

gearbox drives the APU fuel pump, hydraulic pump and lube oil pump. The APU lube oil 

pump lubricates the gearbox. The turbine exhaust of each APU flows over the exterior 

of the gas generator, cooling it, and is then directed overboard through an exhaust duct.

When the APU speed reaches 100 percent, the APU primary control valve closes, and 

the APU speed is controlled by the APU controller electronics. If the primary control 

valve logic fails to the open state, the secondary control valve assumes control of the 

APU at 112-percent speed.

Each HPU on an SRB is connected to both servoactuators on that SRB. One HPU 

serves as the primary hydraulic source for the servoactuator, and the other HPU serves 

as the secondary hydraulics for the servoactuator. Each sevoactuator has a switching 

valve that allows the secondary hydraulics to power the actuator if the primary hydraulic 

pressure drops below 2,050 psi. A switch contact on the switching valve will close when 

the valve is in the secondary position. When the valve is closed, a signal is sent to the 

APU controller that inhibits the 100-percent APU speed control logic and enables the 

112-percent APU speed control logic. The 100-percent APU speed enables one 

APU/HPU to supply sufficient operating hydraulic pressure to both servoactuators of 

that SRB.

The APU 100-percent speed corresponds to 72,000 rpm, 110-percent to 79,200 rpm, 

and 112-percent to 80,640 rpm.

The hydraulic pump speed is 3,600 rpm and supplies hydraulic pressure of 3,050, plus 

or minus 50, psi. A high- pressure relief valve provides overpressure protection to the 

hydraulic system and relieves at 3,750 psi.

The APUs/HPUs and hydraulic systems are reusable for 20 missions.

THRUST VECTOR CONTROL

Each SRB has two hydraulic gimbal servoactuators: one for rock and one for tilt. The 

servoactuators provide the force and control to gimbal the nozzle for thrust vector 

control.

54
STS-106

The space shuttle ascent thrust vector control portion of the flight control system directs 

the thrust of the three shuttle main engines and the two SRB nozzles to control shuttle 

attitude and trajectory during lift- off and ascent. Commands from the guidance system 

are transmitted to the ATVC drivers, which transmit signals proportional to the 

commands to each servoactuator of the main engines and SRBs. Four independent 

flight control system channels and four ATVC channels control six main engine and four 

SRB ATVC drivers, with each driver controlling one hydraulic port on each main and 

SRB servoactuator.

Each SRB servoactuator consists of four independent, two- stage servovalves that 

receive signals from the drivers. Each servovalve controls one power spool in each 

actuator, which positions an actuator ram and the nozzle to control the direction of 

thrust.

The four servovalves in each actuator provide a force- summed majority voting 

arrangement to position the power spool. With four identical commands to the four 

servovalves, the actuator force-sum action prevents a single erroneous command from 

affecting power ram motion. If the erroneous command persists for more than a 

predetermined time, differential pressure sensing activates a selector valve to isolate 

and remove the defective servovalve hydraulic pressure, permitting the remaining 

channels and servovalves to control the actuator ram spool.

Failure monitors are provided for each channel to indicate which channel has been 

bypassed. An isolation valve on each channel provides the capability of resetting a 

failed or bypassed channel.

Each actuator ram is equipped with transducers for position feedback to the thrust 

vector control system. Within each servoactuator ram is a splashdown load relief 

assembly to cushion the nozzle at water splashdown and prevent damage to the nozzle 

flexible bearing.

SRB RATE GYRO ASSEMBLIES

Each SRB contains two RGAs, with each RGA containing one pitch and one yaw gyro. 

These provide an output proportional to angular rates about the pitch and yaw axes to 

the orbiter computers and guidance, navigation and control system during first- stage 

ascent flight in conjunction with the orbiter roll rate gyros until SRB separation. At SRB 

separation, a switchover is made from the SRB RGAs to the orbiter RGAs.

The SRB RGA rates pass through the orbiter flight aft multiplexers/ demultiplexers to 

the orbiter GPCs. The RGA rates are then mid-value- selected in redundancy 

management to provide SRB pitch and yaw rates to the user software. The RGAs are 

designed for 20 missions.

55
STS-106

SRB SEPARATION

SRB separation is initiated when the three solid rocket motor chamber pressure 

transducers are processed in the redundancy management middle value select and the 

head- end chamber pressure of both SRBs is less than or equal to 50 psi. A backup cue 

is the time elapsed from booster ignition.

The separation sequence is initiated, commanding the thrust vector control actuators to 

the null position and putting the main propulsion system into a second-stage 

configuration (0.8 second from sequence initialization), which ensures the thrust of each 

SRB is less than 100,000 pounds. Orbiter yaw attitude is held for four seconds, and 

SRB thrust drops to less than 60,000 pounds.

The SRBs separate from the external tank within 30 milliseconds of the ordnance firing 

command.

The forward attachment point consists of a ball (SRB) and socket (ET) held together by 

one bolt. The bolt contains one NSD pressure cartridge at each end. The forward 

attachment point also carries the range safety system cross-strap wiring connecting 

each SRB RSS and the ET RSS with each other.

The aft attachment points consist of three separate struts: upper, diagonal and lower. 

Each strut contains one bolt with an NSD pressure cartridge at each end. The upper 

strut also carries the umbilical interface between its SRB and the external tank and on 

to the orbiter.

There are four booster separation motors on each end of each SRB. The BSMs 

separate the SRBs from the external tank. The solid rocket motors in each cluster of 

four are ignited by firing redundant NSD pressure cartridges into redundant confined 

detonating fuse manifolds.

The separation commands issued from the orbiter by the SRB separation sequence 

initiate the redundant NSD pressure cartridge in each bolt and ignite the BSMs to effect 

a clean separation.

56
STS-106

Space Shuttle Super Light Weight Tank (SLWT)

The super lightweight external tank (SLWT)made its first Shuttle flight June 2, on 

mission STS-91. The SLWT is 7,500 pounds lighter than the standard external tank. 

The lighter weight tank will allow the shuttle to deliver International Space Station 

elements (such as the service module) into the proper orbit. 

The SLWT is the same size as the previous design. But the liquid hydrogen tank and 

the liquid oxygen tank are made of aluminum lithium, a lighter, stronger material than 

the metal alloy used for the Shuttle's current tank. The tank's structural design has 

also been improved, making it 30% stronger and 5% less dense. 

The SLWT, like the standard tank, is manufactured at Michoud Assembly, near New 

Orleans, Louisiana, by Lockheed Martin. 

The 154-foot-long external tank is the largest single component of the space shuttle. It 

stands taller than a 15-story building and has a diameter of about 27 feet. The external 

tank holds over 530,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in two separate 

tanks. The hydrogen (fuel) and liquid oxygen (oxidizer) are used as propellants for the 

Shuttle's three main engines. 

57
STS-106

Mission Benefits

Why the ISS? It's About Life on Earth & Beyond! 

Exploration: 

An exciting gateway to new frontiers in human space exploration - meeting the deepseated need of men and women throughout history to explore the unknown, to 

understand their world and the universe, and to apply that experience for the benefit of 

all here on Earth. 

Leadership:

Sustains U.S. leadership in exploration and use of outer space which has inspired a 

generation of Americans and people thoughout the world. 

Research: 

A unique world-class laboratory providing an international platform for advances in 

science and technology. 

Business:

Provides a stunning opportunity to enhance U.S. economic competitiveness and create 

new commercial enterprises 

Education: 

Serves as a virtual classroom in space to the benefit of educators and students alike.

58
STS-106

Research on the International Space Station: 

The International Space Station represents a quantum leap in our capability to conduct 

research on orbit. It will serve as a laboratory for exploring basic questions in a variety 

of disciplines, and as a testbed and springboard for exploration. Research on the ISS 

will include commercial, science, and engineering research in the following areas: 

Advanced Human Support Technology: Researchers develop technologies, systems, 

and procedures to enable safe and efficient human exploration and development of 

space. 

Long Term Benefits: Reduce the cost of space travel while enhancing safety; develop 

small, low power monitoring and sensing technologies with applications in 

environmental monitoring in space and on Earth; and develop advanced waste 

processing and agricultural technologies with applications in space and on Earth. 

Biomedical Research and Countermeasures: Researchers seek to understand and 

control the effects of the space environment on space travelers (e.g. muscle atrophy, 

bone loss, fluid shifts, . . .). 

Long Term Benefits: Enhance the safety of space travel; develop methods to keep 

humans healthy in low-gravity environments; and advance new fields of research in the 

treatment of diseases.

Fundamental Biology: Scientists study gravity's influence on the evolution, 

development, growth, and internal processes of plants and animals. Their results 

expand fundamental knowledge that will benefit medical, agricultural, and other 

industries. 

Long Term Benefits: Advance understanding of cell, tissue, and animal behavior;use of 

plants as sources of food and oxygen for exploration; improved plants for agricultural 

and forestry, 

Biotechnology: Microgravity allows researchers to grow three-dimensional tissues that 

have characteristics more similar to tissues in the body than has ever been previously 

available and to produce superior protein crystals for drug development. 

Long Term Benefits: Culture realistic tissue for use in research (cancerous tumors, 

organ pieces); and provide information to design a new class of drugs to target specific 

proteins and cure specific diseases, 

59
STS-106

Fluid Physics: The behavior of fluids is profoundly influenced by gravity. Researchers 

use gravity as an experimental variable to explain and model fluid behavior in systems 

on Earth and in space. 

Long Term Benefits: Improved spacecraft systems designs for safety and efficiency; 

better understanding of soil behavior in earthquake conditions; and improved 

mathematical models for designing fluid handling systems for powerplants, refineries 

and innumerable other industrial applications 

Materials Science: Researchers use low gravity to advance our understanding of the 

relationships among the structure, processing and properties of materials. In low gravity, 

differences in weight of liquids used to form materials do not interfere with the ability to 

mix these materials opening the door to a whole new world of composite materials.

Long Term Benefits: Advance understanding of processes for manufacturing 

semiconductors, metals, ceramics, polymers, and other materials; and determine 

fundamental physical properties of molten metal, semiconductors, and other materials 

with precision impossible on Earth. 

Combustion Science: The removal of gravity allows scientists to simplify the study of 

complex combustion (burning) processes. Since combustion is used to produce 85 

percent of Earth's energy, even small improvements in efficiency and reduction of soot 

production (a major source of pollution on earth) will have large environmental and 

economic benefits. 

Long Term Benefits Enhance efficiency of combustion processes; enhance fire 

detection and safety on Earth and in Space; and improve control of combustion 

emissions and pollutants 

Fundamental Physics: Scientists use the low gravity and low temperature environment 

to slow down reactions allowing them to test fundamental theories of physics with 

degrees of accuracy that far exceed the capacity of Earthbound science. 

Long Term Benefits: Challenge and expand theories of how matter organizes as it 

changes state (important in understanding superconductivity); test fundamental theories 

in physics with precision beyond the capacity of Earth-bound science; and potential for 

improved magnetic materials 

Earth Science and Space Science: Space Station will be a unique platform with 

multiple exterior attach points from which to observe the Earth and the Universe. 

Long Term Benefits: Space Scientists will use the location above the atmosphere to 

collect and search for cosmic rays, cosmic dust, antimatter and "dark" matter. Earth 

Scientists can obtain global profiles of aerosols, ozone, water vapor, and oxides in order 

to determine their role in climatological processes and take advantage of the longevity 

of ISS to observe global changes over many years

60
STS-106 

Media Assistance 

NASA Television Transmission

NASA Television is available through the GE2 satellite system which is located 

on Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees west longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 

6.8 MHz. 

The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter and for mission 

briefings will be available during the mission at Kennedy Space Center, FL; 

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL; Dryden Flight Research Center, 

Edwards, CA; Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX; and NASA Headquarters, 

Washington, DC. The television schedule will be updated to reflect changes 

dictated by mission operations. 

Status Reports

Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on-orbit activities and 

landing operations will be produced by the appropriate NASA newscenter 

 

Briefings

A mission press briefing schedule will be issued before launch. During the 

mission, status briefings by a flight director or mission operations representative 

and when appropriate, representatives from the payload team, will occur at least 

once each day. The updated NASA television schedule will indicate when 

mission briefings are planned. 

 

Internet Information

Information is available through several sources on the Internet. The primary 

source for mission information is the NASA Human Space Flight Web, part of 

the World Wide Web. This site contains information on the crew and its mission 

and will be updated regularly with status reports, photos and video clips 

throughout the flight. The NASA Shuttle Web's address is: 

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

 

61
STS-106 

General information on NASA and its programs is available through the NASA 

Home Page and the NASA Public Affairs Home Page: 

http://www.nasa.gov

 

or 

http://www.nasa.gov/newsinfo/index.html

 

Shuttle Pre-Launch Status Reports

http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/stsstat/current.htm

 

Information on other current NASA activities is available through the 

Today@NASA page: 

http://www.nasa.gov/today/index.html

 

The NASA TV schedule is available from the NTV Home Page: 

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/nasatv/schedule.html

 

Resources for educators can be found at the following address: 

http://education.nasa.gov

 

Access by Compuserve

Users with Compuserve accounts can access NASA press releases by typing 

"GO NASA" (no quotes) and making a selection from the categories offered.

62
STS-106 

Media Contacts 

NASA PAO CONTACTS 

Eileen Hawley 281 483-5111

NASA, Johnson Space Center

Houston, TX

Astronauts/Mission Operations

eileen.hawley1@jsc.nasa.gov

Dan Beck 818 586-4572

Space Shuttle Main Engines

Canoga Park, CA

Boeing Rocketdyne

daniel.c.beck@boeing.com

Kari Kelley Allen 281 336-4844

The Boeing Company

Houston, TX

International Space Station

kari.k.allen@boeing.com

Jack King 321 861-4358

United Space Alliance

Kennedy Space Center, FL

Shuttle Processing

KingJW@usafoo.unitedspacealliance.com

Beth Hill 714 372-4736

Boeing

Huntington Beach, CA

Space Shuttle

sara.b.hill@boeing.com

Dwayne Brown 202 358-1726

NASA Headquarters

Washington, DC

Space Shuttle/Space Station 

Policy

dwayne.brown@hq.nasa.gov

63