Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 1 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

SPACE SHUTTLE 

MISSION 

STS-43 

PRESS KIT 

JULY 1991 

TRACKING AND DATA RELAY SATELLITE -E (TDRS-E) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 2 

STS-43 INSIGNIA 

STS043-S-001 -- Designed by the astronauts assigned to fly on the mission, the STS-43 insignia portrays 

the evolution and continuity of the U.S. space program by highlighting thirty years of American manned 

spaceflight experience, from Mercury to the space shuttle. The emergence of the shuttle Atlantis from the 

outlined configuration of the Mercury space capsule commemorates this special relationship. The energy 

and momentum of launch are conveyed by the gradations of blue which mark the shuttle's ascent from 

Earth to space. Once in Earth orbit, Atlantis' cargo bay opens to reveal the Tracking and Data Relay 

Satellite (TDRS) which appears in gold emphasis against the white wings of Atlantis and the stark 

blackness of space. A primary mission objective, the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) 

will enable almost continuous communication from Earth to space for future space shuttle missions. The 

stars on the insignia are arranged to suggest this mission's numerical designation, with four stars left of 

Atlantis and three to the right. 

The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other 

official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the 

form of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which we 

do not anticipate, it will be publicly announced. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 3 

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS 

Mark Hess/Jim Cast/Ed Campion 

Office of Space Flight 

NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 

(Phone: 202/453-8536) 

Duane Brown 

Office of Space Operations 

NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 

(Phone: 202/453-8956) 

Barbara Selby 

Office of Commercial Programs 

NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 

(Phone: 703/557-5609) 

Lisa Malone 

Kennedy Space Center, FL 

(Phone: 407/867-2468) 

Mike Simmons 

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 

(Phone: 205/544-6537) 

James Hartsfield 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 

(Phone: 713/483-5111) 

Jessie Katz 

Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 

(Phone: 301/286-5566) 

Myron Webb 

Stennis Space Center, MS 

(Phone: 601/688-3341) 

Nancy Lovato 

Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA 

(Phone: 805/258-3448) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 4 

CONTENTS 

GENERAL RELEASE 5 

MEDIA SERVICES 6 

STS-43 QUICK LOOK 7 

SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES 8 

STS-43 VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS 9 

SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES 10 

STS-43 TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 11 

STS-43 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING 12 

TRACKING AND DATA RELAY SATELLITE SYSTEM 13 

TDRS COMPONENTS 15 

INERTIAL UPPER STAGE (IUS) 17 

IUS/TDRS DEPLOYMENT AND FLIGHT SEQUENCE 19 

SPACEFLIGHT TRACKING AND DATA NETWORK 21 

SHUTTLE SOLAR BACKSCATTER ULTRAVIOLET (SSBUV) 22 

PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH EXPERIMENT 23 

INVESTIGATIONS INTO POLYMER MEMBRANE PROCESSING 24 

BIOSERVE ITA MATERIALS DISPERSION APPARATUS (BIMDA) 25 

AIR FORCE MAUI OPTICAL SYSTEM (AMOS( 27 

AURORAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIMENT-B (APE-B) 27 

SPACE ACCELERATION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (SAMS) 27 

STS-43 CREW BIOGRAPHIES 28 

STS-43 MISSION MANAGEMENT 31 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 5 

RELEASE: 91-97 July, 1991 

ATLANTIS TO BOOST FOURTH NASA TRACKING SATELLITE 

Atlantis will put NASA's fourth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E) into orbit on Space Shuttle 

mission STS-43 to update the satellite tracking network, resulting in two operating satellites plus a 

complement of two spares in the space network. 

TDRS-E, to be deployed from Atlantis about 6 hours after launch, will be boosted to a geosynchronous 

orbit by an attached upper stage where TDRS-E will be positioned to remain stationary 22,400 miles above 

the Pacific Ocean southwest of Hawaii. 

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, in operation since the eighth Space Shuttle flight, provides 

almost uninterrupted communications with Earth-orbiting shuttles and satellites and has replaced the 

intermittent coverage provided by globe-encircling ground tracking stations used during the early space 

program. A reduced string of ground stations remains in operation, however, for radar tracking and backup 

communications. 

Atlantis, making its ninth flight and the 42nd Space Shuttle mission, is scheduled for a 10:53 a.m. EDT 

launch July 23 from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A. On board Atlantis, planned to land about 

9:30 a.m. EDT Aug. 1 at either Kennedy Space Center, FL, or Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, 

Calif., will be Commander John Blaha, Pilot Mike Baker and mission specialists Shannon Lucid, G. David 

Low and James C. Adamson. 

Along with the TDRS-E/IUS in Atlantis' cargo bay for STS-43 will be the Shuttle Solar Backscatter 

Ultraviolet instrument used to aid in calibrating ultraviolet satellites already in orbit that assist in measuring 

the Earth's ozone layer, among other functions; the Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced Radiator Element-II, 

a reflight of an earlier Shuttle experiment that tests a natural process incorporating no moving parts that 

may be used to cool Space Station Freedom; and the Optical Communications Through the Shuttle 

Window experiment that uses fiber optics for communications onboard the Shuttle. 

In Atlantis' middeck will be the Auroral Photography Experiment-B , an Air Force-sponsored experiment 

to study the Earth's auroras, more commonly known as the Northern and Southern Lights; the BioServeInstrumentation Technology Associates Materials Dispersion Apparatus, an experiment in growing large 

protein crystals in weightlessness; the Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing experiment, a test 

of manufacturing polymers in orbit; the Protein Crystal Growth-III experiment, a device used to grow 

crystals in micro- gravity; the Space Acceleration Measurement System, a device used to measure 

accelerations and disturbances to weightlessness during Atlantis' stay in orbit; the Solid Surface 

Combustion Experiment, a test of the way materials burn in weightlessness; and the Tank Pressure Control 

Experiment, a check of innovative methods for controlling the amount of pressure inside high-pressure 

tanks. 

Although two Shuttle missions have landed at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility since 

the return to flight following the Challenger accident, both were diverted to Kennedy due to bad weather at 

Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., STS-43 is the first mission since the return to flight to have Kennedy as a 

planned landing site, dependent on weather. 

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 6 

MEDIA SERVICES 

NASA Select Television Transmission 

NASA Select television is available on Satcom F-2R, Transponder 13, located at 72 degrees west 

longitude; frequency 3960.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. 

The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter and for the change-of-shift briefings from 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, will be available during the mission at Kennedy Space Center, FL; 

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; Johnson Space Center; and NASA Headquarters, 

Washington, D.C. The television schedule will be updated to reflect changes dictated by mission 

operations. 

Television schedules also may be obtained by calling COMSTOR, 713/483-5817. COMSTOR is a 

computer data base service requiring the use of a telephone modem. A voice update of the television 

schedule may be obtained by dialing 202/755-1788. This service is updated daily at noon ET. 

Status Reports 

Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on-orbit activities and landing operations will be 

produced by the appropriate NASA news center. 

Briefings 

A mission press briefing schedule will be issued prior to launch. During the mission, change-of-shift 

briefings by the off-going flight director will occur at approximately 8-hour intervals. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 7 

STS-43 QUICK LOOK 

Launch Date: July 23, 1991 

 

Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, FL, Pad 39A 

 

Launch Window: 10:53 a.m.-3:12 p.m. EDT 

 

Orbiter: Atlantis (OV-104) 

 

Orbit: 160 x 160 nautical miles, 28.45 degrees inclination 

 

Landing Date: Aug. 1, 1991 

 

Landing Time: Approximately 9:30 a.m. EDT 

 

Primary Landing Sites: Kennedy Space Center, FL; Edwards Air Force Base, CA 

 

Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - Kennedy Space Center, FL 

 Transoceanic Abort Landing - Banjul, The Gambia 

 Alternate - Ben Guerir, Morocco 

 Abort Once Around - Edwards Air Force Base, CA 

 

Crew: John E. Blaha, Commander 

 Michael A. Baker, Pilot 

 Shannon W. Lucid, Mission Specialist 1 

 G. David Low, Mission Specialist 2 

 James C. Adamson, Mission Specialist 3 

 

Cargo Bay Payloads: TDRS-E/IUS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-E/Inertial Upper Stage) 

 SHARE-II (Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced Radiator Element-II) 

 SSBUV (Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Experiment) 

 OCTW (Optical Communications Through the Shuttle Window) 

 

Middeck Payloads: AMOS (Air Force Maui Optical System) 

 APE-B (Auroral Photography Experiment-B) 

 BIMDA (BioServe-Instrumentation Technology Associates Materials 

 Dispersion Apparatus) 

 IPMP (Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing) 

 PCG-III (Protein Crystal Growth-III) 

 SAMS (Space Acceleration Measurement System) 

 SSCE (Solid Surface Combustion Experiment) 

 TPCE (Tank Pressure Control Experiment) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 8 

SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES 

Flight Day 1 

Ascent; OMS 2 

TDRS-E/IUS deploy 

Tank Pressure Control Experiment 

Protein Crystal Growth activation 

Flight Day 2 

SSBUV activation/Earth views 

Remote Manipulator System checkout 

SHARE-II; BIMDA sample activation 

Ames Research Center operations 

Flight Day 3 

SSBUV Earth views 

Tank Pressure Control Experiment deactivation 

Medical DSOs 

Flight Day 4 

SSBUV Solar views; OCTW activation; SHARE-II 

Flight Day 5 

SSBUV Earth/Solar views; OCTW operations 

Remote Manipulator System powerdown 

SSBUV deactivation 

Flight Day 6 

SHARE-II; DSOs 

Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing 

Solid Surface Combustion Experiment 

Auroral Photography Experiment-B 

Flight Day 7 

SHARE-II operations; Medical DSOs 

Flight Day 8 

Auroral Photography Experiment-B 

Medical DSOs; Air Force Maui Optical System operations 

Flight Day 9 

Flight Control System checkout 

Reaction Control System hot-fire 

Cabin stow 

Flight Day 10 

Deorbit preparation 

Deorbit burn 

Landing 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 9 

VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS 

Pounds

 

Orbiter (Atlantis), empty, and 3 SSMEs 171,748 

TDRS-E/IUS 37,640 

TDRS-E Airborne Support Equipment 5,611 

IUS Support Equipment 192 

Space Shuttle Backscatter Ultraviolet 1,183 

Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced Radiator Element-II 859 

 

Optical Communication Through Shuttle Window 22 

Protein Crystal Growth-III 63 

Solid Surface Combustion Experiment 138 

Space Acceleration Measurement System 102 

Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing 17 

Tank Pressure Control Experiment 203 

Detailed Supplementary Objectives (DSOs) 235 

Auroral Photography Experiment-B 40 

BioServe-ITA Materials Dispersion Apparatus 72 

Detailed Test Objectives 67 

Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition 4,526,488 

Orbiter Landing Weight 196,735 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 10 

SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES 

Space Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims toward safe and intact recovery of the flight crew, orbiter and 

its payload. Abort modes include: 

• Abort-To-Orbit (ATO) -- Partial loss of main engine thrust late enough to permit reaching a minimal 

105-nautical mile orbit with orbital maneuvering system engines. 

• Abort-Once-Around (AOA) -- Earlier main engine shutdown with the capability to allow one orbit 

around before landing at either Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at 

Kennedy Space Center, FL; or White Sands Space Harbor (Northrup Strip), NM. 

• Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) -- Loss of one or more main engines midway through powered 

flight would force a landing at either Banjul, The Gambia, or Ben Guerir, Morocco. 

• Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or more engines and without enough energy 

to reach Banjul would result in a pitch around and thrust back toward KSC until within gliding 

distance of the SLF. 

STS-43 contingency landing sites are Edwards AFB, Kennedy Space Center, White Sands, Banjul and Ben 

Guerir. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 11 

STS-43 TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 

Event 

MET 

(d/h:m:s) 

Relative 

Velocity 

(fps) Mach 

Altitude 

(ft) 

 

Launch 00/00:00:00 

Begin Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:10 188 0.16 797 

End Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:15 324 0.29 2,254 

SSME Throttle Down to 87% 00/00:00:26 619 0.55 6,917 

Max. Dyn. Pressure (Max Q) 00/00:00:52 1,231 1.19 27,991 

SSME Throttle Down to 67% 00/00:00:53 1,251 1.21 28,988 

SSME Throttle Up to 104% 00/00:01:02 1,498 1.54 39,730 

SRB Staging 00/00:02:05 4,249 4.07 155,183 

Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) 00/00:08:39 24,512 22.75 363,521 

Zero Thrust 00/00:08:39 24,509 N/A 363,809 

ET Separation 00/00:08:52 

OMS-2 Burn 00/00:39:57 

TDRS-E/IUS Deploy 00/06:13:00 

OMS-3 Burn (TDRS-E/IUS Sep) 00/06:28:00 

Deorbit Burn (orbit 142) 08/21:45:00 

Landing (orbit 143) 08/22:45:00 

Apogee, Perigee at MECO: 157 x 35 nautical miles 

Apogee, Perigee post-OMS 2: 160 x 159 nautical miles 

Apogee, Perigee post-Sep 1: 177 x 161 nautical miles 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 12 

STS-43 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING 

Processing the orbiter Atlantis for the STS-43 mission at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) began April 19, 

following its last mission - STS-37/Gamma Ray Observatory. 

Originally, Atlantis was scheduled for a 65 day flow in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF), but the 

relatively small number of problems encountered allowed technicians to complete major tasks sooner and 

shorten the schedule. The 59 day processing of Atlantis is the quickest turn around accomplished since 

return to flight. 

Space Shuttle main engine locations for this flight are as follows: engine 2024 is in the No. 1 position, 

engine 2012 is in the No. 2 position and engine 2028 is in the No. 3 position. These engines were installed 

in May. 

The Crew Equipment Interface Test with the STS-43 flight crew was conducted on June 8th in the Orbiter 

Processing Facility (OPF). This test provided an opportunity for the crew to become familiar with the 

configuration of the orbiter and anything that is unique to the STS-43 mission. 

The TDRS-E spacecraft arrived at Kennedy Space Center from Los Angeles aboard an Air Force C-5 

transport plane on March 5, 1991. It was taken to the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) for processing. 

The Inertial Upper Stage was delivered from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to the VPF on April 26. 

TDRS-E was mated to IUS-15 on May 8. The two primary integrated tests were successfully completed. 

The Interface Verification (IVT) Test, which checks electrical connections between the two flight 

elements, was finished on May 22. The End-to-End (ETE) communications test, verifying all 

communications paths with the payload, was complete on June 7. 

IUS/TDRS was transported to Pad 39-A and placed in the payload changeout room on June 17. The cargo 

was scheduled for installation into the payload bay of Atlantis June 26. The IVT and End-to-End tests were 

scheduled to be repeated, with the Space Shuttle Atlantis also participating, in late June and early July. The 

Inertial Upper Stage was scheduled to conduct its final principal test, an IUS Simulated Countdown, in 

mid-July. The payload bay doors are scheduled for closure 2 days before flight. 

Booster stacking operations for STS-43 began on April 29. Stacking of all booster segments was 

completed by May 31st. The external tank was mated to the boosters on June 3 and Atlantis was 

transferred to the Vehicle Assembly Building on June 19 where it was mated to the external tank and solid 

rocket boosters. The STS-43 vehicle was rolled out to Launch Pad 39-A on June 25. A launch countdown 

dress rehearsal was scheduled for July 3 at KSC. 

A standard 43-hour launch countdown is scheduled to begin 3 days prior to launch. During the countdown, 

the orbiter's onboard fuel and oxidizer storage tanks will be loaded and all orbiter systems will be prepared 

for flight. 

About 9 hours before launch, the external tank will be filled with its flight load of a half million gallons of 

liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants. About 2 and one-half hours before liftoff, the flight crew 

will begin taking their assigned seats in the crew cabin. 

For the first time since return to flight, there will be two primary landing sites. Under newly established 

guidelines, KSC will be considered on equal status with Dryden Flight Research Facility (DFRF) in 

support of Shuttle landing. After reviewing data on various factors that affect landing such as tire 

performance, braking performance, runway condition, weather forecasting, mission duration, orbiter 

weight and use of a drag chute, officials concluded that the program was ready to use the Kennedy Space 

Center as a nominal end of mission landing site. Specific landing criteria based on the factors mentioned 

above will determine whether the Shuttle lands at KSC or DFRF. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 13 

TRACKING AND DATA RELAY SATELLITE SYSTEM 

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-E is the fifth in a series of communications spacecraft 

planned for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). TDRS-A, now in orbit and known as 

TDRS-1, was deployed from the Space Shuttle Challenger on April 5, 1983 on STS-6. TDRS-B was 

destroyed during the Challenger accident in January 1986. TDRS-C, known as TDRS-3 in orbit, was 

launched from Discovery on Sept. 29, 1988 on STS-26. TDRS-D, known as TDRS-4 in orbit, was 

launched from Discovery on March 13, 1989 on STS-29. 

Currently, TDRS-4 is located at 41 degrees West longitude, over the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil, TDRS-3 is 

located at 174 degrees west longitude, and TDRS-1 is located at 171 degrees west longitude. Both TDRS-3 

and TDRS-1 are over the Pacific, east of the Gilbert Islands and South of Hawaii. TDRS-4 also is known 

as TDRS-East and the combination of TDRS-1 and TDRS-4 provide the TDRS western satellite capability. 

The satellite communications system was initiated following studies in the early 1970s which showed that 

a system of telecommunication satellites operated from a single ground station could better support the 

Space Shuttle and scientific application mission requirements planned for the Nation's space program than 

a world-wide network of ground stations. In addition, the system was seen as a means of halting the 

spiraling costs of upgrading and operating a network of tracking and communications ground stations 

located around the world. 

Upon reaching geosynchronous orbit, the deployment of TDRS antennas and appendages is started. The 

deployment sequence is: 

1. Deploy solar arrays. 

2. Deploy space-ground link boom. 

3. Deploy C-band boom. 

4. Separation of IUS and TDRS. 

5. Release single access booms. 

6. Position single access antennas. 

7. Open single access antennas. 

During steps five, six and seven, Earth acquisition is taking place concurrently. 

The TDRS is three-axis stabilized with the multiple access body fixed antennas pointing constantly at the 

Earth while the solar arrays track the sun. 

Communication System 

The TDRSs do not process user traffic in either direction. Rather, they operate as "bent pipe" repeaters, 

relaying signals and data between the user spacecraft and the ground terminal and vice versa without 

processing. 

The operational TDRSS is equipped to support up to 24 user spacecraft, including the Space Shuttle, 

simultaneously. It will provide two types of service: (1) multiple access which can relay data from as many 

as 20 low data rate (100 bits per second to 50 kilobits per second) user satellites simultaneously and 

(2) single access which will provide two high data rate channels (to 300 megabits per second) from both 

the East and West locations. 

The TDRSS ground terminal is located at White Sands, NM. It provides a location with a clear line-ofsight to the TDRSs and a place where rain conditions have limited interference with the availability of the 

Ku-band uplink and downlink channels. The White Sands Ground Terminal (WSGT) is operated for 

NASA by Contel Federal Systems, Atlanta, Ga., under a contract expiring in 1995. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 14 

Co-located at White Sands is the NASA Ground Terminal (NGT), which is operated for NASA by Bendix 

Field Engineering and provides the interface between WSGT and other primary network elements located 

at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 

Those facilities at Goddard include the Network Control Center (NCC), which provides system scheduling 

and is the focal point for NASA communications and the WSGT and TDRSS users; the Flight Dynamics 

Facility (FDF), which provides the network with antenna pointing information for user spacecraft and the 

TDRSs; and the NASA Communications Network (NASCOM), which provides the common carrier 

interface through Earth terminals at Goddard, White Sands and the Johnson Space Center in Houston. 

The Network Control Center console operators monitor the network's performance, schedule emergency 

interfaces, isolate faults in the system, account for system use, test the system and conduct simulations. The 

user services available from the Space Network are provided through NASCOM, a global system which 

provides operational communications support to all NASA projects. 

NASCOM offers voice, data and teletype links with the Space Network, the Ground Spaceflight Tracking 

and Data Network (GSTDN) and the user spacecraft control centers. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 15 

TDRS COMPONENTS 

The TDRSs are composed of three distinct modules: a spacecraft module, a payload module and an antenna 

module. The modular design reduces the cost of individual design and construction efforts that, in turn, 

lower the cost of each satellite. 

The spacecraft module, housing the subsystems that operate the satellite, is located in the lower hexagon of 

the spacecraft. The attitude control subsystem stabilizes the satellite to provide accurate antenna pointing 

and proper orientation of the solar panels to the sun. The electrical power subsystems consists of two solar 

panels that provide power of approximately 1,700 watts. The thermal control subsystem consists of surface 

coatings and controlled electric heaters. 

The payload module is composed of the electronic equipment required to provide communications between 

the user spacecraft and the ground. The receivers and transmitters for single access services are mounted in 

compartments on the back of the single-access antennas. 

The antenna module is composed of seven antenna systems: two single-access, the multiple access array 

and space-to-ground link and the S-band omni for satellite health and housekeeping. Commercial K-band 

and C-band antennas round out the complement. 

For single-access service, the TDRSs have dual-feed S-band, Ku-band parabolic (umbrella-like) antennas. 

These antennas are free to be positioned in two axes directing the radio beam to orbiting user spacecraft 

below. 

These antennas are used only to relay communications to and from user spacecraft. The high data rates 

provided by these antennas is available to users on a time-shared basis. Each antenna is capable of 

supporting two user spacecraft services simultaneously -- one at S-band and one at Ku-band -- provided 

both users are within the beam width of the antenna. 

The multiple access antenna array is hard-mounted in one position on the surface of the antenna module 

facing the Earth. Another antenna, a 6.5 foot (2-meter) parabolic reflector, provides the prime link for 

relaying transmissions to and from the ground terminal at Ku-band. 

Project Support 

TRW Space and Technology Group, Redondo Beach, Calif., is the prime spacecraft contractor. Ground 

operations at the White Sands complex are conducted by Contel Federal Systems and Bendix Field 

Engineering. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 16 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 17 

INERTIAL UPPER STAGE (IUS) 

Background 

The IUS was developed and built under contract to the Air Force Systems Command's Space Division. The 

Space Division is executive agent for all Department of Defense activities pertaining to the Space Shuttle 

system and provides the IUS to NASA for Space Shuttle use. After 2-1/2 years of competition, Boeing 

Aerospace Company, Seattle, was selected in August 1976 to begin preliminary design of the IUS. 

Specifications 

IUS-15, the vehicle to be used on mission STS-43, is a two-stage rocket weighing approximately 32,500 

pounds. Each stage has a solid rocket motor, preferred over liquid-fueled engines for their relative 

simplicity, high reliability, low cost and safety. 

The IUS is 5.18 meters (17 feet) long and 2.8 meters (9.25 feet) in diameter. It consists of an aft skirt; an 

aft stage solid rocket motor containing 21,400 pounds of propellant generating approximately 42,000 

pounds of thrust; an interstage; a forward stage solid rocket motor with 6,000 pounds of propellant 

generating approximately 18,000 pounds of thrust; and an equipment support section. 

The equipment support section contains the avionics which provide guidance, navigation, control, 

telemetry, command and data management, reaction control and electrical power. All mission-critical 

components of the avionics system, along with thrust vector actuators, reaction control thrusters, motor 

igniter and pyrotechnic stage separation equipment are redundant to assure reliability of better than 98 

percent. 

Airborne Support Equipment 

The IUS Airborne Support Equipment (ASE) is the mechanical, avionics, and structural equipment located 

in the orbiter. The ASE supports the IUS and the TDRS-E in the orbiter payload bay and elevates the 

IUS/TDRS for final checkout and deployment from the orbiter. 

The IUS ASE consists of the structure, aft tilt frame actuator, batteries, electronics and cabling to support 

the IUS/TDRS combination. These ASE subsystems enable the deployment of the combined vehicle; 

provide, distribute and/or control electrical power to the IUS and satellite; and serve as communication 

conduits between the IUS and/or satellite and the orbiter. 

IUS Structure 

The IUS structure is capable of supporting all the loads generated internally and also by the cantilevered 

spacecraft during orbiter operations and the IUS free flight. In addition, the structure physically supports 

all the equipment and solid rocket motors within the IUS and provides the mechanisms for IUS stage 

separation. The major structural assemblies of the two-stage IUS are the equipment support section, 

interstage and aft skirt. It is made by aluminum skin-stringer construction, with longerons and ring frames. 

Equipment Support Section 

The Equipment Support Section houses the majority of the avionics of the IUS. The top of the equipment 

support section contains the spacecraft interface mounting ring and electrical interface connector segment 

for mating and integrating the spacecraft with the IUS. Thermal isolation is provided by a multi-layer 

insulation blanket across the interface between the IUS and TDRS. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 18 

IUS Avionics Subsystems 

The avionics subsystems consist of the telemetry, tracking and command subsystems; guidance and 

navigation subsystem; data management; thrust vector control; and electrical power subsystems. These 

subsystems include all the electronic and electrical hardware used to perform all computations, signal 

conditioning, data processing and formatting associated with navigation, guidance, control, data and 

redundancy management. The IUS avionics subsystems also provide the equipment for communications 

between the orbiter and ground stations, as well as electrical power distribution. 

Attitude control in response to guidance commands is provided by thrust vectoring during powered flight 

and by reaction control thrusters while coasting. Attitude is compared with guidance commands to generate 

error signals. During solid motor firing, these commands gimbal the IUS's movable nozzle to provide the 

desired attitude pitch and yaw control. The IUS's roll axis thrusters maintain roll control. While coasting, 

the error signals are processed in the computer to generate thruster commands to maintain the vehicle's 

altitude or to maneuver the vehicle. 

The IUS electrical power subsystem consists of avionics batteries, IUS power distribution units, power 

transfer unit, utility batteries, pyrotechnic switching unit, IUS wiring harness and umbilical and staging 

connectors. The IUS avionics system distributes electrical power to the IUS/TDRS interface connector for 

all mission phases from prelaunch to spacecraft separation. 

IUS Solid Rocket Motors 

The IUS two-stage vehicle uses a large solid rocket motor and a small solid rocket motor. These motors 

employ movable nozzles for thrust vector control. The nozzles provide up to 4 degrees of steering on the 

large motor and 7 degrees on the small motor. The large motor is the longest thrusting duration solid rocket 

motor ever developed for space, with the capability to thrust as long as 150 seconds. Mission requirements 

and constraints (such as weight) can be met by tailoring the amount of fuel carried. The IUS-15 first stage 

motor will carry 21,400 pounds of propellant; the second stage over 6,000 pounds. 

Reaction Control System 

The reaction control system controls the IUS/TDRS's attitude during coasting; roll control during SRM 

thrustings; and velocity impulses for accurate orbit injection. As a minimum, the IUS includes one reaction 

control fuel tank with a capacity of 120 pounds of hydrazine. Production options are available to add a 

second or third tank. IUS-15 will carry two tanks, each with 120 pounds of fuel. To avoid spacecraft 

contamination, the IUS has no forward facing thrusters. The reaction control system also is used to provide 

the velocities for spacing between several spacecraft deployments and for avoiding collision or 

contamination after the spacecraft separates. 

IUS-to-Spacecraft Interfaces 

The TDRS spacecraft is physically attached to the IUS at eight attachment points, providing substantial 

load-carrying capability while minimizing the transfer of heat across the connecting points. 

Power, command and data transmission between the two are provided by several IUS interface connectors. 

In addition, the IUS provides an insulation blanket comprised of multiple layers of double-aluminized 

Kapton and polyester net spacers across the IUS/TDRS interface. The outer layer of the blanket, facing the 

TDRS spacecraft, is a special Teflon-coated fabric called Beta cloth. The blankets are vented toward and 

into the IUS cavity, which in turn is vented to the orbiter payload bay. There is no gas flow between the 

spacecraft and the IUS. The thermal blankets are grounded to the IUS structure to prevent electrostatic 

charge buildup. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 19 

IUS/TDRS DEPLOYMENT AND FLIGHT SEQUENCE 

After the orbiter payload bay doors are opened in orbit, the orbiter will maintain a preselected attitude to 

keep the payload within thermal requirements and constraints. 

On-orbit predeployment checkout begins, followed by an IUS command link check and spacecraft 

communications command check. Orbiter trim maneuver(s) are normally performed at this time. 

Forward payload restraints are released and the aft frame of the airborne support equipment tilts the 

IUS/TDRS to 29 degrees. This extends the TDRS into space just outside the orbiter payload bay, allowing 

direct communication with Earth during systems checkout. The orbiter then is maneuvered to the 

deployment attitude. If a problem develops within the spacecraft or IUS, the IUS and its payload can be 

restowed. 

Prior to deployment, the spacecraft electrical power source is switched from orbiter power to IUS internal 

power by the orbiter flight crew. After verifying that the spacecraft is on IUS internal power and that all 

IUS/TDRS predeployment operations have been successfully completed, a GO/NO-GO decision for 

IUS/TDRS deployment is sent to the crew. 

When the orbiter flight crew is given a GO decision, they activate the pyrotechnics that separate the 

IUS/TDRS umbilical cables. The crew then commands the electromechanical tilt actuator to raise the tilt 

table to a 58- degree deployment position. The orbiter's RCS thrusters are inhibited and an pyrotechnic 

separation device is initiated to physically separate the IUS/spacecraft combination from the tilt table. 

Compressed springs provide the force to jettison the IUS/TDRS from the orbiter payload bay at 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 20 

approximately 0.10 meters (4.2 inches) per second. The deployment normally is performed in the shadow 

of the orbiter or in Earth eclipse. 

The tilt table then is lowered to minus 6 degrees after IUS and its spacecraft are deployed. A small orbiter 

maneuver is made to back away from the IUS/TDRS. Approximately 19 minutes after IUS/TDRS 

deployment, the orbiter's engines are ignited to move the orbiter away from the IUS/spacecraft. 

At this point, the IUS/TDRS is controlled by the IUS onboard computers. Approximately 10 minutes after 

the IUS/TDRS is ejected from the orbiter, the IUS onboard computer sends signals used by the IUS and/or 

TDRS to begin mission sequence events. This signal also enables the reaction control system. All 

subsequent operations are sequenced by the IUS computer, from transfer orbit injection through spacecraft 

separation and IUS deactivation. 

After the RCS has been activated, the IUS maneuvers to the required thermal attitude and performs any 

required spacecraft thermal control maneuvers. 

At approximately 45 minutes after ejection from the orbiter, the pyrotechnic inhibits for the first solid 

rocket motor are removed. The belly of the orbiter has been oriented towards the IUS/TDRS combination 

to protect the orbiter windows from the IUS's plume. The IUS recomputes the first ignition time and 

maneuvers necessary to attain the proper attitude for the first thrusting period. 

When the proper transfer orbit opportunity is reached, the IUS computer sends the signal to ignite the first 

stage motor. This is expected at approximately 60 minutes after deployment (L+7 hours, 13 minutes). After 

firing approximately 146 seconds and prior to reaching the apogee point of its trajectory, the IUS first stage 

expends its fuel. While coasting, the IUS performs any maneuvers needed by TDRS for thermal protection 

or communications. When this is completed, the IUS first stage and interstage separate from the IUS 

second stage. 

Approximately 6 hours, 12 minutes after deployment (at approximately L+12:30) the second stage motor 

ignites, thrusting about 108 seconds. After burn is complete, the IUS stabilizes the TDRS while the solar 

arrays and two antennas are deployed. The IUS second stage separates and performs a final 

collision/contamination avoidance maneuver before deactivating. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 21 

SPACEFLIGHT TRACKING AND DATA NETWORK 

Although primary communications for most activities on STS-43 will be conducted through the orbiting 

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS -1 and TDRS-4), NASA's Spaceflight Tracking and Data Relay 

Network (STDN)- controlled ground stations will play a key role in several mission activities. In addition, 

the stations along with the NASA Communications Network (NASCOM), at Goddard Space Flight Center, 

Greenbelt, Md., will serve as backups for communications with Space Shuttle Atlantis should a problem 

develop in the satellite communications. 

Three of the 7 stations serve as the primary communications focal point during the launch and ascent phase 

of the Shuttle from Kennedy Space Center, FL. They are Merritt Island and Ponce de Leon in Florida and 

Bermuda down range from the launch site. For the first minute and 20 seconds, all voice, telemetry and 

other communications from the Shuttle are relayed to the mission managers at KSC and at Johnson Space 

Center , Houston, by way of the Merritt Island facility. 

At 1 minute, 20 seconds, the communications are picked up from the Shuttle and relayed to KSC and JSC 

from the Ponce de Leon facility, 30 miles north of the launch pad. This facility provides the 

communications for 70 seconds or during a critical period when exhaust energy from the solid rocket 

motors "blocks out" the Merritt Island antennas. 

The Merritt Island facility resumes communications to and from the Shuttle after those 70 seconds and 

maintains them until 6 minutes and 30 seconds after launch when communications are "handed over" to 

Bermuda. Bermuda then provides the communications until 8 minutes and 45 seconds after liftoff when the 

TDRS-4 (EAST) satellite acquires the Shuttle. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 22 

SHUTTLE SOLAR BACKSCATTER ULTRAVIOLET (SSBUV) 

The Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) instrument was developed by NASA's Goddard Space 

Flight Center to compare the observations of several ozone measuring instruments aboard the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's NOAA-9 and NOAA-11 satellites and NASA's Nimbus-7 

satellite. The SSBUV data is used to calibrate these instruments to ensure the most accurate readings 

possible for the detection of atmospheric ozone trends. 

The SSBUV will help scientists solve the problem of data repeatability caused by the calibration drift of 

the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) instruments on these satellites. The SSBUV uses the Space 

Shuttle's orbital flight path to assess instrument performance by directly comparing data from identical 

instruments aboard the NOAA spacecraft and Nimbus-7 as the Shuttle and satellite pass over the same 

Earth location within an hour. These orbital coincidences can occur 17 times a day. 

The satellite-based SBUV instruments estimate the amount and height distribution of ozone in the upper 

atmosphere by measuring the incident solar ultraviolet radiation and ultraviolet radiation backscattered 

from the Earth's atmosphere. The SBUV measures these parameters in 12 discrete wavelength channels in 

the ultraviolet. Because ozone absorbs energy in the ultraviolet wavelengths, an ozone measurement can be 

derived by comparing the amount of incoming radiation to the amount backscattered by the atmosphere. 

SSBUV's value lies in its ability to provide precisely calibrated, or verified, ozone measurements. The 

instrument is calibrated to a laboratory standard before flight, then is recalibrated during and after flight to 

ensure its accuracy. When SSBUV is on the ground, its transmission diffuser, which allows sunlight into 

the instrument, is calibrated separately at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The rigorous 

calibration provides a highly reliable standard to which data from the SBUV instruments can be compared. 

The two previous SSBUV flights occurred on STS-34 in October 1989 and STS-41 in October 1990. Five 

more flights are manifested through 1996, beginning with STS-48 in April 1992. During that mission, 

SSBUV data will be used to calibrate measurements from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, 

planned for launch this September. NASA's goal is to fly SSBUV missions approximately once a year 

between 1989 and 2000 to provide precise calibration measurements across a full 11-year solar cycle. 

The SSBUV instruments and its dedicated electronics, power, data and command systems are mounted in 

the Shuttle's payload bay in two Get Away Special canisters that together weigh 1,200 pounds (545 

kilograms). The instrument canister holds the SSBUV, its aspect sensors and in-flight calibration system. A 

motorized door assembly opens the canister to allow the SSBUV to view the sun and Earth and closes 

during in-flight calibration. The support canister contains the power system, data storage and command 

decoders. The dedicated power system can operate the SSBUV for approximately 40 hours. 

Ernest Hilsenrath of GSFC is the principal investigator for SSBUV, which is managed by GSFC for 

NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 23 

PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH EXPERIMENT 

The Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) payload aboard STS-43 is a continuing series of experiments leading 

toward major benefits in biomedical technology. The experiments on this Space Shuttle mission could 

improve pharmaceutical agents such as insulin for treatment of diabetes. Protein crystals like inorganic 

crystals such as quartz, are structured in a regular pattern. With a good crystal, roughly the size of a grain 

of table salt, scientists are able to study the protein's molecular architecture. 

Determining a protein crystal's molecular shape is an essential step in several phases of medical research. 

Once the three-dimensional structure of a protein is known, it may be possible to design drugs that will 

either block or enhance the protein's normal function within the body or other organisms. 

Though crystallographic techniques can be used to determine a protein's structure, this powerful technique 

has been limited by problems encountered in obtaining high-quality crystals well ordered and large enough 

to yield precise structural information. 

Protein crystals grown in Earth-based laboratories are typically small and lacking in uniformity or "order." 

However, lack of size and order greatly hamper procedures used to deduce the actual structure of the 

molecules constituting the protein crystal. The problem with growing larger and highly ordered crystals on 

Earth is analogous to trying to make a geometric shape out of Styrofoam cups on a breezy day. The 

"breeze" is caused by gravity-driven forces of convection that thwart attempts to arrange the cups 

(molecules) in a neat and orderly fashion. The growth of relatively large and highly ordered protein 

crystals in the almost "breeze-less" environment of space facilitates and greatly reduces the time required 

for the analysis of protein structure. 

During the STS-43 flight, experiments will be conducted using bovine insulin. Though there are four 

processes used to grow crystals on Earth -- vapor diffusion, liquid diffusion, dialysis and batch process -- 

only batch process will be used in this set of experiments. Shortly after achieving orbit, a crewmember will 

activate the experiment to grow insulin crystals by decreasing the experiment's temperature from 40 

degrees C to 22 degrees C as was done on STS-37. The results of the STS-37 experiment indicate that the 

space-grown crystals are much larger than their Earth-grown counterparts. 

Protein crystal growth experiments were first carried out by the investigating team during Spacelab 3 in 

April 1985. The experiments have flown a total of nine times. The STS-26, -29, -32 and -31 experiments 

were the first opportunities for scientific attempts to grow useful crystals at controlled temperatures by 

vapor diffusion in microgravity. The set of PCG experiments on STS-43 will use the batch process and fly 

in hardware configuration flown for the time on STS-37, the Protein Crystallization Facility, developed by 

the PCG investigators. 

The PCG program is sponsored by NASA's Office of Commercial Programs, the Office of Space Science 

and Applications, with management provided through Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 

Richard E. Valentine is mission manager, Blair Herron is PCG experiment manager and Dr. Daniel Carter 

is project scientist for Marshall. 

Dr. Charles E. Bugg, Director, Center for Macromolecular Crystallography (CMC), a NASA Center for the 

Commercial Development of Space located at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, is lead investigator 

for the PCG experiment. Dr. Lawrence J. DeLucas, Associate Director and Chief Scientist, and Dr. 

Marianna Long, Associate Director for Commercial Development, also are PCG investigators for CMC. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 24 

INVESTIGATIONS INTO POLYMER MEMBRANE PROCESSING 

The Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP), a middeck payload, will make its third 

Space Shuttle flight for the Columbus, Ohio-based Battelle Advanced Materials Center, a NASA Center 

for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS), sponsored in part by the Office of Commercial 

Programs. 

The objective of the IPMP is to investigate the physical and chemical processes that occur during the 

formation of polymer membranes in microgravity such that the improved knowledge base can be applied to 

commercial membrane processing techniques. Supporting the overall program objective, the STS-43 

mission will provide additional data on the polymer precipitation process. 

Polymer membranes have been used by industry in separation processes for many years. Typical 

applications include enriching the oxygen content of air, desalination of water and kidney dialysis. 

Polymer membranes frequently are made using a two-step process. A sample mixture of polymer and 

solvents is applied to a casting surface. The first step involves the evaporation of solvents from the 

mixture. In the second step, the remaining sample is immersed in a fluid (typically water) bath to 

precipitate the membrane from the solution and complete the process. 

On the STS-43 mission, Commander John Blaha will operate the IPMP experiment. By turning the unit's 

valve to the first stop, the evaporation process is initiated. After a specified period consisting of several 

minutes, a quench procedure will be initiated. The quench consists of introducing a humid atmosphere 

which will allow the polymer membrane to precipitate out. The units are allowed to free float in the cabin 

for 10 minutes. Ground-based research indicates that the precipitation process should be complete after 

approximately 10 minutes, and the entire procedure is at that point effectively quenched. The two units are 

then restowed in the locker for the duration of the flight. 

Following the flight, the samples will be retrieved and returned to Battelle for testing. Portions of the 

samples will be sent to the CCDS's industry partners for quantitative evaluation consisting of comparisons 

of the membranes' permeability and selectivity characteristics with those of laboratory-produced 

membranes. 

Lisa A. McCauley, Associate Director of the Battelle CCDS, is program manager for IPMP. Dr. Vince 

McGinness of Battelle is principal investigator. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 25 

BIOSERVE ITA MATERIALS DISPERSION APPARATUS (BIMDA) 

The BioServe/Instrumentation Technology Associates (ITA) Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA) 

payload has been jointly developed by BioServe Space Technologies, a NASA Center for Commercial 

Development of Space (CCDS) located at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and its industrial affiliate, 

Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc. (ITA), Exton, Pa. Also collaborating in the BIMDA activity 

are researchers from NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, and Ames Research Center, Mountain 

View, CA. 

Sponsored by NASA's Office of Commercial Programs, the objective of the BIMDA experiment is to 

obtain data on scientific methods and commercial potential of biomedical manufacturing processes and 

fluid science processing in the microgravity environment of space. 

The BIMDA primary elements, developed by ITA with private sector funding, are the Materials Dispersion 

Apparatus (MDA) minilabs and their controller with a self-contained power supply and the 

Refrigerator/Incubator Module (R/IM) carrier which houses the entire BIMDA experiment hardware. The 

MDA minilab is a compact mixing device capable of mixing up to 100 separate samples of any two or 

three fluids using the liquid-to-liquid diffusion process. The MDA is capable of conducting biomedical, 

manufacturing processes and fluid sciences experiments. 

The BIMDA-2 mission is essentially a reflight of the BIMDA-1 flown aboard STS-37 with repeats of some 

experiments and some additional new experiments. The four MDA units to be flown on STS-43 are 

expected to yield over 200 separate data points from experiments conducted in the science disciplines of 

protein crystal growth, zeolite crystal formation, collagen and virus assembly, interferon induction, seed 

germination, cell fixation and fluid sciences/diffusion experiments. 

Another primary element of the BIMDA payload is the bioprocessing testbed, designed and developed by 

BioServe. The testbed contains the hardware for six bioprocessing modules and six cell syringes. The 

bioprocessing testbed elements will be used to mix cells with various activation fluids followed by 

extended periods of metabolic activity and subsequent sampling into a fixative solution. The bioprocessing 

module and cell experiments are to determine the response of live cells to various hormones and 

stimulating agents under microgravity conditions. 

On this second and last of the planned flights of BIMDA aboard the Space Shuttle, 17 principal 

investigators will use the MDA to explore the commercial potential of 36 different experiments in the 

biomedical, manufacturing processes and fluid sciences fields. 

Subsequent Shuttle flights of the MDA hardware by ITA will be on a commercial basis and will contribute 

to the commercial development of space infrastructure by providing generic materials processing in space 

hardware for users. 

BIMDA Hardware 

The BIMDA payload includes three elements of hardware: the MDA minilab units, cell syringes and 

bioprocessing modules (contained in a bioprocessing testbed). All are contained within a temperaturecontrolled environment provided by a R/IM in a Shuttle middeck locker position. 

At the beginning of BIMDA activation, the testbed housing the cell syringes and bioprocessing modules 

will be removed from the R\IM and attached with Velcro to an available surface within the middeck. The 

testbed will remain outside the R/IM until BIMDA reconfiguration prior to reentry. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 26 

The MDA minilabs will remain in the thermally controlled environment of the R/IM during the entire 

flight. Each MDA minilab unit consists of a number of sample blocks having self-aligning reservoirs or 

reaction chambers in both top and bottom portions of the device. By sliding one block in relation to the 

other, the reservoirs align to allow diffusion to occur between fluid substances contain within each 

reservoir. The process of sliding the blocks can be repeated to achieve time-dependent dispersion (or 

mixing) of different substances. A prism window in each MDA unit allows the crew member to determine 

the alignment of the blocks on each unit. 

The cell syringe apparatus consists of six two-chambered syringes containing biological cells, needle/valve 

adapters and sample vials. When the plunger is depressed, the payload is activated, thus the fluids in the 

two chambers are mixed and permitted to react. Periodic samples are taken during the flight, using the 

needle/valve adapters and sample vials. 

The six bioprocessing module units each consist of three syringes connected via tubing and three-position 

valve. The direction of the valve controls the flow of biological cells/fluids between various syringes, 

allowing different types of mixing and sampling from one syringe to another. The valve apparatus provides 

options for variations in the mixing of fluids. 

Lead investigators for the BIMDA payload are Dr. Marvin Luttges, Director of BioServe Space 

Technologies, and John M. Cassanto, President of ITA, whose company developed the MDA hardware 

with private sector funds as a commercial space venture. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 27 

AIR FORCE MAUI OPTICAL SYSTEM (AMOS) 

The Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS) is an electrical-optical facility located on the Hawaiian island 

of Maui. The facility tracks the orbiter as it flies over the area and records signatures from thruster firings, 

water dumps or the phenomena of Shuttle glow, a well-documented glowing effect around the Shuttle 

caused by the interaction of atomic oxygen with the spacecraft. 

The information obtained is used to calibrate the infrared and optical sensors at the facility. No hardware 

onboard the Shuttle is needed for the system. 

AURORAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIMENT-B (APE-B) 

The Auroral Photography Experiment-B (APE-B) is an Air Force-sponsored payload designed to study the 

aurora, or the Northern and Southern lights, and the phenomena of Shuttle glow, an illumination around the 

shuttle caused as the spacecraft encounters atomic oxygen in orbit. 

APE-B hardware consists of a Nikon 35 mm camera, a 55 mm lens and several filters and adapters. The 

camera can be mounted in the aft flight deck window using a special camera mount, and shrouds are 

provided to block out light from the crew compartment during exposures. The photography will take place 

while Atlantis is in darkness, with crew cabin lights and cargo bay lights off. 

SPACE ACCELERATION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (SAMS) 

The Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) payload is sponsored by NASA and used to collect 

data on accelerations felt onboard the Shuttle while it is in orbit, measuring the amount of disturbance to 

the weightless environment onboard. 

Located in the middeck, information from the sensors in the unit is stored on optical disks. The SAMS will 

be activated by the crew about two and a half hours after launch, and the optical disks will be changed 

periodically. Acceleration information will be recorded throughout the flight, and during specific events 

such as orbital maneuvering system and reaction control system engine firings. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 28 

STS-43 CREWMEMBERS 

STS043-S-002 -- STS-43 official crew portrait shows astronauts standing in front of a landed space shuttle 

orbiter at sunset. Crewmembers, wearing launch and entry suits (LESs) and holding launch and entry 

helmets (LEHs), are (left to right) mission specialists Shannon W. Lucid, James C. Adamson, mission 

commander John E. Blaha, mission specialist G. David Low, and pilot Michael A. Baker. The portrait was 

created using a double exposure. 

No copyright is asserted for this photograph. If a recognizable person appears in the photo, use for 

commercial purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be used to state or imply the 

endorsement by NASA or by any NASA employee of a commercial product, process or service, or used in 

any other manner that might mislead. Accordingly, it is requested that if this photograph is used in 

advertising and other commercial promotion, layout and copy be submitted to NASA prior to release. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 29 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

JOHN E. BLAHA, 48, Col., USAF, will serve as Commander of STS-43 and will be making his third 

space flight. Blaha, from San Antonio, TX, was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. 

Blaha graduated from Granby High School in Norfolk, VA, in 1960, received a bachelor of science in 

engineering science from the USAF Academy in 1965, and received a master of science in astronautical 

engineering from Purdue University in 1966. 

He received his pilot wings at Williams Air Force Base, AZ, in 1967, and subsequently was assigned as an 

operational pilot completing 361 combat missions in Vietnam. He attended the USAF Aerospace Research 

Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, in 1971, and following graduation, served as an F-104 

instructor pilot. In 1973, he was assigned as a test pilot working with the Royal Air Force, Boscombe 

Down, United Kingdom. He then attended the USAF Air Command and Staff College and upon graduation 

was assigned to USAF Headquarters in the Pentagon. 

Blaha was pilot on Shuttle mission STS-29, flown March 13-18, 1989, to deploy a Tracking and Data 

Relay Satellite. Blaha next flew in space as pilot on STS-33 from Nov. 22-27, 1989, a Department of 

Defense-dedicated mission. Blaha has logged a total of 239 hours in space. 

MICHAEL A. BAKER, 37, Cmdr., USN, will serve as Pilot. Selected as an astronaut in 1985, Baker, 

from Lemoore, CA, will be making his first space flight. 

Baker graduated from Lemoore Union High School in 1971 and received a bachelor of science degree in 

aerospace engineering from the University of Texas in 1975. 

He earned his wings at NAS Chase Field, Beeville, TX, in 1977 and attended the USN Test Pilot School in 

1981, becoming an instructor at the school after graduation. 

After his selection as an astronaut, Baker was assigned as a member of the team pursuing redesign, 

modification and improvements to Shuttle landing and deceleration systems before the return to flight 

following the Challenger accident. Baker also has served as a CAPCOM in Mission Control for 11 Shuttle 

flights. 

SHANNON W. LUCID, 48, Ph.D., will serve as Mission Specialist 1 (MS1). Selected as an astronaut in 

1978, Lucid considers Bethany, OK, her hometown and will be making her third space flight. 

Lucid graduated from Bethany High School in 1960; received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry 

from the University of Oklahoma in 1963; and received a master of science followed by a doctorate in 

biochemistry in 1970 and 1973, respectively, from the University of Oklahoma. 

Lucid flew as a mission specialist on STS-51G, June 17-24,1985, on which the crew deployed three 

communications satellites and used the mechanical arm to deploy and retrieve an X-ray astronomy 

platform. She next flew on STS-34, Oct. 18-23, 1989, that deployed the Galileo planetary probe on its way 

to explore Jupiter and operated the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet instrument. Lucid has logged more 

than 290 hours in space. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 30 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

G. DAVID LOW, 35, will serve as Mission Specialist 2 (MS2). Selected as an astronaut in 1984, Low will 

be making his second space flight. 

Low graduated from Langley High School, McLean, VA, in 1974; received a bachelor of science in 

physics-engineering from Washington and Lee University in 1978; a bachelor of science in mechanical 

engineering from Cornell University in 1980; and received a master of science in aeronautics and 

astronautics from Stanford University in 1983. 

Low served as a mission specialist on STS-32, Jan. 9-20, 1990, a flight that retrieved the Long Duration 

Exposure Facility using the Shuttle's mechanical arm. Low has logged more than 261 hours in space. 

JAMES C. ADAMSON, 45, Col., USA, will serve as Mission Specialist 3 (MS3). Selected as an astronaut 

in 1984, he will be making his second space flight and considers Monarch, MT, his hometown. 

Adamson received a bachelor of science in engineering and was commissioned in the Army at West Point 

in 1969. In 1977, he received a master of science in aerospace engineering from Princeton University. 

He completed undergraduate and graduate pilot training and paratrooper training in the Army and has 

served as a test pilot, logging over 3,000 hours in 30 different aircraft. Adamson worked for NASA in 

mission control, serving as a guidance, navigation and control officer prior to his selection as an astronaut. 

Adamson flew on STS-28, Aug. 8-13, 1989, a Department of Defense-dedicated mission. He has logged 

121 hours in space. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 31 

STS-43 MISSION MANAGEMENT 

NASA HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON, DC 

Richard H. Truly NASA Administrator 

J. R. Thompson Deputy Administrator 

Dr. William Lenoir Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight 

Robert L. Crippen Director, Space Shuttle 

Leonard S. Nicholson Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Program) 

Brewster Shaw Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Operations) 

Charles Force Associate Administrator for Space Operations 

Eugene Ferrick Director, Space Network 

David Harris Manager, Space Network Operations 

James Maley Manager, Launch and Space Segment 

Daniel Brandel Manager, TDRSS Continuation 

Raymond Newman Manager, Ground Segment 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL 

Forest S. McCartney Director 

Jay Honeycutt Director, Shuttle Management and Operations 

Robert B. Sieck Launch Director 

John T. Conway Director, Payload Management and Operations 

P. Thomas Breakfield Director, STS Payload Operations 

Russell D. Lunnen Jr. STS-43 Payload Manager 

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TX 

Aaron Cohen Director 

Paul J. Weitz Deputy Director 

Daniel Germany Manager, Orbiter and GFE Projects 

Paul J. Weitz Acting Director, Flight Crew Operations 

Eugene F. Kranz Director, Mission Operations 

Henry O. Pohl Director, Engineering 

Charles S. Harlan Director, Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance 

MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, HUNTSVILLE, AL 

Thomas J. Lee Director 

Dr. J. Wayne Littles Deputy Director 

G. Porter Bridwell Manager, Shuttle Projects Office 

Dr. George F. McDonough Director, Science and Engineering 

Alexander A. McCool Director, Safety and Mission Assurance 

Victor Keith Henson Manager, Solid Rocket Motor Project 

Cary H. Rutland Manager, Solid Rocket Booster Project 

Jerry W. Smelser Manager, Space Shuttle Main Engine Project 

Gerald C. Ladner Manager, External Tank Project 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 32 

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, GREENBELT, MD 

Dr. John M. Klineberg Director 

Dr. Dale W. Harris Director, Flight Projects 

Dale L. Fahnestock Director, Mission Operations and Data Systems 

Daniel A. Spintman Chief, Networks Division 

Vaughn E. Turner Chief, Communications Division 

Charles Vanek Project Manager, Advanced TDRS Project 

Thomas E. Williams Deputy Project Manager, Advanced TDRS Project 

Nicholas G. Chrissotimos TDRS Manager 

Gary A. Morse Network Manager 

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS 

Roy S. Estess Director 

Gerald W. Smith Deputy Director 

J. Harry Guin Director, Propulsion Test Operations 

AMES-DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH FACILITY, EDWARDS, CA 

Kenneth J. Szalai Director 

T.G. Ayers Deputy Director 

James R. Phelps Chief, Shuttle Support Office 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 33 

SHUTTLE FLIGHTS AS OF JULY 1991 

41 TOTAL FLIGHTS OF THE SHUTTLE SYSTEM -- 16 SINCE RETURN TO FLIGHT 

STS-39 

04/28/91 - 05/06/91 

STS-40 

06/05/91 - 06/14/91 

STS-41 

10/06/90 - 10/10/90 

STS-35 

12/02/90 - 12/10/90 

STS-51L 

01/28/86 

STS-31 

04/24/90 - 04/29/90 

STS-32 

01/09/90 - 01/20/90 

STS-61A 

10/30/85 - 11/06/85 

STS-33 

11/22/89 - 11/27/89 

STS-28 

08/08/89 - 08/13/89 

STS-51F 

07/29/85 - 08/06/85 

STS-29 

03/13/89 - 03/18/89 

STS-37 

04/05/91 - 04/11/91 

STS-61C 

01/12/86 - 01/18/86 

STS-51B 

04/29/85 - 05/06/85 

STS-26 

09/29/88 - 10/03/88 

STS-38 

11/15/90 - 11/20/90 

STS-9 

11/28/83 - 12/08/83 

STS-41G 

10/05/84 - 10/13/84 

STS-51-I 

08/27/85 - 09/03/85 

STS-36 

02/28/90 - 03/04/90 

STS-5 

11/11/82 - 11/16/82 

STS-41C 

04/06/84 - 04/13/84 

STS-51G 

06/17/85 - 06/24/85 

STS-34 

10/18/89 - 10/23/89 

STS-4 

06/27/82 - 07/04/82 

STS-41B 

02/03/84 - 02/11/84 

STS-51D 

04/12/85 - 04/19/85 

STS-30 

05/04/89 - 05/08/89 

STS-3 

03/22/82 - 03/30/82 

STS-8 

08/30/83 - 09/05/83 

STS-51C 

01/24/85 - 01/27/85 

STS-27 

12/02/88 - 12/06/88 

STS-2 

11/12/81 - 11/14/81 

STS-7 

06/18/83 - 06/24/83 

STS-51A 

11/08/84 - 11/16/84 

STS-61B 

11/26/85 - 12/03/85 

STS-1 

04/12/81 - 04/14/81 

STS-6 

04/04/83 - 04/09/83 

STS-41D 

08/30/84 - 09/05/84 

STS-51J 

10/03/85 - 10/07/85 

 

OV-102 

Columbia 

(11 flights) 

OV-099 

Challenger 

(10 flights) 

OV-103 

Discovery 

(12 flights) 

OV-104 

Atlantis 

(8 flights)