STS-117 Press Kit 
STS-117 Press Kit 
JUNE 2007 CONTENTS i

CONTENTS 

Section Page

STS-117 MISSION OVERVIEW................................................................................................. 1

STS-117 TIMELINE OVERVIEW ................................................................................................ 11

MISSION PRIORITIES............................................................................................................. 13

LAUNCH AND LANDING ........................................................................................................... 15

LAUNCH............................................................................................................................................... 15

ABORT-TO-ORBIT (ATO)...................................................................................................................... 15

TRANSATLANTIC ABORT LANDING (TAL) ............................................................................................. 1 5

RETURN-TO-LAUNCH-SITE (RTLS)....................................................................................................... 15

ABORT ONCE AROUND (AOA)............................................................................................................... 15

LANDING ............................................................................................................................................. 15

MISSION PROFILE................................................................................................................... 17

STS-117 ATLANTIS CREW ....................................................................................................... 19

MISSION PERSONNEL ............................................................................................................. 29

KEY CONSOLE POSITIONS FOR STS-117............................................................................................... 29

RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING .................................................................................................. 31

SPACEWALKS ......................................................................................................................... 35

PAYLOAD OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................. 43

INTEGRATED TRUSS SEGMENTS S3 AND S4........................................................................................ 43

EXPERIMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 53

DETAILED TEST OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................... 53

SHORT-DURATION BIOASTRONAUTICS INVESTIGATION (SDBI) ......................................................... 53

SHORT-DURATION RESEARCH AND STATION EXPERIMENTS ............................................................... 54

EXTERNAL TANK ET-124 REPAIRS .......................................................................................... 57

SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE ADVANCED HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ........................ 63
ii CONTENTS JUNE 2007

Section Page

SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA .................................................................................................... 65

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................... 79

MEDIA ASSISTANCE ............................................................................................................... 95
JUNE 2007 MISSION OVERVIEW 1

MISSION OVERVIEW 

A computer‐generated artist’s rendering of the International Space Station after flight  

STS‐117/13A, following the delivery and installation of the second starboard truss  

segment (S3/S4), the deployment of the third set of solar arrays, and the retraction  

of the P6 starboard solar array wing and one radiator are retracted.

The STS‐117 mission continues construction of

the International Space Station and incorporates

lessons learned from the two most recent shut‐

tle missions, STS‐115 and STS‐116. STS‐117 will

complete similar tasks such as installing new

solar arrays and retracting an existing array.

The ground control teams and spaceflight

crews have used the past missionsʹ experiences,

both challenges and successes, as a guide for

this next step in space station assembly.

Space shuttle Atlantis will launch seven astro‐

nauts for its 28th flight and the 118th shuttle

mission. Rick Sturckow (STUR‐coe), a Marine

colonel, will command the flight. Pilot Lee Ar‐

chambault (ARSH‐um‐boe), an Air Force colo‐

nel, joins Sturckow in the shuttle’s cockpit. Mis‐

sion specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swan‐

son, John “Danny” Olivas (Oh‐LEE‐vuhs) and

Jim Reilly will conduct the missionʹs three

scheduled spacewalks.

After several months working aboard the sta‐

tion, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams will re‐

turn to Earth aboard Atlantis. The flight will

also carry her successor, astronaut Clayton

Anderson, arrives on Atlantis to begin his duty

as an Expedition 15 flight engineer.

The exchange of Anderson and Williams was

originally planned for the STS‐118 mission, now

targeted for launch in August. However, that

flight, first set to fly in June, had to be post‐

poned after an unexpected hail storm damaged

Atlantis’ external fuel tank and delayed STS‐117.
2 MISSION OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

While seated at the commanderʹs station, astronaut Rick Sturckow, STS‐117  

commander, participates in a training session in the crew compartment trainer  

(CCT‐2) in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center.

With the new plan, Williams’ mission on the

station will be approximately the same length

as originally anticipated. Williams, a Massachu‐

setts native, launched to the station Dec. 9, 2006,

aboard the space shuttle Discovery as part of

the STS‐116 mission. During her stay, she set a

record for spacewalks by a female astronaut

with a total of 29 hours and 17 minutes. Upon

Williams’ return, she will have accumulated

more time in space than any other woman.

STS‐117 was deemed a space station crew rota‐

tion flight in April 2007.

The mission will deliver and install the 17.5‐ton

S3/S4 truss segment to the starboard side of the

integrated truss system of the orbital outpost.

The truss, part of the station’s girder‐like back‐

bone, is a mirror image of the P3/P4 truss in‐

stalled during STS‐115 in September 2006.

The new truss segment includes a set of photo‐

voltaic solar arrays. When unfurled, the 240‐foot

arrays provide additional power for the station

in preparation for the delivery of international

science modules during the next two years.

This graphic depicts the key elements in At‐

lantisʹ payload bay for STS‐117.
JUNE 2007 MISSION OVERVIEW 3

Astronaut Lee Archambault, STS‐117 pilot, participates in a training session  

in the crew compartment trainer.

Each of the 82 active array blankets that are

grouped into 31.5 “bays” contains 16,400 silicon

photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into elec‐

tricity. The truss also contains a Solar Alpha

Rotary Joint (SARJ), which will rotate 360 de‐

grees, clockwise or counterclockwise, to posi‐

tion the S4 and S6 solar arrays to track the sun.

Processes to activate the SARJ were modified

after STS‐115. During that mission, difficulties

were encountered with software associated

with the gears within the joint, and spacewalk‐

ing astronauts had trouble loosening bolts dur‐

ing its structural preparation. Software to con‐

trol the SARJ was updated, and the spacewalk‐

ers now will carry another tool, called a torque

multiplier, to help remove any balky launch

restraints.

The mission includes the retraction of the star‐

board solar array, known as 2B, on the P6 truss

atop the station, which would otherwise inter‐

fere with the rotation of the new starboard ar‐

rays. The retraction also prepares the P6 truss

for its relocation to the outboard port side of the

station later this year. Retraction will begin a

day earlier than originally planned because of

the tricky retraction of the P6 port side solar

array during the STS‐116 mission in December.

Atlantis’ spacewalk teams are also prepared to

assist the retraction.
4 MISSION OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

The rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A has been fully opened for the first time  

in more than a year due to maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Pad 39A is ready for  

STS‐117 launch, the first in four years.

Atlantis is targeted to lift off from Launch Pad

39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Flor‐

ida (on June 8 at approximately 7:38 p.m. EDT).

Atlantis’ launch window will remain open until

July 19 when the sun’s beta angle at the station

is unfavorable for a docked shuttle mission.

STS‐117 is expected to last at least 11 days with

the scheduled spacewalks on flight days 4, 6

and 8.

The first three days of the mission closely mir‐

ror those of recent shuttle flights with inspec‐

tion of thermal protection system tiles and wing

leading edge reinforced carbon‐carbon panels,

and rendezvous and docking with the station.

On flight day 2, an inspection of the thermal

protection system will be performed.
JUNE 2007 MISSION OVERVIEW 5

Astronauts Steven Swanson (center) and Lee Archambault (right), STS‐117 mission specialist  

and pilot, respectively, participate in an exercise in the systems engineering simulator in the  

Jake Garn Simulation and Training Facility at Johnson Space Center. The facility includes  

moving scenes of full‐sized International Space Station components over a simulated Earth.
6 MISSION OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

Forrester is the prime shuttle robotic arm opera‐

tor, working with Archambault and Olivas to

inspect Atlantis using the arm extension,

known as the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. Ro‐

botics teams have incorporated lessons from

previous inspections to streamline the proce‐

dure, saving about one‐and‐half hours. The

same inspections of the wings and other orbiter

surfaces will take place after undocking from

the station to check for any damage incurred

during the mission.

When Atlantis arrives at the station two days

after launch, the Expedition 15 Commander

Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineers Oleg

Kotov and Sunita Williams will greet the six‐

person shuttle crew. Yurchikhin and Kotov ar‐

rived at the complex April 9, following their

April 7 launch on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft

from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

They are scheduled to return to Earth in Octo‐

ber after the arrival of the next station crew.

Williams came to the station on Discoveryʹs

STS‐116 flight in December. She will return at

the end of STS‐117 onboard Atlantis.

Cosmonauts Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (left), Oleg V. Kotov (right), Expedition 15 commander and flight

engineer, respectively, and astronaut Sunita L. Williams, flight engineer, photographed during a

teleconference in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station.
JUNE 2007 MISSION OVERVIEW 7

Once hatches are open, Forrester and Archam‐

bault will use the shuttle’s robotic arm to grap‐

ple the S3/S4 truss. They will hand it off to the

station’s robotic arm being operated by Wil‐

liams from the stationʹs Destiny lab. The truss

will remain grappled to the station’s Cana‐

darm2 overnight.

A customized seat liner will be installed in the

station’s Soyuz emergency return spacecraft for

Anderson, signifying the beginning of his ex‐

pedition onboard.

Reilly and Olivas will begin spacewalk prepara‐

tions promptly. Spacewalkers will use the

“campout” protocol, staying overnight in the

Quest airlock to remove nitrogen from their

bloodstreams. That will prevent a condition

known as decompression sickness, commonly

called the “bends.”

The next morning, as Reilly and Olivas prepare

to leave the Quest airlock for their first space‐

walk of the mission, Archambault, Kotov and

Forrester slowly and carefully will position the

S3/S4 truss at the edge of the S1 truss for instal‐

lation using the Canadarm 2. Once the truss is

secured in place, the spacewalkers will make

the wiring connections and prepare the new

solar arrays and thermal radiator for deploy‐

ment. The radiator will be deployed at the end

of the spacewalk.

On flight day 5, the crew and ground control

teams will work together to deploy the new so‐

lar arrays and transfer equipment and supplies

between the shuttle and station. At the end of

the day, the station’s robotic arm will be ma‐

neuvered into position for the second space‐

walk. While the crew sleeps, the ground control

team will move the arm and its mobile work

platform from work site No. 2 to work site No.

3 on the stationʹs truss.

Astronauts John “Danny” Olivas and Jim Reilly, both STS‐117 mission specialists,  

are about to be submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory  

(NBL) near Johnson Space Center.
8 MISSION OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

Astronauts Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson (partially obscured), both STS‐117  

mission specialists, are about to begin a spacewalk simulation in the NBL.

Before the second spacewalk on flight day 6, the

crew will begin retracting the P6 starboard solar

array from inside the shuttle. They will com‐

mand it to retract one bay at a time, starting

with less than one bay at first, to bring the pan‐

els into their storage boxes. They will continue

until only 19 of the 31.5 bays are extended. That

will clear the area for the SARJ rotation, or until

the crew needs to turn its focus to the space‐

walk preparations.

If the solar array panels begin to hang up or

fold incorrectly, as they did on STS‐116, Forres‐

ter and Swanson could try to correct the issue at

the beginning of the spacewalk. They will carry

the same tools wrapped with insulating tape

and use the same techniques developed during

STS‐116.

The ground control team also can try to free

guide wires stuck on grommets on the panels

by commanding the array’s Beta Gimbal As‐

sembly (BGA) to rotate in one direction and

then the other.

After spending some spacewalk time with the

solar array retraction, if needed, the spacewalk‐

ers will continue releasing locks and restraints

on the SARJ to allow its activation.
JUNE 2007 MISSION OVERVIEW 9

This digital still image was taken by an STS‐116 crew member aboard space shuttle Discovery of a

kink that occurred in the port‐side P6 solar array during the first attempt to retract that array on Dec.

13. The crew later extended the array and cleared this kink. The slow retraction of the array was

done again with similar retraction and extension cycles repeated as the day progressed.

If necessary, the crew will resume retraction of

the P6 solar array on flight day 7. The final bays

will be retracted carefully in a stepped fashion,

stopping at one‐half bay and one‐quarter bay

before fully retracting. If the retraction can not

be completed on that day from inside the vehi‐

cles, the third spacewalk will be dedicated to

fixing issues with the array retraction.

If a focused inspection of Atlantis’ heat shield is

requested once the shuttle is at the station, time

would be made available for it on flight day 7.

In this case, additional solar array retractions

would be conducted during spacewalk prepa‐

rations on flight day 8 instead of flight day 7.

Reilly and Olivasʹ third spacewalk on flight day

8 is dedicated to maintenance and assembly

tasks, unless they need to help with retracting

the P6 solar array.

Flight day 9 includes off‐duty time for the shut‐

tle astronauts and final transfer of cargo be‐

tween the two vehicles. The shuttle crew will

say farewell to the Expedition 15 crew and close

hatches at the end of the day.
10 MISSION OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

The International Space Station as it will appear following the STS‐117/ISS 13A mission.

On flight day 10, undocking from the station is

expected early in the crew’s workday to allow

for a fly around of the complex to document the

station’s new configuration. The flyaround also

provides time to complete a final inspection of

Atlantis’ heat shield using the orbiter boom

sensor system.

The astronauts will stow their gear, test Atlan‐

tis’ flight control surfaces and steering jets and

review their entry and landing procedures on

flight day 11. Atlantis is scheduled to land on

the morning of flight day 12, bringing the first

shuttle mission of 2007 to a close.
JUNE 2007 TIMELINE OVERVIEW 11

TIMELINE OVERVIEW 

FLIGHT DAY 1 

• Launch

• Payload Bay Door Opening

• Ku‐Band Antenna Deployment

• Shuttle Robot Arm Power Up

• External Tank Handheld Video, Umbilical

Well Imagery and Wing Leading Edge

Sensor Data Downlink

FLIGHT DAY 2 

• Shuttle Robot Arm Checkout

• Shuttle Robot Arm Grapple of Orbiter

Boom Sensor System (OBSS)

• Inspection of Shuttle Thermal Protection

System and Wing Leading Edge Reinforced

Carbon‐Carbon (RCC)

• OBSS Berthing

• Spacesuit Checkout

• Orbiter Docking System Outer Ring

Extension

• Airlock Preparations

• Rendezvous Tool Checkout

FLIGHT DAY 3 

• Rendezvous Operations

• Terminal Initiation Engine Firing

• Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver and ISS Digital

Photography from Atlantis

• Docking to the International Space Station

• Hatch Opening and Welcoming by

Expedition 14 Crew

• Clay Anderson/Suni Williams Soyuz

seatliner and crew exchange

• Shuttle robot arm grapple of S3/S4 truss and

handoff to station robot arm for overnight

parking

• Reilly and Olivas sleep in Quest Airlock for

spacewalk pre‐breathe campout protocol

FLIGHT DAY 4 

• Station robot arm installs S3/S4 truss on the

S1 truss

• Reilly and Olivas EVA No. 1 to connect

S1/S3 power cables, release launch

restraints, release solar array blanket box

restraints and install Solar Alpha Rotary

Joint Drive Lock Assemblies

• S3 truss and S4 electrical channel 3A and 1A

activation

FLIGHT DAY 5 

• S4 solar array deployment

• Solar Alpha Rotary Joint unlocking

• Forrester and Swanson sleep in Quest

Airlock for spacewalk pre‐breathe campout

protocol

FLIGHT DAY 6 

• Initial attempt to retract P6 starboard array

during EVA No. 2 preparations
12 TIMELINE OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

• Forrester and Swanson EVA No. 2 to release

Solar Alpha Rotary Joint locks and deploy

braces in preparation for its initial rotation

FLIGHT DAY 7 

• Possible additional retraction of P6

starboard array to its full retracted position

for blanket box latching

• Placeholder for focused inspection of

Atlantis’ thermal heat shield, if required

• Crew off‐duty period

• Reilly and Olivas sleep in Quest Airlock for

spacewalk pre‐breathe campout protocol

FLIGHT DAY 8 

• ISS power down of electrical channels 1  

and 4

• Reilly and Olivas EVA No. 3 to install an

external hydrogen vent valve on the

Destiny Laboratory for the new Oxygen

Generation System and TBD tasks

• Space Station Remote Manipulator System

moves from the Mobile Base System to

Destiny Laboratory.  The relocation is also

known as a ʺwalkoffʺ 

FLIGHT DAY 9 

• Shuttle to ISS transfer work

• Crew off‐duty period

• Crew News Conference

• Farewells and Hatch Closing

• Rendezvous tool checkout

FLIGHT DAY 10 

• Undocking and ISS flyaround

• Final separation from ISS

• Late inspection of Atlantis’ thermal heat

shield

FLIGHT DAY 11 

• Flight Control System Checkout

• Reaction Control System Hot‐Fire Test

• Cabin Stowage

• Deorbit Timeline Review

• Ku‐Band Antenna Stowage

FLIGHT DAY 12 

• Deorbit Preparations

• Payload Bay Door Closing

• Deorbit Burn

• KSC Landing
JUNE 2007 MISSION PRIORITIES 13

MISSION PRIORITIES 

1. Perform flight day 2 inspection, Rendez‐

vous Pitch Maneuver, Thermal Protection

System (TPS) tile inspection during rendez‐

vous and docking using International Space

Station (ISS) imagery, including focused

and late inspection as required, and

downlink all inspection data

2. Rotate Expedition 14 Flight Engineer 2 (Wil‐

liams) with Expedition 15 Flight Engineer 2

(Anderson) and transfer mandatory crew

rotation cargo per Flight 13A Transfer Prior‐

ity List

3. Install Integrated Truss System (ITS) Star‐

board 3/Starboard 4 (S3/S4) onto ITS S1 and

activate ITS S3/S4 systems to receive sur‐

vival power from S1

4. Complete S3/S4 installation and activation

5. Transfer mandatory quantities of water

from shuttle to the station

6. Transfer critical items

7. Configure and deploy the S4 Photovoltaic

Radiator (PVR) and activate the Active

Thermal System (ATS) thermal condition

and boost charge the S4 Channel 1A and 3A

batteries

8. Configure ISS and S4 element for S4 (Chan‐

nel 1A and 3A) Solar Array Wing (SAW)

deployments and deploy 1A and 3A SAWs

9. Reconfigure P6 for survival power and re‐

tract P6 starboard (Channel 2B) SAW

10. Configure and activate the starboard Solar

Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ)

11. Verify 1A and 3A SAW positioning to sup‐

port docking and undocking operations for

visiting vehicles (Alpha or Beta Joint)

12. Perform full rotation checkout of SARJ

13. Configure station for post S3/S4 installation

14. Remove and replace Synch Control Unit

15. Perform minimum crew handover of 12

hours per rotating crew member which in‐

cludes crew safety handover

16. Transfer remaining items

17. Complete extravehicular activity (EVA)

tasks to enable the mobile transporter (MT)

to be moved to workstation No. 1 on the

stationʹs truss

18. Perform EVA task to modify existing lab

condensate water vent to a hydrogen vent

and open vent valve

19. Perform U.S. and Russian segment daily

activities to support ISS powered payload

daily status checks

20. Perform full‐functional checkout of S3/Bay 2

MT workstation No. 1

21. Perform the following EVA tasks:

(a) Install Video System Stanchion Assem‐

bly (VSSA) stanchion on Camera Port 1

(b) Engage S4‐S5 soft dock mechanism
14 MISSION PRIORITIES JUNE 2007

(c) Perform Rocketdyne Truss Attachment

System (RTAS) visual inspection and

Foreign Object Debris (FOD) check

(d) Position EVA aids and tools to support

flight 13A.1

(e) Remove Handrail No. 120

(f) Relocate APFR No. 4

(g) Install S‐Band Antenna Support As‐

sembly launch lock bolts

(h) Inspect P6 PIP pin along translation

path

(i) Route and install Node 1/PMA 1 LAN

Cable

(j) Install External Wireless Instrumenta‐

tion System (EWIS) antenna

(k) Remove and return GPS Antenna No. 4

(l) Release S4 IEA Micrometeroid

(MMOD) debris shield fasteners

(m) Deploy S3 LO Payload Attachment Site

(PAS)  

(n) Install S1‐S3 ammonia fluid lines

(o) Install SASA launch locks.

(p) Install VSSA stanchion on Camera Port

7

22. Transfer oxygen from the shuttle to the sta‐

tionʹs high‐pressure gas tank if shuttle mar‐

gins permit

23. Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS)

coolant remediation

24. Perform payload research operations tasks

25. Perform the following utilization activities:

(a) Perceptual Motor Deficits In Space on ISS if

crew time available  

(b) Short Duration Bioastronautics Investiga‐

tions (SDBI)1503‐S, Midodrine

(c) Maui Analysis of Upper‐Atmospheric Injec‐

tions (MAUI) operations payload of oppor‐

tunity if propellant and timeline are avail‐

able  

(d) Ram Burn Observation (RAMBO) payload

operations (payload of opportunity with no

hardware or dedicated OMS burns)

26. Perform imagery survey of the stationʹs ex‐

terior during shuttle fly around after un‐

dock, if propellant available

27. Perform Station Development Test Objec‐

tive (SDTO) 13005‐U, Structural Life Valida‐

tion and Extension for Dedicated Thruster

Firing (Integrated Wireless Instrumentation

System, or IWIS, required)

28. Perform SDTO 12004‐U, Shuttle Booster Fan

Bypass for Shuttle Docked Operations

29. Perform SDTO 13005‐U, Structural Life

Validation and Extension for S3/S4 installa‐

tion, IWIS required

30. Perform SDTO 15003‐U, Microgravity Envi‐

ronment Definition, for Orbiter Ergometer

Exercise, IWIS required

31. Perform SDTO 15003‐U, Microgravity Envi‐

ronment Definition, for SARJ checkout
JUNE 2007 LAUNCH & LANDING 15

LAUNCH AND LANDING 

LAUNCH 

As with all previous space shuttle launches, At‐

lantis has several options to abort its ascent if

needed due to engine failures or other systems

problems. Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims

toward safe recovery of the flight crew and in‐

tact recovery of the orbiter and its payload.

Abort modes include:

ABORT-TO-ORBIT (ATO) 

This mode is used if there is partial loss of main

engine thrust late enough to permit reaching a

minimal 105 by 85 nautical mile orbit with the

orbital maneuvering system engines. The en‐

gines boost the shuttle to a safe orbital altitude

when it is impossible to reach the planned or‐

bital altitude.

TRANSATLANTIC ABORT LANDING 

(TAL) 

The loss of one or more main engines midway

through powered flight would force a landing

at either Zaragoza, Spain; Moron, Spain; or Is‐

tres, France. For launch to proceed, weather

conditions must be acceptable at one of these

TAL sites.

RETURN-TO-LAUNCH-SITE (RTLS) 

If one or more engines shuts down early and if

there is not enough energy to reach Zaragoza,

the shuttle would pitch around toward KSC

until within gliding distance of the Shuttle

Landing Facility. For launch to proceed,

weather conditions must be forecast to be ac‐

ceptable for a possible RTLS landing at KSC

about 20 minutes after liftoff.

ABORT ONCE AROUND (AOA) 

An AOA is selected if the vehicle cannot

achieve a viable orbit or will not have enough

propellant to perform a deorbit burn but has

enough energy to circle the Earth once and land

about 90 minutes after liftoff.

LANDING 

The primary landing site for Atlantis on

STS‐117 is the Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle

Landing Facility. Alternate landing sites that

could be used if needed due to weather condi‐

tions or systems failures are at Edwards Air

Force Base, Calif., and White Sands Space Har‐

bor, N.M.
16 LAUNCH & LANDING JUNE 2007

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JUNE 2007 MISSION PROFILE 17

CREW 

Commander: Rick Sturckow  

Pilot: Lee Archambault

Mission Specialist 1: Patrick Forrester

Mission Specialist 2: Steven Swanson

Mission Specialist 3: John ʺDannyʺ Olivas

Mission Specialist 4: Jim Reilly

Mission Specialist 5: Clayton Anderson

(Up)/Sunita Williams

(Down)

LAUNCH 

Orbiter: Atlantis (OV‐104)

Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center

Launch Pad 39A

Launch Date: No earlier than June 8,

2007

Launch Time: 7:38 p.m. EDT (Preferred

In‐Plane launch time for

6/8)

Launch Window: 5 Minutes

Altitude: 122 Nautical Miles (140

Miles) Orbital Insertion;

181 NM (208 Miles)

Rendezvous

Inclination: 51.6 Degrees

Duration: 10 Days, 19 Hours,

9 Minutes

VEHICLE DATA 

Shuttle Liftoff Weight: 4,525,471

pounds

Orbiter/Payload Liftoff Weight: 270,469

pounds

Orbiter/Payload Landing Weight: 199,501

pounds

Software Version: OI‐30

Space Shuttle Main Engines: 

SSME 1: 2059

SSME 2: 2052

SSME 3: 2057

External Tank: ET‐124

SRB Set: BI‐129

RSRM Set: 96

SHUTTLE ABORTS 

Abort Landing Sites 

RTLS: Kennedy Space Center Shuttle

Landing Facility

TAL: Primary – Zaragoza, Spain.  

Alternates – Moron, Spain (after

June 15) and Istres, France

AOA: Primary – Kennedy Space Center

Shuttle Landing Facility;  

Alternate – White Sands Space

Harbor

Landing 

Landing Date: No earlier than June 19,

2007

Landing Time: 2:46 p.m. EDT

Primary landing Site: Kennedy Space Center

Shuttle Landing Facility

PAYLOADS 

Integrated Truss Segment (ITS) ‐ 

Starboard 3/Starboard 4 (S3/S4)

MISSION PROFILE 
18 MISSION PROFILE JUNE 2007

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JUNE 2007 CREW 19

STS-117 ATLANTIS CREW 

The STS‐117 crew patch symbolizes the contin‐

ued construction of the International Space Sta‐

tion (ISS) and our ongoing human presence in

space. The ISS is shown orbiting high above the

Earth. The crew will install the portion of the

station that is highlighted in gold. It consists of

the second and third starboard truss sections,

S3/S4, and a set of solar arrays. The names of

the STS‐117 crew are above and below the or‐

biting outpost. The two gold astronaut office

symbols, emanating from the “117” at the bot‐

tom of the patch, represent the concerted efforts

of the shuttle and station programs to complete

the station. The shuttle and unfurled banner of

red, white and blue represent our nationʹs re‐

newed patriotism as NASA continues to ex‐

plore the universe.
20 CREW JUNE 2007

Scheduled to launch aboard the space shuttle

Atlantis are (from the left) Clayton Anderson,

Jim Reilly, Steven Swanson, mission specialists;

Rick Sturckow, commander; Lee Archambault,

pilot; Patrick Forrester and John  ʺDannyʺ 

Olivas, mission specialists. The crew members

are attired in training versions of their shuttle

launch and entry suits.

Short biographical sketches of the crew with

detailed background are available at:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/
JUNE 2007 CREW 21

Rick Sturckow

A Marine colonel, Rick Sturckow will lead the

crew of STS‐117 on the 21st shuttle mission to

the space station. Sturckow served as the pilot

of STS‐88 in 1998 and STS‐105 in 2001. Making

his third spaceflight, he has logged more than

568 hours in space. He has overall responsibil‐

ity for the execution of the mission, orbiter sys‐

tems operations and flight operations, includ‐

ing landing. In addition, Sturckow will fly the

shuttle in a procedure called the rendezvous

pitch maneuver while Atlantis is 600 feet below

the station to enable the station crew to photo‐

graph the shuttle’s heat shield. He will then

dock Atlantis to the station. Sturckow also will

be involved in photo documentation of various

activities including the spacewalks.
22 CREW JUNE 2007

Lee Archambault

An Air Force colonel, Lee Archambault has

logged more than 4,000 hours flying more than

30 aircraft. He will make his first journey into

space as the pilot for the STS‐117 mission. Se‐

lected by NASA in June 1998, Archambault re‐

ported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston

in August 1998. He has supported launch and

landing operations at the Kennedy Space Cen‐

ter and served as a CAPCOM (capsule commu‐

nicator) during the STS‐121 shuttle mission. He

will be responsible for orbiter systems opera‐

tions and will help Sturckow in the rendezvous

and docking with the station. Archambault will

be heavily involved in robotic arm operations

during inspection of Atlantis’ heat shield and

will be the lead station robotic arm operator

during the truss installation and spacewalks.

He will undock Atlantis from the station at the

end of the mission.
JUNE 2007 CREW 23

Patrick Forrester

A retired Army colonel, Mission Specialist 1

Patrick Forrester, is making his second space‐

flight on STS‐117. He flew on STS‐105 in 2001

and completed two spacewalks totaling 11

hours and 45 minutes. Forrester will conduct

the second of three spacewalks during the mis‐

sion to prepare the truss and solar arrays for

tracking the sun to generate power. He will

serve as the intravehicular coordinator of the

other two spacewalks. Forrester is the prime

shuttle robotic arm operator and will lead the

inspection effort using its extension known as

the Orbiter Boom Sensor System.
24 CREW JUNE 2007

Steven Swanson

A member of the 1998 astronaut class, Mission

Specialist 2 Steven Swanson will be making his

first trip into space. He will do the second of

three spacewalks during STS‐117 and will be a

robotic arm operator. He will be on the flight

deck during launch and landing, serving as the

flight engineer to assist Sturckow and Archam‐

bault. Swanson received a bachelorʹs from the

University of Colorado, a masterʹs from Florida

Atlantic University and a doctorate from Texas

A&M University. He joined NASA as a systems

engineer working on the shuttle training air‐

craft in 1987. He began training as an astronaut

in August 1998, has worked in the Astronaut

Office Space Station Operations and Robotics

Branches and served as a CAPCOM.
JUNE 2007 CREW 25

John “Danny” Olivas

Mission Specialist 3 John “Danny” Olivas will

be making his first flight into space and will

conduct the first and third spacewalks of STS‐

117 to prepare the truss and solar arrays for

tracking the sun to generate power. He will op‐

erate the shuttle robotic arm and its extended

sensor boom to inspect Atlantis’ heat shield.

Olivas was a program manager at the Jet Pro‐

pulsion Laboratory before being selected as an

astronaut in 1998. He has worked in the Astro‐

naut Office Robotics and Extravehicular Activ‐

ity, or spacewalk, Branches. He received a

bachelor’s from the University of Texas‐El Paso,

a master’s from the University of Houston and

a doctorate from Rice University.
26 CREW JUNE 2007

Jim Reilly

A veteran of two spaceflights, Mission Special‐

ist 4 Jim Reilly will conduct two of the three

spacewalks during STS‐117. He also will serve

as the intravehicular coordinator of the second

spacewalk. Reilly was selected as an astronaut

in 1994. He flew on STS‐89 to the Russian Mir

Space Station in 1998 and STS‐104 to the Inter‐

national Space Station in 2001. Reilly has logged

more than 517 hours in space, including three

spacewalks totaling 16 hours and 30 minutes.
JUNE 2007 CREW 27

Astronaut Clayton C. Anderson, mission specialist

Replacing Williams as an Expedition 15 flight

engineer, Anderson will join the crew during

the STS‐117 shuttle mission. Anderson is a

graduate of Hastings College in Nebraska and

Iowa State University. He joined NASA in 1983

in the Mission Planning and Analysis Division,

before moving on to the Mission Operations

Directorate where he progressed to chief of the

Flight Design Branch. He was selected to join

NASA’s astronaut corps in 1998. He most re‐

cently was back‐up flight engineer for Expedi‐

tions 12, 13 and 14 to the station. He is sched‐

uled to return to Earth on shuttle mission

STS‐120 in October.
28 CREW JUNE 2007

Astronaut Sunita L. Williams

Williams, who arrived on the space station in

December 2006 on shuttle Discovery during the

STS‐116 mission, will return to Earth via the

space shuttle Atlantis on the STS‐117 mission.

Although this is her first spaceflight mission,

Williams holds the spacewalk duration world

record for females with a total extravehicular

activity time of 29 hour, 17 minutes over four

spacewalks. Her first spacewalk was with vet‐

eran spacewalker Bob Curbeam during

STS‐116. The other three spacewalks were con‐

ducted with Expedition 14 Commander Mi‐

chael Lopez‐Alegria. Williams was selected by

NASA in June 1998. She worked in Moscow

with Russian space officials on Russian seg‐

ment systems development for the station and

with the first Expedition crew to the station.

Williams will wrap up her long‐duration space‐

flight midway through Expedition 15. Upon her

return, she will have accumulated more time in

space than any other woman.
JUNE 2007 MISSION PERSONNEL 29

MISSION PERSONNEL 

KEY CONSOLE POSITIONS FOR STS-117 

Flt. Director CAPCOM PAO

Ascent Norm Knight Tony Antonelli Kyle Herring

Terry Virts (Weather)

Orbit 1 (Lead) Cathy Koerner Terry Virts Kylie Clem (Lead)

Orbit 2 Bryan Lunney Kevin Ford Kelly Humphries

Planning Richard Jones Shane Kimbrough Pat Ryan

Entry Norm Knight Tony Antonelli Kylie Clem

Terry Virts (Weather)

Shuttle Team 4 Mike Sarafin N/A N/A

ISS Orbit 1 Annette Hasbrook Steve Bowen N/A

ISS Orbit 2 (Lead) Kelly Beck Megan McArthur N/A

ISS Orbit 3 Holly Ridings Rick Davis N/A

Station Team 4 Sally Davis N/A N/A

JSC PAO Representative at KSC for Launch – Nicole Cloutier‐Lemasters

KSC Launch Commentator – George Diller

KSC Launch Director – Mike Leinbach

NASA Launch Test Director – Steve Payne
30 MISSION PERSONNEL JUNE 2007

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JUNE 2007 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING 31

RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING 

This view of the nose and part of the crew cabin of Space Shuttle Discovery was provided  

by an Expedition 14 crewmember during a back‐flip performed by the approaching  

STS‐116 crew to the International Space Station.

The shuttle launch is timed precisely to place

the orbiter on the correct trajectory and course

for its two‐day chase of the station. Periodic en‐

gine firings will gradually bring Atlantis to

about 50,000 feet behind the station—the start‐

ing point for a final approach.

About 2.5 hours before docking, Atlantis’ jets

will be fired during what is called the Terminal

Initiation burn to begin the final phase of the

rendezvous. Atlantis will close the final miles to

the station during the next orbit.

As Atlantis moves closer to the station, the

shuttle’s rendezvous radar system and trajec‐

tory control sensor will track the complex and

provide range and closing rate data to the crew.

During the final approach, Atlantis will execute

several small mid‐course correction burns that

will place Atlantis about 1,000 feet directly be‐

low the station. STS‐117 Commander Rick

Sturckow then will manually control the shuttle

for the remainder of the approach and docking.
32 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING JUNE 2007

Rendezvous Approach Profile

Space Shuttle Rendezvous Maneuvers 

OMS-1 (Orbit insertion) - Rarely used ascent 

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.

Imagery using 400 and 800 mm digital camera

lenses will photograph Atlantis during the

Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver.

He will stop the approach 600 feet beneath the

station to ensure proper lighting for imagery

prior to initiating the standard Rendezvous

Pitch Maneuver (RPM), or backflip.

Sturckow will maneuver Atlantis through a

9 minute, 360‐degree backflip that allows the

station crew to take as many as 300 digital pic‐

tures of the shuttle’s heat shield.

On verbal cue from Pilot Lee Archambault to

the station crew, Sturckow will command At‐

lantis to begin a nose‐forward, three‐quarter of

a degree per second rotational backflip.

The photos will be taken out of windows in the

Zvezda Service Module with Kodak DCS 760

digital cameras outfitted with 400 mm and

800 mm lenses. The imagery is one of several

inspection techniques to determine the health of

the shuttle’s thermal protection system, includ‐

ing the tiles and reinforced carbon‐carbon wing

leading edges and nosecap.

The photos will be downlinked through the sta‐

tion’s Ku‐band communications system for

analysis by systems engineers and mission

managers.
JUNE 2007 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING 33

When Atlantis completes its rotation, its pay‐

load bay will be facing the station. Sturckow

then will move Atlantis to a position about

400 feet directly in front of the station in prepa‐

ration for the final approach to docking to the

Destiny docking port.

The shuttle’s crew members operate laptop

computers processing the navigational data, the

laser range systems and Atlantis’ docking

mechanism.

Using a view from a camera mounted in the

center of the Orbiter Docking System, Sturckow

will precisely match up the docking ports of the

two spacecraft. If necessary, he will temporarily

pause 30 feet from the station to ensure proper

alignment of the docking mechanisms.

For Atlantis’ docking, Sturckow will maintain

the shuttleʹs speed relative to the station at

about one‐tenth of a foot per second (while both

Atlantis and the station are traveling at about

17,500 mph), and keep the docking mechanisms

aligned to within a tolerance of three inches.

When Atlantis makes contact with the station,

preliminary latches will automatically attach

the two spacecraft. Immediately after Atlantis

docks, the shuttleʹs steering jets will be deacti‐

vated to reduce the forces acting at the docking

interface. Shock absorber springs in the docking

mechanism will dampen any relative motion

between the shuttle and the station.

Once the motion between the spacecraft has

been stopped, the docking ring will be retracted

to close a final set of latches between the two

vehicles.

UNDOCKING, SEPARATION AND 

DEPARTURE 

At undocking time, the hooks and latches will

be opened, and springs will push the shuttle

away from the station. Atlantis’ steering jets

will be shut off to avoid any inadvertent firings

during the initial separation.

Once Atlantis is about two feet from the station

and the docking devices are clear of one an‐

other, Archambault will turn the steering jets

back on and will manually control Atlantis

within a tight corridor as the shuttle separates

from the station.

Atlantis will move to a distance of about

450 feet, where Archambault will begin to fly

around the station in its new configuration.

This maneuver will occur only if propellant

margins and mission timeline activities permit.

Once Atlantis completes 1.5 revolutions of the

complex, Archambault will fire Atlantis’ jets to

leave the area. The shuttle will move about

46 miles from the station and remain there

while ground teams analyze data from the late

inspection of the shuttleʹs heat shield. The dis‐

tance is close enough to allow the shuttle to re‐

turn to the station in the unlikely event that the

heat shield is damaged, preventing the shuttleʹs

re‐entry.
34 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING JUNE 2007

Backdropped by the blackness of space, clouds and Earthʹs horizon, the International Space Station

is seen as it and Space Shuttle Discovery begin their relative separation on Dec. 19, 2006.
JUNE 2007 SPACEWALKS 35

SPACEWALKS 

The primary focus for STS‐117’s spacewalks, or

extravehicular activities (EVAs), is to install the

S3/S4 truss segment to the starboard side of the

integrated truss system. The task is similar to

that of the STS‐115 mission, where the sister

P3/P4 segment was installed.

The spacewalks also include assembly and main‐

tenance tasks and could involve helping with the

retraction of the P6 starboard solar array. Three

spacewalks are planned on flight days 4, 6 and 8.

Each spacewalk is estimated to last 6.5 hours.

Mission specialists Jim Reilly and John

“Danny” Olivas will conduct the first and third

spacewalks. Mission specialists Patrick Forres‐

ter and Steven Swanson will conduct the sec‐

ond. This will be Reilly’s third spacewalk and

Forrester’s second. Olivas and Swanson will be

conducting their first spacewalks.

Williams will assist with preparations in the

airlock before each spacewalk. The spacewalk‐

ers will be identifiable by various markings on

their spacesuits. Reilly will wear one with solid

red stripes, while Olivasʹs suit will be solid

white. Forrester will wear a suit with red, bro‐

ken stripes, and Swanson will have a suit with

diagonal, or candy cane‐like, red stripes.

The spacewalks will start from the station’s

Quest airlock. Before each spacewalk, the as‐

tronauts will use the “campout” pre‐breathe

protocol, where they will spend the night in the

airlock. This reduces the amount of time typi‐

cally required for the pre‐breathe exercise and,

in some cases, the complexity of the next morn‐

ing’s spacewalk preparations.

Astronaut Jim Reilly, STS‐117 mission specialist, attired in a training version of the  

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, is about to begin a training session in  

the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center.
36 SPACEWALKS JUNE 2007

As a result, the crew can get outside earlier to

perform the day’s tasks.

The crew members isolate themselves in the

airlock. The airlockʹs air pressure is lowered to

10.2 psi, while the station is kept at 14.7 psi, or

near sea‐level pressure. Astronauts aboard the

shuttle perform a similar procedure for the

shuttle‐based spacewalks, lowering the entire

spacecraft’s air pressure a day or so beforehand.

The morning of the first spacewalk, the Inte‐

grated Truss Segment (ITS) S3/S4 will be at‐

tached to the Starboard 1 (S1) segment. The S3

segment consists of the S3 truss and Solar Al‐

pha Rotary Joint (SARJ), a device that will ro‐

tate 360 degrees clockwise and counterclock‐

wise to position the solar arrays to track the sun

for electrical power. The S4 segment provides

the station with a third set of photovoltaic Solar

Array Wings (SAWs) that will provide addi‐

tional power for the station once unfurled to

their full length of 240 feet.

The station eventually will have 11 integrated

truss segments that stretch 356 feet from end to

end. They will support four virtually identical

solar array assemblies that provide electrical

power. They also will support radiators that

will cool the station.

Major S3 subsystems include the Seg‐

ment‐to‐Segment Attach System, SARJ and Un‐

pressurized Cargo Carrier Attach System. Major

S4 subsystems include the Photovoltaic Module,

Photovoltaic Radiator (PVR) and Modified

Rocketdyne Truss Attachment System.

The maintenance and assembly tasks include

installing a vent on the Destiny lab for the fu‐

ture oxygen generation system, an External

Wireless Instrumentation System (EWIS) an‐

tenna and routing cables on the Unity Node

and Zvezda Service Module.

EVA 1 

The S3/S4 activation is complex and challenging

for both the crew and the ground teams. It in‐

volves detailed sequential task choreography,

cooperation between the intravehicular and ex‐

travehicular crew members and multiple Mis‐

sion Control systems disciplines. During the

first spacewalk, the crew will prepare the truss

for activation and the solar arrays for deploy‐

ment.

As Reilly and Olivas prepare for the spacewalk,

Lee Archambault, station resident Oleg Kotov

and Forrester will use the station’s robotic arm

to slowly move the 17.5 ton S3/S4 truss to the

starboard side of the integrated truss system,

aligning it using a television camera, then mat‐

ing it to S1.

Once Reilly and Olivas leave the airlock, they

will move to the newly installed truss. On a

“go” from Mission Control once the proper

electrical inhibits are in place, Reilly will con‐

nect power cables in the S1 to S3 lower utility

tray, where the electrical connections are

housed. Then Reilly will give the ground con‐

trol team the clear to begin activation of the

S3/S4 truss.

The S3/S4 truss is positioned for installation.
JUNE 2007 SPACEWALKS 37

STS‐117 mission specialist John “Danny” Olivas prepares to train for his spacewalks at the NBL.

He will then relocate a foot restraint, configure

a tool and hardware bag for a later truss prepa‐

ration task and remove a thermal shroud from a

computer in the S3 truss. Afterward, Reilly will

move to the upper utility tray on S3/S4 and re‐

peat the choreography with Mission Control to

continue the connections and activation of the

truss.

Reilly will continue work on the truss. He will

rotate a keel pin that held the S4 truss segment

in place for launch and release launch restraints

for the Beta Gimbal Assemblies (BGAs). The

BGAs are the structural link between the truss’

integrated electronics and the SAWs. Reilly will

release both the forward and aft wing BGAs.

Olivas also will be working on the S3/S4 truss.

His first task will be to release the aft and for‐

ward Solar Array Blanket Box (SABB) launch

restraints, unbolting the SABBs from the Inte‐

grated Equipment Assembly. The SABBs hold

the folded solar arrays.

Olivas will prepare the S4 PVR for deployment

by removing cinches and winches on it. These

must be released before the crew inside the sta‐

tion can deploy the radiator. The cinches are

wire braided cables with nut assemblies on the

end that serve as launch restraints for the PVR.

Olivas will use a pistol grip tool (PGT) on the

nuts to release the tension in the cable, remove

the cable nut assembly from its receptacle on

the PVR and attach the cinch to a clip on the

PVR base plate.
38 SPACEWALKS JUNE 2007

The next task will be to release the winch bar,

which secures the PVR during launch, from the

PVR. A pip pin secures the winch bar to the

outermost PVR panel. After the winch bar is

released, the pip pin will be reinstalled into the

winch bar. The radiator will then be ready for

deployment at the end of the spacewalk.

Olivas next will begin preparing the SARJ for

activation. He will deploy and rigidize the four

Alpha Joint Interface Structure (AJIS) struts.

The AJIS struts must be rigidized for purposes

of structural loading prior to removing any of

the launch locks later in the spacewalk.

The two spacewalkers then will work near each

other while Reilly unstows the forward SABB

and Olivas unstows the aft SABB, the final step

in preparing the solar arrays for deployment

the next day.

Reilly then moves to another task to prepare the

SARJ for activation. He will install two of four

drive lock assemblies (DLAs). The other two

DLAs will be installed on the second space‐

walk. The drive lock assemblies must be de‐

ployed to provide a method of controlling the

SARJ rotation.

At this time, Olivas will be removing thermal

shrouds from forward and aft Sequential Shunt

Units (SSU) and Electronics/environmental

Control Units (ECU). Olivas will continue

working with the AJIS strut installation as well.

STS‐117 underwater training activities are visible on the monitors in the simulation  

control area in the NBL.  The STS‐117 crew uses the NBL to rehearse both assigned  

and contingency spacewalks for its mission.
JUNE 2007 SPACEWALKS 39

The two spacewalkers will join each other again

to remove launch locks simultaneously from

the SARJ for the final task of the spacewalk.

Most of the lock and restraint removal will be

completed on the second spacewalk. Reilly and

Olivas have time to begin the work by remov‐

ing three launch locks each. There are 16 launch

locks and 10 outer launch restraints. The launch

locks and launch restraints constrain the SARJ

and handle loads during ascent. All of the

launch locks must be removed before any of the

launch restraints can be removed.

Each launch lock is under a separate insulation

cover that is in turn connected to the SARJ in‐

board bulkhead by four to six bolts and con‐

nected to the outboard bulkhead by one to

three spring‐loaded clamp bolts. After remov‐

ing the cover, the launch lock is removed by

releasing four bolts. Once the launch lock is re‐

moved, the cover is replaced and reattached to

the SARJ inboard bulkhead. The outboard

spring clamp bolts are left open to allow for

SARJ rotation.

As the spacewalkers clean up and prepare to

come back inside, Archambault and Swanson

will command the radiator to deploy from in‐

side the spacecraft. After the spacewalk, Mis‐

sion Control Houston will command the activa‐

tion of the S4 truss to check out its systems and

the still folded solar arrays.

EVA 2 

Before the second spacewalk begins on flight

day 6, the shuttle and station crew members

will begin retracting the P6 starboard solar ar‐

ray. They will command it to retract one bay at

a time, starting with less than one bay to bring

the panels into their storage boxes. They will

continue until only 19 of the 31.5 bays are ex‐

tended, which clears the area for the SARJ rota‐

tion, or until the crew needs to turn its focus to

the spacewalk preparations.

If the solar array panels begin to hang up or

fold incorrectly, as was seen on STS‐116, Forres‐

ter and Swanson, already preparing to leave the

airlock, would be available to make initial at‐

tempts to correct the issue. They will carry the

same suite of tools wrapped with insulating

tape and use the same techniques developed

during STS‐116. Archambault will operate the

station robotic arm during the spacewalk

The ground control team also can try to free

guide wires stuck on grommets on the panels

before the spacewalk begins by commanding

the array’s Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) to ro‐

tate in one direction and then the other.

After spending a little spacewalk time with the

solar array retraction, if needed, the spacewalk‐

ers will continue releasing launch locks and re‐

straints on the SARJ to allow its activation.

The first task on the truss will be the deploy‐

ment of the SARJ brace beams. These beams are

on the S3 inboard side of the SARJ. They help

rigidize the SARJ interface. Forrester and Swan‐

son each will deploy two braces.

Forrester then will complete the installation of

the DLAs that was started by Reilly on the first

spacewalk. Next he will join Swanson in remov‐

ing the SARJ launch locks and restraints simul‐

taneously throughout the rest of the spacewalk.

Removal of the launch restraints proved diffi‐

cult during the STS‐115 mission’s installation of

the P3/P4 truss segment. The STS‐117 space‐

walkers will be carrying with them an addi‐

tional tool, called a torque multiplier, to make

the task easier.
40 SPACEWALKS JUNE 2007

Patrick Forrester, STS‐117 mission specialist, dons a training version of the EMU spacesuit  

prior to rehearsing a spacewalk at the NBL.

If time allows, there are additional tasks for

Forrester and Swanson. These get‐ahead tasks

include clearing the Mobile Transporter railway

on top of the new truss by removing or relocat‐

ing various hardware.

EVA 3 

If the P6 starboard solar array has not been re‐

tracted before the third spacewalk, Reilly and

Olivas will work on it. They will be prepared to

work on problems seen during the STS‐116 mis‐

sion, such as guide wires on the solar arrays get‐

ting stuck in grommets along the way and the

panels folding backwards during the retraction.

The spacewalkers can use the same tools as

STS‐116 to reset the grommets, push on the

panels to fold correctly, fluff or spread the pan‐

els equally apart and gently shake the panels

from the base.

Get‐ahead tasks include clearing the railway on

the truss for the Mobile Transporter, installing a

water to hydrogen vent on the outside of the

Destiny lab for the future activation of the Oxy‐

gen Generation System, installing an EWIS an‐

tenna and routing local area network (LAN)

cables around the Unity Node and Zvezda Ser‐

vice Module.

Additional get‐ahead tasks include installing a

Video Stanchion Support Assembly, working

on S‐band Antenna Structural Assembly gimbal

locks and retrieving the Global Positioning Sys‐

tem antenna No. 4.
JUNE 2007 SPACEWALKS 41

STS‐117 mission specialist Steven Swanson adjusts his communications  

equipment on his EMU before engaging in spacewalk training.
42 SPACEWALKS JUNE 2007

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JUNE 2007 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 43

PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 

INTEGRATED TRUSS SEGMENTS 

S3 AND S4 

The Starboard Three (S3) and Starboard Four

(S4) integrated truss segments are the primary

payload delivered on the STS‐117 mission and

the heaviest space station payload to date. The

principal functions of the S3 and S4 truss seg‐

ments are to provide electrical power and data

interfaces for future mission payloads and con‐

vert sunlight to electricity. The segments will

include another set of Solar Array Wings

(SAWs) and a second Solar Alpha Rotary Joint

(SARJ).

Designed by The Boeing Company, the S3/S4

truss segments will be the second starboard ad‐

dition to the 11‐segment integrated truss struc‐

ture that will eventually span more than 300

feet to carry power, data and temperature con‐

trol for the orbital outpost’s electronics.

MIDDECK PAYLOAD 

In addition to S3/S4, Space Shuttle Atlantis will

carry in its middeck a Hydrogen (H2) Vent

Valve that will be installed during the mission’s

third spacewalk. The Hydrogen Vent Valve is

part of the Oxygen Generation System (OGS)

and will be used to vent Hydrogen overboard.

The OGS will help produce oxygen for the crew

to replace oxygen lost due to experiment use,

airlock depressurization and venting.
44 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

S3/S4 Specifications 

Dimensions: 44 ft., 9.6 inches long 

(13.656 m) by 16 ft., 

3.4 inches wide (4.965 m) 

by 15 ft., 2.3 inches high 

(4.631 m)

Weight: 35,678 lbs

Other items being carried in the middeck in‐

clude a contingency water container for trans‐

ferring water to the station, a tool “modified

torque multiplier” for removing S3 launch re‐

straints and audio interface hardware to trou‐

bleshoot shuttle‐to‐station communication dif‐

ficulties experienced during the last two mis‐

sions. The payload weight for the middeck dur‐

ing this mission is less than 1,000 pounds.

INTEGRATED TRUSS SEGMENTS 

The integrated truss segments started with

Starboard zero (S0) as the center assignment

and were numbered in ascending order out‐

ward to the port and starboard sides. Starboard

is the right side and port is the left side of the

truss structure. Z is zenith and is up.

From S0, the truss segments are P1, P3, P4, P5

and P6 and S1, S3, S4, S5 and S6. P6 is on orbit

and attached to segment Z1 (zenith). The zenith

is a spacer added to provide adequate space

between the pressurized modules and P6. P6

eventually will be relocated and attached to P5.

Plans for S2 and P2 segments were eliminated

when the station design was scaled back.

Along with the SAWs and the SARJ, the S3/S4

segments also support utility routing, power

distribution and a translation path for the Mo‐

bile Remote Service Base System (MBS).

PAYLOAD STRUCTURE 

The S3/S4 segments will be removed from the

space shuttle payload bay using the shuttle’s

robotic arm and handed off to the space station

robotic arm, where it will be maneuvered and

attached to S1.

Beside two SAWs and a SARJ, the S3/S4 struc‐

ture has several distinct elements: the Inte‐

grated Equipment Assembly (IEA), two Beta

Gimbal Assemblies (BGA) and the Photovoltaic

Thermal Control Subsystem (PVTCS).

Starboard 3 (S3) 

The S3 primary structure is made of a hexago‐

nal‐shaped aluminum structure and includes

four bulkheads and six longerons, beams that

connect the bulkheads. The secondary structure

includes brackets, fittings, attach platforms, ex‐

travehicular activity equipment and miscella‐

neous mechanisms.

The major S3 subsystems include the SARJ,

Segment‐to‐Segment Attach System (SSAS) and

Payload Attach System (PAS). The S3 truss

segment will provide mechanical, power and

data interfaces to payloads attached to the four

PAS platforms; axial indexing for solar tracking

via the SARJ; translation and work site accom‐

modations for the Mobile Transporter; accom‐

modations for ammonia servicing of the out‐

board PV modules and two Multi‐

plexer/Demultiplexers (MDMs). The MDMs are

basically computers that tell other electrical

components when to turn on and off and moni‐

tor hardware. The S3 also provides a passive

attachment point to the S1 segment via the

SSAS and pass through of power and data to

and from the outboard segments.
JUNE 2007 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 45

S3/S4 is shown on the left at  

Stage 13A complete.

The SARJ continuously rotates to keep the SAW

on S4 and S6 (S6 is scheduled for launch on

shuttle mission STS‐119, targeted for no earlier

than June 2008) oriented toward the sun as the

station orbits the Earth. Each SAW is also ori‐

ented by the BGA, which can change the pitch

of the wing. Each wing measures 115 feet by

38 feet and extends out to each side of the Inte‐

grated Equipment Assembly. There are two

wings on S4.

The PAS will allow platforms to be attached to

S3 for the storage of additional science payloads

or spare Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs).

ORUs are space station components that can be

removed and replaced for maintenance and

stored on the station for future needs. The PAS

has a capture latch to grip and secure a pay‐

load, a berthing target to align payloads to the

mechanism and an Umbilical Mechanism As‐

sembly that has a connector for providing

power and data to the payload.

Starboard 4 (S4) 

Major subsystems of the S4 truss are the port

inboard Photovoltaic Module (PVM), the Photo‐

voltaic Radiator (PVR), the Alpha Joint Interface

Structure (AJIS) and the Modified Rocketdyne

Truss Attachment System (MRTAS).

The S4 PVM includes all equipment outboard

of the SARJ outboard bulkhead, namely the two

Photovoltaic Array Assemblies (PVAAs) and

the Integrated Equipment Assembly (IEA). The

PVR provides thermal cooling for the IEA. The

AJIS provides the structural transition between

S3 and S4. Each PVAA consists of a SAW and

BGA. S4 also contains the passive side of the

MRTAS that will provide the structural attach‐

ment for the S5 truss.

MAJOR ELEMENTS 

Photovoltaic Module (PVMs) 

S4 will house the third of four PVMs that will

eventually be brought up to the station, con‐

verting sunlight to electricity. The primary

functions of the power module are to collect,

convert, store and distribute electrical power to

loads within the segment and to other station

segments. Electrical power is the most critical

resource for the station because it allows astro‐

nauts to live comfortably, safely operate the sta‐

tion and perform complex scientific experi‐

ments. Since the only readily available source of

energy for spacecraft is sunlight, technologies

were developed to efficiently convert solar en‐

ergy to electrical power.
46 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

The PVMs use large numbers of solar cells as‐

sembled onto solar arrays to produce high

power levels. NASA and Lockheed Martin de‐

veloped a method of mounting the solar arrays

on a  ʺblanketʺ that can be folded like an accor‐

dion for delivery to space and then deployed to

their full size once in orbit. The cells are made

from purified crystal ingots of silicon that di‐

rectly convert light to electricity for immediate

use through a process called photovoltaics.

Gimbals are used to rotate the arrays to face the

sun to provide maximum power for the space

station. After the conversion process, the PVMs

also use the electricity to recharge onboard bat‐

teries for continuous sources of electricity while

the station is in the Earth’s shadow. The com‐

plete power system, consisting of U.S. and Rus‐

sian hardware, will generate 2,000 kWh (kilo‐

watt‐hours) of total energy, about as much as 42

2,800‐square‐foot houses would typically use in

a day.

PVM components were assembled by The Boe‐

ing Company in Tulsa, Okla., and Lockheed

Martin in Sunnyvale, Calif., before final assem‐

bly and testing by Boeing at Kennedy Space

Center, Fla.

Solar Array Wings (SAW) 

There are two SAWs designed, built and tested

by Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, Calif., on the

S4 module, each deployed in the opposite direc‐

tion from each other. Each SAW is made up of

two solar blankets mounted to a common mast.

Before deployment, each panel is folded accor‐

dion style into a Solar Array Blanket Box

(SABB) measuring 20 inches high and 15 feet in

length. Each blanket is only about 20 inches

thick while in this stored position. The mast

consists of interlocking battens that are stowed

for launch inside a Mast Canister Assembly

(MCA) designed, built and tested by ATK‐Able.

When deployed by the astronauts, the SAW

deploys like an erector set as it unfolds. Like a

human torso, it has two arms when mounted

on S4, and they are rotated outward by astro‐

nauts during a spacewalk so they can be fully

deployed. Because these blankets were stored

for such a long time, NASA, Boeing and Lock‐

heed Martin conducted extensive testing to en‐

sure they would unfold properly once on orbit

so the blankets would not stick together. This

testing was completed in July 2003 and proved

to be successful when the P4 solar array was

successfully deployed on STS‐115 in September.

When fully deployed, the SAW extends 115 feet

and spans 38 feet across and extends to each

side of the Integrated Equipment Assembly.

Since the second SAW is deployed in the oppo‐

site direction, the total wing span is more than

240 feet.

Each SAW weighs more than 2,400 pounds and

uses 32,800 solar array cells per wing, each

measuring 8‐cm square with 4,100 diodes. The

individual cells were made by Boeing’s Spectro‐

lab and ASEC. There are 400 solar array cells to

a string and there are 82 strings per wing.
JUNE 2007 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 47

Each SAW is capable of generating nearly

32.8 kilowatts (kW) of direct current power.

There are two SAWs on the S4 module, yielding

a total power generation capability approach‐

ing 66 kW, enough power to meet the electrical

needs of about 30 2,800‐square‐foot houses,

consuming about 2kW of power each.

Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) 

S3 consists of the SARJ, which continuously ro‐

tates to keep the solar array wings on S4 and S6

oriented toward the sun as the station orbits the

Earth. Located between S3 and S4, the SARJ is a

10.5‐foot diameter rotary joint that tracks the

sun in the alpha axis that turns the entire S4

module. The SARJ weighs approximately

2,500 pounds. The SARJ can spin 360 degrees

using bearing assemblies and a servo control

system to turn. All of the power will flow

through the Utility Transfer Assembly (UTA) in

the SARJ. Roll ring assemblies allow transmis‐

sion of data and power across the rotating inter‐

face so it never has to unwind. Under contract

to Boeing, the SARJ was designed, built and

tested by Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 

The solar array wings also are oriented by the

BGA, which can change the pitch of the wings

by spinning the solar array. The BGA measures

3 cubic feet and provides a structural link be‐

tween the Integrated Equipment Assembly

(IEA.) The BGA’s most visual functions are to

deploy and retract the SAW and rotate it about

its longitudinal axis. The BGA consists of three

major components mounted on the BGA Plat‐

form: the Bearing, Motor and Roll Ring Module

(BMRRM), the Electronic Control Unit (ECU)

and the Beta Gimbal Transition Structure. The

BGA was designed by Boeing Rocketdyne in

Canoga Park, Calif., which has since been ac‐

quired by Pratt and Whitney. The Sequential

Shunt Unit (SSU) that serves to manage and

distribute the power generated from the arrays

also is mounted on each BGA platform. The

SSU was designed by Space Systems/Loral.

Both the SARJ and BGA are pointing mecha‐

nisms and mechanical devices used to point the

arrays toward the sun. They can follow an an‐

gle target and rotate to that target in the direc‐

tion toward the sun. On‐orbit controllers con‐

tinuously update those targets so it keeps mov‐

ing as the station orbits the Earth every 90 min‐

utes, maintaining contact with the sun at the

same orbital rate. The SARJ mechanism will

move much more than the BGA, which moves

about four or five degrees per day. The SARJ

will rotate 360 degrees every orbit, or about

4 degrees per minute.

S4 Integrated Equipment Assembly (IEA) 

The IEA has many components: 12 battery sub‐

assembly Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs), six

Battery Charge/Discharge Units (BCDU)
48 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

ORUs, two Direct Current Switching Units

(DCSUs), two Direct Current to Direct Current

Converter Units (DDCUs), and two Photo‐

voltaic Controller Units (PVCUs). The IEA inte‐

grates the Thermal Control Subsystem that con‐

sists of one Photovoltaic Radiator (PVR) ORU

and two Pump Flow Control Subassembly

(PFCS) ORU’s used to transfer and dissipate

heat generated by the IEA ORU boxes. In addi‐

tion, the IEA provides accommodation for am‐

monia servicing of the outboard PV modules, as

well as pass through of power and data to and

from the outboard truss elements. The struc‐

tural transition between the S3 and S4 segments

is provided by the Alpha Joint Interface Struc‐

ture (AJIS).

The IEA measures 16 cubic feet, weighs nearly

17,000 pounds and is designed to condition and

store the electrical power collected by the

photovoltaic arrays for use on board the station.

The IEA integrates the energy storage subsys‐

tem, the electrical distribution equipment, the

thermal control system and structural frame‐

work. The IEA consists of three major elements:

1. The power system electronics consisting of

the Direct Current Switching Unit (DCSU)

used for primary power distribution; the

Direct Current to Direct Current Converter

Unit (DDCU) used to produce regulated

secondary power; the Battery

Charge/Discharge Unit (BCDU) used to

control the charging and discharging of the

storage batteries; and the batteries used to

store power.

2. The Photovoltaic Thermal Control System

(PVTCS) consisting of: the coldplate subas‐

sembly used to transfer heat from an elec‐

tronic box to the coolant; the Pump Flow

Control Subassembly (PFCS) used to pump

and control the flow of ammonia coolant;

and the Photovoltaic Radiator (PVR) used to

dissipate the heat into deep space. Ammo‐

nia, unlike other chemical coolants, has sig‐

nificantly greater heat transfer properties.

3. The computers used to control the S4 mod‐

ule ORUs consisting of two Photovoltaic

Controller Unit (PVCU) Multi‐

plexer/Demultiplexers (MDMs).

The IEA power system is divided into two in‐

dependent and nearly identical channels. Each

channel is capable of control (fine regulation),

storage and distribution of power to the station.

The two PVAAs are attached to the outboard

end of the IEA and the AJIS to the inboard end.

Direct Current Switching Unit (DCSU) 

Power received from each PVAA is fed directly

into the appropriate DCSU, a high‐power,

multi‐path remotely controlled unit used for

primary and secondary power distribution,

protection and fault isolation within the IEA.

The DCSU also distributes primary power to

the station. During periods of isolation

(sunlight), the DCSU routes primary power di‐

rectly to the station from its PVAA and also

routes power to the power storage system for

battery charging. During periods of eclipse, the

DCSU routes power from the power storage

system to the station. The DCSU measures

28 inches by 40 inches by 12 inches and weighs

238 pounds.
JUNE 2007 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 49

Direct Current to Direct Current 

Converter Unit (DDCU) 

Primary power from the DCSU also is distrib‐

uted to the DDCU, a power processing system

that conditions the coarsely regulated power

from the PVAA to 123 +/‐  2 VDC. It has a

maximum power output of 6.25 kW. This

power is used for all S4 operations employing

secondary power. By transmitting power at

higher voltages and stepping it down to lower

voltages where the power is to be used, much

like municipal power systems, the station can

use smaller wires to transmit this electrical

power and thus reduce launch loads. The

converters also isolate the secondary system

from the primary system and maintain uniform

power quality throughout the station. The

DDCU measures 27.25 inches by 23 inches by

12 inches and weighs 129 pounds.

Primary power from the DCSU also is distrib‐

uted to the three power storage systems within

each channel of the IEA. The power storage sys‐

tem consists of a Battery Charge/Discharge Unit

(BCDU) and two battery subassembly ORUs.

The BCDU serves a dual function of charging

the batteries during solar collection periods and

providing conditioned battery power to the

primary power busses (via the DCSU) during

eclipse periods. The BCDU has a battery charg‐

ing capability of 8.4 kW and a discharge capa‐

bility of 6.6 kW. The BCDU also includes provi‐

sions for battery status monitoring and protec‐

tion from power circuit faults. Commanding of

the BCDU is from the PVCU. The BCDU meas‐

ures 28 inches by 40 inches by 12 inches and

weighs 235 pounds.

Each battery subassembly ORU consists of 38

lightweight nickel hydrogen cells and associ‐

ated electrical and mechanical equipment. Two

battery subassembly ORUs connected in series

are capable of storing 8 kW of electrical power.

This power is fed to the station via the BCDU

and DCSU, respectively. The batteries have a

design life of 6.5 years and can exceed 38,000

charge/discharge cycles at 35 percent depth of

discharge. Each battery measures 41 inches by

37 inches by 19 inches and weighs 372 pounds.

Because of delays in launching the S3/S4 ele‐

ments, the lower deck batteries were replaced

on Sept. 16, 2006.

Photovoltaic Thermal Control System 

(PVTCS) 

To maintain the IEA electronics at safe operat‐

ing temperatures in the harsh space environ‐

ments, they are conditioned by the PVTCS. The

PVTCS consist of ammonia coolant, 11 cold‐

plates, two Pump Flow Control Subassemblies

(PFCS) and one Photovoltaic Radiator (PVR).

The coldplate subassemblies are an integral

part of the IEA structural framework. Heat is

transferred from the IEA orbital replacement

unit (ORU) electronic boxes to the coldplates

via fine interweaving fins located on both the

coldplate and the electronic boxes. The fins add

lateral structural stiffness to the coldplates in

addition to increasing the available heat trans‐

fer area.

Pump Flow Control Subassemblies 

(PFCS) 

The PFCS is the heart of the thermal system,

consisting of all the pumping capacity, valves

and controls required to pump the heat transfer

fluid to the heat exchanges and radiator, and

regulate the temperature of the thermal control

system ammonia coolant. The PVTCS is de‐

signed to dissipate 6,000 Watts of heat per orbit

on average and is commanded by the IEA
50 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

computer. Each PFCS consumes 275 Watts dur‐

ing normal operations and measures approxi‐

mately 40 by 29 by 19 inches, weighing

235 pounds.

Photovoltaic Radiator (PVR) 

The PVR—the radiator—is deployable on orbit

and comprised of two separate flow paths

through seven panels. Each flow path is inde‐

pendent and is connected to one of the two

PFCSs on the IEA. In total, the PVR can reject

up to 14 kW of heat into deep space. The PVR

weighs 1,633 pounds and when deployed

measures 44 by 12 by 7 feet.

S3/S4 Facts in Brief 

Manufacturer: The Boeing Company

Dimensions: 44 feet 9.6 inches long by 16 feet

3.4 inches wide by 15 feet 2.3 inches high

Weight: 35,678 lbs

Cost: $367,337,000

Structure: Primarily aluminum

Major components: The S3 primary structure is

made of a hexagonal shaped aluminum struc‐

ture and includes four bulkheads and six

longerons. The secondary structure includes

brackets, fittings, attach platforms, EVA

equipment and miscellaneous mechanisms. The

S4 Photovoltaic module includes all equipment

outboard of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ)

outboard bulkhead, namely the two Photo‐

voltaic Array assemblies and the Integrated

Equipment Assembly (IEA).

Purpose: The S3 and S4 carry power, data and

environmental services along the integrated

truss structure. Also, they provide active ther‐

mal protection to electrical components

throughout the station and allow the connec‐

tion of platforms to store spare parts.

Construction: S3 was designed by the Boeing

design team at Huntington Beach, Calif. Boeing

(now Pratt and Whitney) Rocketdyne Power

and Propulsion in Canoga Park, Calif. designed

S4. Assembly of S3 and S4 was in Tulsa, Okla.

S3 was delivered to the Space Station Process‐

ing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 7,

2000, and S4 was delivered on Jan. 15, 2001. S3

and S4 were handed off to NASA in September

2002.

Major Subcontractors: Lockheed Martin, Hon‐

eywell, Hamilton Sundstrand, Pratt and Whit‐

ney Rocketdyne
JUNE 2007 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 51

Unberthing and Installation: 

S3/S4 SRMS unberth during STS‐117 and SSRMS handoff operations are shown above.
52 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW JUNE 2007

S3/4 SSRMS maneuver and installation is shown above.
JUNE 2007 EXPERIMENTS 53

EXPERIMENTS 

DETAILED TEST OBJECTIVES 

Detailed Test Objectives (DTOs) are aimed at

testing, evaluating or documenting space shut‐

tle systems or hardware, or proposed im‐

provements to the space shuttle or space station

hardware, systems and operations.

Such experiments assigned to STS‐117 are listed

below.

DTO 805 Crosswind Landing 

Performance (If Opportunity) 

The purpose of this DTO is to demonstrate the

capability to perform a manually controlled

landing in the presence of a crosswind. The

testing is done in two steps.

1. Pre‐launch: Ensure planning will allow se‐

lection of a runway with Microwave Scan‐

ning Beam Landing System support, which

is a set of dual transmitters located beside

the runway providing precision navigation

vertically, horizontally and longitudinally

with respect to the runway. This precision

navigation subsystem helps provide a

higher probability of a more precise landing

with a crosswind of 10 to 15 knots as late in

the flight as possible.

2. Entry: This test requires that the crew per‐

form a manually controlled landing in the

presence of a 90‐degree crosswind compo‐

nent of 10 to 15 knots steady state. During a

crosswind landing, the drag chute will be

deployed after nose gear touchdown when

the vehicle is stable and tracking the run‐

way centerline.

SHORT-DURATION BIOASTRONAUTICS 

INVESTIGATION (SDBI) 

Short‐Duration Bioastronautics Investigations

(SDBIs) are shuttle‐based, life science payloads,

experiments and technology demonstrations.

SDBI 1503S Test of Midodrine as a 

Countermeasure against Postflight 

Orthostatic Hypotension 

Presently, there are no medications or treatment

to eliminate orthostatic hypotension, a condi‐

tion that often affects astronauts following

spaceflight. Orthostatic hypotension is a sud‐

den drop in blood pressure that occurs when a

person assumes a standing position. Symptoms,

which generally occur after sudden standing,

include dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vi‐

sion and a temporary loss of consciousness.

Space alters cardiovascular function, and or‐

thostatic hypotension is one of the alterations

that negatively impacts crew safety. Susceptibil‐

ity to orthostatic hypotension is individual,

with some astronauts experiencing severe

symptoms, while others are less affected. This

countermeasure evaluation proposal, spon‐

sored by the Countermeasures Evaluation and

Validation Project, is in its second phase of the

evaluation of midodrine. It is designed to give

the greatest opportunity of measuring the

maximum efficacy of the drug. This experiment

will measure the effectiveness of midodrine in

reducing the incidence and, or, the severity of

orthostatic hypotension in returning astronauts.

Its effectiveness will be evaluated with an ex‐

panded tilt test.
54 EXPERIMENTS JUNE 2007

SHORT-DURATION RESEARCH AND 

STATION EXPERIMENTS 

Short-duration research to be 

performed during STS-117 

The Space Shuttle and International Space Sta‐

tion Programs have an integrated research plan

that optimizes use of shuttle crew members and

long‐duration station crew members to address

research questions in a variety of disciplines.

Maui Analysis of Upper Atmospheric Injec‐

tions (MAUI) will observe the exhaust plume

of the space shuttle and will lead to assessment

of spacecraft plume interactions with the upper

atmosphere.

Test of Midodrine as a Countermeasure

Against Post‐Flight Orthostatic Hypotension

(Midodrine) is a test of the ability of the drug

midodrine to reduce the incidence or severity of

orthostatic hypotension. If successful, it will be

used as a countermeasure to the dizziness

caused by the blood‐pressure decrease that

many astronauts experience upon returning to

the Earthʹs gravity.

Perceptual Motor Deficits in Space (PMDIS)

will investigate why astronauts experience dif‐

ficulty with hand‐eye coordination while on

orbit. These measurements will be used to dis‐

tinguish between three possible explanations:

the brain not adapting to the near weightless‐

ness of space; the difficulty of performing fine

movements when floating in space; and stress

due to factors such as space sickness and sleep

deprivation.

Ram Burn Observations (RAMBO) is an ex‐

periment in which the Department of Defense

uses a satellite to observe space shuttle orbital

maneuvering system engine burns. Its purpose

is to improve models that predict the direction

the plume, or exhaust, will move as the shuttle

maneuvers on orbit. Understanding the plumeʹs

flow could be significant to the safe arrival and

departure of spacecraft on current and future

exploration missions.

ISS research samples returned on 

STS-117 

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus

Science Insert ‐ 01 (CSI‐01) is comprised of two

educational experiments that will be utilized by

middle school students in the Unites States and

Malaysia. One experiment is examining seed

germination in microgravity including gravi‐

tropism (plant growth towards gravity) and

phototropism (plant growth towards light). The

second experiment is examining how micro‐

gravity affects a small nematode worm, Caenor‐

habditis elegans. Thousands of students began

participating in the experiments in February

2007.

The Renal Stone experiment tests the effective‐

ness of potassium citrate in preventing renal

stone formation during long‐duration space‐

flight. Kidney stone formation, a significant risk

during long missions, could impair astronaut

functionality.

Stability of Pharmacotherapeutic and Nutri‐

tional Compounds (Stability) will study the

effects of radiation in space on complex organic

molecules, such as vitamins and other com‐

pounds in food and medicine. This will help in

developing more stable and reliable pharma‐

ceutical and nutritional countermeasures suit‐

able for future long‐duration missions to the

moon and Mars. A package of food and drugs

kept on orbit for six months will be returned on

this shuttle flight.
JUNE 2007 EXPERIMENTS 55

A Comprehensive Characterization of Micro‐

organisms and Allergens in Spacecraft

(SWAB) will use advanced molecular tech‐

niques to comprehensively evaluate microbes

on board the space station, including patho‐

gens—organisms that may cause disease. It also

will track changes in the microbial community

as spacecraft visit the station and new station

modules are added. This study will allow an

assessment of the risk of microbes to the crew

and the spacecraft.Additional Space Station Re‐

search From Now Until the End of Expedition 14

ISS Research from now through STS-118 

Anomalous Long Term Effects in Astronautsʹ 

Central Nervous System (ALTEA) integrates

several diagnostic technologies to measure the

exposure of crew members to cosmic radiation.

It will further our understanding of radiation’s

impact on the human central nervous and vis‐

ual systems, especially the phenomenon of

crew members seeing phosphenes, or flashes of

light, while in orbit.  

Crew Earth Observations (CEO) takes advan‐

tage of the crew in space to observe and photo‐

graph natural and human‐made changes on

Earth. The photographs record the Earth’s sur‐

face changes over time, along with more fleet‐

ing events such as storms, floods, fires and vol‐

canic eruptions.  

Crew Earth Observations ‐ International Polar

Year (CEO‐IPY) is an international collabora‐

tion of scientists for the observation and explo‐

ration of Earth’s polar regions from 2007 to

2009. Station crew members will photograph

polar phenomena including auroras and meso‐

spheric clouds in response to a daily message

from the scientists on the ground.

Behavioral Issues Associated with Isolation

and Confinement: Review and Analysis of As‐

tronaut Journals (Journals), using journals kept

by the crew and surveys, studies the effect of

isolation to obtain quantitative data on the im‐

portance of different behavioral issues in long‐

duration crews. Results will help NASA design

equipment and procedures to allow astronauts

to best cope with isolation and long‐duration

spaceflight.  

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement Sys‐

tem (MAMS) and Space Acceleration Meas‐

urement System (SAMS‐II) measure vibration

and quasi‐steady accelerations that result from

vehicle control burns, docking and undocking

activities. The two different equipment pack‐

ages measure vibrations at different frequen‐

cies.

Materials on the International Space Station

Experiment 3 and 4 (MISSE – 3 and 4) are the

third and fourth in a series of five suitcase‐sized

test beds attached to the outside of the space

station. The beds were deployed during a

spacewalk on STS‐121 in July 2006. They will

expose hundreds of potential space construc‐

tion materials and different types of solar cells

to the harsh environment of space. After being

mounted to the space station about a year, the

equipment will be returned to Earth for study.

Investigators will use the resulting data to de‐

sign stronger, more durable spacecraft.  

Nutritional Status Assessment (Nutrition) is

the most comprehensive in‐flight study done by

NASA of human physiologic changes during

long‐duration spaceflight; this includes meas‐

ures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage,

nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes.

This study will impact both the definition of

nutritional requirements and development of

food systems for future space exploration mis‐
56 EXPERIMENTS JUNE 2007

sions to the moon and Mars. This experiment

will also help to understand the impact of coun‐

termeasures (exercise and pharmaceuticals) on

nutritional status and nutrient requirements for

astronauts.

Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reori‐

ent, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) are

bowling‐ball sized spherical satellites. They will

be used inside the space station to test a set of

well‐defined instructions for spacecraft per‐

forming autonomous rendezvous and docking

maneuvers. Three free‐flying spheres will fly

within the cabin of the station, performing

flight formations. Each satellite is self‐contained

with power, propulsion, computers and naviga‐

tion equipment. The results are important for

satellite servicing, vehicle assembly and forma‐

tion flying spacecraft configurations.

Sleep‐Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure

During Spaceflight‐Long (Sleep‐Long) will

examine the effects of spaceflight and ambient

light exposure on the sleep‐wake cycles of the

crew members during long‐duration stays on

the space station.

Test of Reaction and Adaptation Capabilities

(TRAC) will test the theory of brain adaptation

during spaceflight by testing hand‐eye coordi‐

nation before, during and after a long‐duration

stay on the station.
JUNE 2007 EXTERNAL TANK REPAIRS 57

EXTERNAL TANK ET-124 REPAIRS 

In late February, Atlantisʹ external tank received hail damage during a severe  

thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39  

area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tankʹs foam insulation, as well  

as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttleʹs left wing.
58 EXTERNAL TANK REPAIRS JUNE 2007

Repairs to space shuttle Atlantisʹ  external fuel

tank ET‐124 were completed May 11 in NASAʹs

Kennedy Space Centerʹs Vehicle Assembly

Building after a Feb. 26 hail storm passed over

the launch pad as the vehicle was being pre‐

pared for launch. The storm left the tank with

more than 4,000 damage sites requiring repair,

which delayed launch from March 15 to June.

The storm produced golf‐ball‐size hail, which

caused significant damage to the external fuel

tank foam, mostly on the upper part of the tank.

Immediately after the storm, NASA managers

decided to roll the shuttle from the launch pad

back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to assess

the full extent of the damage and to develop de‐

tailed repair plans.

Technicians work on repair techniques to the hail‐damaged external  

tank. They are inside a tented area that protects the tank. Scaffolding  

around the tank can be seen below.
JUNE 2007 EXTERNAL TANK REPAIRS 59

In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians carefully sand away the red  

dye that has been applied to the external tank to help expose cracks or compression dents.

Teams from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight

Center in Huntsville, Ala., Kennedy Space Cen‐

ter in Fla., and the Michoud Assembly Facility

in New Orleans performed an initial damage

assessment. Since a hands‐on inspection was

required to determine the depth of damage,

workers constructed an intricate network of

scaffolding and platforms around the shuttle to

allow access to all of the hail‐damaged areas

that were then  ʺmappedʺ  to indicate damage

location, size and depth. This initial assessment

showed damage in all quadrants of the tank,

from the liquid oxygen tank ogive, the pointed

nose section, to the aft interface hardware

where the orbiter is attached. A ther‐

mal/aerothermal assessment was performed for

each damage site to determine the required ex‐

tent of repair.

About 1,400‐1,500 of the damage sites were near

the top of the tank in a location known as the

“pencil sharpener” area. This high density of

damage led to a decision to remove a half‐inch

thick layer of foam in the entire area to elimi‐

nate all damage. This process was used to avoid

numerous individual repairs. The removed ma‐

terial was replaced with a single, large manu‐

ally applied spray using a type of material re‐

ferred to as “BX” foam. This same “remove

damage and spray a replacement layer” tech‐

nique was used to repair a large area of
60 EXTERNAL TANK REPAIRS JUNE 2007

damaged foam covering almost 500 damage

sites on the side of the liquid oxygen tank.

While BX material has been flown in numerous

applications on Return‐to‐Flight hardware,

these spray repairs required a demonstration to

ensure that the application process was repeat‐

able and the performance meets or exceeds

thermal protection and debris minimization

requirements.

Engineers and technicians devised a high fidel‐

ity mock‐up of the top of the tank at the Mi‐

choud Assembly Facility and duplicated the

exact conditions in which they would be work‐

ing on the spray and final foam machining

process in Florida. This included replicating the

precise access and narrow spaces around the

platform in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The

team also practiced the manual spray and

tested and dissected the completed demonstra‐

tion repair.

After the manual spray at the top of the actual

tank was completed, technicians used a new

portable tool they devised at Michoud to trim

and machine the foam to the precise dimen‐

sions required in this “pencil sharpener” area.

This unique pneumatic tool fits down over the

tankʹs nose cone spike and sands the foam with

a sandpaper covered roller.

In NASA Kennedy Space Centerʹs Vehicle Assembly Building, one technician adjusts the sander

while another observes as they work on repairing the hail damage to Atlantisʹ nose cone.
JUNE 2007 EXTERNAL TANK REPAIRS 61

Approximately 2,500 other sites on the hail‐

damaged tank were repaired using a mixed re‐

pair approach. More than a thousand of these

were repaired by removing the damaged foam

with a mechanical grinding tool and reapplying

specialized pourable foam, known as “PDL.”

This two‐step process has been developed and

perfected over several years and is routinely

used at the Michoud factory to repair incidental

damage to the foam material that can occur

during tank construction. Almost 900 of the

damage sites were shallow enough to be re‐

paired using a technique called “sand and

blend” in which the crushed foam was sanded

away by hand using coarse sandpaper and the

resulting slight depression was smoothly

“blended” into the surrounding foam. This re‐

pair process was only feasible where analysis

and testing showed adequate foam thickness

would remain to protect against ice formation

before launch and heating during ascent. Main‐

taining proper propellant quality (temperature

and density) as well as proper “break‐up” per‐

formance during tank re‐entry into the atmos‐

phere following use were also considerations as

was compliance with surface waviness re‐

quirements. The remaining 400 damage sites

did not require repair, although they were cata‐

loged since each required the same rigorous

engineering analysis as the repaired damage.

This barely visible minor damage will be flown

ʺas is,ʺ because the conditions and locations are

such that they can still meet all the design re‐

quirements.

The repaired areas of ET‐124 appear nearly

white compared to the orange color of the rest

of the tank. This is not a problem, as all criteria

have been met to return the tank to a flight wor‐

thy condition. Only the “pencil sharpener” area

received a special coat of protective dark paint

to protect the foam where it contacts the gase‐

ous oxygen vent hood at the launch pad.

The February storm at Kennedy caused the

worst damage ever seen to a shuttle from a hail

storm. NASAʹs history of shuttle rollbacks due

to hail damage includes STS‐38 (Atlantis),

which experienced hail damage during rollback

Aug. 9, 1990, to troubleshoot a hydrogen leak.

Damage occurred while the shuttle was outside

the Vehicle Assembly Building and the repairs

were made in the VAB. STS‐96 (Discovery) ex‐

perienced hail damage at Pad B on May 8, 1999.

Rollback to the VAB was required to fix 650

divots in external tank foam insulation. All of

these previous repairs performed as expected.

The ET‐124 repair team consisted of engineers

and managers from Marshall, Kennedy, John‐

son, NASA Headquarters, United Space Alli‐

ance, Lockheed Martin contractor teams and

support personnel from around the country.
62 EXTERNAL TANK REPAIRS JUNE 2007

Space Shuttle Atlantis, mounted on a mobile launch platform atop a crawler transporter,  

passes through the gate to Launch Pad 39A. Atlantis rolled back to the pad on  

May 15, 2007, following repairs caused by the late February hail damage.
JUNE 2007 SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE AHMS 63

During the STS‐117 mission, the Advanced

Health Management System (AHMS)—an en‐

gine improvement system that shuts down an

engine if anomalies are detected—will be ac‐

tively operating on one engine for the first time.

The AHMS collects and processes turbopump

accelerometer data, a measure of turbopump

vibration, and continuously monitors tur‐

bopump health. If vibration anomalies are de‐

tected, the system shuts down the engine. The

AHMS will be in monitor‐only mode for Atlan‐

tisʹ  two other engines, meaning that although

data is being collected, the system cannot shut

down the engines.

The AHMS was in monitor‐only mode on one

engine during the STS‐116 mission in December

2006. Data from that mission indicated the

AHMS operated as intended. The system will

be fully operational and in active mode on all

engines during shuttle Endeavourʹs next mis‐

sion, STS‐118.

When a shuttle lifts off the launch pad, it does

so with the help of three reusable, high per‐

formance rocket engines. Each main engine is

14 feet long and 7.5 feet in diameter at the noz‐

zle exit. One engine weighs approximately

7,750 pounds and generates more than 12 mil‐

lion horsepower, equivalent to more than four

times the output of the Hoover Dam. The en‐

gines operate for about 8.5 minutes during lift‐

off and ascent—long enough to burn more than

500,000 gallons of super‐cold liquid hydrogen

and liquid oxygen propellants stored in the ex‐

ternal fuel tank, which is attached to the shut‐

tleʹs underside. Liquid oxygen is stored at  ‐298

degrees Fahrenheit, and liquid hydrogen is

stored at  ‐423 degrees Fahrenheit. The engines

shut down just before the shuttle, traveling at

about 17,000 mph, reaches orbit.

This engine upgrade significantly improves

space shuttle flight safety and reliability. The

upgrade, developed by NASA’s Marshall Space

Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., is a modifica‐

tion of the existing main engine controller,

which is the on‐engine computer that monitors

and controls all main engine operations.

SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE 

ADVANCED HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 

Three Space Shuttle Main Engines protrude

from the aft section of the space shuttle, con‐

suming liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to

help power the shuttle into orbit.
64 SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE AHMS JUNE 2007

The modifications include the addition of ad‐

vanced digital signal processors, radiation‐

hardened memory and new software. These

changes to the main engine controller provide

the capability for completely new monitoring

and insight into the health of the two most

complex components of the space shuttle’s

main engine—the high‐pressure fuel tur‐

bopump and the high‐pressure oxidizer tur‐

bopump.

The fuel and oxidizer turbopumps rotate at ap‐

proximately 34,000 and 23,000 revolutions per

minute, respectively. To operate at such ex‐

treme speeds, the high‐pressure turbopumps

use highly specialized bearings and precisely

balanced components. The AHMS upgrade util‐

izes data from three existing sensors (acceler‐

ometers) mounted on each of the high‐pressure

turbopumps to measure how much each pump

is vibrating. The output data from the acceler‐

ometers is routed to the new AHMS digital sig‐

nal processors installed in the main engine con‐

troller. These processors analyze the sensor

readings 20 times per second, looking for vibra‐

tion anomalies that are indicative of impending

failure of rotating turbopump components such

as blades, impellers, inducers and bearings. If

the magnitude of any vibration anomaly ex‐

ceeds safe limits, the upgraded main engine

controller immediately shuts down the un‐

healthy engine.
JUNE 2007 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA 65

SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA 

SHUTTLE ABORT MODES 

RSLS Aborts 

These occur when the on‐board shuttle com‐

puters detect a problem and command a halt in

the launch sequence after taking over from the

ground launch sequencer and before solid

rocket booster ignition.

Ascent Aborts 

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 shut‐

tle main engine or an orbital maneuvering sys‐

tem engine. Other failures requiring early ter‐

mination 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 follow‐

ing more severe failures when an intact abort is

not possible. A contingency abort would gener‐

ally result in a ditch operation.

Intact Aborts 

There are four types of intact aborts: abort to

orbit (ATO), abort once around (AOA), trans‐

oceanic abort landing (TAL) and return to

launch site (RTLS).

Return to Launch Site 

The RTLS abort mode is designed to allow the

return of the orbiter, crew and payload to the

launch site, Kennedy Space Center, approxi‐

mately 25 minutes after liftoff.

The RTLS profile is designed to accommodate

the loss of thrust from one space shuttle main

engine between liftoff 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 con‐

sidered to consist of three stages—a powered

stage, during which the space shuttle main en‐

gines are still thrusting; an external tank separa‐

tion 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, 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 exam‐

ple, a three‐engine RTLS is selected at the last

moment, about 3 minutes, 34 seconds into the

mission; whereas an RTLS chosen due to an en‐

gine out at liftoff is selected at the earliest time,

about 2 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 to‐

ward 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
66 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA JUNE 2007

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 sys‐

tem propellants are dumped by continuous or‐

bital 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, in‐

cluding a reaction control system maneuver

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 maneuver has

been completed, the glide phase of the RTLS

begins. From then on, the RTLS is handled simi‐

larly to a normal entry.

Transoceanic Abort Landing 

The TAL abort mode was developed to im‐

prove the options available when a space shut‐

tle main engine fails after the last RTLS oppor‐

tunity 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 bal‐

listic trajectory across the Atlantic Ocean to

land at a predetermined runway. Landing oc‐

curs about 45 minutes after launch. The landing

site is selected near the normal ascent ground

track of the orbiter 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. The three landing

sites that have been identified for a launch are

Zaragoza, Spain; Moron, Spain; and Istres,

France.

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 be‐

fore 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 com‐

mands to begin an orbital maneuvering system

propellant dump (by burning the propellants

through the orbital maneuvering system en‐

gines and the reaction control system engines).

This dump is necessary to increase vehicle per‐

formance (by decreasing weight), to place the

center of gravity in the proper place for vehicle

control and to decrease the vehicleʹs landing

weight. TAL is handled like a normal entry.

Abort to Orbit 

An ATO is an abort mode used to boost the or‐

biter to a safe orbital altitude when perform‐

ance has been lost and it is impossible to reach

the planned orbital altitude. If a space shuttle
JUNE 2007 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA 67

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 

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 maneu‐

ver to place the orbiter on orbit and the deorbit

thrusting 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,

Calif.; or the Kennedy Space Center, Fla). Thus,

an AOA results in the orbiter circling the Earth

once and landing about 90 minutes after liftoff.

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 Aborts 

Contingency aborts are caused by loss of more

than one main engine or failures in other sys‐

tems. Loss of one main engine while another is

stuck at a low thrust setting also may necessi‐

tate a contingency abort. Such an abort would

maintain orbiter integrity for in‐flight crew es‐

cape if a landing cannot be achieved at a suit‐

able 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 or‐

biter would have to be ditched. The inflight

crew escape system would be used before

ditching the orbiter.

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 are 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.

Mission Control Houston is prime for calling

these aborts because it has a more precise

knowledge of the orbiterʹs position than the

crew can obtain from on‐board systems. Before

main engine cutoff, Mission Control makes pe‐

riodic calls to the crew to tell them which abort

mode is (or is not) available. If ground commu‐

nications are lost, the flight crew has on‐board

methods, such as cue cards, dedicated displays

and display information, to determine the abort

region.
68 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA JUNE 2007

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 shut‐

tle main engine failure, the flight crew and Mis‐

sion Control Center select the best option avail‐

able at the time a main engine fails.

If the problem is a system failure that jeopard‐

izes the vehicle, the fastest abort mode that re‐

sults in the earliest vehicle landing is chosen.

RTLS and TAL are the quickest options (35

minutes), whereas an AOA requires about

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 posi‐

tioning an abort mode switch and depressing

an abort push button.

SHUTTLE ABORT HISTORY 

RSLS Abort History 

(STS-41 D) June 26, 1984 

The countdown for the second launch attempt

for Discovery’s maiden flight ended at T‐4 sec‐

onds when the orbiter’s computers detected a

sluggish valve in main engine No. 3.The main

engine was replaced and Discovery was finally

launched on Aug. 30, 1984.

(STS-51 F) July 12, 1985 

The countdown for Challenger’s launch was

halted at T‐3 seconds when on‐board com‐

puters detected a problem with a coolant valve

on main engine No. 2. The valve was replaced

and Challenger was launched on July 29, 1985.

(STS-55) March 22, 1993 

The countdown for Columbia’s launch was

halted by on‐board computers at T‐3 seconds

following a problem with purge pressure read‐

ings in the oxidizer preburner on main engine

No. 2. Columbia’s three main engines were re‐

placed on the launch pad, and the flight was

rescheduled behind Discovery’s launch on

STS‐56. Columbia finally launched on

April 26, 1993.

(STS-51) Aug. 12, 1993 

The countdown for Discovery’s third launch

attempt ended at the T‐3 second mark when

onboard computers detected the failure of one

of four sensors in main engine No. 2 which

monitor the flow of hydrogen fuel to the en‐

gine. All of Discovery’s main engines were or‐

dered replaced on the launch pad, delaying the

shuttle’s fourth launch attempt until Sept. 12,

1993.

(STS-68) Aug. 18, 1994 

The countdown for Endeavour’s first launch

attempt ended 1.9 seconds before liftoff when

on‐board computers detected higher than ac‐

ceptable readings in one channel of a sensor

monitoring the discharge temperature of the

high pressure oxidizer turbopump in main en‐

gine No. 3. A test firing of the engine at the

Stennis Space Center in Mississippi on Septem‐

ber 2nd confirmed that a slight drift in a fuel

flow meter in the engine caused a slight in‐

crease in the turbopump’s temperature. The test

firing also confirmed a slightly slower start for

main engine No. 3 during the pad abort, which

could have contributed to the higher tempera‐

tures. After Endeavour was brought back to the

Vehicle Assembly Building to be outfitted with

three replacement engines, NASA managers set
JUNE 2007 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA 69

Oct. 2 as the date for Endeavour’s second

launch attempt.

Abort to Orbit History 

(STS-51 F) July 29, 1985 

After an RSLS abort on July 12, 1985, Chal‐

lenger was launched on July 29, 1985. Five

minutes and 45 seconds after launch, a sensor

problem resulted in the shutdown of center en‐

gine No. 1, resulting in a safe  ʺabort to orbitʺ 

and successful completion of the mission.

SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINES 

Developed in the 1970s by NASAʹs Marshall

Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., the

space shuttle main engine is the most advanced

liquid‐fueled rocket engine ever built. Every

space shuttle main engine is tested and proven

flight‐worthy at NASAʹs Stennis Space Center

in south Mississippi, before installation on an

orbiter. Its main features include variable

thrust, high performance reusability, high re‐

dundancy and a fully integrated engine control‐

ler.

The shuttle’s three main engines are mounted

on the orbiter aft fuselage in a triangular pat‐

tern. Spaced so that they are movable during

launch, the engines are used—in conjunction

with the solid rocket boosters—to steer the

shuttle vehicle.

Each of these powerful main engines is 14 feet

(4.2 meters) long, weighs about 7,000 pounds

(3,150 kilograms) and is 7.5 feet (2.25 meters) in

diameter at the end of its nozzle.

The engines operate for about 81⁄2 minutes dur‐

ing liftoff and ascent—burning more than

500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of super‐cold

liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants

stored in the huge external tank attached to the

underside of the shuttle. The engines shut

down just before the shuttle, traveling at about

17,000 mph (28,000 kilometers per hour),

reaches orbit.

The main engine operates at greater tempera‐

ture extremes than any mechanical system in

common use today. The fuel, liquefied hydro‐

gen at  ‐423 degrees Fahrenheit (‐253 degrees

Celsius), is the second coldest liquid on Earth.

When it and the liquid oxygen are combusted,

the temperature in the main combustion cham‐

ber is 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit (3,316 degrees

Celsius), hotter than the boiling point of iron.

The main engines use a staged combustion cy‐

cle so that all propellants entering the engines

are used to produce thrust or power—more ef‐

ficiently than any previous rocket engine. In a

staged combustion cycle, propellants are first

burned partially at high pressure and relatively

low temperature—then burned completely at

high temperature and pressure in the main

combustion chamber. The rapid mixing of the

propellants under these conditions is so com‐

plete that 99 percent of the fuel is burned.

At normal operating level, the engines generate

490,847 pounds of thrust (measured in a vac‐

uum). Full power is 512,900 pounds of thrust;

minimum power is 316,100 pounds of thrust.

The engine can be throttled by varying the out‐

put of the pre‐burners, thus varying the speed

of the high‐pressure turbopumps and, there‐

fore, the flow of the propellant.

At about 26 seconds into launch, the main en‐

gines are throttled down to 316,000 pounds of

thrust to keep the dynamic pressure on the ve‐

hicle below a specified level—about 580 pounds

per square foot or max q. Then, the engines are

throttled back up to normal operating level at
70 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA JUNE 2007

about 60 seconds. This reduces stress on the ve‐

hicle. The main engines are throttled down

again at about seven minutes, 40 seconds into

the mission to maintain three g’s—three times

the Earth’s gravitational pull—again reducing

stress on the crew and the vehicle. This accel‐

eration level is about one‐third the acceleration

experienced on previous crewed space vehicles.

About 10 seconds before main engine cutoff or

MECO, the cutoff sequence begins; about three

seconds later the main engines are commanded

to begin throttling at 10 percent thrust per sec‐

ond to 65 percent thrust. This is held for about

6.7 seconds, and the engines are shut down.

The engine performance has the highest thrust

for its weight of any engine yet developed. In

fact, one space shuttle main engine generates

sufficient thrust to maintain the flight of 21⁄2

747 airplanes.

The space shuttle main engine is also the first

rocket engine to use a built‐in electronic digital

controller, or computer. The controller will ac‐

cept commands from the orbiter for engine

start, change in throttle, shutdown, and moni‐

tor engine operation. In the event of a failure,

the controller automatically corrects the prob‐

lem or safely shuts down the engine.

NASA continues to increase the reliability and

safety of shuttle flights through a series of en‐

hancements to the space shuttle main engines.

The engines were modified in 1988, 1995, 1998

and 2001. Modifications include new high‐

pressure fuel and oxidizer turbopumps that re‐

duce maintenance and operating costs of the

engine, a two‐duct powerhead that reduces

pressure and turbulence in the engine, and a

single‐coil heat exchanger that lowers the num‐

ber of post flight inspections required. Another

modification incorporates a large‐throat main

combustion chamber that improves the engine’s

reliability by reducing pressure and tempera‐

ture in the chamber.

After the orbiter lands, the engines are removed

and returned to a processing facility at Ken‐

nedy Space Center, Fla., where they are re‐

checked and readied for the next flight. Some

components are returned to the main engine’s

prime contractor, Pratt & Whitney RocketDyne,

West Palm Beach, Fla., for regular maintenance.

The main engines are designed to operate for

7.5 accumulated hours.

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 about

3,300,000 pounds at launch. They are ignited

after the three space shuttle main enginesʹ 

thrust level is verified. The two SRBs provide

71.4 percent of the thrust at liftoff and during

first‐stage ascent. Seventy‐five seconds after

SRB separation, SRB apogee occurs at an alti‐

tude of about 220,000 feet, or 35 nautical miles

(40 statute miles). SRB impact occurs in the

ocean about 122 nautical miles (140 statute

miles) downrange.

The SRBs are the largest solid‐propellant mo‐

tors ever flown and the first designed for reuse.

Each is 149.16 feet long and 12.17 feet in diame‐

ter. Each SRB weighs about 1,300,000 pounds at

launch. The propellant for each solid rocket
JUNE 2007 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA 71

motor weighs about 1,100,000 pounds. The inert

weight of each SRB is about 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, pyrotech‐

nics, 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 explo‐

sives at liftoff.

During the downtime following the Challenger

accident, detailed structural analyses were per‐

formed on critical structural elements of the

SRB. Analyses were primarily focused in areas

where anomalies had been noted during post‐

flight 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 mar‐

gins during ascent, the attach ring was redes‐

igned to encircle the motor case completely (360

degrees).

Previously, the attach ring formed a C and en‐

circled the motor case 270 degrees.

Additionally, special structural tests were done

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 redes‐

ign was implemented to add reinforcement

brackets and fittings in the aft ring of the skirt.

These two modifications added about

450 pounds to the weight of each SRB.

The propellant mixture in each SRB motor con‐

sists 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 to‐

gether, 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 about

a third 50 seconds after liftoff to prevent over‐

stressing 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 fabrica‐

tion and ease of transportation and handling.

Each segment is shipped to the launch site on a

heavy‐duty rail car with a specially built cover.

The nozzle expansion ratio of each booster be‐

ginning with the STS‐8 mission is 7‐to‐79. The

nozzle is gimbaled for thrust vector (direction)

control. Each SRB has its own redundant auxil‐

iary 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
72 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA JUNE 2007

pivot‐point flexible bearing is the gimbal

mechanism.

The cone‐shaped aft skirt reacts the aft loads

between the SRB and the mobile launcher plat‐

form. 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 hy‐

draulic pumps, hydraulic systems and a nozzle

extension jettison system.

The forward section of each booster contains

avionics, a sequencer, forward separation mo‐

tors, 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.

Each SRB has two integrated electronic assem‐

blies, one forward and one aft. After burnout,

the forward assembly initiates the release of the

nose cap and frustum, a transition piece be‐

tween the nose cone and solid rocket motor,

and turns on the recovery aids. The aft assem‐

bly, 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 mul‐

tiplexer/demultiplexer, which sends or receives

more than one message, signal or unit of infor‐

mation 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 sepa‐

ration motor is 31.1 inches long and 12.8 inches

in diameter.

Location aids are provided for each SRB, frus‐

tum/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, frus‐

tum/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 ATK

Thiokol for refurbishment.

Each SRB incorporates a range safety system

that includes a battery power source, re‐

ceiver/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 con‐

tains two NASA standard detonators (NSDs),

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 (pre‐

tensioned before launch), NSD gas pressure

and gravity. The bolt is stopped by the stud de‐

celeration stand, which contains sand. The SRB
JUNE 2007 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA 73

bolt is 28 inches long and 3.5 inches in diame‐

ter. The frangible nut is captured in a blast con‐

tainer.

The solid rocket motor ignition commands are

issued by the orbiter’s computers through the

master events controllers to the hold‐down py‐

rotechnic 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 igni‐

tion commands are issued when the three

SSMEs are at or above 90 percent rated thrust,

no SSME fail and/or SRB ignition PIC low volt‐

age 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 simulta‐

neously for the PIC to generate the pyro firing

output. These signals—arm, fire 1 and fire 2—

originate in the orbiter general‐purpose com‐

puters and are transmitted to the MECs. The

MECs reformat them to 28‐volt dc signals for

the PICs. The arm signal charges the PIC ca‐

pacitor 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 ini‐

tiator; and combustion products of this propel‐

lant ignite the solid rocket motor initiator,

which fires down the length of the solid rocket

motor igniting the solid rocket motor propel‐

lant.

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 on‐board computers at T minus 6.6 seconds

(staggered start—engine three, engine two, en‐

gine one—all about 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 per‐

cent thrust level will result in the SSMEs being

commanded to the liftoff position at T minus

three seconds as well as the fire 1 command be‐

ing issued to arm the SRBs. At T minus three

seconds, the vehicle base bending load modes

are allowed to initialize (movement of 25.5

inches measured at the tip of the external tank,

with movement towards the external tank).

At T minus zero, the two SRBs are ignited un‐

der command of the four on‐board 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 re‐

tracted; the on‐board master timing unit, event

timer and mission event timers are started; the
74 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA JUNE 2007

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 con‐

sists 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 corresponding SRB buses A, B and C.

In addition, orbiter main dc bus C supplies

backup power to SRB buses A and B, and or‐

biter bus B supplies backup power to SRB bus

C. This electrical power distribution arrange‐

ment 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, hy‐

draulic pump, hydraulic reservoir and hydrau‐

lic fluid manifold assembly. The APUs are fu‐

eled by hydrazine and generate mechanical

shaft power to a hydraulic pump that produces

hydraulic pressure for the SRB hydraulic sys‐

tem. 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 be‐

tween the rock and tilt actuators. The two sys‐

tems 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 opera‐

tion.

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 generatorʹs 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 lineʹs. Then all the

fuel is supplied to the fuel pump.

The APU turbine assembly provides mechani‐

cal power to the APU gearbox. The gearbox

drives the APU fuel pump, hydraulic pump

and lube oil pump. The APU lube oil pump lu‐

bricates the gearbox. The turbine exhaust of

each APU flows over the exterior of the gas

generator, cooling it, and is then directed over‐

board 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 elec‐

tronics. If the primary control valve logic fails

to the open state, the secondary control valve

assumes control of the APU at 112 percent

speed.
JUNE 2007 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA 75

Each HPU on an SRB is connected to both ser‐

voactuators on that SRB. One HPU serves as the

primary hydraulic source for the servoactuator,

and the other HPU serves as the secondary hy‐

draulics for the servoactuator. Each servoactua‐

tor has a switching valve that allows the secon‐

dary 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 pres‐

sure 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 pro‐

vides overpressure protection to the hydraulic

system and relieves at 3,750 psi.

The APUs/HPUs and hydraulic systems are re‐

usable for 20 missions.

Thrust Vector Control 

Each SRB has two hydraulic gimbal servoactua‐

tors: one for rock and one for tilt. The servoac‐

tuators provide the force and control to gimbal

the nozzle for thrust vector control.

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 liftoff and ascent. Commands

from the guidance system are transmitted to the

ATVC drivers, which transmit signals propor‐

tional 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 servoac‐

tuator.

Each SRB servoactuator consists of four inde‐

pendent, two‐stage servovalves that receive

signals from the drivers. Each servovalve con‐

trols 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 sens‐

ing activates a selector valve to isolate and re‐

move the defective servovalve hydraulic pres‐

sure, 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 ca‐

pability of resetting a failed or bypassed channel.

Each actuator ram is equipped with transducers

for position feedback to the thrust vector con‐

trol system. Within each servoactuator ram is a

splashdown load relief assembly to cushion the

nozzle at water splashdown and prevent dam‐

age to the nozzle flexible bearing.
76 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA JUNE 2007

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 com‐

puters and guidance, navigation and control sys‐

tem during first‐stage ascent flight in conjunc‐

tion 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 or‐

biter 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.

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, command‐

ing 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 en‐

sures 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 wir‐

ing connecting each SRB RSS and the ET RSS

with each other.

The aft attachment points consist of three sepa‐

rate struts: upper, diagonal and lower. Each

strut contains one bolt with an NSD pressure

cartridge at each end. The upper strut also car‐

ries 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 fir‐

ing redundant NSD pressure cartridges into

redundant confined detonating fuse manifolds.

The separation commands issued from the or‐

biter by the SRB separation sequence initiate the

redundant NSD pressure cartridge in each bolt

and ignite the BSMs to effect a clean separation.

SPACE SHUTTLE SUPER LIGHT WEIGHT 

TANK (SLWT) 

The super lightweight external tank (SLWT)

made its first shuttle flight June 2, 1998, on mis‐

sion STS‐91. The SLWT is 7,500 pounds lighter

than the standard external tank. The lighter

weight tank allows the shuttle to deliver Inter‐

national Space Station elements (such as the

service module) into the proper orbit.

The SLWT is the same size as the previous de‐

sign. But the liquid hydrogen tank and the liq‐

uid oxygen tank are made of aluminum lith‐

ium, a lighter, stronger material than the metal

alloy used for the shuttleʹs current tank. The

tankʹs structural design has also been im‐

proved, making it 30 percent stronger and

5 percent less dense.
JUNE 2007 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA 77

The SLWT, like the standard tank, is manufac‐

tured at Michoud Assembly, near New Orleans,

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 diame‐

ter of about 27 feet. The external tank holds

over 530,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and

liquid oxygen in two separate tanks. The hy‐

drogen (fuel) and liquid oxygen (oxidizer) are

used as propellants for the shuttleʹs three main

engines.
78 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA JUNE 2007

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JUNE 2007 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS 79

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 

AA Antenna Assembly

AAA Avionics Air Assembly

ABC Audio Bus Coupler

AC Assembly Complete

ACBM Active Common Berthing Mechanism

ACO Assembly and Checkout Officer

ACS Atmosphere Control and Supply

ACSM Attitude Control System Moding

ACU Arm Computer Unit

ADO Adaptation Data Overlay

ADSEP Advanced Separation

ADVASC Advanced Astroculture

ADVASC‐GC Advanced Astroculture—Growth Chamber

AEA Antenna Electronics Assembly

AFD Aft Flight Deck

AJIS Alpha Joint Interface Structure

AKA Active Keel Assembly

APAS Androgynous Peripheral Attachment System

APCU Assembly Power Converter Unit

APDS Androgynous Peripheral Docking System

APFR Articulating Portable Foot Restraint

APM Attached Pressurized Module

APPCM Arm Pitch Plane Change Mode

APS Automated Payload Switch

AR Atmosphere Revitalization

ARCU American‐to‐Russian Converter Unit

ARIS Active Rack Isolation System

ARS Air Revitalization System

ASCR Assured Safe Crew Return

ATA Ammonia Tank Assembly

ATCS Active Thermal Control System

ATU Audio Terminal Unit

AUAI Assemble Contingency System/UHF Audio Interface

AVU Artificial Vision Unit

AVV Accumulator Vent Valve

BA Bearing Assembly

BBC Bus Bolt Controller
80 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS JUNE 2007

BC Bus Controller

BCDU Battery Charge/Discharge Unit

BCU Backup Controller Unit  

BDU Backup Drive Unit

BG Beta Gimbal

BGA Beta Gimbal Assembly

BGDTS Beta Gimbal Deployment Transition Structure

BGHS Beta Gimbal Housing Subassembly

BIT Built‐In Test

BITE Built‐In Test Equipment

BMRRM Bearing Motor and Roll Ring Module

BONEMAC Bone Marrow Macrophages in Space

BPSMU Battery Powered Speaker Microphone Unit

BRS Bottom Right Side

BSP Baseband Signal Processor

BTS Bolt Tight Switch

C&C Command and Control

C&DH Command and Data Handling

C&M Control and Monitor

C&T Communication and Tracking

C&W Caution and Warning

C/A‐code Coarse/Acquisition‐code

C/L Crew Lock

CA Control Attitude

CAS Common Attach System

CBM Common Berthing Mechanism

CBOSS Cellular Biotechnology Operating Science System

CCAA Common Cabin Air Assembly

CCASE Commercial Cassette Experiment

CCD Cursor Control Device

CCMS Concentric Cable Management System

CCS Communication and Control System

CCTV Closed‐Circuit Television

CDDT Common Display Development Team

CDRA Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly

CDS Command and Data Software

CETA Crew and Equipment Translation Aid

CEU Control Electronics Unit

CFA Circular Fan Assembly

CGBA Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus

CHeCS Crew Health Care System
JUNE 2007 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS 81

CHX Condensing Heat Exchanger

CID Circuit Interrupt Device

CIOB Cargo Integration and Operations Branch

CLA Camera and Light Assembly

CLPA Camera Light and Pan/Tilt Assembly

CMG Control Moment Gyroscope

CMG‐TA Control Moment Gyroscope‐Thruster Assist

CO2 Carbon Dioxide

COAS Crew Optical Alignment Sight

COR Communication Outage Recorder

COTS Commercial‐Off‐The‐Shelf

CP Cold Plate

CPCG‐H Commercial Protein Crystal Growth‐High

CR Change Request

CRES Corrosion Resistant Steel

CRIM Commercial Refrigerator Incubator Module

CRIM‐M Commercial Refrigerator Incubator Module‐Modified

CRPCM Canadian Remote Power Controller Module

CSA Computer Systems Architecture

CSA‐CP Compound Specific Analyzer‐Combustion Products

CSCI Computer Software Configuration Item

CSM Cargo Systems Manual

CTB Cargo Transfer Bag

CVIU Common Video Interface Unit

CVT Current Value Table

CVV Carbon Dioxide Vent Valve

CWC Contingency Water Collection

DAA Docked Air‐to‐Air

DAG1 Docked A/G 1

DAIU Docked Audio Interface Unit

DAP Digital Autopilot

DC Docking Compartment

dc direct current

DCP Display and Control Panel

DCSU Direct Current Switching Unit

DDCU DC‐to‐DC Converter Unit

DDCU‐CP DC‐to‐DC Converter Unit‐Cold Plate

DDCU‐E External DDCU

DDCU‐HP DC‐to‐DC Converter Unit‐Heat Pipe

DDCU‐I Internal DDCU

DFL Data Format Load
82 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS JUNE 2007

DLA Drive Locking Assembly

DMCU Docking Mechanism Control Unit

DMS‐R Data Management System‐Russian

dp/dt delta pressure/delta time

DPA Digital Preassembly

DPS Data Processing System

DTO Development Test Objective

DTV Digital Television

E/L Equipment Lock

E‐Stop Emergency Stop

EACP EMU Audio Control Panel

EAIU EMU Audio Interface Unit

EAS Early Ammonia Servicer

EATCS External Active Thermal Control Subsystem

ECLSS Environmental Control and Life Support System

ECU Electronics Control Unit

ED Engagement Drive

EDDA External Maneuvering Unit Don/Doff Assembly

EE End Effector

EEATCS Early External Active Thermal Control System

EET Experiment Elapsed Time

EETCS Early External Thermal Control System

EFGF Electrical Flight‐releasable Grapple Fixture

EGIL Electrical Generation and Integrated Lighting Systems Engineer

EIA Electrical Interface Assembly

EMPEV Emergency Manual Pressure Equalization Value

EMU Extravehicular Mobility Unit

EOA EVA Ohmmeter Assembly

EPCE Electrical Power Consuming Equipment

EPG Electrical Power Generator

EPS Electrical Power System

ER Edge Router

ESA External Sampling Adapter

ESP External Stowage Platform

ESSMDM Enhanced Space Station Multiplexer/Demultiplexer

ESU End Stop Unit

ETCS External Thermal Control System

ETI Elapsed Time Indicator

ETRS EVA Temporary Rail Stop

ETSD EVA Tool Storage Device

ETVCG External Television Cameras Group
JUNE 2007 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS 83

EUE Experiment Unique Equipment

EV Extravehicular

EV‐CPDS Extravehicular‐Charged Particle Directional Spectrometer

EVA Extravehicular Activity

EVR Extravehicular Robotics

EVSU External Video Switching Unit

EXPRESS EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to the Space Station

EXT Experimental Terminal

EWIS External Wireless Instrumentation System

FAWG Flight Assignment Working Group

FC Firmware Controller

FCC Flat Controller Circuit

FCT Flight Control Team

FCV Flow Control Valve

FD Flight Day

FDA Fault Detection Annunciation

FDIR Failure, Detection, Isolation and Recovery

FDS Fire Detection and Suppression

FET Field Effect Transistor

FGB Functional Cargo Block

FHRC Flex Hose Rotary Coupler

FI Fault Isolator

FPU Fluid Pumping Unit

FQDC Fluid Quick Disconnect Coupling

FRD Flight Requirements Document

FRGF Flight Releasable Grapple Fixture

FSE Flight Support Equipment

FSS Fluid System Servicer

FWCI Firmware Configuration Item

GAS Get Away Special

GC Growth Cell

GCA Growth Cell Assembly

GFE Government‐Furnished Equipment

GFI Ground Fault Interrupter

GJOP Generic Joint Operations Panel

GLONASS GLObal Navigational Satellite System

GN&C Guidance, Navigation and Control

GNC Guidance Navigation Computer

GPC General Purpose Computer

GPRV Gas Pressure regulating Valve
84 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS JUNE 2007

GPS Global Positioning System

GUI Graphical User Interface

H2 Hydrogen

HAB Habitat Module

HC Hand Controller

HCA Hollow Cathode Assembly

HCOR High‐Rate Communication Outage Recorder

HDR High Data Rate

HDRL High Date Rate Link

HEPA High Efficiency Particulate Air

HGA High Gain Antenna

HHL Handheld Lidar

HP Heat Pipe

HPGT High Pressure Gas Tank

HRF Human Research Facility

HRF‐PUF‐DK Human Research Facility Puff Data Kit

HRF‐Res Human Research Facility Resupply

HRFM High Rate Frame Multiplexer

HRM High Rate Modem

HRS Hand Reaction Switch

I/F Interface

I/O Input/Output

IAC Internal Audio Controller

IAS Internal Audio Subsystem

IATCS Internal Active Thermal Control System

ICC Integrated Cargo Carrier

ICOM Intercom

IDA Integrated Diode Assembly

IDRD Increment Definition Requirements Document

IEA Integrated Equipment Assembly

IFHX Interface Heat Exchanger

IFI Item for Investigation

IFM In‐flight Maintenance

IMCA Integrated Motor Control Assembly

IMCS Integrated Mission Control System

IMU Impedance Matching Unit

IMV Intermodule Ventilation  

INCO Instrumentation and Communication Officer

INSTM Instrumentation

INT Internal
JUNE 2007 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS 85

INTSYS Internal Systems

IOC Input/Output Controller

IOCU Input/Output Controller Unit

IP International Partner

IRU In‐Flight Refill Unit

ISA Internal Sampling Adapter

ISIS International Space Station Interface Standard

ISL Integrated Station LAN

ISO Inventory and Stowage Officer

ISPR International Standard Payload Rack

ISS International Space Station

ISSPO International Space Station Program Office

ISSSH International Space Station Systems Handbook

IT Integrated Truss

ITCS Internal Thermal Control System

ITS Integrated Truss Segment

IUA Interface Umbilical Assembly

IV Intravehicular  

IVA Intravehicular Activity

IVSU Internal Video Switch Unit

IWIS Internal Wireless Instrumentation System

JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

JEM Japanese Experiment Module

JEU Joint Electronic Unit

KSC Kennedy Space Center

kW Kilowatt

LA Launch Aft

Lab Laboratory  

LAN Local Area Network

LB Local Bus

LB‐RWS RWS Local Bus

LCA Lab Cradle Assembly

LCC Launch Commit Criteria

LCD Liquid Crystal Display

LDI Local Data Interface

LDR Low Data Rate

LDU Linear Drive Unit

LED Light‐Emitting Diode

LEE Latching End Effector

LEU LEE Electronic Unit
86 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS JUNE 2007

LFDP Load Fault Detection Protection

LGA Low Gain Antenna

LLA Low Level Analog

LMC Lightweight Multipurpose Carrier

LON Launch On Need

LT Low Temperature

LTA Launch to Activation

LTL Low Temperature Loop

LTU Load Transfer Unit

LVLH Local Vertical Local Horizontal

MA Mechanical Assembly

MAM Manual Augmented Role

MBE Metal Bellows Expander

MBM Manual Berthing Mechanism

MBS Mobile Remote Service Base System

MBSU Main Bus Switching Unit

MC Midcourse Correction

MCA Major Constituent Analyzer

MCAS MBS Common Attach System

MCC Mission Control Center

MCC‐H Mission Control Center‐Houston

MCC‐M Mission Control Center‐Moscow

MCDS Multifunction CRT Display System

MCS Motion Control System

MCU MBS Computer Unit

MDA Motor Drive Assembly

MDL Middeck Locker

MDM Multiplexer/Demultiplexer

MED OPS Medical Operations

MEPS Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing System

MEPSI Micro‐Electromechanical System‐based Pico Satellite Inspector

MER Mission Evaluation Room

MET Mission Elapsed Time

METOX Metal Oxide

MFCV Manual Flow Control Valve

MHS MCU Host Software

MIL‐STD Military Standard

MILA Mode Indicating Light Assembly

MIP Mission Integration Plan

MISSE Materials International Space Station Experiment

MLI Multi‐Layer Insulation
JUNE 2007 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS 87

MM/OD Micrometeoroid/Orbital Debris

MMT Mission Management Team

MOD Mission Operations Directorate

MPEV Manual Pressure Equalization Valve

MPLM Multipurpose Logistics Module

MPM Manipulator Positioning Mechanism

MRL Manipulator Retention Latch

MRS Mobile Remote Servicer

MRSBS Mobile Remote Servicer Base System

MSD Mass Storage Device

MSFC Marshall Space Flight Center

MSG Microgravity Science Glovebox

MSS Mobile Servicing System

MT Mobile Transporter

MTCL Mobile Transporter Capture Latch

MTL Moderate Temperature Loop

MTS Module‐to‐Truss Segment

MTSAS Module‐to‐Truss Segment Attachment System

MTWsN Move to Worksite Number

N

2 Nitrogen

N. mi. Nautical mile

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NCC Nominal Corrective Combination burn

NCG Non Condensable Gas

NCS Node Control Software

NCU Network Control Unit

NET No Earlier Than

NIA Nitrogen Interface Assembly

NiH

2 Nickel Hydrogen

NIV Nitrogen Introduction Valve

NSI NASA Standard Initiator

NSTS National Space Transportation System

NTA Nitrogen Tank Assembly O2 Oxygen

OCA Orbital Communications Adapter

OCAD Operational Control Agreement Document

OCJM Operator‐Commanded Joint Position Mode

OCPM Operator‐Commanded POR Mode

OCS Operations and Control Software

ODIN Orbital Design Integration System
88 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS JUNE 2007

ODS Orbiter Docking System

OI Operational Increment

OIU Orbiter Interface Unit

OIV Oxygen Isolation Valve

OMI On‐Orbit Maintainable Item

OMS Orbital Maneuvering System

OPCGA Observable Protein Crystal Growth Apparatus

OPP OSVS Patch Panel

Ops Operations

OPS LAN Operations Local Area Network

ORBT Optimized RBar Targeting Technique

ORCA Oxygen Recharge Compressor Assembly

ORU Orbital Replacement Unit

OSE Orbiter Support Equipment

OSO Operations Support Officer

OSVS Orbiter Space Vision System

OTD ORU Transfer Device

OV Orbiter Vehicle

P&S Pointing and Support

P‐code Precision Code

P/L Payload

P/TV Photo/Television  

P3/P4 Port 3/Port 4

PAS Payload Attach System

PBA Portable Breathing Apparatus

PC Personal Computer

PCA Pressure Control Assembly

PCAM Protein Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity

PCBM Passive Common Berthing Mechanism

PCC Power Converter Controller

PCG‐STES Protein Crystal Growth‐Single Thermal Enclosure System

PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Adapter

PCP Pressure Control Panel

PCR Portable Computer Receptacle  

PCS Portable Computer System

PCT Post‐Contact Thrusting

PCU Plasma Connector Unit

PCVP Pump and Control Valve Package

PDGF Power and Data Grapple Fixture

PDI Payload Data Interface

PDIP Payload Data Interface Panel
JUNE 2007 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS 89

PDRS Payload Deployment and Retrieval System

PDTA Power Data Transfer Assembly

PDU Power Drive Unit

PEHG Payload Ethernet Hub Gateway

PF Payload Forward

PFCS Pump Flow Control Subassembly

PFE Portable Fire Extinguisher

PFMC Pump/Fan Motor Controller

PFR Portable Foot Restraint

PGBA‐S Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus‐Stowage

PGSC Portable General Support Computer

PGT Pistol Grip Tool

PHALCON Power, Heating, Articulation, Lighting, and Control Officer

PJPAM Pre‐stored Joint Position Autosequence Mode

PLB Payload Bay

PM Pump Module

PMA Pressurized Mating Adapter

PMCU Power Management Control Unit

PMDIS Perceptual Motor Deficits In Space

PMP Payload Mounting Panel

POA Payload/ORU Accommodation

POC Portable Onboard Computer

POR Point of Reference

POST Power ON Self‐Test

PP Planning Period

PPA Pump Package Assembly

PPAM Pre‐stored POR Autosequence Mode

ppO2 partial pressure of oxygen

PPRV Positive Pressure Relief Valve

PPT Precipitate  

PRD Payload Retention Device

PRLA Payload Retention Latch Assembly

Prox‐Ops Proximity Operations

PSN Power Source Node

PSP Payload Signal Processor  

PTB Payload Training Buffer

PTCS Passive Thermal Control System

PTR Port Thermal Radiator

PTU Pan/Tilt Unit

PV Photovoltaic

PVCA Photovoltaic Controller Application

PVCE Photovoltaic Controller Element
90 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS JUNE 2007

PVCU Photovoltaic Controller Unit

PVM Photovoltaic Module

PVR Photovoltaic Radiator

PVRGF Photovoltaic Radiator Grapple Fixture

PVTCS Photovoltaic Thermal Control System

PWP Portable Work Platform

PWR Portable Water Reservoir

PYR Pitch Yaw Roll

QD Quick Disconnect

R/F Refrigerator/Freezer

R&R Removal and Replacement

RACU Russian‐to‐American Converter Unit

RAIU Russian Audio Interface Unit

RAM Random Access Memory

RAMV Rheostat Air Mix Valve

RB Radiator Beam

RBB Right Blanket Box

RBI Remote Bus Isolator

RBVM Radiator Beam Valve  

RCC Reinforced Carbon‐Carbon

RCS Reaction Control System

RDA Retainer Door Assembly

RF Radio Frequency

RFCA Rack Flow Control Assembly

RFG Radio Frequency Group

RGA Rate Gyro Assemblies

RHC Rotational Hand Controller

RHX Regenerative Heat Exchanger

RIC Rack Interface Controller

RJMC Rotary Joint Motor Controller

RMS Remote Manipulator System

ROBO Robotics Operations Support Officer

ROS Russian Orbital Segment

RP Receiver/Processor

RPC Remote Power Controller

RPCM Remote Power Controller Module

RPDA Remote Power Distribution Assembly

RPM Rbar Pitch Maneuver

RPOP Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Program

RS Russian Segment
JUNE 2007 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS 91

RSC RMS Sideview Camera

RSP Resupply Stowage Platform

RSR Resupply Stowage Rack

RSTS Rack Standalone Temperature Sensor

RSU Roller Suspension Unit

Remote Sensing Unit

RT Remote Terminal

RT‐Box Reaction Time Box

RTAS Rocketdyne Truss Attachment System

RTD Resistive Thermal Device

RTL Ready to Latch

RWS Robotic Workstation

S Starboard

S&M Structures and Mechanisms

S3/S4 Starboard 3/Starboard 4

SA Solar Array

SABB Solar Array Blanket Box

SAGE Space Arabidoposis Genomics Experiment

SARJ Solar Alpha Rotary Joint

SARJ_C SARJ Controller

SARJ_M SARJ Manager

SASA S‐band Antenna Support Assembly

SAW Solar Array Wing

SCA Switchgear Controller Assembly

SCI Signal Conditioning Interface

SCU Service and Cooling Umbilical

SD Smoke Detector

SDO Solenoid Driver Output

SDS Sample Delivery System

SEM Shunt Electronics Module

SEPS Secondary Electrical Power Subsystem

SFCA System Flow Control Assembly

SFU Squib Firing Unit

SGANT Space‐to‐Ground Antenna

SHOSS Spacehab Oceaneering Space System

SHOT Space Hardware Optimization Technology

SIGI Space Integrated Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System

SJRM Single Joint Rate Mode

SLDP Spacelab Data Processing

SLP Spacelab Logistics Pallet

SM Service Module
92 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS JUNE 2007

SMCC Shuttle Mission Control Center

SMDP Service Module Debris Panel

SOC State of Charge

SOV Shutoff Valve

SPCE Servicing Performance and Checkout Equipment

SPD Spool Positioning Device

SPDA Secondary Power Distribution Assembly

SPDM Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator

SPG Single‐Point Ground

SRMS Shuttle Remote Manipulator System

SSAS Segment‐to‐Segment Attach System

SSBA Space Station Buffer Amplifier

SSC Station Support Computer

SSMDM Space Station Multiplexer/Demultiplexer

SSOR Space‐to‐Space Orbiter Ratio

SSP Standard Switch Panel

SSRMS Space Station Remote Manipulator System

SSSH Space Shuttle Systems Handbook

SSSR Space‐to‐Space Station Radio

SSU Sequential Shunt Unit

STCR Starboard Thermal Control Radiator

STES Single Thermal Enclosure System

STR Starboard Thermal Radiator

SVS Space Vision System

TA Thruster Assist

TAA Triaxial Accelerometer Assembly

TAH Tray Actuation Handle

TBA Trundle Bearing Assembly

TC Terminal Computer

TCCS Trace Contaminant Control Subassembly

TCCV Temperature Control and Check Valve

TCS Trajectory Control Sensor

TD Translation Drive

TDRS Tracking and Data Relay Satellite

TDRSS Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System

TEA Torque Equilibrium Attitude

TFR Translation Foot Restraint

THC Temperature and Humidity Control

THOR Thermal Operations and Resources Officer

TI Terminal Phase Initiation

TORF Twice Orbital Rate Flyaround
JUNE 2007 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS 93

TORU Teleoperator Control Mode

TORVA Twice Orbital Rate +Rbar to +Vbar Approach

TPL Transfer Priority List

TRAC Test of Reaction and Adaption Capabilities

TRC Transmitter Receiver Controller

TRRJ Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint

TSP Twisted Shielded Pair

TTCR Trailing Thermal Control Radiator

TUS Trailing Umbilical System

TVIS Treadmill Vibration Isolation System

TWMV Three

‐Way Mixing Valve

UB User Bus

UCCAS Unpressurized Cargo Carrier Attach System

UDG User Data Generation

UF Utilization Flight

UHF Ultrahigh Frequency

UIA Umbilical Interface Assembly

ULCAS Unpressurized Logistics Carrier Attach System

UIP Utility Interface Panel

ULF Utilization Logistics Flight  

UMA Umbilical Mechanism Assembly

UOP Utility Outlet Panel

USA United Space Alliance

USL U.S. Laboratory

USOS United States On‐Orbit Segment

UTA Utility Transfer Assembly

VAJ Vacuum Access Jumper

VBSP Video Baseband SignalProcessor

VCP Video Camera Port

VDS Video Distribution System

VDU Video Distribution Unit

VES Vacuum Exhaust System

VGS Video Graphics Software

VRCV Vent/Relief Control Valve

VRIV Vent/Relief Isolation Valve

VRS VES Resource System

VRV Vent/Relief Valve

VSC Video Signal Converter

VSSA Video Stanchion Support Assembly
94 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS JUNE 2007

W/S Worksite

WETA WVS External Transceiver Assembly

WHS Workstation Host Software

WIF Worksite Interface

WRM Water Recovery Management

WS Water Separator

WVA Water Vent Assembly

XPOP X‐axis Pointing Out of Plane

ZCG‐SS Zeolite Crystal Growth—Sample Stowage

ZSR Zero‐g Stowage Rack
JUNE 2007 MEDIA ASSISTANCE 95

MEDIA ASSISTANCE 

NASA TELEVISION TRANSMISSION 

NASA Television is carried on an MPEG‐2 digi‐

tal signal accessed via satellite AMC‐6, at 72

degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, 4040

MHz, vertical polarization. For those in Alaska

or Hawaii, NASA Television will be seen on

AMC‐7, at 137 degrees west longitude, trans‐

ponder 18C, at 4060 MHz, horizontal polariza‐

tion. In both instances, a Digital Video Broad‐

cast (DVB)‐compliant Integrated Receiver De‐

coder (IRD) (with modulation of QPSK/DBV,

data rate of 36.86 and FEC 3⁄4) will be needed for

reception. The NASA Television schedule and

links to streaming video are available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 

NASA TVʹs digital conversion will require

members of the broadcast media to upgrade

with an  ʹaddressableʹ  Integrated Receiver De‐

coder, or IRD, to participate in live news events

and interviews, press briefings and receive

NASAʹs Video File news feeds on a dedicated

Media Services channel. NASA mission cover‐

age will air on a digital NASA Public Services

(ʺFree to Airʺ) channel, for which only a basic

IRD will be needed. The schedule for television

transmissions from the orbiter and for mission

briefings will be available during the mission at

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; Marshall Space

Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; Dryden Flight

Research Center, Edwards, Calif.; Johnson

Space Center, Houston; and NASA Headquar‐

ters, Washington. The television schedule will

be updated to reflect changes dictated by mis‐

sion operations.

Status Reports 

Status reports on countdown and mission pro‐

gress, on‐orbit activities and landing operations

will be posted at:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle 

This site also contains information on the crew

and will be updated regularly with photos and

video clips throughout the flight.

Briefings 

A mission press briefing schedule will be issued

before launch. The updated NASA television

schedule will indicate when mission briefings

are planned.

Internet Information 

Information on safety enhancements made

since the Columbia Accident is available at:

www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/index.html 

Information on other current NASA activities is

available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/home 

Resources for educators can be found at the fol‐

lowing address:

http://education.nasa.gov 
96 MEDIA ASSISTANCE JUNE 2007

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JUNE 2007 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS 97

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS 

HEADQUARTERS 

WASHINGTON, DC 

Allard Beutel

Public Affairs Officer

Space Operations

202‐358‐4769

Katherine Trinidad

Public Affairs Officer

Space Operations

202‐358‐3749

John Yembrick

Public Affairs Officer

Space Operations

202‐358‐0602

Michael Braukus

Public Affairs Officer

International Partners

202‐358‐1979

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER 

HOUSTON, TEXAS 

James Hartsfield

News Chief

281‐483‐5111

Kyle Herring

Public Affairs Specialist

Space Shuttle Program Office

281‐483‐5111

Kylie Clem

Public Affairs Specialist

Mission Operations and

Flight Crew Operations

281‐483‐5111

Rob Navias

Program and Mission Operations Lead

281‐483‐5111

Lynnette Madison

Public Affairs Specialist

International Space Station and Engineering

281‐483‐5111

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER 

FLORIDA 

George Diller

Public Affairs Specialist

Space Shuttle

321‐867‐2468

Tracy Young

Public Affairs Specialist

International Space Station

321‐867‐2468

MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 

Dom Amatore

Public Affairs Manager

256‐544‐0034

June Malone

Public Affairs Specialist

Space Shuttle Propulsion

256‐544‐0034

Steve Roy

Public Affairs Specialist

Space Shuttle Propulsion

256‐544‐0034
98 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS JUNE 2007

STENNIS SPACE CENTER 

MISSISSIPPI 

Linda Theobald

Public Affairs Specialist

228‐688‐3249

Paul Foerman

News Chief

228‐688‐1880

Rebecca Strecker

Public Affairs Specialist

228‐688‐3346

AMES RESEARCH CENTER 

MOFFETT FIELD, CALIFORNIA 

Mike Mewhinney

News Chief

650‐604‐3937

Jonas Dino

Public Affairs Specialist

650‐604‐5612

DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER 

CALIFORNIA 

Alan Brown

News Chief

661‐276‐2665

Leslie Williams

Public Affairs Specialist

661‐276‐3893

GLENN RESEARCH CENTER 

CLEVELAND, OHIO 

Lori Rachul

News Chief

216‐433‐8806

Katherine Martin

Public Affairs Specialist

216‐433‐2406

LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER 

HAMPTON, VIRGINIA 

H. Keith Henry

Deputy, Office of Public Affairs

757‐864‐6120

UNITED SPACE ALLIANCE 

Mike Curie

Space Program Operations Contract

Houston Operations

281‐483‐9251

321‐861‐3805

Tracy Yates

Florida Operations

321‐861‐3956

BOEING 

Ed Memi

Media Relations

Boeing NASA Systems

281‐226‐4029