STS129 Press Kit

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION
STS-129
Stocking the Station
www.nasa.gov
www.nasa.gov PRESS KIT/November 2009
CONTENTS
Section Page
STS-129/ULF-3 MISSION OVERVIEW .................................................................................... 1
STS-129 TIMELINE OVERVIEW ............................................................................................... 9
MISSION PROFILE ................................................................................................................... 11
MISSION OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................ 13
MISSION PERSONNEL ............................................................................................................. 15
STS-129 CREW ....................................................................................................................... 17
PAYLOAD OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................. 27

S - B AN D A NTEN N A S UPP OR T A S S EM BL Y ( S AS A ) A ND R AD I O FR EQU E N C Y G R OUP ( RF G ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
E X P R ES S L OG I S TI C S CA RR I ER 1 A N D 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 31
RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING ....................................................................................................... 47

U N D O CK I NG , S E PA RA TI O N , A N D D EPA RTU R E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
SPACEWALKS ......................................................................................................................... 51
EXPERIMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 59
D E TA IL E D T ES T O B J E CT I VE S A N D D ETAI L ED S UP PL EM E NT AR Y O BJ E C T I V E S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
E X P E RIM EN TS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA .................................................................................................... 71
LAUNCH AND LANDING ........................................................................................................... 89

L A U N CH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
A B OR T- T O- OR B IT ( AT O ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 89
T RA N SA TLA NT I C A B OR T L A N D I NG ( TAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
R E T UR N -T O -L A U N CH - SI T E ( R TL S ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 89
A B OR T O N C E A RO U N D (A OA ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 89
L A N D I NG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
NOVEMBER 2009 CONTENTS i

Section Page
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................... 91
MEDIA ASSISTANCE ............................................................................................................... 105
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS .................................................................................................. 107
ii CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2009

STS-129/ULF-3 MISSION OVERVIEW
Backdropped by Earth’s horizon and the blackness of space, the International Space Station is seen
from space shuttle Discovery as the two spacecraft begin their relative separation.
There are no home improvement stores in For the STS-129 Utilization and Logistics
space, so the next space shuttle mission to the Flight - 3 (ULF-3) mission, Atlantis will carry in
International Space Station will deliver 14 tons its cargo bay two ExPRESS Logistics Carriers
of important spare parts for its electrical, (ELC's), a new Materials on International Space
plumbing, air conditioning, communications Station Experiment (MISSE) carrier and an
and robotics systems. S-Band Antenna Sub-Assembly (SASA)
package, plus additional equipment, supplies
Atlantis, commanded by space veteran and scientific experiments that will be used by
Charles O. Hobaugh, is scheduled to lift off the continuing crew of six aboard the station.
from Kennedy Space Center at 2:28 p.m. EST,
Nov. 16, on the third utilization and logistics While docked to the station, Atlantis’ crew will
flight, and arrive at the station the afternoon of conduct three spacewalks to transfer the spare
Nov. 18. parts from the shuttle’s payload bay to the
station’s external structures and continue
assembly activities.
NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION OVERVIEW 1

Astronaut Charlie Hobaugh, STS-129 commander, attired in a training version of his shuttle launch
and entry suit, occupies the commander’s station on the flight deck during in a Full Fuselage
Trainer (FFT) mock-up training session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA’s
Johnson Space Center.
At the end of the 11-day flight, Atlantis also Rounding out the crew are mission specialists
will bring home Expedition 20 and 21 Flight Leland Melvin, 45, an 11th round draft pick for
Engineer Nicole Stott, the final astronaut the NFL’s Detroit Lions who flew on STS-122
scheduled to use a space shuttle for a lift to or in 2008, and Mike Foreman, a retired Navy
from the station. captain who flew on STS-123 in March 2008.
Stott, a former Kennedy Space Center shuttle
Hobaugh, who turns 48 the week before launch, processing director completing a 100-day
served as pilot on STS-104 in 2001 and STS-118 mission aboard the station, will join the STS-129
in 2007. He’ll be joined at launch by pilot crew for the ride home to Earth.
Barry E. Wilmore, a U.S. Navy captain, and
mission specialists Randy Bresnik, a Aside from returning Stott and delivering
U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel; and supplies for station crew, the main objective of
Robert L. Satcher Jr., an orthopedic surgeon, all the STS-129 mission is to deliver, install and
of whom will be making their first spaceflights. checkout two large logistics pallets and their
2 MISSION OVERVIEW NOVEMBER 2009

spare parts, and to prepare the station for the (PCU) and two empty Passive Flight Releasable
arrival of the Tranquility module, the final Attachment Mechanisms (PFRAMs).
U.S.-built component of the station, which will
be delivered on the following flight in ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-2 will launch with
February. This will be the first flight of a High Pressure Gas Tank (HPGT), a Cargo
an ExPRESS (Expedite the Processing of Transport Container 1 (CTC-1) mounted to a
Experiments to Space Station) Logistics Carrier. Small Adapter Plate Assembly (SAPA), a
Mobile Transporter/Trailing Umbilical System
ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-1 will launch with (MT/TUS), CMG, NTA, PM, Utility Transfer
an Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA), a Battery Assembly (UTA) Flight Support Equipment
Charge Discharge Unit (BCDU), a Space Station (FSE), one empty Payload PFRAM and
Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Latching MISSE-7, an experiment that will expose a
End Effector (LEE), a Control Moment Gyro variety of materials being considered for future
(CMG), a Nitrogen Tank Assembly (NTA), a spacecraft to the extreme conditions outside the
Pump Module (PM), a Plasma Contactor Unit station.
Astronaut Leland Melvin, STS-129 mission specialist, participates in a training session in an

International Space Station mock-up/trainer in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA’s
Johnson Space Center.

Several experiments that are considered provide imagery experts on the ground a
pathfinders for U.S. National Laboratory close-up look at the areas that experience the
investigations aboard the space station, also highest heating upon re-entry to the Earth’s
will be flown. One of those is part of a atmosphere. A follow-up inspection will
continuing investigation that is seeking a take place after Atlantis undocks from the
vaccine that can be used against food station.
poisoning.
While the inspection takes place, Bresnik,
The day after launch, Hobaugh, Wilmore, Foreman and Satcher will prepare the
Melvin and Bresnik will take turns from spacesuits they will wear for the three
Atlantis’ aft flight deck maneuvering its robotic spacewalks to be conducted out of the
arm in the traditional day-long scan of the Quest airlock at the station. As Foreman and
reinforced carbon-carbon on the leading edges Satcher prepare the spacesuits for transfer
of the shuttle’s wings and its nose cap. This to the station, Bresnik will join the heat
initial inspection, using a 50-foot-long crane shield inspection team. Other pre-docking
extension equipped with sensors and lasers, preparations will occupy the remainder of the
called the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, will crew’s workday.
Astronaut Mike Foreman, STS-129 mission specialist, dons a training version of his Extravehicular
Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit in preparation for a spacewalk training session in the waters of
the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Astronaut
Charlie Hobaugh, commander, assists Foreman.

On the third day of the flight, Atlantis will be docking port on the Harmony module at
flown by Hobaugh and Wilmore on its 11:56 a.m. EST Nov. 18. Less than two hours
approach for docking to the station. After a later, hatches will open between the two
series of jet firings to fine-tune Atlantis’ path to spacecraft and a combined crew of 12 will begin
the complex, the shuttle will arrive at a point almost seven days of work between the two
about 600 feet directly below the station crews. Atlantis’ crew will be working with
about an hour before docking. At that time, Expedition 21 commander Frank De Winne of
Hobaugh will execute the rendezvous pitch the European Space Agency, and NASA flight
maneuver, a one-degree-per-second rotational engineers Jeff Williams and Stott, Canadian
“backflip” to enable station crew members to flight engineer Bob Thirsk, and Russian flight
snap hundreds of detailed photos of the engineers Roman Romanenko and Max Suraev.
shuttle’s heat shield and other areas of potential
interest – another data point for imagery After a station safety briefing, Melvin and
analysts to pore over in determining the health Bresnik will grapple ELC-1 using the shuttle’s
of the shuttle’s thermal protection system. robotic arm and hand it off to the station’s arm,
operated by Williams and Wilmore, who will
Once the rotation is completed, Hobaugh will then install it on an Unpressurized Cargo
fly Atlantis in front of the station before Carriers Attachment System (UCCAS) on the
slowly closing in for a linkup to the forward port side of the station’s backbone.
Astronaut Robert Satcher, STS-129 mission specialist, participates in an Extravehicular

Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit fit check in the Space Station Airlock Test
Article (SSATA) in the Crew Systems Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Astronaut Barry Wilmore, pilot, assists Satcher.

Spacewalkers Foreman and Satcher will sleep System (WVS) External Transceiver Assembly
in the Quest airlock as part of the overnight Wireless Video System External Transceiver
“campout” procedure that helps purge Assembly (WETA).
nitrogen from their bloodstreams, preventing
Half a day off is planned for the crew on the
decompression sickness once they move out
seventh day of the mission before the crew
into the vacuum of space. The campout will be
begins gearing up for the third and final
repeated the night before all three spacewalks.
planned spacewalk by Bresnik and Satcher. On
The fourth day of the mission will focus on the the eighth day of the flight, they’ll transfer a
first spacewalk, with Foreman and Satcher High Pressure Gas Tank (HPGT) full of oxygen
transferring the spare SASA antenna from from ELC-2 to a spot on the outside of the
Atlantis’ cargo bay to the station’s truss and Quest airlock, placing it amidst the other dog
attaching power for its heaters, lubricating house-shaped tanks that are used to replenish
the snares on the Kibo laboratory’s robotic arm atmosphere lost when spacewalkers enter and
and a Payload and ORU Accommodation exit the station. They’ll also deploy a PAS on
(POA), working with cabling and reseating a the space-facing side of the starboard truss and
protective shield on the outside the reseat debris shields on the airlock.
Unity module. Wilmore and Melvin will drive
the station’s robotic arm to support the The final full day of docked operations will
spacewalkers. include some additional time off for the crew to
rest up after their busy spacewalk pace, but
The fifth day is available for focused inspection focus on preparations for Atlantis’ undocking
of Atlantis’ heat shield if mission managers and departure on the following day. The crew
deem it necessary, a move to position the will finish packing, reconfigure spacesuits and
station’s robotic arm for the following day’s transfer them to Atlantis, and check out the
ELC-2 transfer, and for preparations for the rendezvous tools that will be used for
second spacewalk. undocking, fly-around and separation. The
Atlantis crew, with Stott now a member, will
Day six will focus on the second spacewalk
say their farewells to the five-member station
of the mission by Foreman and Bresnik.
crew, close the hatches between the two
They’ll install a Grappling Adaptor to On-orbit
spacecraft and get a good night’s rest.
Railing (GATOR) assembly to the outside of
the Columbus laboratory as part of a project is After Atlantis undocks at 4:57 a.m. EST
to demonstrate the performance of two Nov. 25, Wilmore will guide the shuttle on a
different Automatic Identification System (AIS) 360-degree fly-around of the station so that
receivers to identify and locate ships on the other crew members can documents the
ocean. They’ll also relocate a Floating Potential exterior condition of the orbiting outpost, with
Measurement Unit, which is used to measure all of its new spare parts in position. After the
the electrical charge that occurs on the station’s fly-around is complete, Wilmore, Melvin and
shell as it interacts with the natural plasma in Bresknik will conduct one last inspection of
low-Earth orbit. They’ll also deploy an Earth- Atlantis’ heat shield using the shuttle’s
facing Payload Adapter System (PAS) on the Canadarm and the OBSS.
station’s truss and install a Wireless Video

Astronauts Charlie Hobaugh (standing), STS-129 commander; and Randy Bresnik, mission
specialist, use the virtual reality lab in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA’s Johnson
Space Center to train for some of their duties aboard the space shuttle and space station. This
type of computer interface, paired with virtual reality training hardware and software,
helps to prepare the entire team for dealing with space station elements.
The last full day of orbital activities by On the 12th day of the mission, weather
the STS-129 crew will focus on landing permitting, Hobaugh and Wilmore will guide
preparations. Hobaugh, Wilmore and Bresnik Atlantis to a landing at the Kennedy Space
will conduct the traditional checkout of the Center at 9:57 a.m. EST Nov. 27 to wrap up the
shuttle’s flight control systems and steering jets, 31st flight for Atlantis, the 129th mission in
setting Atlantis up for its supersonic return to shuttle program history and the 31st shuttle
Earth. A special recumbent seat will be set up visit to the International Space Station.
in the shuttle’s lower deck for Stott to ease her
reorientation to Earth’s gravity for the first time
in more than three months.

NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, Expedition 20 flight engineer, is pictured in the Leonardo
Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), temporarily attached to the International
Space Station while space shuttle Discovery (STS-128) remains docked
with the station.

STS-129 TIMELINE OVERVIEW
Flight Day 1 • Docking to Harmony/Pressurized Mating
Adapter-2
• Launch
• Hatch Opening and Welcoming (Stott
• Payload Bay Door Opening becomes a Shuttle crewmember at hatch
• Ku-Band Antenna Deployment opening; no crew exchange)
• Shuttle Robotic Arm Activation and • Shuttle RMS unberth and handoff of ELC1
payload bay survey to Canadarm2
• Umbilical Well and Handheld External • Installation of ELC1 on P3 truss lower

Tank Photo and TV Downlink outboard attachment point
Flight Day 2 • Cargo transfer from MRM2 to ISS
• Atlantis’ Thermal Protection System Survey • Spacewalk 1 procedure review

with Shuttle Robotic Arm/Orbiter Boom • Spacewalk 1 campout in Quest airlock by
Sensor System (OBSS) Foreman and Satcher
• Extravehicular Mobility Unit Checkout
Flight Day 4
• Centerline Camera Installation • Spacewalk 1 by Foreman and Satcher
• Orbiter Docking System Ring Extension (installation of spare S-band antenna
assembly on Z1 truss, routing of cables for
• Orbital Maneuvering System Pod Survey the Space to Ground Antenna, lubrication of
the Payload Orbital Replacement System
• Rendezvous tools checkout Attachment on the Mobile Base System and
• Shuttle RMS grapple of ELC1 in payload the end effector of the Kibo robotic arm,
bay cable preparations for STS-130)
Flight Day 3 Flight Day 5
• Rendezvous with the International Space • Canadarm2 grapple of OBSS and handoff to
Station Shuttle RMS
• Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver Photography • Focused inspection of Atlantis’ thermal

of Atlantis’ Thermal Protection System by protection system with the OBSS
Stott and Williams of the Expedition 21
crew
NOVEMBER 2009 TIMELINE OVERVIEW 9

• Spacewalk 2 procedure review Flight Day 9
• Spacewalk 2 campout in Quest airlock by • Joint Crew News Conference

Foreman and Bresnik
• Crew off duty time
Flight Day 6
• Farewells and hatch closure
• Shuttle RMS grapple and unberth of ELC2
• Rendezvous tools checkout
• Shuttle RMS handoff of ELC2 to Canadarm2
Flight Day 10
• ELC2 installation on S3 upper outboard
• Atlantis undocking from ISS PMA-2
attachment point
• Flyaround of ISS and final separation
• Spacewalk 2 by Foreman and Bresnik
(GATOR ham radio equipment installation • Late inspection of Atlantis’ thermal
on Columbus, Floating Point Measurement protection system with the OBSS
Unit relocation, S3 truss nadir payload
attachment system deployment, camera Flight Day 11
wireless system installation on S3 truss)
• Flight Control System Checkout
• MRM2 thermal control system activation
• Reaction Control System hot-fire test
Flight Day 7
• Crew Deorbit Briefing
• Crew off duty time
• Cabin Stowage
• Spacewalk 3 procedure review
• Recumbent Seat Setup for Stott
• Spacewalk 3 campout in Quest airlock by
Satcher and Bresnik Flight Day 12
• Deorbit preparations
Flight Day 8
• Payload Bay Door closing
• Spacewalk 3 by Satcher and Bresnik
(Transfer of High Pressure Oxygen Gas • Deorbit burn
Tank and MISSE 7 to Quest, S3 nadir
payload attachment system deploy, • KSC Landing
jettisoning of MMOD shields)
10 TIMELINE OVERVIEW NOVEMBER 2009

MISSION PROFILE
CREW Space Shuttle Main Engines:
Commander: Charles O. Hobaugh SSME 1: 2048

Pilot: Barry E. Wilmore SSME 2: 2044
Mission Specialist 1: Randy Bresnik SSME 3: 2058
Mission Specialist 2: Mike Foreman External Tank: ET-133
Mission Specialist 3: Leland Melvin SRB Set: BI-140
Mission Specialist 4: Robert Satcher, Jr. RSRM Set: 108
Mission Specialist 5: Nicole Stott (Down)
SHUTTLE ABORTS
LAUNCH
Abort Landing Sites
Orbiter: Atlantis (OV-104)
RTLS: Kennedy Space Center Shuttle
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Landing Facility
Launch Pad 39A
TAL: Primary – Zaragoza, Spain.
Launch Date: Nov. 16, 2009
Alternates – Moron, Spain and
Launch Time: 2:28 p.m. EST
Istres, France
Launch Window: 5 minutes
AOA: Primary – Kennedy Space Center
Altitude: 122 Nautical Miles
Shuttle Landing Facility.
(140 Miles) Orbital
Alternate – White Sands Space
Insertion; 191 NM
Harbor
(220 Miles) Rendezvous
Inclination: 51.6 Degrees
LANDING
Duration: 10 Days 19 Hours
19 Minutes Landing Date: Nov. 27, 2009
Landing Time: 9:57 a.m. EST
VEHICLE DATA Primary landing Site: Kennedy Space Center
Shuttle Liftoff Weight: 4,522,383 Shuttle Landing Facility
pounds
PAYLOADS
Orbiter/Payload Liftoff Weight: 266,424
pounds ULF-33-ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 & 2 ,
ExPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC)
Orbiter/Payload Landing Weight: 205,168
pounds
Software Version: OI-34
NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION PROFILE 11

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12 MISSION PROFILE NOVEMBER 2009

MISSION OBJECTIVES
MAJOR OBJECTIVES
1. Return Expedition 21 Flight Engineer-2 7. Transfer and install spare oxygen High
(17A) crew member Nicole Stott. Pressure Gas Tank from ELC2 to station
airlock.
2. Install, activate, and check out ExPRESS
Logistics Carrier (ELC)1 on an 8. Deploy the Common Attach System site for
Unpressurized Cargo Carrier Attachment External Stowage Platform-3 relocation.
System (UCCAS) on the port side of the
station’s backbone. 9. Install Unity port bulkhead feedthroughs (if
not performed in Stage).
3. Install ELC2 to an upper outboard Payload
Adapter System (PAS) on the starboard side 10. Install Unity avionics and fluids
of the station’s backbone, activate and check modification kit.
out.
11. Install Unity intermodule ventilation
4. Transfer S-Band Antenna and Support modification kit.
Assembly (SASA) to Z1 location on station
12. Remove and replace airlock battery charger
and apply heater and operation power.
modules.
5. Install Materials International Space Station
13. Perform Payloads of Opportunity – Maui
Experiment-7 onto ELC2, activate and check
Analysis of Upper Atmospheric Injections
out.
(MAUI), Ram Burn Observations-2
6. Prepare for Node 3 (Tranquility) arrival. (RAMBO-2), Shuttle Exhaust Ion
Turbulence Experiment (SEITE) and Shuttle
− Remove handrail on Unity and replace Ionospheric Modification with Pulsed Local
with ammonia line routing bracket. Exhaust (SIMPLEX).
− Reposition Zarya Local Area Network

(LAN) connector on Unity and tie
down Micrometeoroid Orbital Debris
shield.
− Connect the P181 electrical power

connector for Unity.
NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION OBJECTIVES 13

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14 MISSION PRIORITIES NOVEMBER 2009

MISSION PERSONNEL
KEY CONSOLE POSITIONS FOR STS-129
Flt. Director CAPCOM PAO
Ascent Bryan Lunney Chris Ferguson Rob Navias
Steve Frick (Wx)
Orbit 1 (Lead) Mike Sarafin Stan Love Josh Byerly
Orbit 2 Gary Horlacher Megan McArthur Kelly Humphries
Planning Paul Dye Aki Hoshide TBD
Entry Bryan Lunney Chris Ferguson Brandi Dean

Steve Frick (Wx)
Shuttle Team 4 Kwatsi Alibaruho N/A N/A
ISS Orbit 1 Emily Nelson Drew Feustel N/A
ISS Orbit 2 (Lead) Brian Smith Steve Swanson N/A
ISS Orbit 3 Jerry Jason Ryan Lien N/A
Station Team 4 TBD

JSC PAO Representative at KSC for Launch – Kyle Herring
KSC Launch Commentator – George Diller
KSC Launch Director – Mike Leinbach
NASA Launch Test Director – Steve Payne
NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION PERSONNEL 15

16 MISSION PERSONNEL NOVEMBER 2009

STS-129 CREW
For STS-129, the sun shines brightly on the past three decades. The space shuttle ascends
International Space Station above and the on the astronaut symbol portrayed by the red,
United States below representing the bright white and blue swoosh bounded by the gold
future of U.S. human spaceflight. The halo. This symbol is worn with pride by this
contiguous U.S., Rocky Mountains, and Great U.S. crew representing their country on
Desert Southwest are clearly visible on the STS-129. The names of the crew members are
Earth below, encompassing all the NASA denoted on the outer band of the patch. As
centers and the homes of the many dedicated STS-129 launches, the space shuttle is in its
people who work to make our space program twilight years. This fact is juxtaposed by the
possible. The integrated shapes of the patch 13 stars on the patch which are symbolic of our
signify the two ExPRESS Logistics Carriers that children who are the future. The moon and
will be delivered by STS-129 providing valuable Mars are featured predominantly to represent
equipment and ensuring the longevity of the just how close humankind is to reaching further
space station. The space shuttle is vividly exploration of those heavenly bodies and how
silhouetted by the sun highlighting how the current space shuttle and station missions
brightly the orbiters have performed as a are laying the essential groundwork for those
workhorse for the U.S. space program over the future endeavors.
NOVEMBER 2009 CREW 17

Pictured on the front row are astronauts Charles O. Hobaugh (left), commander; and
Barry E. Wilmore, pilot. From the left (back row) are astronauts Leland Melvin, Mike Foreman,
Robert L. Satcher Jr. and Randy Bresnik, all mission specialists.
Short biographical sketches of the crew follow http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/

with detailed background available at:
18 CREW NOVEMBER 2009

STS-129 CREW BIOGRAPHIES
Charles O. Hobaugh
Veteran astronaut Charles O. Hobaugh, a execution of the mission, orbiter systems

colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, will lead the operations, and flight operations, including
crew of STS-129. He served as pilot on STS-104 landing. He will also fly Atlantis through its
in 2001 and STS-118 in 2007. Hobaugh has rendezvous and docking to the International
overall responsibility for the safety and Space Station.

Barry E. Wilmore
Barry E. Wilmore, a captain in the U.S. Navy, will be responsible for orbiter systems
will serve as pilot for Atlantis. This will be his operations, will assist Hobaugh with
first journey into space. Selected by NASA in rendezvous, and will fly the orbiter during
2000, he has served in various shuttle technical undocking and the flyaround.
jobs and on the astronaut support team. He

Randy Bresnik
Randy Bresnik, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Space Station, Automated Transfer Vehicle,
Marine Corps, will serve as a mission specialist H-II Transfer Vehicle, and Constellation
for the space shuttle Atlantis. Selected by programs. This will be his first journey to
NASA in 2004 as a pilot, he was assigned as space. Bresnik will participate in two of the
Astronaut Office support for International three planned spacewalks.

Mike Foreman
Mike Foreman, a retired U.S. Navy captain, will Office Space Shuttle Branch and served as
serve as a mission specialist aboard Atlantis. Deputy of the Space Shuttle Branch. Foreman
He served as a mission specialist on STS-123 in will participate in two of the three planned
2008. Selected by NASA in 1998, he was spacewalks.
assigned technical duties in the Astronaut

Leland Melvin
Astronaut Leland Melvin will serve as a traveled across the country engaging thousands
mission specialist on Atlantis. He flew on of students and teachers in the excitement of
STS-122 in 2008 as a mission specialist. He has space exploration, and inspiring them to pursue
served numerous organizations within NASA careers in science, technology, engineering, and
including the Education Department at NASA mathematics.
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Melvin has

Robert L. Satcher Jr.
This is the first spaceflight for Robert L. did medical missions in Venezuela and Nigeria.
Satcher Jr. He was selected by NASA in 2004 He will participate in two of the three planned
and completed his initial training in 2006. spacewalks.
Satcher worked as an orthopedic surgeon and

Nicole Stott
Nicole Stott was selected as a NASA astronaut launched to the station with the crew of
in 2000. She has worked technical aspects of STS-128 to replace Tim Kopra as a flight
station payloads, supported Expedition 10 and engineer on Expeditions 20 and 21. She will
has served as a station CAPCOM. Stott return with the STS-129 shuttle crew.


PAYLOAD OVERVIEW
The STS-129 mission is a utility logistics preservation capability for samples. The unit is
support mission and will carry a number of a double locker equivalent unit capable of
spare parts, science experiments, and other transport and operation in the middeck and
items in its middeck and payload bay. The on-orbit operation in the Expedite the
payload going up is approximately Processing of Experiments to the Space Station
29,458 pounds, not counting the middeck (ExPRESS) rack.
portion. The expected return weight in the
payload bay is approximately 2,850 pounds. The space shuttle will carry on its
middeck (ascent) the following items:
On the middeck of the space shuttle, it will Advanced Biological Research System,
carry GLACIER, which is a freezer designed to National Lab Pathfinder (NLP) Cells/
provide cryogenic transportation and Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
NOVEMBER 2009 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 27

(CGBA), Mice Drawer System (MDS), NLP European Space Agency (ESA) Dose
Vaccine, Advanced Plant EXperiments on Distribution inside the ISS (DOSIS), Human
Orbit-Cambium (APEX-Cambium), Japan Research Program (HRP) Sample Collection
Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA) Kits, and the Integrated Immune and Sleep
RNA interference and protein phosphorylation Short.
in space environment using the nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans (CERISE) & Hair,
GLACIER, a freezer for transportation and preservation of samples, will be carried

on the middeck of Atlantis.
28 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW NOVEMBER 2009

S-BAND ANTENNA SUPPORT ASSEMBLY (SASA) AND RADIO FREQUENCY
GROUP (RFG)
STS-129/ULF3 will carry the S-band Antenna demodulation. The RFG consists of three
Support Assembly (SASA) that will be attached units: the Assembly/Contingency (S-Band)
to the sidewall inside the space shuttle payload Transmitter/Receiver Assembly (ACTRA), a
pay. The SASA is an assembly that consists of High Gain Antenna (HGA), and a Low Gain
the Assembly Contingency Radio Frequency Antenna (LGA).
Group (RFG or ACRFG), SASA Boom and
Avionics Wire Harness. The SASA boom assembly consists of a mast, an
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) handle, a
The SASA supports the RFG either on Port 1 or harness, a connector panel, a mounting surface
Starboard 1 truss. The major functions of the for the RFG, and a baseplate fitting. The
RFG are to receive a radio signal from the baseplate fitting is the structural interface for
transponder, amplify it to a power level mounting the SASA to the truss on the ISS. The
necessary to be acquired by the Tracking Avionics Wire Harness is installed on the SASA
Data and Relay Satellite, and broadcast that Boom Assembly. Through the harness,
signal through the selected antenna. Also, the operational and heater power are provided to
RFG receives a signal from the the RFG; command and status signals and RF
TDRS through the antenna, amplifies it, transmit and receive signals are sent to and
and sends it to the transponder for from RFG.

The total envelope of the RFG is Associates Ltd. (MDA), under contract to
36 inches × 59 inches × 33 inches Boeing, after it was returned in October 2007
(maximum dimensions). The SASA Boom is after it had failed on orbit in September 2006 (it
61 inches × 30 1/4 inches × 43 inches. The entire was replaced then with an on-orbit spare). This
SASA weighs 256 pounds. The unit that unit will be installed on the Zenith 1 truss as a
is being flown on this mission was spare.
refurbished by MacDonald Dettwiler and

The International Space Station will contain several unpressurized platforms that include ELC1 - 4
and External Storage Platforms (ESP) 1 – 2.
EXPRESS LOGISTICS CARRIER 1 AND 2 Both ELC1 and 2 measure approximately

16 feet by 14 feet (without the ORUs installed).
The ExPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC) is a Because of their expertise in building the
platform designed to support external payloads Hubble Space Telescope (HST) cargo carriers,
mounted to the International Space Station (ISS) NASA Goddard Space Center served as the
starboard and port trusses with either deep overall integrator and manufacturer for ELC1
space or Earthward views. Each pallet spans and 2. Remmele Engineering, based in
the entire width of the shuttle’s payload bay, Minneapolis, Minn., built the integral
carries science experiments, and serves as a aluminum ELC decks for NASA. Engineers
parking place for spare hardware that can be from GSFC’s Carriers Development Office
replaced robotically once on-orbit. developed the challenging, lightweight ELC
STS-129/ULF3 will mark the first flight of ELC1 design, which incorporates elements of both the
and 2. ELC1 and 2 are grappled by the space Express Pallet and the Unpressurized Logistics
shuttle and station robotics arms and are placed Carrier.
on the station’s truss structure. ELC1 is
mounted on the Port 3 truss element UCCAS The ELC is designed to be carried in the space
while ELC2 is placed on the Starboard 3 truss shuttle cargo bay to the ISS, fully integrated
upper outboard PAS. The UCCAS and PAS with cargo and/or payloads. Four ELCs will be
were deployed during the STS-128 mission. delivered to ISS before the scheduled
retirement of the space shuttle. Two ELCs will
The weight of ELC1 is approximately be attached to the starboard truss 3 (S3) and
13,850 pounds; ELC2 weighs 13,400 pounds. two ELCs will be attached to the port

truss 3 (P3). By attaching at the S3/P3 sites, a power to the ELCs through two 3 Kilowatt
variety of views such as zenith (deep space) or (kW), 120 Volts direct current (V dc) feeds at
nadir (Earthward) direction with a combination the ISS to ELC interface. The ELC power
of ram (forward) or wake (aft) pointing allows distribution module converts the 120 V dc
for many possible viewing opportunities. power to 120 V dc and 28 V dc. Both power
voltages are provided to each payload attached
Each ELC can accommodate 12 Flight site by separated buses. 120 V dc power is also
Releasable Attachment Mechanism provided to the other cargo attached site. Upon
(FRAM)-based cargos that includes two installation of the ELCs, it may take up to
payload attached sites with full avionics 4 hours for the power to be connected.
accommodation. The mass capacity for an ELC
is 9,800 pounds (4,445 kg) with a volume of
98 feet (30 meters) cubed. The ISS provides
Shown here is the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 2 (ELC2) with its various Orbital Replacement Units
installed. Provided by NASA Goddard Space Center, ELC1 and 2 are brand new and are flying for
the first time on the space shuttle. The special rotation rack shown here had to be built for these
unique ISS platforms so the ORUs could be installed on the top and bottom.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center technicians prepare the ELC1 in the high bay clean room before
it was shipped to KSC December 2008 for additional work. In the foreground, you can see a large
square where the ELC attaches to the ISS as well as the electrical connections.
At the ISS to ELC interface, there are two types module to each payload attached site is no
of data ports: the High Rate Data Link (HRDL) higher than 10 Mbps (megabits per second).
and the Low Rate Data Link (LRDL). The For downlink MDRL and HDRL signals, they
HRDL uses fiber optics to provide ISS to ELC will be transmitted from the payload attached
communication. At the ELC avionics module to site to ELC avionics module by separated
payload interface, there are three data ports: buses. The ELC avionics module will combine
HRDL, LRDL and Medium Rate Data Link these two signals and send to ISS by using
(MDRL, Ethernet). For uplink MDRL, Ethernet HDRL interface. The HDRL downlink service
is used; the ELC avionics module will convert to the ground rate is no higher than 95 Mbps.
the MDRL signal from HDRL interface and The LRDL is for a two ways data/command
delivered to each payload attached site. The distribution to/from each payload attached site
transmission rate between ELC avionics via the ELC avionics module at maximum rate

of 1 Mbps. External camera ports are also Gas Tank (HPGT), Canadarm2 Latching End
available for the ELC payloads. There are at Effector (LEE), Materials International Space
least 14 camera port locations along the trusses Station Experiment 7 (MISSE-7), two Nitrogen
that can be used for payload observation. Tank Assemblies (NTA), Plasma Contactor
Unit (PCU), two Pump Module Assemblies
Five ELC units were built, with them all having (PMA) and a Trailing Umbilical System-Reel
full up avionics subsystems to support Assembly (TUS-RA).
experiments’ Command and Data Handling
task. Manifested on ELC2 is the first ORBITAL REPLACEMENT UNITS (ORUS)
ELC-based payload, Materials for ISS ON ELC1
Experiment (MISSE-7). ELC4 is currently slated
for mission STS-134 Endeavour, to launch Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA)
July 29, 2010. ELC3 is currently slated for
mission STS-133 Discovery, launching on The primary function of the ATA is to store the
Sept. 16, 2010. ELC5 is not manifested and is ammonia used by the External Thermal Control
considered a flight spare. This extremely System (ETCS). The major components in the
aggressive effort required the talents of more ATA include two ammonia storage tanks,
than 100 employees from GSFC, JSC, and KSC isolation valves, heaters, and various
who worked together on the project. temperature, pressure, and quantity sensors.
There is one ATA per loop located on the zenith
A total of 14 large Orbital Replacement side of the Starboard 1 (Loop A) and Port 1
Units (ORUs) are being carried on ELC1 and 2. (Loop B) truss segments. Each is used to fill
All of the hardware for this mission was their respective ETCS loop on startup (loops are
processed by Boeing under its Checkout, launched with nitrogen in the lines) and to
Assembly and Payload Processing Services supply makeup fluid to that loop. It also assists
(CAPPS) contract with NASA. The STS-129 the Pump Module (PM) accumulator with
mission marks the largest number of spare ammonia inventory management, and provides
ORUs processed in a single mission under the the capability to vent the PM and ATA by
CAPPS contract. The ORUs include the connection to an external nonpropulsive vent
Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA), Battery panel. The length is 57 inches by 80 inches
Charger Discharge Unit (BCDU), Cargo width with a height of 45 inches. A new ATA,
Transportation Container (CTC), two Control with 600 pounds of Ammonia, weighs
Moment Gyroscopes (CMG), High-Pressure approximately 1,702 pounds.

Cover is removed on the Amonia Tank Assembly.
Battery Charger Discharge Unit (BCDU) Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG)
The Battery Charge Discharge Unit (BCDU) is a Both the Russian and U.S. segments can
bidirectional power converter that serves a dual maintain attitude control. When the Russian
function of charging the batteries during solar segment is in control, attitude is maintained by
collection periods (isolation) and providing thrusters, which consume propellant. When
conditioned battery power to the primary the U.S. segment is in control, Control
power buses during eclipse periods. The Moment Gyroscopes, manufactured by L3
BCDU has a battery charging capability of Communications Space and Navigation under
8.4 kW and a continuous discharge capability of contract to Boeing, are used. The set of
6.6 kW (9.0 kW peak). The BCDU also includes four CMGs balance the effects of gravity
provisions for battery status monitoring and gradient, aerodynamic, and other disturbance
protection from power circuit faults. The torques (i.e., robotics, venting, and plume
BCDU measures approximately 40 inches by impingement), maintaining the station at an
28 inches by 12 inches and weighs 235 pounds. equilibrium attitude without using propellant.
There are 24 BCDUs on orbit that are used for The CMGs can also be used to perform attitude
normal Power System operation. maneuvers. The CMGs rely on electrical power
provided by the solar powered electrical
subsystem.
A CMG consists of a single-piece 25-inch

diameter, 220-pound stainless steel flywheel
that rotates at a constant speed of 6,600 rpm
and develops an angular momentum of
3,600 ft-lb-sec (4,880 N-m-s) about its spin axis.
This rotating wheel is mounted in a
two-degree-of-freedom gimbal system that can
position the spin axis (momentum vector) of the

wheel in any direction, allowing control torque
generation in any direction. The station has
four working CMGs that are mounted in the
Zenith 1 truss segment. Each CMG assembly
weighs approximately 600 pounds and
measures 45 inches wide, 48 inches high, and
54 inches in length.
Boeing technicians prepare to load a CMG

onto an ELC.
Canadarm2 Latching End Effector (LEE)
The Canadian Mobile Servicing System (MSS),

A CMG with it protective cover removed. a space robotics system astronauts and
cosmonauts use to assemble and maintain the
The CMGs have had some failures on board International Space Station, consists of the
the ISS. Design improvements made to the Canadian Space Station Remote Manipulator
spare CMGs, based on the findings from the System (SSRMS) or Canadarm 2, the Mobile
two CMG failure investigations, include new Base System (MBS) and the Special Purpose
bearing preload system materials, Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) or Dextre. The
improvements to sliding fit lubrication, and SSRMS has two identical grapple end points
modified covers and installation procedures to called LEE that enable it to reattach either end
maintain bearing alignment. to the station as its new base. It moves in inch
worm fashion around the U.S. segment by
placing one end on a mounting point and
disengaging its other end and using it to
grapple a payload or another mounting point.
Each mounting point provides power and data
to the SSRMS.

contact is established and a load of
approximately 1,100 pounds is imparted to the
grapple probe. The payload remains attached
to the MSS component by the forces developed
by the LEE on the payload through the grapple
probe that allows for maneuvering of the
payload without separation from the LEE. The
LEE measures about 42 inches in length and
about 35 inches in height and 28 inches in
width, and weighs about 415 pounds.
Close-up views of the Latching End Effector
for the station’s robotic arm.
The SSRMS can also be mounted on one of

several mounting points on the MBS, a movable
base that moves back and forth on the United
States On-Orbit truss segments. The MBS itself
has a LEE (called the Payload Orbital
Replacement Unit (ORU) Accommodation
(POA)) that is used for temporarily stowing and
providing power to payloads. And the SPDM
has a LEE that can be used for positioning the
SPDM on the station or on the MBS or that Nitrogen Tank Assembly (NTA)
can be used to grapple payloads when the
The NTA provides a high-pressure gaseous
SPDM itself is at the end of the SSRMS.
nitrogen supply to control the flow of ammonia
The LEE, SSRMS, MBS, and SPDM are all built
out of the ATA. The ATA contains two flexible,
by MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.
chambers incorporated into its ammonia tanks
(MDA) and are provided by the Canadian
that expand as pressurized nitrogen expels
Space Agency.
liquid ammonia out of them. Designed by
The LEE or mechanical hand of the MSS allows Boeing’s Huntington Beach facility in
the SSRMS, the SPDM or the MBS to capture California, the NTA controls ammonia pressure
stationary payloads by providing a large in the ATA as a key part of the External Active
capture envelope (a cylinder 8 inches in Thermal Control System, an external system
diameter by 4 inches deep) and a that circulates ammonia to cool ISS segments.
mechanism/structure capable of soft docking
Mounted to both of the Boeing-built
and rigidizing. This action is accomplished by
Starboard 1 (S1) and P1 truss segments, the
a two-stage mechanism in the LEE that closes
NTA is equipped with a Gas Pressure
three cables (like a snare) around a grapple
Regulating Valve (GPRV) and isolation valves
probe (knobbed pin) bolted onto the payload
as well as survival heaters. The GPRV and
and then draws it into the device until close
isolation valves provide control function and

over pressure protection of downstream The NTA’s support structure is made largely of
components. The heaters prevent the electronic aluminum, and the tank is a carbon composite.
equipment from getting too cold. The NTA ORU has a full tank with a weight of
about 80 pounds of nitrogen at approximately
2,500 pounds per square inch (psi) of
pressure – nearly 80 times the pressure
of an average automotive tire at 30 psi. It
also provides the capability to be refilled
while on orbit through its nitrogen fill
Quick Disconnect (QD). The NTA weighs
approximately 550 pounds.
Nitrogen tank assembly installed on the ELC.

Plasma Contactor Unit (PCU) 28 inches by 23 inches by 18 inches, and weighs
approximately 350 pounds. The PCU is
As the International Space Station (ISS) travels provided by Boeing and utilizes an HCA
through Low Earth Orbit (LEO), an electrical designed and fabricated at NASA’s Glenn
charge builds. This phenomenon can result in Research Center (GRC).
high voltages that may cause electrical
discharges. These discharges, in turn, can Pump Module Assembly (PMA)
damage precise electrical instruments and can
also present a hazard to crew members The PMA is part of the station’s complex Active
performing EVA. The Plasma Contactor Thermal Control System (ATCS), which
Unit (PCU) is used to disperse the electrical provides vital cooling to internal and external
charge that builds up by providing an avionics, crew members, and payloads. The
electrically conductive “ground path” to the station has two independent cooling loops. The
plasma environment surrounding the ISS. This external loops use an ammonia-based coolant
prevents the electrical discharges and provides and the internal loops use water cooling. At the
a means of controlling crew shock hazard heart of the ATCS is the pump module, which
during EVA. There are two PCUs located on pumps the ammonia through the external
the ISS Zenith 1 Truss, both of which are system to provide cooling and eventually reject
operated during EVA. the residual heat into space via the radiators.
The heat is generated by the electronic boxes
throughout the station. Circulation, loop
pressurization, and temperature control of the
ammonia is provided by the Pump
Module (PM). The major components in the
PM include a Pump and Control Valve
Package (PCVP), an accumulator, isolation and
relief valves, and various temperatures, flow,
and pressure sensors. The accumulator within
the PM works in concert with the
ATA accumulators to compensate for
expansion and contraction of ammonia caused
by the temperature changes and keeps the
ammonia in the liquid phase via a fixed charge
Each PCU contains a Xenon tank and a Hollow of pressurized nitrogen gas on the backside of
Cathode Assembly (HCA). When commanded, its bellows. Manufactured by Boeing, the
the HCA emits electrons by converting Xenon pump module weighs 780 pounds and
gas into Xenon plasma, thus creating the measures approximately 5.5 feet (69 inches)
ground path for the ISS electrical charge long by 4 feet (50 inches) wide with a height of
build-up. The PCU measures approximately 3 feet (36 inches).

The PMA with and without its cover.
Passive Flight Releasable Attachment ORBITAL REPLACEMENT UNITS ON

Mechanism (PFRAM) ELC2
ELC1 will contain two sites designated to Orbital Replacement Units on ELC2 include
accommodate payloads launched on other another CMG, Pump Module, NTA and one
missions. NASA uses a system on the external empty P/L PFRAM. Besides those items, it will
carriers to attach to Orbital Replacement also carry the following items:
Units (ORUs) and payloads consisting of the
Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism. This Cargo Transportation Container (CTC)
mechanism has an active side with moving
mechanical components, and a passive side that ELC2 will carry a Cargo Transportation
the active side engages with mechanically Container #1 that will contain 10 Remote Power
driven pins and latches. The active FRAM is Control Modules (like a large circuit breaker)
driven by an EVA astronaut using a Pistol Grip and ORU Adapter Kits (OAKS) – basically
Tool, or the station’s robotic arm. These FRAM brackets installed in the CTC to hold the ORUs.
mechanisms are mounted to the ELC on Passive It will also carry an empty OAK. Orbital
Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism Sciences Corporation delivered five Cargo
(PFRAM) Adapter Plate Assemblies (PFAPs) Transport Containers (CTCs) to NASA for use
and also provide an electrical connection that in conjunction with the resupply of the
can be used if needed by the ORU or payload International Space Station (ISS). Each CTC
being attached. measures about 4 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet, weighs
about 680 pounds and is capable of carrying
about 400 pounds of hardware to the ISS. The
CTCs can be opened and their contents
retrieved either through robotic methods
or by astronauts performing extravehicular
operations.

power requirements. The amount of oxygen
that is used from the ISS HPGTs is driven by
the number of shuttle docked and undocked
EVAs, the type of EVA prebreathe protocol that
is used, contingency use of oxygen for
metabolic support, and emergency oxygen. The
HPGT will be transferred from ELC2 to the ISS
Airlock. The HPGT measures 5 feet by 6.2 feet
by 4.5 feet and weights approximately
1,240 pounds of which 220 pounds is gaseous
oxygen at 2,450 pounds per square inch of
pressure. The HPGT was provided by Boeing.
High-Pressure Gas Tank (HPGT)
High pressure oxygen onboard the ISS provides

support for EVA and contingency metabolic
support for the crew. This high pressure O2 is
brought to the ISS by the High-Pressure Gas
Tanks (HPGT) and is replenished by the Space
Shuttle by using the Oxygen Recharge
Compressor Assembly (ORCA). There are
several drivers that must be considered in
managing the available high pressure oxygen
on the ISS. The amount of oxygen the space
High-Pressure Gas Tank (HPGT) with the
shuttle can fly up is driven by manifest mass
cover removed.
limitations, launch slips; and on orbit shuttle

During the STS-104 mission in July 2001, astronauts are shown preparing to install the
High-Pressure Gas Tank into the airlock.
Materials International Space Station

Experiment 7 (MISSE-7)
The Materials on International Space Station

Experiment 7 (MISSE-7) is a test bed for
advanced materials and electronics attached to
the outside of the International Space
Station (ISS). Results will provide a better
understanding of the durability of advanced
materials and electronics when they are
exposed to vacuum, solar radiation, atomic
oxygen, and extremes of heat and cold. These
materials and electronics, including solar cells,
coatings, thermal protection, optics, sensors,
and computing elements, have the potential to
increase the performance and useful life of the MISSE-7 in a deployed configuration
next generation of satellites and launch (shown during environmental testing).
systems.

The samples are installed in experiment trays
within two Passive Experiment Containers
(PECs), which are opened on-orbit. Astronauts
will install the PECs, 7A and 7B, to the MISSE-7
support base during an EVA. Each PEC holds
samples on both sides, with PEC 7A orientated
zenith/nadir (space facing/Earth facing), and
PEC 7B oriented ram/wake (forward/backward)
relative to the ISS orbit. MISSE-7 also includes
electronic experiments in boxes mounted
directly to the MISSE-7 support base.
MISSE-7 Support Base installed on ELC2.
The MISSE program has a rich history of

testing advanced materials on ISS. MISSE-1
and 2 were delivered to ISS on STS-105 in
August 2001 and returned on STS-114 in
August 2005. MISSE-5 was deployed on
STS-114 in July 2005 and returned on STS-115 in
September 2006. MISSE-3 and 4 were delivered
to ISS on STS-121 in July 2006 and returned
on STS-118 in August 2007. MISSE-6A and 6B
were delivered to the ISS on STS-123 in
March 2008 and returned on STS-128 in
September 2009. MISSE-7 is the latest and most
PEC 7A installed on Orbiter Sidewall.
advanced of the MISSE payloads, and will be
the first to receive power directly from the ISS
and use the ISS communication system to send
commands and downlink real-time data.

Trailing Umbilical System—Reel Assembly (TUS-RA)
The Mobile Transporter (MT) is a cart-like behavior with this feature of the TUS system,
assembly that moves up and down rails along this capability was removed on Flight ULF1.1
the ISS integrated truss. It provides mobility (STS-121).
and the structural load path for the Canadian
Mobile Base System (MBS) and the Canadian The MT is used for assembly of large elements
robotic arm (Space Station Robotic Manipulator of the station. It must be latched down at
System). The power and data to operate the various work sites before the robotic arm can
MT and the video and data provided to (and operate. When the MT is latched down after
from) the MBS/SSRMS, routes through a set of translating, power is provided through the
redundant cables that are part of the Trailing Umbilical Mechanism Assembly (UMA) system
Umbilical System (TUS). The TUS Reel hardware to the SSRMS and several
Assembly (TUS-RA) is basically a large spool components on top of the MBS. At the
much like a garden hose reel that pays out cable worksites, the MT/MBS/SSRMS is much more
when the MT moves away and rolls it back up structurally secure and the active half of the
as the MT returns to the center of the truss. The UMA on the MT mates with the passive half at
TUS system was equipped with blade cutter the work site. NASA flight rules require both
devices (one for each cable) that can remotely TUS cables to be intact before translating
sever the cable. However, due to anomalous anything attached to the MT.

The trailing umbilical system reel assembly is shown in the space station
processing facility at KSC.
The MBS is a base platform for the robotic arm. The UMA (Active and Passive halves) and TUS
The platform rests atop the MT, which allows it subsystems (TUS RA, cable guide mechanisms
to glide down rails on the station's trusses. and MT interface assemblies) was originally
When Canadarm2 is attached to the MBS, it developed and built by the Huntington
has the ability to travel to work sites along the Beach (HB) division of Boeing (formerly
truss structure. The top speed of the Mobile McDonnell Douglas). Boeing HB also
Transporter is about 2.5 cm per second. integrated the MT with TUS and UMA
The proper and complete name of the MBS is subsystems. Additionally, the MT and TUS
the “MRS Base System,” where MRS stands for Cables were subcontracted by Boeing HB to
“Mobile Remote Servicer,” It is made out of ASTRO, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman
aluminum and is expected to last at and WL Gore Industries respectively.
least 15 years. Like Canadarm2, it was built
by MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates The TUS-RA weighs approximately 334 pounds
Ltd. (MDA). and measures about 60 inches by 62 inches by
28 inches.


RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING
The above image depicts space shuttle Atlantis on final docking approach with the
International Space Station.
When Atlantis launches on the STS-129 mission, As Atlantis moves closer to the station, its
it will fly on a trajectory to chase the rendezvous radar system and trajectory control
International Space Station. A series of engine sensor will provide the crew with range and
firings during the first two days of the mission closing-rate data. Several small correction burns
will bring the shuttle to a point about will place the shuttle about 1,000 feet below the
50,000 feet behind the station. Once there, station.
Atlantis will start its final approach. About
2.5 hours before docking, the shuttle’s jets will Commander Charles O. Hobaugh, with help
be fired during what is called the terminal from Pilot Barry E. Wilmore and other crew
initiation burn. The shuttle will cover the final members, will manually fly the shuttle for the
miles to the station during the next orbit. remainder of the approach and docking.
NOVEMBER 2009 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING 47

Hobaugh will stop Atlantis about 600 feet up the docking ports of the two spacecraft. If
below the station. Once he determines there is necessary, he will pause the shuttle 30 feet from
proper lighting, he will maneuver the shuttle the station to ensure proper alignment of the
through a nine-minute back flip called the docking mechanisms. He will maintain the
Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver. During this shuttle’s speed relative to the station at about
maneuver, station crew members Jeff Williams one-tenth of a foot per second, while both
and Nicole Stott will use digital cameras with Atlantis and the station are moving at about
400mm and 800mm lenses to photograph 17,500 mph. Hobaugh will keep the docking
Atlantis’s upper and bottom surfaces through mechanisms aligned to a tolerance of three
windows of the Zvezda Service Module. The inches.
400mm lens provides up to three-inch
resolution and the 800mm lens up to one-inch When Atlantis makes contact with the station,
resolution. De Winne will use the 400mm and preliminary latches will automatically attach
Williams will use the 800. the two spacecraft. The shuttle’s steering jets
will be deactivated to reduce the forces acting
The photography is one of several techniques at the docking interface. Shock absorber springs
used to inspect the shuttle’s thermal protection in the docking mechanism will dampen any
system for possible damage. Areas of special relative motion between the shuttle and station.
interest include the thermal protection tiles, the
reinforced carbon-carbon of the nose and Once motion between the shuttle and the
leading edges of the wings, landing gear doors, station has been stopped, the docking ring will
and the elevon cove. The photos will be be retracted to close a final set of latches
downlinked through the station’s Ku-band between the two vehicles.
communications system for analysis by systems
UNDOCKING, SEPARATION, AND
engineers and mission managers.
DEPARTURE
When Atlantis completes its back flip, it will be
back where it started, with its payload bay At undocking time, the hooks and latches will
facing the station. Hobaugh then will fly the be opened and springs will push the shuttle
shuttle through a quarter circle to a position away from the station. Atlantis’s steering jets
about 400 feet directly in front of the station. will be shut off to avoid any inadvertent firings
From that point he will begin the final approach during the initial separation.
to docking to the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 Once the shuttle is about two feet from the
at the forward end of the Harmony node. station and the docking devices are clear of one
The shuttle crew members will operate laptop another, Wilmore will turn the steering jets
computers that process the navigational data, back on and will manually control Atlantis
the laser range systems, and Atlantis’s docking within a tight corridor as the shuttle separates
mechanism. from the station.
Using a video camera mounted in the center of Atlantis will move to a distance of about
the Orbiter Docking System, Hobaugh will line 450 feet, where Wilmore will begin to fly
around the station. Wilmore will circle the
48 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING NOVEMBER 2009

shuttle around the station at a distance its distance from the station with each trip
of 600 - 700 feet. This will only be done if around the earth while ground teams analyze
propellant margins and mission timeline data from the late inspection of the shuttle’s
activities permit. heat shield. However, the distance will be close
enough to allow the shuttle to return to the
Once the shuttle completes 1.5 revolutions of station in the unlikely event that the heat shield
the complex, Wilmore will fire Atlantis’s jets to is damaged, preventing the shuttle’s safe
leave the area. The shuttle will begin to increase re-entry.
Backdropped by the blackness of space, the International Space Station is seen from space shuttle
Atlantis as the two spacecraft begin their relative separation.
NOVEMBER 2009 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING 49

50 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING NOVEMBER 2009

SPACEWALKS
Astronaut Mike Foreman, STS-123 mission specialist, helps to tie down the Orbiter Boom Sensor
System on the International Space Station's S1 truss during EVA 5 on March 22, 2008. The structure
at the end of the boom is a transmission device for laser imagery from the laser devices used for
scanning the thermal protection system.
There are three spacewalks scheduled for the activities, or EVAs, performed during the
STS-129 mission. STS-123 mission in 2008.
Mission Specialists Mike Foreman, Robert L. Both Satcher and Bresnik will be performing
Satcher Jr., and Randy Bresnik will spend a their first spacewalks. Satcher will
combined total of 19.5 hours outside the station participating in the first and third spacewalks,
on flight days 4, 6, and 8. Foreman, the lead wearing an all-white spacesuit. Bresnik will go
spacewalker for the mission, will suit up for the outside the station for the second and third and
first and second spacewalks in a spacesuit wear a spacesuit with broken red stripes.
marked with solid red stripes. He is a veteran
spacewalker with three extravehicular
NOVEMBER 2009 SPACEWALKS 51

On each EVA day, the spacewalker left inside themselves inside the airlock while the air
the station will act as the intravehicular officer, pressure is lowered to 10.2 pounds per square
or spacewalk choreographer. The first and inch, or psi. The station is kept at the near-sea-
third spacewalks will also require astronauts level pressure of 14.7 psi. The morning of the
inside the station to be at the controls of the spacewalk, the astronauts will wear oxygen
station’s 58-foot-long robotic arm to carry and masks while the airlock’s pressure is raised
maneuver equipment and spacewalkers. back to 14.7 psi for an hour and the hatch
between the airlock and the rest of the station is
Preparations will start the night before each opened. That allows the spacewalkers to
spacewalk, when the astronauts spend time in perform their morning routines before
the station’s Quest Airlock. This practice is returning to the airlock, where the air pressure
called the campout prebreathe protocol and is is lowered again. Approximately 50 minutes
used to purge nitrogen from the spacewalkers’ after the spacewalkers don their spacesuits, the
systems and prevent decompression sickness, prebreathe protocol will be complete.
also known as “the bends.”
The procedure enables spacewalks to begin
During the campout, the two astronauts earlier in the crew’s day than was possible
performing the spacewalk will isolate before the protocol was adopted.
52 SPACEWALKS NOVEMBER 2009

EVA-1 • Lubricate Payload Orbital Replacement
Unit Accommodation and Japanese robotic
Duration: 6 hours, 30 minutes arm
EVA Crew: Foreman and Satcher
IV CREW: Bresnik • Reposition local area network cable on
Robotic Arm Operators: Charles O. Hobaugh, Zarya
Leland Melvin, and Barry E. Wilmore
• Troubleshoot S0 panel
EVA Operations:
Most of the spare parts brought up by space
• Install spare S-band antenna structural shuttle Atlantis will be installed onto the space
assembly station’s truss robotically, but a few will need
spacewalker intervention. The first of those to
• Install redundant space-to-ground antenna be installed on the station will be the spare
cabling S-band antenna structural assembly. Foreman
and Satcher will begin the first spacewalk of the
• Remove Unity node handrail and replace
mission by moving it from the space shuttle’s
with ammonia line routing bracket

cargo bay to the Z1 segment of the station’s Removing the handrail will require Foreman to
truss system. unscrew two bolts, and he’ll drive two bolts to
secure the new bracket.
For the transfer, Satcher will be doing the heavy
lifting, with the help of the station’s robotic Foreman’s final tasks on the spacewalk will be
arm. He’ll climb onto the robotic arm from the repositioning a cable connector on the Unity
S1 segment of the station’s truss, then have node by wire-tying it into place and, at the
Hobaugh “drive” him to the shuttle’s cargo same location, removing adjustable equipment
bay. There Foreman will be working to remove tethers from an micrometeoroid orbital debris
the assembly from its launch position by shield and securing it with wire ties. He also
releasing four launch restraints, loosening two will be troubleshooting the connection of a
bolts and removing two caps from the cable on an S0 panel. The previous flight,
antenna’s connections. He’ll then help Satcher STS-128, had difficulty connecting this cable,
lift it out of the cargo bay to begin the journey which is needed for the activation of the
to the station’s truss. Tranquility Node. Foreman will troubleshoot
the connector and use an adaptor to mate the
Before meeting Satcher at the Z1 truss, Foreman cable to the backside of the S0 panel.
will retrieve a bundle of cables for another of
the station’s antennas and two ingress aids Meanwhile, Satcher will work with two of the
from a toolbox in the cargo bay. He’ll install station’s robotics tools. He’ll start at the mobile
one of the ingress aids on a workstation base system that allows the robotic arm to
interface at the airlock and stow the other move along the truss system. The base, which
inside the starboard crew and equipment is similar to a railroad cart for the robotic arm,
translation aid – or CETA – cart. Then he will includes a tool used to attach equipment and
continue the installation of the antenna spares to the base that is similar to the robotic
assembly by connecting its two cables to the Z1 arm’s latching end effector. Like the latching
truss segment and driving two bolts. end effector, the wires that allow the tool to
grip the equipment and spares needs to be
The two spacewalkers will split up for the rest lubricated. Satcher will use a modified grease
of the spacewalk. Foreman will install a set of gun to add lubrication to those wires and the
cables for the station’s future space-to-ground bearings they’re attached to. He’ll then do the
antenna and secure its path along the Destiny same to the latching end effector of the
laboratory with wire ties. He’ll also remove a Japanese robotic arm. The end effectors of the
handrail on the Unity node and replace it with shuttle’s larger robotic arm, which Satcher will
a bracket that will be used to route an ammonia be riding, were lubricated in spacewalks earlier
cable required for the coming Tranquility Node. this year.

EVA-2 • Set up S3 nadir/outboard cargo attachment
system
Duration: 6 hours, 30 minutes
EVA Crew: Foreman and Bresnik • Install wireless video system external
IV Crew: Satcher transceiver assembly
Robotic Arm Operator: None
Foreman and Bresnik will spend the entire
EVA Operations second spacewalk working together. They’ll
start by installing a GATOR assembly on the
• Install Grappling Adaptor To On-Orbit Columbus module. GATOR is part of a project
Railing (GATOR) assembly to demonstrate two different types of
Automatic Identification System receivers,
• Relocate floating potential measurement
which is an existing system that’s currently
unit
used by ships and United States Coast Guard’s
Vessel Traffic Services to exchange data such as
identification of the ships, their purpose, course

and speed. The assembly also includes an spacewalkers completed the deployment of a
antenna used for HAM radio. similar cargo attachment system on the P3 truss
segment, but had to leave the set up two
The GATOR assembly includes two antennas, a S3 systems for this mission. And on STS-119 a
cable harness and two clamps. To install it, jammed detent pin on the first of the systems
Foreman and Bresnik will retrieve the assembly prevented them from doing deploying the
from a tool box in the shuttle’s cargo bay and P3 system. A special tool was built to
carry it to Columbus. Foreman will connect the assist with the deployment. The STS-127
assembly to its power source and wire tie its spacewalkers were successful in clearing the
cables into place, while Bresnik extends the jam. Foreman and Bresnik will have the same
antennas and then installs them on the tool on hand for use, if needed; however, the
appropriate handrails. The antennas will be STS-128 spacewalkers were able to deploy a
secured with two bolts apiece. similar cargo attachment system without any
The next tasks on the spacewalkers’ agenda will issues.
be the relocation of the station’s floating The system, which will allow future missions to
potential measurement unit, a tool that store spare parts, like those that Atlantis
measures the affect the station’s solar arrays delivered to the station during this mission, on
have on arcing hazards and verifies that the the station’s truss segment for future use. To
controls that prevent arcing hazards are set it up, the spacewalkers will first remove two
working. The hardware is being moved from truss braces blocking access to the system. That
the innermost starboard truss segment to the will allow them to swing the system out,
innermost port segment. Three connections replace the braces, and attach the system to the
will have to be disconnected from the S1 truss outside of the truss.
segment and reconnected to the P1, and one
bolt will hold the hardware in place. In the final task of the spacewalk, Foreman and
Bresnik will be installing a wireless video
Foreman and Bresnik will then move to the system external transceiver assembly, or
S3 segment of the truss, where they’ll be setting WETA, on the same segment. WETAs support
up the first of two cargo attachment systems the the transmission of video from spacewalkers’
spacewalkers are scheduled to work on during helmet cameras. To do so, Foreman will
the mission. remove a dummy box currently in the location,
This task was originally scheduled to be and then attach the WETA to a stanchion.
completed on previous missions, but for Bresnik will connect three cables to the
various reasons was delayed. The STS-127 assembly.

EVA-3 The final spacewalk of the STS-129 mission will
start with a task that will make future
Duration: 6 hours, 30 minutes spacewalks possible.
EVA Crew: Satcher and Bresnik
IV Crew: Foreman Satcher will begin by moving the high pressure
Robotic Arm Operator: Melvin and Wilmore gas tank delivered by space shuttle Atlantis,
from the external logistics carrier that it arrived
EVA Operations on to the Quest airlock, where it will someday
be used to pressurize and depressurize the
• Transfer high pressure gas tank
airlock for spacewalks and to supplement the
• Install Materials International Space Station space station’s atmosphere if needed. He’ll
Experiment 7 prepare the airlock for its arrival by closing a
valve on one of its current high pressure gas
• Set up S3 zenith/inboard cargo attachment tanks, and then move to the logistics carrier on
system the S3 segment of the truss to pick up the new

tank. He’ll unlock the two handles holding it in When Bresnik is not doing his part with the
place to remove it and, with the help of Bresnik, high pressure gas tank relocation, he’ll be
hand it off to the station’s robotic arm to carry it installing the seventh Materials International
to the airlock. Space Station Experiment, or MISSE 7. He’ll
retrieve it from the shuttle’s cargo bay at the
While it’s on the move, Satcher will make his beginning of the spacewalk and carry it with
way back to the airlock to remove two him to the express logistics carrier, so that he
micrometeoroid orbital debris shields and store can assist with the retrieval of the high pressure
them out of the way. When the tank arrives at gas tank. Then, while Satcher and the tank are
the airlock, both Satcher and Bresnik will climb making their way to the airlock, Bresnik will
into foot restraints to be able to take the tank stay behind and install the experiment on the
back from the robotic arm. Then the two will logistics carrier by connecting two cables. He’ll
move it into place, and Bresnik will rotate the also deploy the experiment by opening the two
handles into their locked position. While canisters its contained in.
Satcher puts away his foot restraint, Bresnik
will finish installing the tank by removing some The final task of the STS-129 spacewalks will be
insulation and connect its gas line to the airlock. to deploy another cargo attachment system on
He’ll open the tank’s valve to check its the S3 truss segment, this time on the zenith,
connection but close it again before he leaves inboard side of the segment. The steps
the site in order to perform a leak check of the involved will be very similar to those of the
tank. cargo attachment system set up on the second
spacewalk.

EXPERIMENTS
The space shuttle and International Space Astronauts can be more sensitive to air
Station have an integrated research program pollutants because of the closed environment,
that optimizes the use of shuttle crew members and the health effects of pollutants are
and long-duration space station crew members magnified in space exploration because the
to address research questions in a variety of astronauts’ exposure is continuous. One
disciplines. hazard is the off-gassing of vapors from plastics
and other inorganic materials aboard the
For information on science on the station, visit: vehicle.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/
To monitor air contaminant levels, crew
science/index.html
members use devices called grab sample
or containers. The containers to be flown on this
mission have been redesigned so they minimize
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/ overall size and volume. Three of the new
science/experiments/
GSCs will fit into the packing volume
Detailed information is located at: previously needed for one GSC. The smaller
GSCs will also be used on the space station and
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/ evaluated during this mission.
science/experiments/Expedition.html
DTO 900 Solid Rocket Booster Thrust
DETAILED TEST OBJECTIVES AND Oscillation
DETAILED SUPPLEMENTARY
OBJECTIVES This is the last planned flight the Space Shuttle
Program is gathering data to gain a greater
Detailed Test Objectives (DTOs) are aimed at understanding of the pressure oscillation, or
testing, evaluating or documenting systems or periodic variation, phenomena that regularly
hardware or proposed improvements to occurs within solid rocket motors. The pressure
hardware, systems and operations. Many of oscillation that is observed in solid rocket
the DTOs on this mission are to provide motors is similar to the hum made when
additional information for engineers working blowing into a bottle. At 1.5 psi, or pounds per
for the Constellation Program as they develop square inch, a pressure wave will move up and
requirements for the rocket and crew module down the motor from the front to the rear,
that will return humans to the moon. generating acoustic noise as well as physical
loads in the structure.
DTO 696 Grab Sample Container (GSC)
Redesign for Shuttle These data are necessary to help propulsion
engineers confirm modeling techniques of
Successfully sustaining life in space requires
pressure oscillations and the loads they create.
closely monitoring the environment to ensure
As NASA engineers develop alternate
the health and performance of the crew.
propulsion designs for use in NASA, they will
NOVEMBER 2009 EXPERIMENTS 59

take advantage of current designs from which the Solid Rocket Booster Assembly and
they can learn and measure. In an effort to Refurbishment Facility at NASA’s Kennedy
obtain data to correlate pressure oscillation Space Center, Fla. This system has been used
with the loads it can generate, the shuttle on numerous full scale static test motors in
program is using two data systems to gather Utah and will provide engineers with a
detailed information. Both systems are located common base to compare flight data to ground
on the top of the solid rocket motors inside the test data.
forward skirt.
The Enhanced Data Acquisition System, or
To date, the IPT and EDAS have operated EDAS, is a data acquisition system that will
successfully and provided data that will be record pressure data from one of the Reusable
used by propulsion system designers and Solid Rocket Booster Operational Pressure
engineers. Transducers, or OPT, and from accelerometers
and strain gages placed on the forward skirt
The Intelligent Pressure Transducer, or IPT, is walls. These data will provide engineers with
a standalone pressure transducer with an time synchronized data that will allow them to
internal data acquisition system that will record determine the accelerations and loads that are
pressure data to an internal memory chip. The transferred through the structure due to the
data will be downloaded to a computer after pressure oscillation forces.
the booster has been recovered and returned to
Intelligent Pressure Transducer
60 EXPERIMENTS NOVEMBER 2009

Detailed Supplementary Objectives (DSOs) are The objective of this study is to identify the key
space and life science investigations. Their underlying physiological factors that contribute
purpose is to determine the extent of to changes in performance of a set of functional
physiological deconditioning resulting from tasks that are representative of critical mission
spaceflight, to test countermeasures to those tasks for lunar and Mars operations.
changes and to characterize the space Astronauts will be tested on an integrated
environment relative to crew health. suite of functional and interdisciplinary
physiological tests before and after short and
DSO 640 Physiological Factors long-duration spaceflight. Using this strategy,
Astronauts experience alterations in multiple the investigators will be able to:
physiological systems due to exposure to the 1. Identify critical mission tasks that may be
microgravity conditions of spaceflight. These impacted by alterations in physiological
physiological changes include sensorimotor responses
disturbances, cardiovascular deconditioning,
and loss of muscle mass and strength. These 2. Map physiological changes to alterations in
changes may lead to a disruption in the ability functional performance
to walk and perform functional tasks during
the initial reintroduction to gravity following 3. Design and implement countermeasures
prolonged spaceflight and may cause that specifically target the physiological
significant impairments in performance of systems responsible for impaired functional
operational tasks immediately following performance.
landing.
For additional information, follow these link:
https://rlsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/experiment/exper.cfm?exp_index=1448
https://rlsda.jsc.nasa.gov/docs/research/research_detail.cfm?experiment_type_code=35&researchtype=

EXPERIMENTS Outside the station, the new Materials
International Space Station Experiment,
The STS-129/ULF-3 mission continues the MISSE 7, will be installed by the STS-129 crew
transition from a focus on International Space of Atlantis in December. MISSE 7 will test
Station assembly of continuous scientific space suit materials for use on the lunar
research in the fall of 2010. surface and materials for the new solar arrays
being designed for NASA’s Orion spacecraft,
Nearly 150 operating experiments in human
evaluating how well they withstand the effects
research; biological and physical sciences;
of atomic oxygen, ultraviolet, direct sunlight,
technology development; Earth observation,
radiation, and extremes of heat and cold.
and educational activities will be conducted
aboard the station, including several Short-Duration Research To Be
pathfinder investigations under the auspices of Completed During STS-129/ULF-3
the station’s new role as a U.S. National
Laboratory. Human Research and Countermeasure
Development for Exploration
In the past, assembly and maintenance
activities have dominated the available time for Validation of Procedures for Monitoring Crew
crew work. But as completion of the orbiting Member Immune Function – Short Duration
laboratory nears, additional facilities and the Biological Investigation (Integrated Immune-
crewmembers to operate them will enable a SDBI) assesses the clinical risks resulting from
measured increase in time devoted to research the adverse effects of space flight on the human
as a national and multi-national laboratory. immune system and will validate a flight-
compatible immune monitoring strategy.
Among the new NLP investigations are the Immune system changes will be monitored by
latest experiments in the NLP-Vaccine series, collecting and analyzing blood, urine and saliva
which will follow up on recent discoveries samples from crewmembers before, during and
about how the infectious nature of some germs after space flight. (NASA)
can be controlled. The NLP Vaccine research is
aimed at developing vaccines against microbial National Lab Pathfinder-Cells-2 (NLP-Cells-2)
pathogens, with results already obtained experiment assesses the effects of space flight
targeting Salmonella bacteria that cause on the virulence and gene expression of specific
diarrhea. virulence factors of S. pneumonia. (NASA)
Also, two major additions to the research National Lab Pathfinder – Vaccine – 6
facilities aboard the station – the Materials (NLP-Vaccine-6) is part of a suite of
Science Research Rack-1 and the Fluids investigations serving as a pathfinder for
Integrated Rack – were delivered by the use of the International Space Station as
Discovery’s crew on the recent STS-128 shuttle a National Laboratory after ISS assembly is
mission. Those facilities have been installed complete. It contains several different
and checked out inside the station and will be pathogenic (disease causing) organisms. This
used by the Expedition 21 and 22 crews to research is investigating the use of space
expand the station’s research potential. flight to develop potential vaccines for the

prevention of different infections caused by plume, or exhaust flows could be significant to
these pathogens on Earth and in microgravity. the safe arrival and departure of spacecraft on
(NASA) current and future exploration missions.
(NASA)
Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure
during Spaceflight – Short (Sleep-Short) Shuttle Exhaust Ion Turbulence Experiments
examines the effects of spaceflight on the (SEITE) uses space-based sensors to detect the
sleep-wake cycles of the astronauts during ionospheric turbulence inferred from the radar
shuttle missions. Advancing state-of-the-art observation from a previous Space Shuttle
technology for monitoring, diagnosing and Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) burn
assessing treatment of sleep patterns is vital to experiment using ground-based radar. (NASA)
treating insomnia on Earth and in space.
(NASA) The Shuttle Ionoshperic Modification with
Pulsed Localized Exhaust Experiments
Spinal Elongation and its Effects on Seated (SIMPLEX) investigates plasma turbulence
Height in a Microgravity Environment (Spinal driven by rocket exhaust in the ionosphere
Elongation) study provides quantitative data as using ground-based radars. (NASA)
to the amount of change that occurs in the
seated height due to spinal elongation in New Experiments and Facilities
microgravity. (NASA) Delivered by STS-129/ULF-3
Technology Development EXPERIMENTS
Maui Analysis of Upper Atmospheric Human Research and Countermeasure

Injections (MAUI) observes the Space Shuttle Development for Exploration
engine exhaust plumes from the Maui Space Biomedical analyses of human hair exposed a
Surveillance Site in Hawaii. As the Shuttle flies long-term space flight (Hair) will study the
over the Maui site, a telescope and all-sky effects of long-term exposure to the space
imagers capture images and data when the environment on gene expression and mineral
Shuttle engines fire at night or twilight. The metabolism in human hair. Human hair is
data collected is analyzed in order to determine one of the most suitable biological specimens
the interaction between the spacecraft exhaust for a space experiment since there are no special
plume and the upper atmosphere. (NASA) requirements for handling or for use of
Ram Burn Observations – 2 (RAMBO-2) is an hardware. Hair matrix cells actively divide
experiment in which the Department of in a hair follicle while these cell divisions
Defense uses a satellite to observe space shuttle sensitively reflect physical conditions. The hair
orbital maneuvering system engine burns. Its shaft records the information of the astronauts’
purpose is to improve plume models, which metabolic conditions. These samples give us
predict the direction the plume, or rising useful physiological information to examine the
column of exhaust, will move as the effects of spaceflight on astronauts participating
shuttle maneuvers on orbit. Understanding in long-duration spaceflight missions. In the
the direction in which the spacecraft engine

experiment, two different analyses will be Research System facility (ABRS). TAGES uses
performed using the ISS crew members’ hair: Arabidopsis thaliana, thale cress, with sensor
promoter-reporter gene constructs that render
1. Nucleic Acids (RNA and mitochondrial the plants as biomonitors (an organism used to
DNA) and proteins in the hair root. determine the quality of the surrounding
environment) of their environment using real-
2. Minerals in the hair shaft. (JAXA)
time nondestructive Green Fluorescent Protein
Health Consequences of Long-Duration Flight imagery and traditional postflight analyses.
(Vascular) is an integrated approach to gain (NASA)
knowledge concerning the mechanisms
Observing the Earth and Educational
responsible for changes that will occur in
Activities
vascular structure with long-duration space
flight and to link this with their functional and Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
health consequences. (CSA) Science Insert – 03 (CSI-03) is the third set of
investigations in the CSI program series. The
Physical and Biological Sciences in
CSI program provides the K-12 community
Microgravity
opportunities to utilize the unique microgravity
RNA interference and protein phosphoryl- environment of the International Space Station
ation in space environment using the as part of the regular classroom to encourage
nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (CERISE) is learning and interest in science, technology,
an experiment that addresses two scientific engineering and math. CSI-03 will examine the
objectives. The first is to evaluate the effect of complete life cycle of the Painted Lady and
microgravity on ribonucleic acid (RNA) Monarch butterflies. (NASA)
interference. The second is to study how the
Technology Development for Exploration
space environment effects protein
phosphorylation (addition of a phosphate Automatic Identification System/Grappling
molecule) and signal transduction in the muscle Adaptor to On-Orbit Railing (AIS/GATOR)
fibers of gene knock-downed Caenorhabditis aims to demonstrate the space-based capability
elegans. of identification of maritime vessels using
the Automatic Identification System (AIS). The
Cambium is one in a pair of investigations
Grappling Adaptor to On-Orbit Railing
which utilizes the Advanced Biological
(GATOR) demonstrates the on-orbit capability
Research System (ABRS). Cambium seeks
of simple hardware designed to attach small
definitive evidence that gravity has a direct
passive equipment/payloads externally to the
effect on cambial cells (cells located under the
ISS Extravehicular handrails. (ESA)
inner bark where secondary growth occurs) in
willow, Salix babylonica. (CSA) Materials International Space Station
Experiment – 7 (MISSE-7) is a test bed for
Transgenic Arabidopsis Gene Expression
materials and coatings attached to the outside
System (TAGES) is one in a pair of
of the International Space Station (ISS) being
investigations that use the Advanced Biological
evaluated for the effects of atomic oxygen,

ultraviolet, direct sunlight, radiation, and added to the crewmembers’ diet. To monitor
extremes of heat and cold. This experiment this, blood pressure readings and urine samples
allows the development and testing of new are performed at different intervals during the
materials to better withstand the rigors of space mission. (ESA)
environments. Results will provide a better
understanding of the durability of various Validation of Procedures for Monitoring Crew
materials when they are exposed to the space Member Immune Function (Integrated
environment with applications in the design of Immune) assesses the clinical risks resulting
future spacecraft. from the adverse effects of space flight on the
human immune system and will validate a
FACILITIES flight-compatible immune monitoring strategy.
Researchers collect and analyze blood, urine
The Advanced Biological Research System and saliva samples from crewmembers before,
(ABRS) is a single locker system with two during and after space flight to monitor
growth chambers that is compatible with both changes in the immune system. Changes in the
the Space Shuttle and the ISS. Each growth immune system are monitored by collecting
chamber is a closed system capable of and analyzing blood and saliva samples from
independently controlling temperature, crewmembers during flight and blood, urine,
illumination, and atmospheric composition to and saliva samples before and after space flight.
grow a variety of biological organisms. (NASA)
ISS Research Samples Returned on Nutritional Status Assessment (Nutrition) is
STS-129/ULF-3 the most comprehensive inflight study done by
Human Research and Countermeasure NASA to date of human physiologic changes
Development for Exploration during long-duration space flight; this includes
measures of bone metabolism, oxidative
Bisphosphonates as a Countermeasure to damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal
Space Flight Induced Bone Loss changes. This study will impact both the
(Bisphosphonates) determines whether definition of nutritional requirements and
antiresorptive agents (help reduce bone loss), in development of food systems for future space
conjunction with the routine inflight exercise exploration missions to the Moon and Mars.
program, will protect ISS crewmembers from This experiment will also help to understand
the regional decreases in bone mineral density the impact of countermeasures (exercise and
documented on previous ISS missions. (NASA) pharmaceuticals) on nutritional status and
nutrient requirements for astronauts. (NASA)
Long Term Microgravity: A Model for
Investigating Mechanisms of Heart Disease The National Aeronautics and Space
with New Portable Equipment (Card) is an Administration Biological Specimen
experiment that studies blood pressure Repository (Repository) is a storage bank that
decreases when the human body is exposed to is used to maintain biological specimens
microgravity. In order to increase the blood over extended periods of time and under
pressure to the level it was on Earth, salt is well-controlled conditions. Biological samples

from the International Space Station (ISS), component will be done by the use of different
including blood and urine, will be collected, nuclear track detectors. The objective of
processed and archived during the preflight, DOBIES is to develop a standard dosimetric
inflight and postflight phases of ISS missions. method (as a combination of different
This investigation has been developed to techniques) to measure the absorbed doses and
archive biosamples for use as a resource for equivalent doses in biological samples. (ESA)
future space flight related research. (NASA)
Chaos, Turbulence and its Transition Process
SOdium LOading in Microgravity (SOLO) is a in Marangoni Convection (Marangoni) is a
continuation of extensive research into the surface-tension-driven flow experiment. A
mechanisms of fluid and salt retention in the liquid bridge of silicone oil (5 or 10 cSt) is
body during bed rest and spaceflights. It formed into a pair of disks. Convection is
is a metabolically-controlled study. During induced by imposing the temperature
long-term space missions astronauts will difference between disks. We observe the flow
participate in two study phases, 5 days each. and temperature fields in each stage and
Subjects follow a diet of constant either low or investigate the transition conditions and
normal sodium intake, fairly high fluid processes precisely. (JAXA)
consumption and isocaloric nutrition. (ESA)
Mice Drawer System (MDS) is an Italian Space
Comprehensive Characterization of Micro- Agency investigation that uses a validated
organisms and Allergens in Spacecraft mouse model to investigate the genetic
(SWAB) will use advanced molecular mechanisms underlying bone mass loss in
techniques to comprehensively evaluate microgravity. Research conducted with the
microbes on board the space station, including MDS is an analog to the human research
pathogens (organisms that may cause disease). program, which has the objective to extend
It also will track changes in the microbial the human presence safely beyond low Earth
community as spacecraft visit the station and orbit. (ASI/NASA)
new station modules are added. This study
will allow an assessment of the risk of microbes Materials Science Laboratory – Columnar-to-
to the crew and the spacecraft. (NASA) Equiaxed Transition in Solidification
Processing and Microstructure Formation in
Physical and Biological Sciences in Casting of Technical Alloys under Diffusive
Microgravity and Magnetically Controlled Convective
Conditions (MSL-CETSOL and MICAST) are
Dose Distribution Inside ISS – Dosimetry for two investigations that support research
Biological Experiments in Space (DOSIS- into metallurgical solidification, semiconductor
DOBIES) consists of two investigations. The crystal growth (Bridgman and zone
DOSIS portion of the experiment will provide melting), and measurement of thermo-physical
documentation of the actual nature and properties of materials. This is a cooperative
distribution of the radiation field inside the investigation with the European Space Agency
spacecraft. Integral measurements of energy, (ESA) and National Aeronautics and Space
charge and LET spectra of the heavy ion Administration (NASA) for accommodation

and operation aboard the International Space Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light
Station (ISS). (ESA/NASA) Exposure During Spaceflight-Long (Sleep-
Long) examines the effects of space flight and
Integrated Assessment of Long-term Cosmic ambient light exposure on the sleep-wake
Radiation Through Biological Responses of cycles of the crewmembers during long-
the Silkworm, Bombyx mori, in Space duration stays on the space station. (NASA)
(RadSilk) examines the effects of radiation
exposure in microgravity on silkworms. Nutritional Status Assessment (Nutrition) is
(JAXA) the most comprehensive inflight study done by
NASA to date of human physiologic changes
Validating Vegetable Production Unit (VPU) during long-duration space flight; this includes
Plants, Protocols, Procedures and measures of bone metabolism, oxidative
Requirements (P3R) Using Currently Existing damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal
Flight Resources (Lada-VPU-P3R) is a study to changes. This study will impact both the
advance the technology required for plant definition of nutritional requirements and
growth in microgravity and to research development of food systems for future space
related food safety issues. Lada-VPU-P3R also exploration missions to the Moon and Mars.
investigates the non-nutritional value to the This experiment will also help to understand
flight crew of developing plants on-orbit. The the impact of countermeasures (exercise and
Lada-VPU-P3R uses the Lada hardware on the pharmaceuticals) on nutritional status and
ISS and falls under a cooperative agreement nutrient requirements for astronauts. (NASA)
between National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) and the Russian The National Aeronautics and Space
Federal Space Agency (FSA). (NASA/FSA) Administration Biological Specimen
Repository (Repository) is a storage bank
Additional Station Research from Now that is used to maintain biological specimens
Until the End of Expedition 21/22 over extended periods of time and under
Human Research and Countermeasure well-controlled conditions. Biological samples
Development for Exploration from the International Space Station (ISS),
including blood and urine, will be collected,
Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Control processed and archived during the preflight,
on Return from ISS (CCISS) will study the inflight and postflight phases of ISS missions.
effects of long-duration space flight on This investigation has been developed to
crewmembers’ heart functions and their blood archive biosamples for use as a resource for
vessels that supply the brain. Learning more future space flight related research. (NASA)
about the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular
systems could lead to specific countermeasures Validation of Procedures for Monitoring Crew
that might better protect future space travelers. Member Immune Function (Integrated
This experiment is collaborative effort with the Immune) assesses the clinical risks resulting
Canadian Space Agency. (NASA/CSA) from the adverse effects of space flight on the
human immune system and will validate a
flight-compatible immune monitoring strategy.

Researchers collect and analyze blood, urine SOdium LOading in Microgravity (SOLO) is a
and saliva samples from crewmembers before, continuation of extensive research into the
during and after space flight to monitor mechanisms of fluid and salt retention in the
changes in the immune system. Changes in the body during bed rest and spaceflights. It
immune system are monitored by collecting is a metabolically-controlled study. During
and analyzing blood and saliva samples from long-term space missions astronauts will
crewmembers during flight and blood, urine, participate in two study phases, 5 days each.
and saliva samples before and after space flight. Subjects follow a diet of constant either low or
(NASA) normal sodium intake, fairly high fluid
consumption and isocaloric nutrition. (ESA)
Cardiac Atrophy and Diastolic Dysfunction
During and After Long Duration Spaceflight: Observing the Earth and Educational
Functional Consequences for Orthostatic Activities
Intolerance, Exercise Capability and
Risk for Cardiac Arrhythmias (Integrated Crew Earth Observations (CEO) takes
Cardiovascular) will quantify the extent, time advantage of the crew in space to observe and
course and clinical significance of cardiac photograph natural and human-made changes
atrophy (decrease in the size of the heart on Earth. The photographs record the Earth’s
muscle) associated with long-duration space surface changes over time, along with dynamic
flight. This experiment will also identify the events such as storms, floods, fires and volcanic
mechanisms of this atrophy and the functional eruptions. These images provide researchers
consequences for crewmembers that will spend on Earth with key data to better understand the
extended periods of time in space. (NASA) planet. (NASA)
Bisphosphonates as a Countermeasure to Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School

Space Flight Induced Bone Loss Students (EarthKAM) an education activity,
(Bisphosphonates) determines whether allows middle school students to program a
antiresorptive agents (help reduce bone loss), in digital camera on board the International Space
conjunction with the routine inflight exercise Station to photograph a variety of geographical
program, will protect ISS crewmembers from targets for study in the classroom. Photos are
the regional decreases in bone mineral density made available on the world wide web for
documented on previous ISS missions. (NASA) viewing and study by participating schools
around the world. Educators use the images
The effect of long-term microgravity for projects involving Earth Science, geography,
exposure on cardiac autonomic function by physics, and social science. (NASA)
analyzing 24-hours electrocardiogram
(Biological Rhythms) examines the effect of Physical and Biological Science in
long-term microgravity exposure on cardiac Microgravity
autonomic function by analyzing 24-hour Foam-Stability examines the characteristics
electrocardiogram. (JAXA) and stability of foam under microgravity
conditions. (ESA)

Multi-User Droplet Combustion Apparatus – results are important for satellite servicing,
FLame Extinguishment Experiment vehicle assembly and formation flying
(MDCA-FLEX) assesses the effectiveness of fire spacecraft configurations. (NASA)
suppressants in microgravity and quantify the
Space Dynamically Responding Ultrasonic
effect of different possible crew exploration
Matrix System (SpaceDRUMS) comprises a
atmospheres on fire suppression. The goal of
suite of hardware that enables containerless
this research is to provide definition and
processing (samples of experimental materials
direction for large scale fire suppression tests
can be processed without ever touching a
and selection of the fire suppressant for next
container wall). Using a collection of
generation crew exploration vehicles. (NASA)
20 acoustic beam emitters, SpaceDRUMS can
Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument – completely suspend a baseball-sized solid or
Influence of Vibration on Diffusion of liquid sample during combustion or heat-based
Liquids (SODI-IVIDIL) studies the influence synthesis. Because the samples never contact
of controlled vibration stimulus (slow shaking) the container walls, materials can be produced
on diffusion between different liquids in in microgravity with an unparalleled quality of
absence of convection induced by the gravity shape and composition. The ultimate goal of
field. This investigation aims help scientists to the SpaceDRUMS hardware is to assist with the
model numerically this physical phenomenon. development of advanced materials of a
(NASA/ESA) commercial quantity and quality, using the
space-based experiments to guide development
Life Cycle of High Plants under Microgravity
of manufacturing processes on Earth.
Conditions (SpaceSeed) uses Arabidopsis
thaliana to determine if the life cycle of the plant Microgravity Acceleration Measurement
can be achieved in microgravity. Additionally, System (MAMS) and Space Acceleration
this study will examine the specific genes in the Measurement System (SAMS-II) measure
cell wall of the plant that do not activate under vibration and quasi-steady accelerations that
microgravity conditions that normally activated result from vehicle control burns, docking and
in 1-g conditions. (JAXA) undocking activities. The two different
equipment packages measure vibrations at
Technology Development
different frequencies.
Synchronized Position Hold, Engage,
Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES)
Payload Operations Coordination
are bowling-ball sized spherical satellites. They The work of more than 400 scientists, this
are used inside the space station to test a research has been prioritized based on
set of well-defined instructions for spacecraft fundamental and applied research needs
performing autonomous rendezvous and established by NASA and the international
docking maneuvers. Three free-flying spheres partners – the Canadian Space Agency (CSA),
fly within the cabin of the Space Station, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan
performing flight formations. Each satellite is Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA) and
self-contained with power, propulsion, the Russian Federal Space Agency (RSA).
computers and navigation equipment. The

Managing the international laboratory’s • JAXA Space Station Integration and
scientific assets, as well as the time and space Promotion Center (SSIPC) in Tskuba, Japan
required to accommodate experiments and
• ESA Columbus Control Center (Col-CC) in
programs from a host of private, commercial,
Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
industry and government agencies nationwide,
makes the job of coordinating space station • CSA Payloads Operations Telesciences
research critical. Center, St. Hubert, Quebec, Canada
Teams of controllers and scientists on the NASA’s Payload Operations Center serves as a
ground continuously plan, monitor and hub for coordinating much of the work related
remotely operate experiments from control to delivery of research facilities and
centers around the globe. Controllers staff experiments to the space station as they are
payload operations centers around the world, rotated in and out periodically when space
effectively providing for researchers and the shuttles or other vehicles make deliveries and
station crew around the clock, seven days a return completed experiments and samples to
week. Earth.
State-of-the-art computers and communications The payload operations director leads the
equipment deliver up-to-the-minute reports POC’s main flight control team, known as the
about experiment facilities and investigations “cadre,” and approves all science plans in
between science outposts across the United coordination with Mission Control at NASA’s
States and around the world. The payload Johnson Space Center in Houston, the
operations team also synchronizes the payload international partner control centers and the
time lines among international partners, station crew.
ensuring the best use of valuable resources and
On the Internet
crew time.
For fact sheets, imagery and more on
The control centers of NASA and its partners
International Space Station experiments and
are
payload operations, visit:
• NASA Payload Operations Center, Marshall
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/
Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. science/
• RSA Center for Control of Spaceflights
(“TsUP” in Russian) in Korolev, Russia

SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA
SHUTTLE ABORT MODES launch site, KSC, approximately 25 minutes
after liftoff.
Redundant Sequence Launch Sequencer
(RSLS) Aborts The RTLS profile is designed to accommodate
the loss of thrust from one space shuttle main
These occur when the on-board shuttle
engine between liftoff and approximately
computers detect a problem and command a
four minutes 20 seconds, after which not
halt in the launch sequence after taking over
enough main propulsion system propellant
from the ground launch sequencer and before
remains to return to the launch site. An RTLS
solid rocket booster ignition.
can be considered to consist of three stages – a
Ascent Aborts powered stage, during which the space shuttle
main engines are still thrusting; an external
Selection of an ascent abort mode may become tank separation phase; and the glide phase,
necessary if there is a failure that affects vehicle during which the orbiter glides to a landing at
performance, such as the failure of a space the KSC. The powered RTLS phase begins with
shuttle main engine or an orbital maneuvering the crew selection of the RTLS abort, after solid
system engine. Other failures requiring early rocket booster separation. The crew selects the
termination of a flight, such as a cabin leak, abort mode by positioning the abort rotary
might also require the selection of an abort switch to RTLS and depressing the abort push
mode. There are two basic types of ascent abort button. The time at which the RTLS is selected
modes for space shuttle missions: intact aborts depends on the reason for the abort. For
and contingency aborts. Intact aborts are example, a three-engine RTLS is selected at the
designed to provide a safe return of the orbiter last moment, about 3 minutes, 34 seconds into
to a planned landing site. Contingency aborts the mission; whereas an RTLS chosen due to an
are designed to permit flight crew survival engine out at liftoff is selected at the earliest
following more severe failures when an intact time, about 2 minutes, 20 seconds into the
abort is not possible. A contingency abort mission (after solid rocket booster separation).
would generally result in a ditch operation.
After RTLS is selected, the vehicle continues
Intact Aborts downrange to dissipate excess main propulsion
There are four types of intact aborts: abort to system propellant. The goal is to leave only
orbit (ATO), abort once around (AOA), enough main propulsion system propellant to
transoceanic abort landing (TAL) and return to be able to turn the vehicle around, fly back
launch site (RTLS). toward the KSC and achieve the proper main
engine cutoff conditions so the vehicle can glide
Return to Launch Site to the KSC after external tank separation.
The RTLS abort mode is designed to allow the During the downrange phase, a pitch-around
return of the orbiter, crew, and payload to the maneuver is initiated (the time depends in part
on the time of a space shuttle main engine
NOVEMBER 2009 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA 71

failure) to orient the orbiter/external tank system failure, for example, a large cabin
configuration to a heads-up attitude, pointing pressure leak or cooling system failure, occurs
toward the launch site. At this time, the vehicle after the last RTLS opportunity, making it
is still moving away from the launch site, but imperative to land as quickly as possible.
the space shuttle main engines are now
thrusting to null the downrange velocity. In In a TAL abort, the vehicle continues on a
addition, excess orbital maneuvering system ballistic trajectory across the Atlantic Ocean to
and reaction control system propellants are land at a predetermined runway. Landing
dumped by continuous orbital maneuvering occurs about 45 minutes after launch. The
system and reaction control system engine landing site is selected near the normal ascent
thrustings to improve the orbiter weight and ground track of the orbiter to make the most
center of gravity for the glide phase and efficient use of space shuttle main engine
landing. propellant. The landing site also must have the
necessary runway length, weather conditions
The vehicle will reach the desired main engine and U.S. State Department approval. The three
cutoff point with less than 2 percent excess landing sites that have been identified for a
propellant remaining in the external tank. At launch are Zaragoza, Spain; Moron, Spain; and
main engine cutoff minus 20 seconds, a pitch Istres, France.
down maneuver (called powered pitch-down)
takes the mated vehicle to the required external To select the TAL abort mode, the crew must
tank separation attitude and pitch rate. After place the abort rotary switch in the TAL/AOA
main engine cutoff has been commanded, the position and depress the abort push button
external tank separation sequence begins, before main engine cutoff (depressing it after
including a reaction control system maneuver main engine cutoff selects the AOA abort
that ensures that the orbiter does not recontact mode). The TAL abort mode begins sending
the external tank and that the orbiter has commands to steer the vehicle toward the plane
achieved the necessary pitch attitude to begin of the landing site. It also rolls the vehicle
the glide phase of the RTLS. heads up before main engine cutoff and sends
commands to begin an orbital maneuvering
After the reaction control system maneuver has system propellant dump (by burning the
been completed, the glide phase of the RTLS propellants through the orbital maneuvering
begins. From then on, the RTLS is handled system engines and the reaction control system
similarly to a normal entry. engines). This dump is necessary to increase
vehicle performance (by decreasing weight) to
Transoceanic Abort Landing place the center of gravity in the proper place
The TAL abort mode was developed to for vehicle control and to decrease the vehicle’s
improve the options available when a space landing weight. TAL is handled like a normal
shuttle main engine fails after the last RTLS entry.
opportunity but before the first time that an Abort to Orbit
AOA can be accomplished with only two space
shuttle main engines or when a major orbiter An ATO is an abort mode used to boost the
orbiter to a safe orbital altitude when
72 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA NOVEMBER 2009

performance has been lost and it is impossible another is stuck at a low thrust setting also may
to reach the planned orbital altitude. If a space necessitate a contingency abort. Such an abort
shuttle main engine fails in a region that results would maintain orbiter integrity for in-flight
in a main engine cutoff under speed, the MCC crew escape if a landing cannot be achieved at a
will determine that an abort mode is necessary suitable landing field.
and will inform the crew. The orbital
maneuvering system engines would be used to Contingency aborts due to system failures other
place the orbiter in a circular orbit. than those involving the main engines would
normally result in an intact recovery of vehicle
Abort Once Around and crew. Loss of more than one main engine
may, depending on engine failure times, result
The AOA abort mode is used in cases in which
in a safe runway landing. However, in most
vehicle performance has been lost to such an
three-engine-out cases during ascent, the
extent that either it is impossible to achieve a
orbiter would have to be ditched. The inflight
viable orbit or not enough orbital maneuvering
crew escape system would be used before
system propellant is available to accomplish the
ditching the orbiter.
orbital maneuvering system thrusting
maneuver to place the orbiter on orbit and the Abort Decisions
deorbit thrusting maneuver. In addition, an
AOA is used in cases in which a major systems There is a definite order of preference for the
problem (cabin leak, loss of cooling) makes it various abort modes. The type of failure and the
necessary to land quickly. In the AOA abort time of the failure determine which type of abort
mode, one orbital maneuvering system is selected. In cases where performance loss is
thrusting sequence is made to adjust the the only factor, the preferred modes are ATO,
post-main engine cutoff orbit so a second AOA, TAL and RTLS, in that order. The mode
orbital maneuvering system thrusting sequence chosen is the highest one that can be completed
will result in the vehicle deorbiting and landing with the remaining vehicle performance.
at the AOA landing site (White Sands, N.M.; In the case of some support system failures,
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; or the Kennedy such as cabin leaks or vehicle cooling problems,
Space Center, Fla). Thus, an AOA results in the the preferred mode might be the one that will
orbiter circling the Earth once and landing end the mission most quickly. In these cases,
about 90 minutes after liftoff. TAL or RTLS might be preferable to AOA or
After the deorbit thrusting sequence has been ATO. A contingency abort is never chosen if
executed, the flight crew flies to a landing at the another abort option exists.
planned site much as it would for a nominal Mission Control Houston is prime for calling
entry. these aborts because it has a more precise
Contingency Aborts knowledge of the orbiter’s position than the
crew can obtain from on-board systems. Before
Contingency aborts are caused by loss of more main engine cutoff, Mission Control makes
than one main engine or failures in other periodic calls to the crew to identify which
systems. Loss of one main engine while abort mode is (or is not) available. If ground

communications are lost, the flight crew has (STS-55) March 22, 1993
onboard methods, such as cue cards, dedicated
The countdown for Columbia’s launch was
displays and display information, to determine
halted by onboard computers at T-3 seconds
the abort region. Which abort mode is selected
following a problem with purge pressure
depends on the cause and timing of the failure
readings in the oxidizer preburner on main
causing the abort and which mode is safest or
engine No. 2. Columbia’s three main engines
improves mission success. If the problem is a
were replaced on the launch pad, and the flight
space shuttle main engine failure, the flight
was rescheduled behind Discovery’s launch
crew and Mission Control Center select the best
on STS-56. Columbia finally launched on
option available at the time a main engine fails.
April 26, 1993.
If the problem is a system failure that
(STS-51) Aug. 12, 1993
jeopardizes the vehicle, the fastest abort mode
that results in the earliest vehicle landing is The countdown for Discovery’s third launch
chosen. RTLS and TAL are the quickest options attempt ended at the T-3 second mark when
(35 minutes), whereas an AOA requires about onboard computers detected the failure of one
90 minutes. Which of these is selected depends of four sensors in main engine No. 2 which
on the time of the failure with three good space monitor the flow of hydrogen fuel to the
shuttle main engines. engine. All of Discovery’s main engines were
ordered replaced on the launch pad, delaying
The flight crew selects the abort mode by the shuttle’s fourth launch attempt until
positioning an abort mode switch and Sept. 12, 1993.
depressing an abort push button.
(STS-68) Aug. 18, 1994
SHUTTLE ABORT HISTORY The countdown for Endeavour’s first launch
RSLS Abort History attempt ended 1.9 seconds before liftoff when
onboard computers detected higher than
(STS-41 D) June 26, 1984 acceptable readings in one channel of a sensor
monitoring the discharge temperature of the
The countdown for the second launch attempt
high pressure oxidizer turbopump in main
for Discovery’s maiden flight ended at T-4
engine No. 3. A test firing of the engine at the
seconds when the orbiter’s computers detected
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi on
a sluggish valve in main engine No. 3. The
September 2nd confirmed that a slight drift in a
main engine was replaced and Discovery was
fuel flow meter in the engine caused a slight
finally launched on Aug. 30, 1984.
increase in the turbopump’s temperature. The
(STS-51 F) July 12, 1985 test firing also confirmed a slightly slower start
for main engine No. 3 during the pad abort,
The countdown for Challenger’s launch was
which could have contributed to the higher
halted at T-3 seconds when onboard computers
temperatures. After Endeavour was brought
detected a problem with a coolant valve on
back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to be
main engine No. 2. The valve was replaced and
outfitted with three replacement engines,
Challenger was launched on July 29, 1985.

NASA managers set Oct. 2 as the date for shuttle. The engines shut down just before the
Endeavour’s second launch attempt. shuttle, traveling at about 17,000 miles per
hour, reaches orbit.
Abort to Orbit History
The main engine operates at greater
(STS-51 F) July 29, 1985 temperature extremes than any mechanical
After an RSLS abort on July 12, 1985, system in common use today. The fuel,
Challenger was launched on July 29, 1985. liquefied hydrogen at -423 degrees Fahrenheit,
Five minutes and 45 seconds after launch, a is the second coldest liquid on Earth. When it
sensor problem resulted in the shutdown of and the liquid oxygen are combusted, the
center engine No. 1, resulting in a safe “abort to temperature in the main combustion chamber is
orbit” and successful completion of the mission. 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than the
boiling point of iron.
SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINES
The main engines use a staged combustion
Developed in the 1970s by NASA’s Marshall cycle so that all propellants entering the engines
Space Flight Center, MSFC in Huntsville, Ala., are used to produce thrust, or power, more
the space shuttle main engine is the most efficiently than any previous rocket engine. In
advanced liquid-fueled rocket engine ever built. a staged combustion cycle, propellants are first
Every space shuttle main engine is tested and burned partially at high pressure and relatively
proven flight worthy at NASA’s Stennis Space low temperature, and then burned completely
Center in south Mississippi, before installation at high temperature and pressure in the main
on an orbiter. Its main features include variable combustion chamber. The rapid mixing of the
thrust, high performance reusability, high propellants under these conditions is so
redundancy and a fully integrated engine complete that 99 percent of the fuel is burned.
controller.
At normal operating level, each engine
The shuttle’s three main engines are mounted generates 490,847 pounds of thrust, measured
on the orbiter aft fuselage in a triangular in a vacuum. Full power is 512,900 pounds of
pattern. Spaced so that they are movable thrust; minimum power is 316,100 pounds of
during launch, the engines are used, in thrust.
conjunction with the solid rocket boosters, to
The engine can be throttled by varying the
steer the shuttle vehicle.
output of the preburners, thus varying the
Each of these powerful main engines is 14 feet speed of the high-pressure turbopumps and,
long, weighs about 7,000 pounds and is 7.5 feet therefore, the flow of the propellant.
in diameter at the end of its nozzle.
At about 26 seconds into ascent, the main
The engines operate for about 8.5 minutes engines are throttled down to 316,000 pounds
during liftoff and ascent, burning more than of thrust to keep the dynamic pressure on the
500,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen vehicle below a specified level, about
and liquid oxygen propellants stored in the 580 pounds per square foot, known as max q.
external tank attached to the underside of the Then, the engines are throttled back up to

normal operating level at about 60 seconds. inspections required. Another modification
This reduces stress on the vehicle. The main incorporates a large-throat main combustion
engines are throttled down again at about chamber that improves the engine’s reliability
seven minutes, 40 seconds into the mission to by reducing pressure and temperature in the
maintain three g’s, three times the Earth’s chamber.
gravitational pull, reducing stress on the crew
and the vehicle. This acceleration level is about The most recent engine enhancement is the
one-third the acceleration experienced on Advanced Health Management System, or
previous crewed space vehicles. AHMS, which made its first flight in 2007.
AHMS is a controller upgrade that provides
About 10 seconds before main engine cutoff, or new monitoring and insight into the health of
MECO, the cutoff sequence begins. About the two most complex components of the space
three seconds later the main engines are shuttle main engine – the high pressure fuel
commanded to begin throttling at 10 percent turbopump and the high pressure oxidizer
thrust per second until they achieve 65 percent turbopump. New advanced digital signal
thrust. This is held for about 6.7 seconds, and processors monitor engine vibration and have
the engines are shut down. the ability to shut down an engine if vibration
exceeds safe limits. AHMS was developed by
The engine performance has the highest thrust engineers at Marshall.
for its weight of any engine yet developed. In
fact, one space shuttle main engine generates After the orbiter lands, the engines are removed
sufficient thrust to maintain the flight of two and returned to a processing facility at
and one-half Boeing 747 airplanes. Kennedy Space Center, Fla., where they are
rechecked and readied for the next flight. Some
The space shuttle main engine also is the first components are returned to the main engine’s
rocket engine to use a built-in electronic digital prime contractor, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne,
controller, or computer. The controller accepts West Palm Beach, Fla., for regular maintenance.
commands from the orbiter for engine start, The main engines are designed to operate for
change in throttle, shutdown and monitoring of 7.5 accumulated hours.
engine operation.
SPACE SHUTTLE SOLID ROCKET
NASA continues to increase the reliability and
safety of shuttle flights through a series of BOOSTERS (SRB)
enhancements to the space shuttle main The two solid rocket boosters required for a
engines. The engines were modified in 1988, space shuttle launch and first two minutes
1995, 1998, 2001 and 2007. Modifications of powered flight boast the largest
include new high-pressure fuel and oxidizer solid-propellant motors ever flown. They are
turbopumps that reduce maintenance and the first large rockets designed for reuse and
operating costs of the engine, a two-duct are the only solid rocket motors rated for
powerhead that reduces pressure and human flight. The SRBs have the capacity to
turbulence in the engine, and a single-coil heat carry the entire weight of the external tank, or
exchanger that lowers the number of post flight ET, and orbiter, and to transmit the weight load

through their structure to the mobile launch Each booster is just over 149 feet long and
platform, or MLP. 12.17 feet in diameter. Both boosters have a
combined weight of 1,303,314 pounds at lift-off.
The SRBs provide 71.4 percent of the thrust They are attached to the ET at the SRB aft attach
required to lift the space shuttle off the launch ring by an upper and lower attach strut and a
pad and during first-stage ascent to an altitude diagonal attach strut. The forward end of each
of about 150,000 feet, or 28 miles. At launch, SRB is affixed to the ET by one attach bolt and
each booster has a sea level thrust of ET ball fitting on the forward skirt. While
approximately 3.3 million pounds and is positioned on the launch pad, the space shuttle
ignited after the ignition and verification of the is attached to the MLP by four bolts and
three space shuttle main engines, or SSMEs. explosive nuts equally spaced around each SRB.
SRB apogee occurs at an altitude of about After ignition of the solid rocket motors, the
230,000 feet, or 43 miles, 75 seconds after nuts are severed by small explosives that allow
separation from the main vehicle. At booster the space shuttle vehicle to perform lift off.
separation, the space shuttle orbiter has reached United Space Alliance (USA)
an altitude of 24 miles and is traveling at a
speed in excess of 3,000 miles per hour. USA, at KSC facilities, is responsible for all SRB
operations except the motor and nozzle
The primary elements of each booster are nose portions. In conjunction with maintaining
cap, housing the pilot and drogue parachute; sole responsibility for manufacturing and
frustum, housing the three main parachutes in processing of the non-motor hardware and
a cluster; forward skirt, housing the booster vehicle integration, USA provides the service
flight avionics, altitude sensing, recovery of retrieval, post flight inspection and
avionics, parachute cameras and range safety analysis, disassembly and refurbishment of the
destruct system; four motor segments, hardware. USA also exclusively retains
containing the solid propellant; motor nozzle; comprehensive responsibility for the orbiter.
and aft skirt, housing the nozzle and thrust
vector control systems required for guidance. The reusable solid rocket motor segments are
Each SRB possesses its own redundant shipped from ATK Launch Systems in Utah to
auxiliary power units and hydraulic pumps. KSC, where they are mated by USA personnel
to the other structural components – the
SRB impact occurs in the ocean approximately forward assembly, aft skirt, frustum and nose
140 miles downrange. SRB retrieval is cap – in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Work
provided after each flight by specifically involves the complete disassembly and
designed and built ships. The frustums, refurbishment of the major SRB structures – the
drogue and main parachutes are loaded onto aft skirts, frustums, forward skirts and all
the ships along with the boosters and towed ancillary hardware – required to complete an
back to the Kennedy Space Center, where they SRB stack and mate to the ET. Work then
are disassembled and refurbished for reuse. proceeds to ET/SRB mate, mate with the orbiter
Before retirement, each booster can be used as and finally, space shuttle close out operations.
many as 20 times. After hardware restoration concerning flight

configuration is complete, automated checkout because of NSD gas pressure, gravity and the
and hot fire are performed early in hardware release of tension in the bolt, which is
flow to ensure that the refurbished components pretensioned before launch. The bolt is
satisfy all flight performance requirements. stopped by the stud deceleration stand which
contains sand to absorb the shock of the bolt
ATK Launch Systems (ATK) dropping down several feet. The SRB bolt is
ATK Launch Systems of Brigham City, Utah, 28 inches long, 3.5 inches in diameter and
manufactures space shuttle reusable solid weighs approximately 90 pounds. The
rocket motors, or RSRMs, at their Utah facility. frangible nut is captured in a blast container on
Each RSRM – just over 126 feet long and 12 feet the aft skirt specifically designed to absorb the
in diameter – consists of four rocket motor impact and prevent pieces of the nut from
segments and an aft exit cone assembly is. liberating and becoming debris that could
From ignition to end of burn, each RSRM damage the space shuttle.
generates an average thrust of 2.6 million Integrated Electronic Assembly (IEA)
pounds and burns for approximately
123 seconds. Of the motor’s total weight of The aft IEA, mounted in the ET/SRB attach ring,
1.25 million pounds, propellant accounts for provides the electrical interface between the
1.1 million pounds. The four motor segments SRB systems and the obiter. The aft IEA
are matched by loading each from the same receives data, commands, and electrical power
batches of propellant ingredients to minimize from the orbiter and distributes these inputs
any thrust imbalance. The segmented casing throughout each SRB. Components located in
design assures maximum flexibility in the forward assemblies of each SRB are
fabrication and ease of transportation and powered by the aft IEA through the forward
handling. Each segment is shipped to KSC on a IEA, except for those utilizing the recovery and
heavy-duty rail car with a specialty built cover. range safety batteries located in the forward
assemblies. The forward IEA communicates
SRB Hardware Design Summary with and receives power from the orbiter
through the aft IEA, but has no direct electrical
Hold-Down Posts
connection to the orbiter.
Each SRB has four hold-down posts that fit into
corresponding support posts on the MLP. Electrical Power Distribution
Hold-down bolts secure the SRB and MLP posts Electrical power distribution in each SRB
together. Each bolt has a nut at each end, but consists of orbiter-supplied main dc bus power
the top nut is frangible, or breakable. The top to each SRB via SRB buses A, B and C. Orbiter
nut contains two NASA Standard detonators, main dc buses A, B and C supply main dc bus
or NSDs, that, when ignited at solid rocket power to corresponding SRB buses A, B and C.
motor ignition command, split the upper nut in In addition, orbiter main dc, bus C supplies
half. backup power to SRB buses A and B, and
orbiter bus B supplies backup power to SRB
Splitting the upper nuts allow the hold-down
bus C. This electrical power distribution
bolts to be released and travel downward

arrangement allows all SRB buses to remain pump and control valves and then to the gas
powered in the event one orbiter main bus fails. generator. The gas generator’s catalytic action
decomposes the fuel and creates a hot gas. It
The nominal dc voltage is 28 V dc, with an feeds the hot gas exhaust product to the APU
upper limit of 32 V dc and a lower limit of two-stage gas turbine. Fuel flows primarily
24 V dc. through the startup bypass line until the APU
Hydraulic Power Units (HPUs) speed is such that the fuel pump outlet pressure
is greater than the bypass line’s, at which point
There are two self-contained, independent all the fuel is supplied to the fuel pump.
HPUs on each SRB. Each HPU consists of an
auxiliary power unit, or APU; Fuel Supply The APU turbine assembly provides
Module, or FSM; hydraulic pump; hydraulic mechanical power to the APU gearbox, which
reservoir; and hydraulic fluid manifold drives the APU fuel pump, hydraulic pump
assembly. The APUs are fueled by hydrazine and lube oil pump. The APU lube oil pump
and generate mechanical shaft power to a lubricates the gearbox. The turbine exhaust of
hydraulic pump that produces hydraulic each APU flows over the exterior of the gas
pressure for the SRB hydraulic system. The generator, cooling it and directing it overboard
APU controller electronics are located in the through an exhaust duct.
SRB aft integrated electronic assemblies on the
When the APU speed reaches 100 percent, the
aft ET attach rings. The two separate HPUs
APU primary control valve closes and the
and two hydraulic systems are located inside
APU speed is controlled by the APU controller
the aft skirt of each SRB between the SRB
electronics. If the primary control valve logic
nozzle and skirt. The HPU components are
fails to the open state, the secondary control
mounted on the aft skirt between the rock and
valve assumes control of the APU at
tilt actuators. The two systems operate from
112 percent speed. Each HPU on an SRB is
T minus 28 seconds until SRB separation from
connected to both servoactuators. One HPU
the orbiter and ET. The two independent
serves as the primary hydraulic source for the
hydraulic systems are connected to the rock
servoactuator and the other HPU serves as the
and tilt servoactuators.
secondary hydraulics for the servoactuator.
The HPUs and their fuel systems are isolated Each servoactuator has a switching valve that
from each other. Each fuel supply module, or allows the secondary hydraulics to power the
tank, contains 22 pounds of hydrazine. The actuator if the primary hydraulic pressure
fuel tank is pressurized with gaseous nitrogen drops below 2,050 psi. A switch contact on the
at 400 psi to provide the force to expel via switching valve will close when the valve is in
positive expulsion the fuel from the tank to the the secondary position. When the valve is
fuel distribution line. A positive fuel supply to closed, a signal is sent to the APU controller
the APU throughout its operation is that inhibits the 100 percent APU speed control
maintained. logic and enables the 112 percent APU speed
control logic. The 100 percent APU speed
The fuel isolation valve is opened at APU enables one APU/HPU to supply sufficient
startup to allow fuel to flow to the APU fuel

operating hydraulic pressure to both Each SRB servoactuator consists of four
servoactuators of that SRB. independent, two-stage servovalves that
receive signals from the drivers. Each
The APU 100 percent speed corresponds to servovalve controls one power spool in each
72,000 rpm, 110 percent to 79,200 rpm and actuator, which positions an actuator ram and
112 percent to 80,640 rpm. the nozzle to control the direction of thrust.
The hydraulic pump speed is 3,600 rpm and The four servovalves in each actuator provide a
supplies hydraulic pressure of 3,050, plus or force-summed majority voting arrangement to
minus 50 psi. A high-pressure relief valve position the power spool. With four identical
provides overpressure protection to the commands to the four servovalves, the actuator
hydraulic system and relieves at 3,750 psi. force-sum action prevents a single erroneous
The APUs/HPUs and hydraulic systems are command from affecting power ram motion. If
reusable for 20 missions. the erroneous command persists for more than
a predetermined time, differential pressure
Thrust Vector Control (TVC) sensing activates a selector valve to isolate and
remove the defective servovalve hydraulic
Each SRB has two hydraulic gimbal
pressure. This permits the remaining channels
servoactuators: one for rock and one for tilt.
and servovalves to control the actuator ram
The servoactuators provide the force and
spool.
control to gimbal the nozzle for TVC. The
all-axis gimbaling capability is 8 degrees. Each Failure monitors are provided for each channel
nozzle has a carbon cloth liner that erodes to indicate which channel has been bypassed.
and chars during firing. The nozzle is a An isolation valve on each channel provides the
convergent-divergent, movable design in which capability of resetting a failed or bypassed
an aft pivot-point flexible bearing is the channel.
gimbal mechanism.
Each actuator ram is equipped with transducers
The space shuttle ascent TVC portion of the for position feedback to the thrust vector
flight control system directs the thrust of the control system. Within each servoactuator ram
three SSMEs and the two SRB nozzles to control is a splashdown load relief assembly to cushion
shuttle attitude and trajectory during liftoff and the nozzle at water splashdown and prevent
ascent. Commands from the guidance system damage to the nozzle flexible bearing.
are transmitted to the ascent TVC, or ATVC,
drivers, which transmit signals proportional to SRB Rate Gyro Assemblies (RGAs)
the commands to each servoactuator of the Each SRB contains two RGAs mounted in the
main engines and SRBs. Four independent forward skirt watertight compartment. Each
flight control system channels and four ATVC RGA contains two orthogonally mounted
channels control six main engine and four gyroscopes – pitch and yaw axes. In
SRB ATVC drivers, with each driver controlling conjunction with the orbiter roll rate gyros, they
one hydraulic port on each main and SRB provide angular rate information that describes
servoactuator. the inertial motion of the vehicle cluster to the

orbiter computers and the guidance, navigation master events controllers, or MECs, to the
and control system during first stage ascent NSDs installed in the safe and arm device in
to SRB separation. At SRB separation, all each SRB. A pyrotechnic initiation controller,
guidance control data is handed off from the or PIC, is a single-channel capacitor discharge
SRB RGAs to the orbiter RGAs. The RGAs are device that controls the firing of each
designed and qualified for 20 missions. pyrotechnic device. Three signals must be
present simultaneously for the PIC to generate
Propellant the pyro firing output. These signals – arm, fire
The propellant mixture in each SRB motor 1 and fire 2 – originate in the orbiter
consists of ammonium perchlorate, an oxidizer, general-purpose computers and are transmitted
69.6 percent by weight; aluminum, a fuel, to the MECs. The MECs reformat them to
16 percent by weight; iron oxide, a catalyst, 28 V dc signals for the PICs. The arm signal
0.4 percent by weight; polymer, a binder that charges the PIC capacitor to 40 V dc, minimum
holds the mixture together, 12.04 percent by 20 V dc.
weight; and epoxy curing agent, 1.96 percent by
The fire 2 commands cause the redundant
weight. The propellant is an 11-point
NSDs to fire through a thin barrier seal down a
star-shaped perforation in the forward motor
flame tunnel. This ignites a pyro booster
segment and a double truncated cone
charge, which is retained in the safe and arm
perforation in each of the aft segments and aft
device behind a perforated plate. The booster
closure. This configuration provides high
charge ignites the propellant in the igniter
thrust at ignition and then reduces the thrust by
initiator; and combustion products of this
about one-third 50 seconds after liftoff to
propellant ignite the solid rocket motor igniter,
prevent overstressing the vehicle during
which fires down the length of the solid rocket
maximum dynamic pressure.
motor igniting the solid rocket motor
SRB Ignition propellant.
SRB ignition can occur only when a manual The general purpose computer, or GPC, launch
lock pin from each SRB safe and arm device has sequence also controls certain critical main
been removed by the ground crew during propulsion system valves and monitors the
prelaunch activities. At T minus 5 minutes, the engine-ready indications from the SSMEs. The
SRB safe and arm device is rotated to the arm main propulsion system, or MPS, start
position. The solid rocket motor ignition commands are issued by the on-board
commands are issued when the three SSMEs computers at T minus 6.6 seconds. There is a
are at or above 90 percent rated thrust; no staggered start – engine three, engine two,
SSME fail and/or SRB ignition pyrotechnic engine one – within 0.25 of a second, and the
initiator controller, or PIC low voltage is sequence monitors the thrust buildup of
indicated; and there are no holds from the each engine. All three SSMEs must reach the
launch processing system, or LPS. required 90 percent thrust within three seconds;
otherwise, an orderly shutdown is commanded
The solid rocket motor ignition commands are and safing functions are initiated.
sent by the orbiter computers through the

Normal thrust buildup to the required The forward attachment point consists of a ball
90 percent thrust level will result in the SSMEs on the SRB and socket on the ET, held together
being commanded to the liftoff position at by one bolt. The bolt contains one NSD
T minus 3 seconds as well as the fire 1 pressure cartridge at each end. The forward
command being issued to arm the SRBs. At attachment point also carries the range safety
T minus three seconds, the vehicle base system cross-strap wiring connecting each SRB
bending load modes are allowed to initialize. range safety system, or RSS, and the ET RSS
with each other.
At T minus 0, the two SRBs are ignited by the
four orbiter on-board computers; commands The aft attachment points consist of three
are sent to release the SRBs; the two T-0 separate struts: upper, diagonal, and lower.
umbilicals, one on each side of the spacecraft, Each strut contains one bolt with an NSD
are retracted; the on-board master timing unit, pressure cartridge at each end. The upper strut
event timer and mission event timers are also carries the umbilical interface between its
started; the three SSMEs are at 100 percent; and SRB and the external tank and on to the orbiter.
the ground launch sequence is terminated.
Redesigned Booster Separation Motors (RBSM)
SRB Separation
Eight Booster Separation Motors, or BSMs, are
The SRB/ET separation subsystem provides for located on each booster – four on the forward
separation of the SRBs from the orbiter/ET section and four on the aft skirt. BSMs provide
without damage to or recontact of the elements the force required to push the SRBs away from
– SRBs, orbiter/ET – during or after separation the orbiter/ET at separation. Each BSM weighs
for nominal modes. SRB separation is initiated approximately 165 pounds and is 31.1 inches
when the three solid rocket motor chamber long and 12.8 inches in diameter. Once the
pressure transducers are processed in the SRBs have completed their flight, the BSMs are
redundancy management middle value select fired to jettison the SRBs away from the orbiter
and the head end chamber pressure of both and external tank, allowing the boosters to
SRBs is less than or equal to 50 psi. A backup parachute to Earth and be reused. The BSMs in
cue is the time elapsed from booster ignition. each cluster of four are ignited by firing
redundant NSD pressure cartridges into
The separation sequence is initiated,
redundant confined detonating fuse manifolds.
commanding the thrust vector control actuators
The separation commands issued from the
to the null position and putting the main
orbiter by the SRB separation sequence initiate
propulsion system into a second-stage
the redundant NSD pressure cartridge in each
configuration 0.8 second from sequence
bolt and ignite the BSMs to effect a clean
initialization, which ensures the thrust of each
separation.
SRB is less than 100,000 pounds. Orbiter yaw
attitude is held for four seconds and SRB thrust Redesigned BSMs flew for the first time in both
drops to less than 60,000 pounds. The SRBs forward and aft locations on STS-125. As a
separate from the ET within 30 milliseconds of result of vendor viability and manifest support
the ordnance firing command. issues, space shuttle BSMs are now being
manufactured by ATK. The igniter has been

redesigned and other changes include material These cameras each have a dedicated recorder
upgrades driven by obsolescence issues and and are recorded in a digital format. The
improvements to process and inspection cameras were designed, qualified, and
techniques. implemented by USA after Columbia to
provide enhanced imagery capabilities to
SRB Cameras capture potential debris liberation beginning
Each SRB flies with a complement of four with main engine start and continuing through
cameras, three mounted for exterior views SRB separation.
during launch, separation and descent; and one The camera videos are available for engineering
mounted internal to the forward dome for main review approximately 24 hours following the
parachute performance assessment during arrival of the boosters at KSC.
descent.
Range Safety Systems (RSS)
The ET observation camera is mounted on the
SRB forward skirt and provides a wide-angle The RSS consists of two antenna couplers;
view of the ET intertank area. The camera is command receivers/decoders; a dual
activated at lift off by a G-switch and records distributor; a safe and arm device with two
for 350 seconds, after which the recorder is NSDs; two confined detonating fuse manifolds;
switched to a similar camera in the forward seven confined detonator fuse, or CDF
skirt dome to view the deployment and assemblies; and one linear-shaped charge.
performance of the main parachutes to splash
The RSS provides for destruction of a rocket or
down. These cameras share a digital tape
part of it with on-board explosives by remote
recorder located within the data acquisition
command if the rocket is out of control, to
system.
limit danger to people on the ground from
The ET ring camera is mounted on the ET crashing pieces, explosions, fire, and poisonous
attach ring and provides a view up the stacked substances.
vehicle on the orbiter underside and the bipod
The space shuttle has two RSSs, one in each
strut attach point.
SRB. Both are capable of receiving two
The forward skirt camera is mounted on the command messages – arm and fire – which are
external surface of the SRB forward skirt and transmitted from the ground station. The RSS
provides a view aft down the stacked vehicle of is only used when the space shuttle violates a
the orbiter underside and the wing leading launch trajectory red line.
edge reinforced carbon-carbon, or RCC, panels.
The antenna couplers provide the proper
The ET attach ring camera and forward skirt impedance for radio frequency and ground
camera are activated by a global positioning support equipment commands. The command
system command at approximately T minus receivers are tuned to RSS command
1 minute 56 seconds to begin recording at frequencies and provide the input signal to the
approximately T minus 50 seconds. The camera distributors when an RSS command is sent.
images are recorded through splash down. The command decoders use a code plug to

prevent any command signal other than the drogue parachute fully inflates in stages, and at
proper command signal from getting into the 5,500 feet pulls the frustum away from the SRB,
distributors. The distributors contain the logic which initiates the deployment of the three
to supply valid destruct commands to the RSS main parachutes. The parachutes also inflate in
pyrotechnics. stages and further slow the decent of the SRBs
to their final velocity at splashdown. The
The NSDs provide the spark to ignite the CDF parachutes slow each SRB from 368 mph at first
that in turn ignites the linear shaped charge for deployment to 52 mph at splashdown, allowing
space shuttle destruction. The safe and arm for the recovery and reuse of the boosters.
device provides mechanical isolation between
the NSDs and the CDF before launch and Two 176-foot recovery ships, Freedom Star and
during the SRB separation sequence. Liberty Star, are on station at the splashdown
zone to retrieve the frustums with drogue
The first message, called arm, allows the parachutes attached, the main parachutes and
onboard logic to enable a destruct and the SRBs. The SRB nose caps and solid rocket
illuminates a light on the flight deck display motor nozzle extensions are not recovered. The
and control panel at the commander and pilot SRBs are dewatered using an enhanced diver
station. The second message transmitted is the operating plug to facilitate tow back. These
fire command. The SRB distributors in the plugs are inserted into the motor nozzle and
SRBs are cross-strapped together. Thus, if one air is pumped into the booster, causing it to
SRB received an arm or destruct signal, the lay flat in the water to allow it to be easily
signal would also be sent to the other SRB. towed. The boosters are then towed back to
Electrical power from the RSS battery in each the refurbishment facilities. Each booster is
SRB is routed to RSS system A. The recovery removed from the water and components are
battery in each SRB is used to power RSS disassembled and washed with fresh and
system B as well as the recovery system in the deionized water to limit saltwater corrosion.
SRB. The SRB RSS is powered down during the The motor segments, igniter and nozzle are
separation sequence, and the SRB recovery shipped back to ATK in Utah for
system is powered up. refurbishment. The nonmotor components and
structures are disassembled by USA and are
Descent and Recovery refurbished to like-new condition at both KSC
and equipment manufacturers across the
After separation and at specified altitudes, the
country.
SRB forward avionics system initiates the
release of the nose cap, which houses a pilot SPACE SHUTTLE SUPER LIGHT WEIGHT
parachute and drogue parachute; and the
TANK (SLWT)
frustum, which houses the three main
parachutes. Jettison of the nose cap at The super lightweight external tank (SLWT)
15,700 feet deploys a small pilot parachute and made its first shuttle flight June 2, 1998, on
begins to slow the SRB decent. At an altitude mission STS-91. The SLWT is 7,500 pounds
of 15,200 feet the pilot parachute pulls the lighter than the standard external tank. The
drogue parachute from the frustum. The lighter weight tank allows the shuttle to deliver

International Space Station elements (such as The external tank is the “backbone” of the
the service module) into the proper orbit. shuttle during launch, providing structural
support for attachment with the solid rocket
The SLWT is the same size as the previous boosters and orbiter. It is the only component
design. But the liquid hydrogen tank and the of the shuttle that is not reused. Approximately
liquid oxygen tank are made of aluminum 8.5 minutes after reaching orbit, with its
lithium, a lighter, stronger material than the propellant used, the tank is jettisoned and falls
metal alloy used for the shuttle’s current tank. in a preplanned trajectory. Most of the tank
The tank’s structural design has also been disintegrates in the atmosphere, and the
improved, making it 30 percent stronger and remainder falls into the ocean.
5 percent less dense.
The external tank is manufactured at NASA’s
The SLWT, like the standard tank, is Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans by
manufactured at Michoud Assembly, near Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
New Orleans, by Lockheed Martin.
Foam Facts
The 154-foot-long external tank is the largest
single component of the space shuttle. It stands The external tank is covered with spray-on
taller than a 15-story building and has a foam insulation that insulates the tank before
diameter of about 27 feet. The external tank and during launch. More than 90 percent of the
holds over 530,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen tank’s foam is applied using an automated
and liquid oxygen in two separate tanks. The system, leaving less than 10 percent to be
hydrogen (fuel) and liquid oxygen (oxidizer) applied manually.
are used as propellants for the shuttle’s three
main engines. There are two types of foam on the external
tank, known as the Thermal Protection System,
EXTERNAL TANK or TPS. One is low-density, closed-cell foam on
the tank acreage and is known as Spray-On-
The 154-foot-long external tank is the largest Foam-Insulation, often referred to by its
single component of the space shuttle. It stands acronym, SOFI. Most of the tank is covered by
taller than a 15-story building and has a either an automated or manually applied SOFI.
diameter of about 27 feet. The external tank Most areas around protuberances, such as
holds more than 530,000 gallons of liquid brackets and structural elements, are applied by
hydrogen and liquid oxygen in two separate pouring foam ingredients into part-specific
tanks, the forward liquid oxygen tank and the molds. The other is a denser composite
aft liquid hydrogen tank. An unpressurized material made of silicone resins and cork and
intertank unites the two propellant tanks. called ablator. An ablator is a material that
dissipates heat by eroding. It is used on areas
Liquid hydrogen (fuel) and liquid oxygen
of the external tank subjected to extreme heat,
(oxidizer) are used as propellants for the
such as the aft dome near the engine exhaust,
shuttle’s three main engines. The external tank
and remaining protuberances, such as the cable
weighs 58,500 pounds empty and
1,668,500 pounds when filled with propellants.

trays. These areas are exposed to extreme roughness, density, strength and adhesion. As
aerodynamic heating. in most assembly production situations, the
foam is applied in specially designed,
Closed-cell foam used on the tank was environmentally controlled spray cells and
developed to keep the propellants that fuel the applied in several phases, often over a period of
shuttle’s three main engines at optimum several weeks. Before spraying, the foam’s raw
temperature. It keeps the shuttle’s liquid material and mechanical properties are tested
hydrogen fuel at -423 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure they meet NASA specifications.
and the liquid oxygen tank at near Multiple visual inspections of all foam surfaces
-297 degrees Fahrenheit, even as the tank sits are performed after the spraying is complete.
under the hot Florida sun. At the same time,
the foam prevents a buildup of ice on the Most of the foam is applied at NASA’s
outside of the tank. Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans
when the tank is manufactured, including most
The foam insulation must be durable enough to of the “closeout” areas, or final areas applied.
endure a 180-day stay at the launch pad, These closeouts are done either by hand
withstand temperatures up to 115 degrees pouring or manual spraying. Additional
Fahrenheit, humidity as high as 100 percent, closeouts are completed once the tank reaches
and resist sand, salt, fog, rain, solar radiation Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
and even fungus. Then, during launch, the
foam must tolerate temperatures as high as The super lightweight external tank, or SLWT,
2,200 degrees Fahrenheit generated by made its first shuttle flight in June 1998 on
aerodynamic friction and radiant heating from mission STS-91. The SLWT is 7,500 pounds
the 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit main engine lighter than previously flown tanks. The SLWT
plumes. Finally, when the external tank begins is the same size as the previous design, but the
reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere about liquid hydrogen tank and the liquid oxygen
30 minutes after launch, the foam maintains the tank are made of aluminum lithium, a lighter,
tank’s structural temperatures and allows it to stronger material than the metal alloy used
safely disintegrate over a remote ocean location. previously.
Though the foam insulation on the majority of Beginning with the first Return to Flight
the tank is only 1-inch thick, it adds mission, STS-114 in June 2005, several
4,823 pounds to the tank’s weight. In the areas improvements were made to improve safety
of the tank subjected to the highest heating, and flight reliability.
insulation is somewhat thicker, between 1.5 to
3 inches thick. Though the foam’s density Forward Bipod
varies with the type, an average density is The external tank’s forward shuttle attach
about 2.4 pounds per cubic foot. fitting, called the bipod, was redesigned to
Application of the foam, whether automated by eliminate the large insulating foam ramps as a
computer or hand-sprayed, is designed to meet source of debris. Each external tank has two
NASA’s requirements for finish, thickness, bipod fittings that connect the tank to the
orbiter through the shuttle’s two forward

attachment struts. Four rod heaters were along portions of the liquid oxygen and
placed below each forward bipod, replacing the liquid hydrogen tanks. These PAL ramps were
large insulated foam Protuberance Airload, or extensively studied and determined to not be
PAL, ramps. necessary for their original purpose, which was
to protect cable trays from aeroelastic instability
Liquid Hydrogen Tank & Liquid Oxygen during ascent. Extensive tests were conducted
Intertank Flange Closeouts to verify the shuttle could fly safely without
The liquid hydrogen tank flange located at the these particular PAL ramps. Extensions were
bottom of the intertank and the liquid oxygen added to the ice frost ramps for the pressline
tank flange located at the top of the intertank and cable tray brackets, where these PAL ramps
provide joining mechanisms with the intertank. were removed to make the geometry of the
After each of these three component tanks, ramps consistent with other locations on
liquid oxygen, intertank and liquid hydrogen, the tank and thereby provide consistent
are joined mechanically, the flanges at both aerodynamic flow. Nine extensions were
ends are insulated with foam. An enhanced added, six on the liquid hydrogen tank and
closeout, or finishing, procedure was added to three on the liquid oxygen tank.
improve foam application to the stringer, or
Engine Cutoff (ECO) Sensor Modification
intertank ribbing, and to the upper and lower
area of both the liquid hydrogen and liquid Beginning with STS-122, ET-125, which
oxygen intertank flanges. launched on Feb. 7, 2008, the ECO sensor
system feed through connector on the liquid
Liquid Oxygen Feedline Bellows hydrogen tank was modified by soldering the
The liquid oxygen feedline bellows were connector’s pins and sockets to address false
reshaped to include a “drip lip” that allows readings in the system. All subsequent tanks
condensate moisture to run off and prevent after ET-125 have the same modification.
freezing. A strip heater was added to the
Liquid Hydrogen Tank Ice Frost Ramps
forward bellow to further reduce the potential
of high density ice or frost formation. Joints on ET-128, which flew on the STS-124 shuttle
the liquid oxygen feedline assembly allow the mission, May 31, 2008, was the first tank to fly
feedline to move during installation and during with redesigned liquid hydrogen tank ice frost
liquid hydrogen tank fill. Because it must flex, ramps. Design changes were incorporated at
it cannot be insulated with foam like the all 17 ice frost ramp locations on the liquid
remainder of the tank. hydrogen tank, stations 1151 through 2057, to
reduce foam loss. Although the redesigned
Other tank improvements include: ramps appear identical to the previous design,
Liquid Oxygen & Liquid Hydrogen several changes were made. PDL* and NCFI
Protuberance Airload (PAL) Ramps foam have been replaced with BX* manual
spray foam in the ramp’s base cutout to reduce
External tank ET-119, which flew on the second debonding and cracking; Pressline and cable
Return to Flight mission, STS-121, in July 2006, tray bracket feet corners have been rounded to
was the first tank to fly without PAL ramps reduce stresses; shear pin holes have been

sealed to reduce leak paths; isolators were Liquid Oxygen Feedline Brackets
primed to promote adhesion; isolator corners
were rounded to help reduce thermal ET-128 also was the first tank to fly with
protection system foam stresses; BX manual redesigned liquid oxygen feedline brackets.
spray was applied in bracket pockets to reduce Titanium brackets, much less thermally
geometric voids. conductive than aluminum, replaced aluminum
brackets at four locations, XT 1129, XT 1377,
*BX is a type of foam used on the tank’s Xt 1624 and Xt 1871. This change minimizes ice
“loseout,” or final finished areas; it is applied formation in under-insulated areas, and
manually or hand-sprayed. PDL is an acronym reduces the amount of foam required to cover
for Product Development Laboratory, the first the brackets and the propensity for ice
supplier of the foam during the early days of development. Zero-gap/slip plane Teflon
the external tank’s development. PDL is material was added to the upper outboard
applied by pouring foam ingredients into a monoball attachment to eliminate ice adhesion.
mold. NCFI foam is used on the aft dome, or Additional foam has been added to the liquid
bottom, of the liquid hydrogen tank. oxygen feedline to further minimize ice
formation along the length of the feedline.

LAUNCH AND LANDING
LAUNCH RETURN-TO-LAUNCH-SITE (RTLS)
As with all previous space shuttle launches, If one or more engines shut down early and
Atlantis has several options to abort its ascent if there is not enough energy to reach Zaragoza,
needed after engine failures or other systems the shuttle would pitch around toward
problems. Shuttle launch abort philosophy is Kennedy until within gliding distance of
intended to facilitate safe recovery of the flight the Shuttle Landing Facility. For launch to
crew and intact recovery of the orbiter and its proceed, weather conditions must be forecast to
payload. be acceptable for a possible RTLS landing at
KSC about 20 minutes after liftoff.
Abort modes include:
ABORT ONCE AROUND (AOA)
ABORT-TO-ORBIT (ATO)
An AOA is selected if the vehicle cannot
This mode is used if there is a partial loss of achieve a viable orbit or will not have enough
main engine thrust late enough to permit propellant to perform a deorbit burn, but has
reaching a minimal 105 by 85 nautical mile orbit enough energy to circle the Earth once and land
with the orbital maneuvering system engines. about 90 minutes after liftoff.
The engines boost the shuttle to a safe orbital
altitude when it is impossible to reach the LANDING
planned orbital altitude.
The primary landing site for Atlantis on
TRANSATLANTIC ABORT LANDING STS‐129 is the Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle
(TAL) Landing Facility. Alternate landing sites that
could be used if needed because of weather
The loss of one or more main engines midway conditions or systems failures are at Edwards
through powered flight would force a landing Air Force Base, Calif., and White Sands Space
at either Zaragoza, Spain; Moron, Spain; or Harbor, N.M.
Istres, France. For launch to proceed, weather
conditions must be acceptable at one of these
TAL sites.
NOVEMBER 2009 LAUNCH & LANDING 89

90 LAUNCH & LANDING NOVEMBER 2009

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
A/G Alignment Guides
A/L Airlock
AAA Avionics Air Assembly
ABC Audio Bus Controller
ACBM Active Common Berthing Mechanism
ACDU Airlock Control and Display Unit
ACO Assembly Checkout Officer
ACS Atmosphere Control and Supply
ACU Arm Control Unit
ADS Audio Distribution System
AE Approach Ellipsoid
AEP Airlock Electronics Package
AI Approach Initiation
AIS Automatic Identification System
AJIS Alpha Joint Interface Structure
AM Atmosphere Monitoring
AMOS Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site
AOH Assembly Operations Handbook
APAS Androgynous Peripheral Attachment
APCU Assembly Power Converter Unit
APE Antenna Pointing Electronics
Audio Pointing Equipment
APFR Articulating Portable Foot Restraint
APM Antenna Pointing Mechanism
APS Automated Payload Switch
APV Automated Procedure Viewer
AR Atmosphere Revitalization
ARCU American-to-Russian Converter Unit
ARS Atmosphere Revitalization System
ASW Application Software
ATA Ammonia Tank Assembly
ATCS Active Thermal Control System
ATU Audio Terminal Unit
BAD Broadcast Ancillary Data

BC Bus Controller
BCDU Battery Charge/Discharge Unit
Berthing Mechanism Control and Display Unit
NOVEMBER 2009 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS 91

BEP Berthing Mechanism Electronics Package
BGA Beta Gimbal Assembly
BIC Bus Interface Controller
BIT Built-In Test
BM Berthing Mechanism
BOS BIC Operations Software
BSS Basic Software
BSTS Basic Standard Support Software
C&C Command and Control

C&DH Command and Data Handling
C&T Communication and Tracking
C&W Caution and Warning
C/L Crew Lock
C/O Checkout
CAM Collision Avoidance Maneuver
CAPE Canister for All Payload Ejections
CAS Common Attach System
CB Control Bus
CBCS Centerline Berthing Camera System
CBM Common Berthing Mechanism
CCA Circuit Card Assembly
CCAA Common Cabin Air Assembly
CCHA Crew Communication Headset Assembly
CCP Camera Control Panel
CCT Communication Configuration Table
CCTV Closed-Circuit Television
CDR Space Shuttle Commander
CDRA Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly
CETA Crew Equipment Translation Aid
CHeCS Crew Health Care System
CHX Cabin Heat Exchanger
CISC Complicated Instruction Set Computer
CLA Camera Light Assembly
CLPA Camera Light Pan Tilt Assembly
CMG Control Moment Gyro
COTS Commercial Off the Shelf
CPA Control Panel Assembly
CPB Camera Power Box
CR Change Request
CRT Cathode-Ray Tube
92 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS NOVEMBER 2009

CSA Canadian Space Agency
CSA-CP Compound Specific Analyzer
CTC Cargo Transport Container
CVIU Common Video Interface Unit
CVT Current Value Table
CZ Communication Zone
DB Data Book
DC Docking Compartment
DCSU Direct Current Switching Unit
DDCU DC-to-DC Converter Unit
DEM Demodulator
DFL Decommutation Format Load
DIU Data Interface Unit
DMS Data Management System
DMS-R Data Management System-Russian
DPG Differential Pressure Gauge
DPU Baseband Data Processing Unit
DRTS Japanese Data Relay Satellite
DYF Display Frame
E/L Equipment Lock

EATCS External Active Thermal Control System
EBCS External Berthing Camera System
ECC Error Correction Code
ECLSS Environmental Control and Life Support System
ECS Environmental Control System
ECU Electronic Control Unit
EDSU External Data Storage Unit
EDU EEU Driver Unit
EE End Effector
EETCS Early External Thermal Control System
EEU Experiment Exchange Unit
EF Exposed Facility
EFBM Exposed Facility Berthing Mechanism
EFHX Exposed Facility Heat Exchanger
EFU Exposed Facility Unit
EGIL Electrical, General Instrumentation, and Lighting
EIU Ethernet Interface Unit
ELC ExPRESS Logistics Carrier
ELM-ES Japanese Experiment Logistics Module – Exposed Section
ELM-PS Japanese Experiment Logistics Module – Pressurized Section

ELPS Emergency Lighting Power Supply
EMGF Electric Mechanical Grapple Fixture
EMI Electro-Magnetic Imaging
EMU Extravehicular Mobility Unit
E-ORU EVA Essential ORU
EP Exposed Pallet
EPS Electrical Power System
ES Exposed Section
ESA European Space Agency
ESC JEF System Controller
ESW Extended Support Software
ET External Tank
ETCS External Thermal Control System
ETI Elapsed Time Indicator
ETRS EVA Temporary Rail Stop
ETVCG External Television Camera Group
EV Extravehicular
EVA Extravehicular Activity
EXP-D Experiment-D
EXT External
FA Fluid Accumulator
FAS Flight Application Software
FCT Flight Control Team
FD Flight Day
FDDI Fiber Distributed Data Interface
FDIR Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery
FDS Fire Detection System
FE Flight Engineer
FET-SW Field Effect Transistor Switch
FGB Functional Cargo Block
FOR Frame of Reference
FPMU Floating Potential Measurement Unit
FPP Fluid Pump Package
FR Flight Rule
FRD Flight Requirements Document
FRGF Flight Releasable Grapple Fixture
FRM Functional Redundancy Mode
FSE Flight Support Equipment
FSEGF Flight Support Equipment Grapple Fixture
FSW Flight Software

GAS Get-Away Special
GATOR Grappling Adaptor to On-orbit Railing
GCA Ground Control Assist
GLA General Lighting Assemblies
General Luminaire Assembly
GLONASS Global Navigational Satellite System
GNC Guidance, Navigation, and Control
GPC General Purpose Computer
GPS Global Positioning System
GPSR Global Positioning System Receiver
GUI Graphical User Interface
H&S Health and Status

HCE Heater Control Equipment
HCTL Heater Controller
HEPA High Efficiency Particulate Acquisition
HPA High Power Amplifier
HPGT High Pressure Gas Tank
HPP Hard Point Plates
HRDR High Rate Data Recorder
HREL Hold/Release Electronics
HRFM High Rate Frame Multiplexer
HRM Hold Release Mechanism
HRMS High Rate Multiplexer and Switcher
HTV H-II Transfer Vehicle
HTVCC HTV Control Center
HTV Prox HTV Proximity
HX Heat Exchanger
I/F Interface
IAA Intravehicular Antenna Assembly
IAC Internal Audio Controller
IBM International Business Machines
ICB Inner Capture Box
ICC Integrated Cargo Carrier
ICS Interorbit Communication System
ICS-EF Interorbit Communication System – Exposed Facility
IDRD Increment Definition and Requirements Document
IELK Individual Equipment Liner Kit
IFHX Interface Heat Exchanger
IMCS Integrated Mission Control System
IMCU Image Compressor Unit

IMV Intermodule Ventilation
INCO Instrumentation and Communication Officer
IP International Partner
IP-PCDU ICS-PM Power Control and Distribution Unit
IP-PDB Payload Power Distribution Box
ISP International Standard Payload
ISPR International Standard Payload Rack
ISS International Space Station
ISSSH International Space Station Systems Handbook
ITCS Internal Thermal Control System
ITS Integrated Truss Segment
IVA Intravehicular Activity
IVSU Internal Video Switch Unit
JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

JCP JEM Control Processor
JEF JEM Exposed Facility
JEM Japanese Experiment Module
JEMAL JEM Airlock
JEM-EF Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility
JEM-PM Japanese Experiment Module – Pressurized Module
JEMRMS Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System
JEUS Joint Expedited Undocking and Separation
JFCT Japanese Flight Control Team
JLE Japanese Experiment Logistics Module – Exposed Section
JLP Japanese Experiment Logistics Module – Pressurized Section
JLP-EDU JLP-EFU Driver Unit
JLP-EFU JLP Exposed Facility Unit
JPM Japanese Pressurized Module
JPM WS JEM Pressurized Module Workstation
JSC Johnson Space Center
JTVE JEM Television Equipment
Kbps Kilobit per second

KOS Keep Out Sphere
LB Local Bus
LCA LAB Cradle Assembly
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
LED Light Emitting Diode
LEE Latching End Effector
LMC Lightweight MPESS Carrier

LSW Light Switch
LTA Launch-to-Activation
LTAB Launch-to-Activation Box
LTL Low Temperature Loop
MA Main Arm
MAUI Main Analysis of Upper-Atmospheric Injections
Mb Megabit
Mbps Megabit per second
MBS Mobile Base System
MBSU Main Bus Switching Unit
MCA Major Constituent Analyzer
MCC Mission Control Center
MCC-H Mission Control Center – Houston
MCC-M Mission Control Center – Moscow
MCDS Multifunction Cathode-Ray Tube Display System
MCS Mission Control System
MDA MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.
MDM Multiplexer/Demultiplexer
MDP Management Data Processor
MELFI Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS
MGB Middle Grapple Box
MIP Mission Integration Plan
MISSE Materials International Space Station Experiment
MKAM Minimum Keep Alive Monitor
MLE Middeck Locker Equivalent
MLI Multi-layer Insulation
MLM Multipurpose Laboratory Module
MMOD Micrometeoroid/Orbital Debris
MOD Modulator
MON Television Monitor
MPC Main Processing Controller
MPESS Multipurpose Experiment Support Structure
MPEV Manual Pressure Equalization Valve
MPL Manipulator Retention Latch
MPLM Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
MPM Manipulator Positioning Mechanism
MPV Manual Procedure Viewer
MSD Mass Storage Device
MSFC Marshall Space Flight Center
MSP Maintenance Switch Panel

MSS Mobile Servicing System
MT Mobile Tracker
Mobile Transporter
MTL Moderate Temperature Loop
MUX Data Multiplexer
n.mi. nautical mile

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NCS Node Control Software
NET No Earlier Than
NLT No Less Than
NPRV Negative Pressure Relief Valve
NSV Network Service
NTA Nitrogen Tank Assembly
NTSC National Television Standard Committee
OBSS Orbiter Boom Sensor System

OCA Orbital Communications Adapter
OCAD Operational Control Agreement Document
OCAS Operator Commanded Automatic Sequence
ODF Operations Data File
ODS Orbiter Docking System
OI Orbiter Interface
OIU Orbiter Interface Unit
OMS Orbital Maneuvering System
OODT Onboard Operation Data Table
ORCA Oxygen Recharge Compressor Assembly
ORU Orbital Replacement Unit
OS Operating System
OSA Orbiter-based Station Avionics
OSE Orbital Support Equipment
OTCM ORU and Tool Changeout Mechanism
OTP ORU and Tool Platform
P/L Payload
PAL Planning and Authorization Letter
PAM Payload Attach Mechanism
PAO Public Affairs Office
PAS Payload Adapter System
PBA Portable Breathing Apparatus
PCA Pressure Control Assembly
PCBM Passive Common Berthing Mechanism

PCN Page Change Notice
PCS Portable Computer System
PCU Plasma Contactor Unit
Power Control Unit
PDA Payload Disconnect Assembly
PDB Power Distribution Box
PDGF Power and Data Grapple Fixture
PDH Payload Data Handling unit
PDRS Payload Deployment Retrieval System
PDU Power Distribution Unit
PEC Passive Experiment Container
PEHG Payload Ethernet Hub Gateway
PFE Portable Fire Extinguisher
PFRAM Passive Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism
PGSC Payload General Support Computer
PIB Power Interface Box
PIU Payload Interface Unit
PLB Payload Bay
PLBD Payload Bay Door
PLC Pressurized Logistics Carrier
PLT Payload Laptop Terminal
Space Shuttle Pilot
PM Pressurized Module
Pump Module
PMA Pressurized Mating Adapter
PMCU Power Management Control Unit
PMU Pressurized Mating Adapter
POA Payload ORU Accommodation
POR Point of Resolution
PPRV Positive Pressure Relief Valve
PRCS Primary Reaction Control System
PREX Procedure Executor
PRLA Payload Retention Latch Assembly
PROX Proximity Communications Center
psia Pounds per Square Inch Absolute
PSP Payload Signal Processor
PSRR Pressurized Section Resupply Rack
PTCS Passive Thermal Control System
PTR Port Thermal Radiator
PTU Pan/Tilt Unit
PVCU Photovoltaic Controller Unit

PVM Photovoltaic Module
PVR Photovoltaic Radiator
PVTCS Photovoltaic Thermal Control System
QD Quick Disconnect
R&MA Restraint and Mobility Aid

RACU Russian-to-American Converter Unit
RAM Read Access Memory
RBVM Radiator Beam Valve Module
RCC Range Control Center
RCT Rack Configuration Table
RF Radio Frequency
RGA Rate Gyro Assemblies
RHC Rotational Hand Controller
RIGEX Rigidizable Inflatable Get-Away Special Experiment
RIP Remote Interface Panel
RLF Robotic Language File
RLT Robotic Laptop Terminal
RMS Remote Manipulator System
ROEU Remotely Operated Electrical Umbilical
ROM Read Only Memory
R-ORU Robotics Compatible Orbital Replacement Unit
ROS Russian Orbital Segment
RPC Remote Power Controller
RPCM Remote Power Controller Module
RPDA Remote Power Distribution Assembly
RPM Roll Pitch Maneuver
RS Russian Segment
RSP Return Stowage Platform
RSR Resupply Stowage Rack
RT Remote Terminal
RTAS Rocketdyne Truss Attachment System
RVFS Rendezvous Flight Software
RWS Robotics Workstation
SAFER Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue

SAM SFA Airlock Attachment Mechanism
SAPA Small Adapter Plate Assembly
SARJ Solar Alpha Rotary Joint
SASA S-Band Antenna Sub-Assembly
SCU Sync and Control Unit

SD Smoke Detector
SDS Sample Distribution System
SEDA Space Environment Data Acquisition equipment
SEDA-AP Space Environment Data Acquisition equipment - Attached Payload
SELS SpaceOps Electronic Library System
SEU Single Event Upset
SFA Small Fine Arm
SFAE SFA Electronics
SI Smoke Indicator
SLM Structural Latch Mechanism
SLP-D Spacelab Pallet – D
SLP-D1 Spacelab Pallet – Deployable
SLP-D2 Spacelab Pallet – D2
SLT Station Laptop Terminal
System Laptop Terminal
SM Service Module
SMDP Service Module Debris Panel
SOC System Operation Control
SODF Space Operations Data File
SPA Small Payload Attachment
SPB Survival Power Distribution Box
SPDA Secondary Power Distribution Assembly
SPDM Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator
SPEC Specialist
SRAM Static RAM
SRB Solid Rocket Booster
SRMS Shuttle Remote Manipulator System
SSAS Segment-to-Segment Attach System
SSC Station Support Computer
SSCB Space Station Control Board
SSE Small Fine Arm Storage Equipment
SSIPC Space Station Integration and Promotion Center
SSME Space Shuttle Main Engine
SSOR Space-to-Space Orbiter Radio
SSP Standard Switch Panel
SSPTS Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System
SSRMS Space Station Remote Manipulator System
STC Small Fire Arm Transportation Container
STR Starboard Thermal Radiator
STS Space Transfer System

STVC SFA Television Camera
SVS Space Vision System
TA Thruster Assist
TAC TCS Assembly Controller
TAC-M TCS Assembly Controller – M
TCA Thermal Control System Assembly
TCB Total Capture Box
TCCS Trace Contaminant Control System
TCCV Temperature Control and Check Valve
TCS Thermal Control System
TCV Temperature Control Valve
TDK Transportation Device Kit
TDRS Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
THA Tool Holder Assembly
THC Temperature and Humidity Control
Translational Hand Controller
THCU Temperature and Humidity Control Unit
TIU Thermal Interface Unit
TKSC Tsukuba Space Center (Japan)
TLM Telemetry
TMA Russian vehicle designation
TMR Triple Modular Redundancy
TPL Transfer Priority List
TRRJ Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint
TUS Trailing Umbilical System
TVC Television Camera
UCCAS Unpressurized Cargo Carrier Attach System

UCM Umbilical Connect Mechanism
UCM-E UCM – Exposed Section Half
UCM-P UCM – Payload Half
UHF Ultrahigh Frequency
UIL User Interface Language
ULC Unpressurized Logistics Carrier
UMA Umbilical Mating Adapter
UOP Utility Outlet Panel
UPC Up Converter
USA United Space Alliance
US LAB United States Laboratory
USOS United States On-Orbit Segment
UTA Utility Transfer Assembly

VAJ Vacuum Access Jumper
VBSP Video Baseband Signal Processor
VCU Video Control Unit
VDS Video Distribution System
VLU Video Light Unit
VRA Vent Relief Assembly
VRCS Vernier Reaction Control System
VRCV Vent Relief Control Valve
VRIV Vent Relief Isolation Valve
VSU Video Switcher Unit
VSW Video Switcher
WAICO Waiving and Coiling

WCL Water Cooling Loop
WETA Wireless Video System External Transceiver Assembly
WIF Work Interface
WRM Water Recovery and Management
WRS Water Recovery System
WS Water Separator
Work Site
Work Station
WVA Water Vent Assembly
ZSR Zero-g Stowage Rack


MEDIA ASSISTANCE
NASA TELEVISION TRANSMISSION Status Reports
NASA Television is carried on an MPEG‐2 Status reports on launch countdown and
digital signal accessed via satellite AMC‐6, at mission progress, in‐orbit activities and landing
72 degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, operations will be posted at:
4040 MHz, vertical polarization. For those in
Alaska or Hawaii, NASA Television will be http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
seen on AMC‐7, at 137 degrees west longitude, This site also contains information on the crew
transponder 18C, at 4060 MHz, horizontal and will be updated regularly with photos and
polarization. In both instances, a Digital Video video clips throughout the flight.
Broadcast, or DVB‐compliant Integrated
Receiver Decoder, or IRD, with modulation of More Internet Information
QPSK/DBV, data rate of 36.86 and FEC 3/4 will Information on the ISS is available at:
be needed for reception. The NASA Television
schedule and links to streaming video are http://www.nasa.gov/station
available at:
Information on safety enhancements made
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv since the Columbia accident is available at:
NASA TV’s digital conversion will require http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/
members of the broadcast media to upgrade system/index.html
with an “addressable” Integrated Receiver
De‐coder, or IRD, to participate in live news Information on other current NASA activities is
events and interviews, media briefings and available at:
receive NASA’s Video File news feeds on a
http://www.nasa.gov
dedicated Media Services channel. NASA
mission coverage will air on a digital NASA Resources for educators can be found at the
Public Services “Free to Air” channel, for which following address:
only a basic IRD will be needed.
http://education.nasa.gov
Television Schedule
A schedule of key in‐orbit events and media

briefings during the mission will be detailed in
a NASA TV schedule posted at the link above.
The schedule will be updated as necessary and
will also be available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/
mission_schedule.html
NOVEMBER 2009 MEDIA ASSISTANCE 105

106 MEDIA ASSISTANCE NOVEMBER 2009

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS
HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
WASHINGTON, DC HOUSTON, TEXAS
Space Operations Mission Directorate James Hartsfield
News Chief
Michael Braukus 281-483-5111
International Partners [email protected]
202-358-1979
[email protected] Kyle Herring
Public Affairs Specialist
Katherine Trinidad Space Shuttle Program Office
Shuttle, Space Station Policy 281-483-5111
202-358-1100 [email protected]
[email protected]
Rob Navias
John Yembrick Program and Mission Operations Lead
Shuttle, Space Station Policy 281-483-5111
[email protected]
Kelly Humphries
Mike Curie Public Affairs Specialist
Shuttle, Space Station Policy International Space Station and Mission
202-358-1100 Operations Directorate
[email protected] 281-483-5111
[email protected]
Grey Hautaluoma
Research in Space Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters
202-358-0668 Public Affairs Specialist
[email protected] Astronauts
281-483-5111
Ashley Edwards [email protected]
Research in Space
202-358-1756
[email protected]
NOVEMBER 2009 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS 107

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER STENNIS SPACE CENTER
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA BAY ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI
Allard Beutel Chris McGee
News Chief/Space Shuttle News Chief
321-867-2468 228-688-3249
[email protected] [email protected]
Tracy Young Paul Foerman

Public Affairs Specialist Public Affairs Officer
International Space Station 228-688-1880
[email protected]
AMES RESEARCH CENTER
MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER MOFFETT FIELD, CALIFORNIA
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA
Mike Mewhinney
Dom Amatore News Chief
Public Affairs Manager 650-604-3937
[email protected]
Jonas Dino
June Malone Public Affairs Specialist
Public Affairs Specialist 650-604-5612
News Chief/Media Manager [email protected]
256-544-0034
Rachel Prucey
[email protected]
Steve Roy 650-604-0643
Public Affairs Specialist [email protected]
Space Shuttle Propulsion
Ruth Marlaire
256-544-0034
Public Affairs Officer
[email protected]
650-604-4709
[email protected]
108 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS NOVEMBER 2009

DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER
EDWARDS, CALIFORNIA HAMPTON, VIRGINIA
Kevin Rohrer Marny Skora
Director, Public Affairs Head, Office of Communications
661-276-3595 757-864-6121
Alan Brown Mike Finneran

News Chief News Chief
661-276-2665 757-864-6110
Leslie Williams Keith Henry

Public Affairs Specialist Public Affairs Officer
661-276-3893 757-864-6120
GLENN RESEARCH CENTER Chris Rink

CLEVELAND, OHIO
757-864-6786
Lori Rachul [email protected]
News Chief
Kathy Barnstorff
216-433-8806
[email protected]
757-864-9886
Sally Harrington [email protected]
Amy Johnson
216-433-2037
[email protected] Public Affairs Officer
757-864-7022
Katherine Martin [email protected]
216-433-2406
[email protected]
NOVEMBER 2009 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS 109

UNITED SPACE ALLIANCE JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION
AGENCY (JAXA)
Jessica Pieczonka
Houston Operations Naoko Matsuo
281-212-6252 JAXA Public Affairs Representative
832-205-0480 Houston
[email protected] 281-792-7468
[email protected]
Tracy Yates
Florida Operations JAXA Public Affairs Office
321-861-3956 Tokyo, Japan
(c) 321-750-1739 011-81-50-3362-4374
BOEING CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY (CSA)

Ed Memi Jean-Pierre Arseneault
Media Relations Manager, Media Relations & Information
Boeing Space Exploration Services
281-226-4029 514-824-0560 (cell)
Adam Morgan Media Relations Office

Boeing Canadian Space Agency
International Space Station 450-926-4370
281-226-4030
[email protected] EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY (ESA)
Clare Mattok
Communication Manager
Paris, France
011-33-1-5369-7412
[email protected]
110 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS NOVEMBER 2009

STS129 Press Kit

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION

STS-129/ULF-3 MISSION OVERVIEW .................................................................................... 1

STS-129 TIMELINE OVERVIEW ............................................................................................... 9

MISSION PROFILE ................................................................................................................... 11

MISSION OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................ 13

MISSION PERSONNEL ............................................................................................................. 15

STS-129 CREW ....................................................................................................................... 17

PAYLOAD OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................. 27

RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING ....................................................................................................... 47

SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA .................................................................................................... 71

LAUNCH AND LANDING ........................................................................................................... 89

NOVEMBER 2009 CONTENTS i

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................... 91

MEDIA ASSISTANCE ............................................................................................................... 105

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS .................................................................................................. 107

ii CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2009

NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION OVERVIEW 1

2 MISSION OVERVIEW NOVEMBER 2009

Astronaut Leland Melvin, STS-129 mission specialist, participates in a training session in an

NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION OVERVIEW 3

4 MISSION OVERVIEW NOVEMBER 2009

Astronaut Robert Satcher, STS-129 mission specialist, participates in an Extravehicular

NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION OVERVIEW 5

6 MISSION OVERVIEW NOVEMBER 2009

NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION OVERVIEW 7

8 MISSION OVERVIEW NOVEMBER 2009

• Umbilical Well and Handheld External • Installation of ELC1 on P3 truss lower

Flight Day 2 • Cargo transfer from MRM2 to ISS

• Atlantis’ Thermal Protection System Survey • Spacewalk 1 procedure review

Flight Day 3 Flight Day 5

• Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver Photography • Focused inspection of Atlantis’ thermal

NOVEMBER 2009 TIMELINE OVERVIEW 9

• Spacewalk 2 campout in Quest airlock by • Joint Crew News Conference

10 TIMELINE OVERVIEW NOVEMBER 2009

Commander: Charles O. Hobaugh SSME 1: 2048

NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION PROFILE 11

12 MISSION PROFILE NOVEMBER 2009

− Reposition Zarya Local Area Network

− Connect the P181 electrical power

NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION OBJECTIVES 13

14 MISSION PRIORITIES NOVEMBER 2009

Orbit 1 (Lead) Mike Sarafin Stan Love Josh Byerly

Orbit 2 Gary Horlacher Megan McArthur Kelly Humphries

Planning Paul Dye Aki Hoshide TBD

Entry Bryan Lunney Chris Ferguson Brandi Dean

Shuttle Team 4 Kwatsi Alibaruho N/A N/A

ISS Orbit 1 Emily Nelson Drew Feustel N/A

ISS Orbit 2 (Lead) Brian Smith Steve Swanson N/A

ISS Orbit 3 Jerry Jason Ryan Lien N/A

Station Team 4 TBD

NOVEMBER 2009 MISSION PERSONNEL 15

16 MISSION PERSONNEL NOVEMBER 2009

NOVEMBER 2009 CREW 17

Short biographical sketches of the crew follow http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/

18 CREW NOVEMBER 2009

Veteran astronaut Charles O. Hobaugh, a execution of the mission, orbiter systems

NOVEMBER 2009 CREW 19

20 CREW NOVEMBER 2009

NOVEMBER 2009 CREW 21