| Richards Paul | ||
Personal: Male, Married, four children. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. Astronaut Career Astronaut Group: NASA Group 16 - 1996. Inactive Entered space service: 1 May 1996. Left space service: February2002. Number of Flights: 1.00. Total Time: 12.83 days. Number of EVAs: 1.00. Total EVA Time: 0.26 days.
NASA Official Biography
Richards Paul Spaceflight Log
Richards Paul Chronology 8 March 2001 - STS-102. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-102, ISS EO-2. STS 102 was an American shuttle spacecraft that carried a crew of seven astronauts (six American and one Russian). The primary mission was to deliver a multi-rack Italian container (Leonardo MultiPurpose Logistics Module, LMPLM) to the Destiny Module of the International Space Station, ISS. It docked with the ISS at 05:34 UT on 9 March. The 6.4 m x 4.6 m cylindrical LMPLM delivered new equipment to Destiny, and retrieved used/unwanted equipment, and trash back to the shuttle. The crew did a few spacewalks to install a platform on the ISS to support a Canadian robot arm when it arrives next month. The STS 102 left behind three of the astronauts (two American and one Russian) and brought back the three astronauts (one American and two Russian) who had been inhabiting the ISS for about four and a half months. It landed at Cape Canaveral at 07:31 UT on 21 March. Discovery was launched on mission STS-102 (Space Station flight 5A.1) into an initial 60 x 222 km x 51.6 deg orbit. The mission was delivery of supplies and equipment, and changeout of the Expedition One and Expedition Two station crews. STS-102 carried the Leonardo Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), built by Alenia Spazio (Torino), to the International Space Station. The 6.4 m x 4.6 m cylindrical MPLM was a descendant of the Spacelab long modules. Also carried was a Spacehab/Energia unpressurized Integrated Cargo Carrier with LCA/MTSAS-A, RU, and PFCS. A sidewall adapter beam with two GAS canisters (G-783 and WSVFM) was also on board. WSVFM measured vibration during launch. Another adapter beam, probably at the rear of the payload bay, carried SEM-9. SEM-9 and G-783 contained high school microgravity experiments. Leonardo carried 16 'racks' of equipment, including the Human Research Facility Rack (Rack 13) which allowed the astronauts to do extensive medical experiments, the CHeCS Rack (28), the DDCU-1 and DDCU-2 racks (7 and 9), the Avionics-3 (Rack 6), and the MSS Avionics/Lab (Rack 11) and Avionics/Cupola (Rack 12) racks for a total of 7 equipment racks to be installed on Destiny. Three Resupply Stowage Racks (50, 51, 52) and four Resupply Stowage Platforms (180, 181, 182 and 188) remained installed on Leonardo, with their equipment bags being individually transferred to the Station. System Racks 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 were already on Destiny together with stowage racks 110 through 117. Each rack had a mass of 150-300 kg. The orbiter fired its OMS engines at 1221 GMT to raise the orbit to 185 x 219 km. Discovery docked with the PMA-2 port on the Station at 0639 GMT on March 10. The LCA (Lab Cradle Assembly) was attached to Destiny's +Z side during an EVA. It was to be used on the next mission to temporarily place a Spacelab pallet on Destiny during installation of the Station's robot arm. Later, it would be the site for the main Station truss, beginning with segment S0. The PMA-3, on Unity at the -Z nadir position, had to be moved to the port position to make room for Leonardo. An external stowage platform was attached to Destiny and the External Stowage Platform and the PFCS Pump Flow Control System were added to the port aft trunnion on Destiny. A rigid umbilical (RU) was connected to the PDGF grapple fixture on Destiny to support the Station's future robot arm. Leonardo was docked to Unity at -Z for a while so that its cargo could be transferred to the station easily; it was then be returned to the payload bay and brought back to earth. At 0232 GMT on March 19 command of ISS was transferred to Expedition 2 and the hatches were closed. Discovery undocked at 0432 GMT and flew once around the station before departing at 0548 GMT. ISS mass after undocking was 115527 kg. The OMS engines fired for the deorbit burn at 0625 GMT on March 21, and Discovery touched down on runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center at 0731 GMT. 8 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #01. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Shuttle Discovery blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center at sunrise this morning to deliver a new resident crew to the International Space Station (ISS) as the third shuttle mission in less than four months began in flawless fashion. Commander Jim Wetherbee, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Andy Thomas, Paul ...more... 8 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #02. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Space Shuttle Discovery continues to close in on the International Space Station following Thursday morning's flawless launch from the Kennedy Space Center. Docking is scheduled for 11:36 Friday night. In preparation for that rendezvous and docking, Discovery's crew was awakened at ...more... 9 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #04. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. With the International Space Station 300 miles ahead, the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery awoke this afternoon to begin a third day in space, a day that will bring a new crew to the growing International Space Station. The shuttle crew was awakened with the Russian song "Vashe Blagorodiye," a song ...more... 9 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #03. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Discovery continues its pursuit of the International Space Station, currently trailing the outpost by 3,520 miles and closing that distance at the rate of about 660 miles with every orbit of the Earth. All systems aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery are ready for tonight's docking, scheduled for 11:34 p.m. as the two spacecraft fly just off the east coast of Brazil. Overnight, the STS-102 astronauts Jim Wetherbee, Jim Kelly, Paul Richards and Andy ...more... 10 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #06. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. With an exchange of space station crew members already under way, Discovery's crew turns its attention to continuing assembly of the orbital outpost, conducting a space walk set to begin just before 11 p.m., or earlier, to reposition a docking port and installing gear in preparation for the arrival of the station's Canadian-built robotic arm next month. While their Commander Yury Usachev begins a handover of duties from Expedition One ...more... 10 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #05. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Commander Jim Wetherbee waited patiently as International Space Station controllers locked solar arrays in place before he steered the Space Shuttle Discovery to a 12:38 a.m. CST Saturday docking. "You have a great looking ship there, Captain Shepherd," Wetherbee radioed to the ...more... 11 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #07. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. STS-102 Mission Specialists Susan Helms and Jim Voss donned space suits and stepped outside Discovery late last night to prepare one of the International Space Station's berthing ports for the Leonardo transfer module. The pair, destined to become members of the Expedition Two crew aboard the station ...more... 11 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #08. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The crews of Discovery and the International Space Station will join forces again today as hatches between the spacecraft are reopened, a change of shift aboard the science outpost continues, and a cargo carrier is attached to the complex. Discovery's crew was awakened today by the song "Blast Off" from the animated feature ...more... 12 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #10. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station tonight, crews are preparing for a day of unloading and installing equipment both inside and outside the two spacecraft. The song "From a Distance" performed by Nanci Griffith awakened Discovery's crew, ...more... 12 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #09. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Leonardo, the first of three logistics modules developed and built by the Italian Space Agency, was affixed to a berthing port on Unity overnight as mission specialist Andy Thomas carefully maneuvered it into place at 12:02 CST a.m. today. Operating Discovery's robotic arm, Thomas grappled the "crate" full of equipment ...more... 13 March 2001 - EVA STS-102-1. Assignment: EVA Crew. Flight: STS-102. The airlock was depressurized at 0518 GMT and the hatch opened at 0520 GMT. The astronauts took the External Stowage Platform from the ICC carrier to the port side of the Destiny module, and then installed the spare Pump Flow Control System on it. The ESP was used to store on-orbit-spare equipment. Next they hooked up cables on the robot arm's umbilical, and travelled up to the top of the P6 tower to fix a solar array latch - it just needed a good thump - and inspect the FPP experiment. The astronauts returned to the airlock at 1132 GMT and began repressurizing at 1144 GMT. 13 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #11. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Astronauts Paul Richards and Andy Thomas spent six and a half hours outside the International Space Station this morning, continuing work to outfit the station and prepare for delivery of its own robotic arm next month. With help from shuttle robotic arm operator Jim Kelly and space walk choreographer ...more... 15 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #15. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Aboard the International Space Station today, astronauts and cosmonauts assembled and partially activated a key piece of construction equipment - the control station for a 58-foot-long robot arm that will be delivered to the station next month. Expedition Two Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms spent most of their workday ...more... 16 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #18. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The crews of Discovery and the International Space Station will spend a final full day today packing the Leonardo cargo module on the station before they detach Leonardo from the complex Saturday night and secure it in the Shuttle payload bay for the trip home. The crew was awakened to the Irish song "The Rising of the Moon" performed by The ...more... 17 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #19. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The crews of Discovery and the International Space Station spent their day carefully packing the Leonardo cargo transfer module and reboosting the station's orbit. Mission Specialist Andy Thomas coordinated the loading of about a ton of materials ...more... 18 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #21. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Carrying nearly one ton of trash and excess equipment, along with personal items belonging to the returning Expedition One crew, the Leonardo cargo carrier was detached from its port on the International Space Station early this morning and gently placed back in Discovery's payload bay by Mission Specialist Andy Thomas. After crewmate Paul Richards released the 16 bolts and associated latches holding ...more... 19 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #23. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The Space Shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station at 10:32 p.m. CST Sunday, leaving the second station crew to get settled in and begin in earnest the research planned aboard the orbiting laboratory. The hatches between the shuttle and station were closed for a final time at 8:32 ...more... 20 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #26. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Discovery's astronauts were awakened at 3:42 p.m. Central time today to begin preparing for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Fla. later this evening. There are two landing opportunities available this evening for Discovery's return ...more... 20 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #25. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. All of Discovery's systems are checked out for landing, with Commander Jim Wetherbee and his team ready to escort home the first International Space Station expedition crew late Tuesday. Landing is scheduled for 11:56 p.m. CST Tuesday (12:56 a.m. EST Wednesday), but ...more... 21 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #27. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. After a surprising turnaround in the Florida weather, Discovery's astronauts -- and the first International Space Station residents -- returned home to Kennedy Space Center at 1:31 a.m. CST Wednesday. STS-102 Commander Jim Wetherbee fired Space Shuttle Discovery's engines at 12:26 ...more... 21 March 2001 - Landing of STS-102. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-102, ISS EO-1. STS-102 landed at 07:31 GMT with the crew of Wetherbee, Kelly, Thomas Andrew, Richards Paul, Gidzenko, Krikalyov and Shepherd aboard. Bibliography and Further Reading
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