STS-7 Credit - NASA Media Gallery

The SPAS (Shuttle Pallet Satellite) satellite was a reusable free-flying vehicle built by Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm, which could be deployed and then retrieved by the US Space Shuttle's Remote Manipulator System arm.

The original SPAS, with materials processing and SDI-related sensor payloads, was used on several missions (STS-7, STS-11, STS-39). An experiment-carrying truss (USS) based on the original SPAS structure (but without the avionics and attitude control) was flown on the Spacelab D-1 and D-2 missions.

ORFEUS-SPAS, the Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme UV Spectrometer, was a German astronomical satellite. It was be deployed by the shuttle remote manipulating system arm and retrieved after six days of free flight. The main instrument was a 1 meter telescope with extreme ultraviolet (400-1150 Angstroms) and far ultraviolet (900-1250 Angstrom) spectrometers of high spectral resolution. Also carried was the Princeton Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph which studied the fine structure of ultraviolet absorption lines in stellar spectra caused by interstellar gas. The ORFEUS program was managed by the German space agency.

CRISTA-SPAS, equipped for observation of the earth's atmosphere, was flown on two missions.

Typical orbit: 295 km x 300 km at 29 degrees inclination. Mass: 3,230 kg (7,120 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Shuttle.

• 1983 June 18 - SPAS-01 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Perigee: 295 km (183 mi). Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 90.50 min.

  Ten experiments mounted on Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS-01) performed research in forming metal alloys in microgravity and use of remote sensing scanner. Orbiter's small control rockets fired while SPAS-01 held by remote manipulator system to test movement on extended arm.

• 1984 February 3 - SPAS 1A - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle.

  German-built Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS), first flown on STS-7, became first satellite refurbished and flown again. SPAS remained in payload bay due to electrical problem with Remote Manipulator System (RMS).

• 1991 April 28 - SPAS-II - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Perigee: 248 km (154 mi). Apogee: 263 km (163 mi). Inclination: 57.00 deg. Period: 89.60 min.

  Shuttle Pallet Satellite-II (SPAS-II) experiments were carried out on this classified mission. No details on whether SPAS was released or nature of experiments.

• 1993 September 12 - ORFEUS-SPAS - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 3,202 kg (7,059 lb). Perigee: 301 km (187 mi). Apogee: 331 km (205 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 90.90 min.

  Deployed from STS-51.

• 1994 November 3 - CRISTA-SPAS - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 3,260 kg (7,180 lb). Perigee: 294 km (182 mi). Apogee: 309 km (192 mi). Inclination: 57.00 deg. Period: 90.55 min.

  Released by STS-66 11/4/94; retrieved 11/12/95; atmospheric research.

• 1997 August 7 - CRISTA - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Perigee: 282 km (175 mi). Apogee: 296 km (183 mi). Inclination: 57.00 deg. Period: 90.30 min.

  Recaptured August 16.

• USAF Satellite Database, USAF Institute of Technology, 1995. Accessed at: ftp://archive.afit.af.mil/pub/space/.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited since Sputnik. Accessed at: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html.

• NASA GSFC Orbital Parameters, .

• NASA Shuttle Mission Press Kits, NASA, 1981-present. Accessed at: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/presskit/presskit.htm.

• JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Accessed at: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.

• Krebs, Gunter, Gunter's Space Page, University of Frankfurt, 1996. Accessed at: http://www.skyrocket.de/space.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to Present. Essential internet newsletter recording worldwide weekly space events. Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.