24 November 2002 00:49 GMT. Landing Date: 2002-12-07 19:36:00. Flight Time: 13.78 days. Other Name: ISS-11A. Flight Up: STS-113. Flight Back: STS-113. Call Sign: Endeavour. Crew: Herrington, Lockhart, Lopez-Alegria, Wetherbee. Program: ISS. What went wrong: Four attempts to land on consecutive days, called because of bad weather. ISS assembly mission ISS-11A delayed from August 22, September 6, 19, October 6, November 2, 10, 11, 19 and 23 due to SSME problems and then damage to the Shuttle's manipulator arm. Shuttle mission STS-113 carried a crew of seven astronauts (six American and one Russian) and a 13.7-m truss of 12.5 tons to the International Space Station (ISS). During several hours of EVA, the crew installed and secured the truss assembly. The truss was to provide structural support for the station's thermal control radiators, and brought the total mass of the ISS to over 200 tons. Prior to leaving the ISS, the shuttle released a pair of tethered (15-m long) picosatellites. It was to leave the ISS on December 2.
NASA Official Mission Summary
STS-113
Mission: International Space Station 11A
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: November 23, 2002, 7:49:47.079 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: December 7, 2002, 2:37:12 p.m. EST
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,563 feet
Mission Duration: 13 days, 18 hours, 48 minutes and 38 seconds
Miles Traveled: 5.7 million
Crew Members: Commander Jim Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart, Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington.
Launch Highlights
The earlier planned launch on Nov. 11 was postponed when higher than allowable oxygen levels were detected in the orbiter's mid-body. Launch was tentatively set for no earlier than Nov. 18 so that technicians could troubleshoot and repair the leak. A fatigued flexible hose was found to be the cause and was replaced, along with another similar hose.
Another problem surfaced when a platform used to access the oxygen line bumped the robotic arm in the payload bay. Inspections of the arm for damage postponed launch until Nov.
The launch was again postponed 24 hours to Nov. 23 due to poor weather conditions at the Transoceanic Abort Landing sites.
Mission Highlights
Over the course of the 14-day mission, the STS-113 crew and the Expedition Six crew combined to install the new P1 truss to the International Space Station, perform three spacewalks to outfit and activate the truss, and transfer supplies and equipment between the two spacecraft. Endeavour brought more than 2,500 pounds of material to the station.
Among the transfer were science experiments, the PCG-STES and PGBA returning to Earth and the PCG-STES Unit 10 moving onto the station.
While Endeavour was docked to the space station, Expedition 5 NASA Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox replaced two valves and cleared debris from vent lines of the Carbon Dioxide Removal Asembly (CDRA) in the station's U.S. Destiny Laboratory.
Prior to the first spacewalk, Commander Jim Wetherbee removed the P1 truss from Endeavour's payload bay, using the shuttle's robotic arm, and handed it off to the station's Canadarm2. Whitson and Bowersox maneuvered the P1 to its installation position.
EVA No. 1: 6 hours, 45 minutes -- Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington hooked up electrical connections between the P1 truss and station, installed spool positioning devices that will ensure quick disconnect devices in fluid lines function properly, and released launch locks on the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart. They also installed Node Wireless video system External Transceiver Assembly (WETA) antennas allowing reception from spacewalkers' helmet cameras without a shuttle present.
EVA No. 2: 6 hours, 10 minutes -- On Thanksgiving Day, Lopez-Alegria and Herrington connected two fluid jumpers between the P1 and S0 trusses, linking plumbing for ammonia in the station's cooling system. They removed the starboard keel pin, moving it to the proper location and stowing it in the P1 truss. They also installed a second WETA, this one on the P1 truss. They released launch locks on the P1 radiator beams.
Working from the Canadarm2, Herrington lifted the CETA cart to the S1 truss where he attached it to the tracks and secured it to its sister CETA, delivered on STS-112. The move cleared the P1 tracks so the Canadarm 2 can move on them via the Mobile Transporter and Mobile Base System.
A final task was reconnecting a cable on the WETA installed 2 days earlier.
EVA No. 3: 7 hours -- Herrington and Lopez-Alegria successfully completed installation of 33 spool positioning devices around the outside of the station. Herrington also troubleshooted the stalled railcar (Mobile Transporter). He freed and deployed a UHF communications antenna that had snagged a trailing umbilical mechanism on the MT. The MT was able to reach its destination, Worksite 7. Herrington completed his assigned tasks without using the Canadarm2, which was to have transferred from the U.S. Lab to the MT to maneuver Herrington through some of his tasks.
During the mission, Whitson and Flight Engineer Donald Pettit did troubleshooting on the Microgravity Science Glovebox on the station. The device, which provides electrical power to the facility, had failed November 20. The MSG allows experiments with fluids, flame, particles or fumes to be performed in an enclosed environment. The box was returned to Earth for further study.
Statistics
The mission of STS-113 was to carry the P1 truss to the International Space Station and attach it to the S0 truss. The shuttle was also to deliver the EO-6 ISS crew of Bowersox, Budarin, and Pettit to the station and return the EO-5 crew of Korzun, Treshchev, and Whitson to earth. Shuttle Endeavour also deployed the MEPSI picosatellite for the US Air Force and DARPA.
Cargo Bay Manifest:
- Bay 1-2: Orbiter Docking System - 1800 kg + 2 EMU spacesuits - 240 kg
- Bay 3S: MEPSI - 8 kg
- Bay 3-13: P1 Integrated Truss Segment - 12193 kg + CETA Cart B - 283 kg
- Sill: RMS - 410 kg
- Total: 14934 kg
The OMS engines fired for an OMS assist burn during the early part of the ascent to orbit. A valve in the right OMS engine did not completely open during the burn, and it was decided to use only the left OMS engine for later burns in orbit. The orbiter was placed in an initial 59 x 232 km x 51.6 deg orbit. At 01:27 GMT Endeavour reached apogee and fired the left OMS engine for 5 minutes to raise its perigee. Endeavour docked with the International Space Station on November 25 at 21:59 GMT. The Orbiter RMS grappled the P1 truss in its cargo bay at 15:01 GMT on November 26 and unberthed it at 15:22 GMT. The Station SSRMS grappled P1 at 16:41 GMT and the Orbiter RMS released it at 16:50 GMT, completing the first robot arm handover of a station segment. The SSRMS moved P1 to the end of the S0 truss and connected it between 18:36 and 18:48 GMT. After three days of mission extensions due to poor landing weather in Florida, STS-113 returned to a landing at Kennedy Space Center on 7 December 2002 at 19:36 GMT.
Following the grounding of the shuttle fleet after the Columbia disaster, Soyuz TMA-1 became the lifeboat for return of the EO-6 crew of Bowersox, Budarin, and Pettit. Following the arrival of the EO-7 skeleton crew to keep the station in operation, the EO-6 crew readied the TMA-1 for landing. They undocked from the ISS at 22:40 GMT on 2 May. This marked the first return of American astronauts in a Soyuz capsule (though several had ridden Soyuz capsules to the Mir station). During the re-entry, the first for the Soyuz TMA-1 model, the guidance failed and the capsule reverted to a rolling ballistic re-entry. This subjected the crew to over 8 G's during re-entry, as opposed to the 3 G's of a normal Soyuz lifting re-entry. It also resulted in a landing 460 km short of the target, and a delay of over two hours before recovery forces arrived at the capsule.
STS-113 Chronology - 2002 Nov 24 - STS-113 Crew: Wetherbee, Lockhart, Lopez-Alegria, Herrington, Bowersox, Budarin, Pettit. Spacecraft: Endeavour. Payload: Endeavour F19 / P1. Mass: 115,000 kg (253,000 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Duration: 13.78 days. Perigee: 379 km (235 mi). Apogee: 397 km (246 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 92.30 min.
ISS assembly mission ISS-11A delayed from August 22, September 6, 19, October 6, November 2, 10, 11, 19 and 23 due to SSME problems and then damage to the Shuttle's manipulator arm. Shuttle mission STS-113 carried a crew of seven astronauts (six American and one Russian) and a 13.7-m truss of 12.5 tons to the International Space Station (ISS). During several hours of EVA, the crew installed and secured the truss assembly. The truss was to provide structural support for the station's thermal control radiators, and brought the total mass of the ISS to over 200 tons. Prior to leaving the ISS, the shuttle released a pair of tethered (15-m long) picosatellites. It was to leave the ISS on December 2.
- 2002 Nov 24 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #02
Endeavour's crew was awakened at 8:50 a.m. today to begin its first full day in orbit, a day dedicated to preparations for Monday's docking to the International Space Station. As the crew awoke, Endeavour and the station were separated by about 2,700 miles, with Endeavour slightly below and behind the ISS. Onboard the station, the Expedition Five crew, Commander Valery Korzun, NASA ISS ...more...
- 2002 Nov 24 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #03
Endeavour's crew spent its first full day in space preparing for its arrival at the International Space Station. Endeavour, now 1,400 miles behind the station and closing, is scheduled to dock at 3:26 p.m. Central time Monday. In preparation for Monday's docking, Endeavour's crew - Commander Jim Wetherbee, ...more...
- 2002 Nov 25 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #04
The crew of Endeavour awakened at 7:29 a.m. to begin final preparations for this afternoon's docking with the International Space Station. Endeavour is now 350 miles behind the space station closing the distance between them at the rate of about 130 miles every orbit. Docking is slated to occur at 3:26 p.m. central time today with the two spacecraft high over the Kazakh/Uzbekistan border. Onboard the space station, the Expedition Five crew - Commander Valery Korzun, NASA ...more...
- 2002 Nov 25 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #05
Endeavour docked with the International Space Station at 3:59 CST this afternoon, bringing a new crew and another segment of the station's backbone, the Port One (P1) segment of the Integrated Truss System. The rendezvous and docking of Endeavour with shuttle Commander Jim Wetherbee at ...more...
- 2002 Nov 26 - EVA STS-113-1 Crew: Lopez-Alegria, Herrington. EVA Type: Extra-Vehicular Activity. EVA Duration: 0.28 days.
The first spacewalk for installation of the P1 truss began at 1947 UTC. The astronauts emerged from the Quest module, attached the P1/S0 umbilicals, removed the P1 drag links and the CETA-B cart's launch restraints. They also installed more SPD disconnects on the ammonia lines, and attached a TV camera to the truss.
- 2002 Nov 26 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #06
The crew of Endeavour was awakened at 7:26 a.m. to begin a day that will see the installation of the Port One (P1) truss onto the International Space Station. The P1 is the third such truss to be installed on the station this year and is one of 11 truss segments that will make up the station's final Integrated Truss Structure. Beginning around 9:20 a.m., Endeavour Commander Jim Wetherbee will use the shuttle's ...more...
- 2002 Nov 26 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #07
Endeavour and International Space Station crewmembers completed a smooth installation of the Port One (P1) truss and a spacewalk to hook up connections between P1 and the rest of the station. The spacewalk, by Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington successfully completed scheduled tasks. P1 was removed from Endeavour's payload bay at 9:22 a.m. CST by the shuttle's robotic ...more...
- 2002 Nov 27 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #08
Endeavour's crew today will focus its efforts on transferring supplies and equipment to the International Space Station that will be used by the station's Expedition Six crew during their four-month stay aboard the complex. The station and shuttle crew members also will move supplies, equipment and completed experiments that were used by the Expedition Five crew to the shuttle for return to Earth. In the afternoon, Endeavour's crew - Commander Jim Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart ...more...
- 2002 Nov 27 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #09
Endeavour and International Space Station crewmembers worked today to transfer equipment and supplies between their docked spacecraft. Expedition 5 crewmembers exchanged notes with their Expedition 6 successors and mission specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington prepared for a Thanksgiving Day spacewalk. The transfer of items between the two spacecraft is going smoothly, as are the handover ...more...
- 2002 Nov 28 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #10
A Thanksgiving Day spacewalk will highlight activities aboard Endeavour and the International Space Station today. Endeavour Mission Specialists Mike Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington will exit the ...more...
- 2002 Nov 28 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #11
Endeavour astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington completed the second of three spacewalks of the STS-113 mission, accomplishing all their scheduled tasks on the International Space Station's new Port One (P1) truss and doing two additional jobs during the 6-hour, 10-minute outing. The Thanksgiving Day spacewalk started at 12:36 p.m. CST, almost 45 minutes ahead ...more...
- 2002 Nov 29 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #12
With the Expedition Six crewmembers settling into their new on-orbit home, today's activities largely will focus on continuing transfer of equipment, experiments and hardware, and a formal Change of Command ceremony between resident crews on board the International Space Station. Among the items to be transferred today are various science experiments, two returning ...more...
- 2002 Nov 29 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #13
Transfer of equipment and supplies from Endeavour's middeck to the International Space Station passed the 1,700-pound mark today, with about 75 percent of the total material from the shuttle now aboard the orbiting laboratory. More than 750 pounds of material has been moved from the station to Endeavour's crew compartment. Handover briefings of the Expedition 6 crew, Commander Ken Bowersox, cosmonaut Nikolai ...more...
- 2002 Nov 30 - EVA STS-113-3 Crew: Lopez-Alegria, Herrington. EVA Type: Extra-Vehicular Activity. EVA Duration: 0.29 days.
It was planned to use the Mobile Transporter as a base
for the SSRMS arm during the spacewalk. The MT was moved from worksite 4 on S0 to worksite 7 at the end of P1. Motion began at 1621 UTC but the MT got stuck a few meters short of its goal. The crew fell back on contingency training and opened the hatch of the Quest module at 1924 UTC. Instead of using the SSRMS for transport they spacewalked down the truss to the location of the MT. Here it was found that the MT was blocked by the undeployed P1 UHF antenna. The astronauts deployed it, clearing the MT's path. The MT finally reached its destination at 0011 UTC. This incident indicated problems with ISS configuration control but also showed the value of the astronauts' ability to handle unforeseen contingencies. During the spacewalk, the astronauts installed more fixes to the Station's ammonia line connectors, although dealing with the MT problem meant not all of the planned work could be completed.
- 2002 Nov 30 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #14
Today Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington will perform their third and final spacewalk of the mission. The spacewalk is set to begin at 1:20 p.m. Central Time. Pilot Paul Lockhart will coordinate the spacewalk from the aft flight deck of Endeavour. ...more...
- 2002 Nov 30 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #15
The third and final spacewalk of STS-113 ended at 8:25 p.m. central time today, as Mission Specialists Mike Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington climbed back inside the Quest Airlock. The two spacewalkers spent seven hours outside the International Space Station today, continuing the outfitting of the newly-installed P1 truss segment. Today's spacewalk began at 1:25 p.m., with Herrington being asked to look for possible ...more...
- 2002 Dec 1 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #16
With most of their mission objectives successfully completed, the crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station will enjoy some scheduled time off during their last full day of joint operations. Since Endeavour arrived at the station on November 25, the 10 astronauts and cosmonauts ...more...
- 2002 Dec 1 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #17
The crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station today got ready to say goodbye to one another, checking out tools that will be used during undocking of the two spacecraft on Monday. They also configured and stowed spacesuits used in the mission's three spacewalks. Crewmembers got some afternoon time off to relax and talk via radio with family members. This morning Endeavour Commander Jim Wetherbee initiated a series of firings of ...more...
- 2002 Dec 2 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #18
Today, the crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station will bid each other a final farewell and shortly after will close hatches between the two spacecraft in preparation for Endeavour's departure this afternoon. Endeavour will leave behind the Expedition Six Crew - Commander Ken Bowersox, NASA ...more...
- 2002 Dec 2 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #19
Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station today, leaving behind the Expedition 6 crew -- Commander Ken Bowersox, NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit and Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin -- to begin its four-month stay. After final farewells among the STS-113 and Expedition 5 and 6 crews, the hatches ...more...
- 2002 Dec 3 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #20
Endeavour's crew will turn its attention to a return trip home today as they prepare for a possible landing Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Weather permitting, Endeavour is scheduled for a landing at 2:48 p.m. central time Wednesday. The crew will spend its day stowing away equipment and hardware, and preparing their ...more...
- 2002 Dec 3 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #21
Activities aboard Endeavour today focused on preparations for Wednesday's planned landing at the Kennedy Space Center, concluding a voyage of 4.5 million miles. Commander Jim Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Flight Engineer John Herrington ...more...
- 2002 Dec 4 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #22
Activities aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour today will focus on a planned landing at the Kennedy Space Center this afternoon. Endeavour has two opportunities to land today. The first begins with a deorbit burn ...more...
- 2002 Dec 4 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #23
The Space Shuttle Endeavour will spend at least one more day in space awaiting acceptable landing weather after two opportunities to return to Florida today were bypassed due to low clouds at the landing site. Flight controllers are now focusing on opportunities for landing on Thursday at ...more...
- 2002 Dec 5 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #24
The Space Shuttle Endeavour will spend at least one more day in space after rain, clouds and windy conditions at the Kennedy Space Center prompted flight controllers to wave off today's opportunities to bring Endeavour and its crew of seven home. There are two opportunities for Endeavour to return home to Florida on Friday. The ...more...
- 2002 Dec 6 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #25
Flight controllers will once again closely watch weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center in hope of bringing Endeavour and its seven-member crew home today. There are two landing opportunities in Florida today. The first begins with a deorbit ...more...
- 2002 Dec 6 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #26
A stalled cold front at the Kennedy Space Center, resulting in low clouds and overcast weather, will keep Endeavour aloft for another 24 hours. For the third consecutive day, flight controllers were forced to wave off opportunities to bring Endeavour home to Florida. There are a total of four landing opportunities on Saturday, two in Florida and ...more...
- 2002 Dec 7 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #27
With the most favorable weather forecast so far this week, Endeavour and crew are focusing on a landing today preferably at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., although a landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where the weather is clear and calm, is possible. This is the fourth day of landing attempts for Endeavour. There are four landing ...more...
- 2002 Dec 7 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #28
Endeavour descended to a flawless landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida this afternoon, ending four days of landing attempts thwarted by bad weather and returning home an International Space Station crew that spent 185 days in space. Commander Jim Wetherbee guided Endeavour to a touchdown on KSC's shuttle runway ...more...
Bibliography and Further Reading - 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.
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