 | STS-115
Credit - NASA
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9 September 2006 15:15 GMT. Landing Date: 2006-09-21 10:21:00. Flight Time: 11.80 days. Other Name: ISS-12A. Flight Up: STS-115. Flight Back: STS-115. Call Sign: Atlantis. Crew: Jett, Ferguson, Stefanyshyn-Piper, Tanner, Burbank, MacLean. Program: ISS. The shuttle was launched using external tank ET-119 and solid motors RSRM-93. Cameras revealed that large chunks of foam were still shed from the external tank during the ascent to orbit. However examination of the heat shield using a new extension and sensors attached to the shuttle's robot arm revealed no significant damage. Discovery docked with the PMA-2 adapter on the Destiny module of the ISS at 14:52 GMT on 6 July. On July 7 the Leonardo cargo module was moved from the shuttle payload bay by the robot arm and docked to the Unity Module of the ISS between 09:42 and 11:50 GMT. The crew then began unloading the spare parts and supplies in the module to the station. A series of three EVAs conducted on 8 to 12 July tested the new equipment and techniques for repairing the shuttle heat shield in case of damage, and did some preliminary installations on the exterior of the ISS to pave the way for continued station assembly missions. On 14 July, the station's SSRMS robot moved the Leonardo module from the station back to the shuttle cargo bay between 13:08 and 14:50 GMT. The shuttle separated from the ISS, and fired its engines at 12:07 GMT on 17 July to make a 92 m/s deorbit maneuver. Discovery landed at the Kennedy Space Center at 13:14 GMT. European astronaut Reiter was left behind to make up part of the EO-13 resident crew on the station. The flight had originally been scheduled for May 2003, but was delayed over three years following the Columbia disaster.
NASA Official Mission Summary
STS-115
Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight ULF1.1
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launched: Sept. 9, 2006, 11:15 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Landing: Sept. 21, 2006, 6:21 a.m. EDT
Runway: 33
Revolution: 187
Mission Duration: 11 days, 19 hours, 6 minutes
Main Gear Touchdown: 6:21:30 a.m. EDT
Nose Gear Touchdown: 6:21:36 a.m. EDT
Wheel Stop: 6:22:16 a.m. EDT
Rollout Distance: 10,500 feet
Miles Traveled: 4.9 million
Crew Members: Brent W. Jett, Jr, Commander; Christopher J. Ferguson, Pilot; Mission Specialists: Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, Joseph R. (Joe) Tanner, Daniel C. Burbank, and Steven G. MacLean (Canadian Space Agency).
Launch: A lightning strike at the pad Aug. 25 caused the launch to slip to Aug. 27. As assessments of the strike's impact were conducted, Tropical Storm Ernesto threatened the Space Coast. Atlantis was rolled halfway back to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Aug. 29 for protection from the storm, but returned to the pad again on the same day after shuttle managers received a more favorable weather forecast.
Launch was rescheduled for Sept. 6 but a fuel cell problem occurred prior to tanking and the launch was scrubbed for 24 hours. The crew boarded Atlantis again on Sept. 8 but the launch was again scrubbed 24 hours due to a faulty sensor reading.
Launch was successful Sept. 9.
Landing: Atlantis landed on the first opportunity, orbit 187, on Runway 33. Overall, the vehicle traveled 4,901,268 statute miles. Main gear touchdown was at 6:21:30 a.m. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:21:36 a.m. Wheel stop was at 6:22:16 a.m. Rollout distance: 10,500 feet. Mission elapsed time was 11 days, 19 hours and six minutes.
The landing scheduled for Sept. 20 was postponed to allow for additional inspections of the spacecraft after video from cameras aboard the orbiter showed a piece of debris in proximity to the vehicle. The inspections included use of the orbiter boom sensor system and ensured all of Atlantis' critical equipment were in good shape.
Mission Highlights:
This mission resumed assembly of the International Space Station after a hiatus of four years.
Before the docking, the crew used the orbiter boom sensor system, the 50-foot-long extension for the shuttle's robotic arm, to inspect the reinforced carbon-carbon panels along the leading edge of Atlantis' starboard and port wings and the nose cap.
Approaching the space station, Commander Brent Jett flew Atlantis through an orbital back-flip while stationed 600 feet below the station to allow the Expedition 13 crew to photograph the orbiter’s heat shield.
After the docking, Ferguson and Burbank attached the shuttle's robotic arm to the P3/P4 truss, lifted it from its berth in the payload bay, and maneuvered it for handover to the station's Canadarm2. After hatch opening, MacLean and Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff Williams used the Canadarm2 to take the truss from the shuttle's robotic arm. MacLean was the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm2 in space.
Three spacewalks installed the P3/P4 integrated truss, deployed the solar arrays and prepared them for operation. A new procedure called a "camp out" was implemented, in which astronauts slept in the Quest airlock prior to their spacewalks. The process shortened the "prebreathe" time during which nitrogen is purged from the astronauts' systems and air pressure was lowered so the spacewalkers avoid the condition known as the bends.
Astronauts performed three spacewalks:
EVA No. 1 -- 6 hours, 26 minutes, Sept. 12. Tanner and Piper connected power cables on the 17.5-ton, 45-foot-long truss, released the launch restraints on the solar array blanket box and on the beta gimbal assembly and the solar array wings. They also configured the solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the arrays to track the sun, and removed two other circuit interrupt devices to prepare for the STS-116 mission.
To access the launch locks on the solar alpha rotary joint, the astronauts had to remove existing covers. This was a "get-ahead" task originally scheduled for the following day. Tanner and Piper's quick and efficient work enabled them to get ahead of the planned timeline. During this procedure on cover 21, a bolt and washer came off and floated into space.
EVA No. 2 -- 7 hours, 11 minutes, Sept. 13. First-time spacewalkers Dan Burbank and Steve MacLean released locks on the auto-sized solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the station's solar arrays to turn toward the sun. The locks had held the joint secure during its launch to orbit.
Minor problems occurred, including a malfunctioning helmet camera, a broken socket tool, a stubborn bolt requiring both astronauts to turn it, and a bolt that loosened from the mechanism designed to hold it.
EVA No. 3 -- 6 hours, 42 minutes, Sept. 15. Tanner and Piper powered up a cooling radiator for the newly unfolded solar arrays. They also replaced an S-band radio antenna that provides backup communications between the space station and the ground.
Other tasks, designed to reduce workload for future spacewalkers, included installing insulation for another communications antenna and (Tanner) taking photos of the shuttle's wings with an infrared camera to test its ability to detect damage.
After astronauts had prepared the solar alpha rotary joint for activation, Mission Control engaged the first of two drive-lock assemblies and rotated the joint 180 degrees.
When they commanded the second drive-lock assembly to engage, they did not get an indication of engagement. A second command also failed. The glitch was resolved overnight.
The solar arrays on the newly delivered 17.5-ton truss segment were fully unfolded at 8:44 a.m. EDT on Sept. 14. During the unfurling, Atlantis' astronauts noted that some of the panels stuck. The phenomenon, called "stiction," also occurred during a shuttle mission in late 2000 when the station's first set of solar panels was deployed.
The power generated by the arrays will not be used by the station until mission STS-116, in December 2006, when astronauts will rewire the complex and activate a cooling system. The arrays currently are powering their own system, including batteries and other electronics equipment.
The solar panels have a wingspan of 240 feet attached on the port side of the station. They can generate 66 kilowatts of power.
The crew also maneuvered the Canadarm2 robotic arm in a "double walk off," moving it from the Mobile Base System to the Destiny Lab in an inchworm-like procedure.
Statistics
Cargo loaded in the payload bay was as follows:
- Bays 1-2: Orbiter Docking System - about 1800 kg
- Bay 4S: APC with SPDU - about 20 kg
- Bays 5-6: Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) - about 1500 kg, with Keel Yoke Device (KYD), Trailing Umbilical System) for an ISS Mobile Transporter repair, EATCS-PM pump module for the ISS truss, and a fixed grapple bar.
- Bay 7S: ROEU - about 20 kg
- Bays 7-12: Leonardo cargo module (MPLM-1) - 9500 kg - with the MELFI freezer rack, the Express Transportation Rack with the European Modular
Cultivation System, the Oxygen Generation System rack, three Resupply Stowage Racks and five Resupply Stowage Platforms with consumable supplies. A Remotely Operated Electrical Umbilical mounted on the sidewall routed power to Leonardo.
- Bay 13: Lightweight MPESS Carrier with DTO 848 protection system repair kit demonstator - 954 kg
- Sill-mounted: OBSS 202 robot arm extension, that would allow an astronaut to be carried underneath the shuttle for inspection and repairs - about 450 kg, and RMS 303 robot arm - 390 kg
- Total cargo mass: about 14594 kg
STS-115 Chronology - 2006 Feb 3 - International Space Station Status Report: SS06-005
Space station crewmembers released a spacesuit-turned-satellite during the second spacewalk of their mission last night. Called SuitSat, it faintly transmitted recorded voices of school children to amateur ...more...
- 2006 Mar 3 - International Space Station Status Report: SS06-008
Entering the homestretch of a half-year mission, International Space Station Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev monitored the departure of one of two Russian cargo ships today. Filled with trash and items no longer needed, the Progress 19 vehicle undocked from ...more...
- 2006 Apr 6 - International Space Station Status Report: SS06-015
Camaraderie and hard work highlighted this week's joint operations on the International Space Station. Aboard the complex, one crew prepared for a return to Earth while another focused ...more...
- 2006 Apr 7 - International Space Station Status Report: SS06-016
After orbiting Earth more than 3,000 times during six months on the International Space Station, Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev returned to the planet Sunday morning in Kazakhstan. With them was Marcos Pontes, Brazil's first astronaut. The Soyuz spacecraft ...more...
- 2006 Aug 11 - International Space Station Status Report: SS06-037
This week on the International Space Station crew members refurbished their exercise treadmill, prepared areas inside and out for an imminent expansion of their home and took a couple of special calls to discuss soccer and food in space. Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and European Space Agency ...more...
- 2006 Aug 25 - International Space Station Status Report: SS06-039
With the countdown clock ticking toward the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-115 mission, the International Space Station crew continues to prepare for visitors. Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer, NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams ...more...
- 2006 Sep 9 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #01
Atlantis launched into an almost clear Florida sky this morning for an 11-day mission that marks the return to assembly of the International Space Station. Today marks the first time in almost four years that a major new space station component ...more...
- 2006 Sep 10 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #02
After days of waking up in quarantine, the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis woke up in weightlessness for its first full day in space. The six-person crew of Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson and Mission Specialists ...more...
- 2006 Sep 10 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #03
It was a productive day for the six astronauts onboard Atlantis. The crew inspected the shuttle's heat shield, prepared for docking to the International Space Station and readied spacesuits for the upcoming three spacewalks. The crew thoroughly examined Atlantis with the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, the 50-foot-long ...more...
- 2006 Sep 11 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #04
The Space Shuttle Atlantis crew has begun a busy and exciting day. The shuttle and the International Space Station are scheduled to dock at 5:46 a.m. CDT and begin seven days of joint operations. The crew awoke at 11:15 p.m. to a solo cello performance by Dan Burbank’s children. ...more...
- 2006 Sep 11 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #05
The Space Shuttle Atlantis crew entered the International Space Station complex this morning at 7:35 a.m. CDT giving a wave and smiles to Mission Control operators on the ground in Houston. "Station, we see you have visitors. Tell them to give us a wave", said astronaut ...more...
- 2006 Sep 12 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #06
It's installation day on the International Space Station. The Atlantis and Expedition 13 crews will attach the P3/P4 truss and do the first of three spacewalks by shuttle crew members. Atlantis' astronauts were awakened at 11:15 p.m. CDT Monday with "My Friendly Epistle," ...more...
- 2006 Sep 12 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #07
It is home improvement time onboard the International Space Station. Assembly of the orbiting space lab officially resumed this morning at 4:17 a.m. CDT. Mission specialists Joe Tanner and Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper focused on bolts, connectors ...more...
- 2006 Sep 13 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #08
The Atlantis and Expedition 13 crews are getting ready for the second spacewalk of the STS-115 mission to the International Space Station. They will continue preparations for activation of the P3/P4 truss segment attached ...more...
- 2006 Sep 13 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #09
The crews of Atlantis and Expedition 13 had a busy fifth day together in space as they brought to life the new addition to the International Space Station they had attached on Tuesday. During the second spacewalk of the STS-115 mission, first-time spacewalkers Dan ...more...
- 2006 Sep 14 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #10
With several busy days including two successful spacewalks behind them, the Atlantis and International Space Station crews were looking forward to deployment of new station solar arrays and preparing for the mission's third spacewalk. The ground teams completed the checkout of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) early ...more...
- 2006 Sep 14 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #11
The International Space Station today spread a second set of wings, giant solar panels that eventually will double the power generated aboard the orbiting science outpost. The solar arrays on the newly delivered 17.5 ton truss segment were fully unfolded ...more...
- 2006 Sep 15 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #12
The Atlantis and International Space Station crews today will focus on the third and final spacewalk of the mission. The STS-115 crew, Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson and Mission Specialists ...more...
- 2006 Sep 15 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #13
Astronauts Joe Tanner and Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper finished the third and final spacewalk of Atlantis' mission today, powering up a cooling radiator for the new solar arrays unfolded Thursday on the International Space Station. After about a 45-minute delay in the airlock due to a depressurization pump power ...more...
- 2006 Sep 16 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #14
The Space Shuttle Atlantis crew gets some well deserved time to relax today. After the successful addition of new components to the International Space Station, ...more...
- 2006 Sep 16 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #15
Astronauts on board Space Shuttle Atlantis today got a much deserved day off having completed three highly successful space walks that put the International Space Station back under construction. After seven days in space, the STS-115 crew -- Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris ...more...
- 2006 Sep 17 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #16
It's undocking day. The Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to begin moving away from the International Space Station at 7:50 a.m. CDT. Crew members will get a look at the results of their STS-115 mission, which resumed ...more...
- 2006 Sep 17 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #17
The Space Shuttle Atlantis left a space station today markedly different than the one to which it docked less than a week ago. Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station at 7:50 a.m. CDT, completing ...more...
- 2006 Sep 18 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #18
The International Space Station is a busy place these days. Sunday saw the departure of the space shuttle visitors who had been working from the orbiting complex the past six days with a 7:50 a.m. CDT undocking of Atlantis. Hours later, three more explorers launched toward the station in a Soyuz spacecraft. Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin and ...more...
- 2006 Sep 18 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #19
The crew of the International Space Station worked through an emergency procedure this morning after an oxygen generation unit apparently overheated. The overheating is believed to have melted a rubber seal, causing a small amount ...more...
- 2006 Sep 19 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #21
Space Shuttle managers today decided to extend Atlantis' stay in space to allow for additional inspections of the spacecraft to be performed. The decision to pursue additional inspections was made this morning after video ...more...
- 2006 Sep 20 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #22
The Space Shuttle Atlantis crew began another survey of the spacecraft's heat shield late Tuesday after mission managers decided the orbiter would spend another day in space. That decision was made after cameras detected a piece of debris near the shuttle ...more...
- 2006 Sep 20 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #23
Managers today cleared the Space Shuttle Atlantis for a return to Earth on Thursday following a day of inspections of the spacecraft's exterior. Atlantis is now aimed toward a landing that will begin with a deorbit engine firing ...more...
- 2006 Sep 21 - STS-115 MCC Status Report #24
After resuming the expansion of humanity's only outpost in space, Space Shuttle Atlantis came home this morning, gliding to a perfect pre-dawn landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis touched down on Runway 33 of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at 5:21:30 ...more...
- 2006 Sep 28 - International Space Station Status Report: SS06-042
After six months aboard the International Space Station that included arrival of two space shuttle missions, resumption of construction of the orbiting laboratory and the restoration of a three-member crew, Expedition 13 landed at 9:13 p.m. EDT in the steppes of Kazakhstan. Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA station science officer Jeff Williams landed ...more...
Bibliography and Further Reading
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