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SPAS
Part of Shuttle Attached Payloads

STS-7

STS-7
Challenger's RMS arm grasps SPAS-01 during proximity operations
Credit: NASA

American military strategic defense satellite.

AKA: Shuttle Pallet Satellite. Status: Operational 1983. First Launch: 1983-06-18. Last Launch: 1997-08-07. Number: 6 . Gross mass: 3,230 kg (7,120 lb).

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.


More at: SPAS.

Subtopics

STS-66 Carried Atlas-3 laboratory; deployed and retrieved CRISTA-SPAS.

STS-85 Deployed and retrieved the CRISTA-SPAS-2 (the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2) designed to study Earth's middle atmosphere.

Family: Astronomy, Earth, Military, Military strategic defense sat. Country: USA. Launch Vehicles: Space Shuttle. Launch Sites: Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral LC39A, Cape Canaveral LC39B. Agency: MBB. Bibliography: 2, 276, 279, 4, 6, 7, 6926.
Photo Gallery

CRISTA-SPASCRISTA-SPAS
Credit: Manufacturer Image


IBSS-SPASIBSS-SPAS
Credit: Manufacturer Image


ORFEUS-SPASORFEUS-SPAS
Credit: Manufacturer Image


SPAS-01SPAS-01
Credit: Manufacturer Image


STS-7STS-7
Full view of Challenger in space taken by the SPAS satellite
Credit: NASA


STS-7STS-7
Full views of Challenger in space taken by the SPAS satellite
Credit: NASA


STS-7STS-7
Full views of Challenger in space taken by the SPAS satellite
Credit: NASA



1983 June 18 - . 11:33 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: MLP1. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
1984 February 3 - . 13:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: MLP2. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
1991 April 28 - . 11:33 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: MLP2. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
1993 September 12 - . 11:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39B. Launch Platform: MLP3. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
1994 November 3 - . 16:59 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39B. Launch Platform: MLP3. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
1997 August 7 - . 14:41 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: MLP3. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.

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