DOCSLIB.ORG

Sts-116 Mission Overview: Power Reconfiguration Highlights Station Assembly Mission

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sts-116 Mission Overview: Power Reconfiguration Highlights Station Assembly Mission STS-121 Press Kit CONTENTS Section Page STS-116 MISSION OVERVIEW: POWER RECONFIGURATION HIGHLIGHTS STATION ASSEMBLY MISSION ...............................................................................................1 STS-116 TIMELINE OVERVIEW ...............................................................................................10 MISSION PRIORITIES.............................................................................................................12 LAUNCH AND LANDING ...........................................................................................................15 LAUNCH...............................................................................................................................................15 ABORT-TO-ORBIT (ATO)......................................................................................................................15 TRANSATLANTIC ABORT LANDING (TAL).............................................................................................15 RETURN-TO-LAUNCH-SITE (RTLS).......................................................................................................15 ABORT ONCE AROUND (AOA)...............................................................................................................15 LANDING .............................................................................................................................................15 MISSION PROFILE...................................................................................................................16 STS-116 DISCOVERY CREW ...................................................................................................17 MISSION PERSONNEL.............................................................................................................27 RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING ..................................................................................................28 UNDOCKING, SEPARATION AND DEPARTURE.......................................................................................31 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM (EPS) ...................................32 ACTIVE THERMAL CONTROL SYSTEM (ATCS) OVERVIEW.....................................................50 SPACEWALKS .........................................................................................................................65 EVA 1...................................................................................................................................................66 EVA 2 ..................................................................................................................................................67 EVA 3 ..................................................................................................................................................69 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW ..............................................................................................................71 INTEGRATED TRUSS SEGMENT P5.......................................................................................................71 INTEGRATED CARGO CARRIER (SPACEHAB)........................................................................................77 LOGISTICS SINGLE MODULE (SPACEHAB LSM) ...................................................................................78 December 2006 CONTENTS i Section Page EXPERIMENTS.........................................................................................................................79 DETAILED TEST OBJECTIVES ...............................................................................................................79 SHORT-DURATION BIOASTRONAUTICS INVESTIGATION (SDBI) .........................................................79 SHORT-DURATION RESEARCH AND STATION EXPERIMENTS ...............................................................80 EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY EXPERIMENTS...........................................................................................84 SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE ADVANCED HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ........................89 SHUTTLE REFERENCE DATA ....................................................................................................90 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .........................................................................................103 MEDIA ASSISTANCE ...............................................................................................................118 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS..................................................................................................119 December 2006 CONTENTS ii STS-116 MISSION OVERVIEW: POWER RECONFIGURATION HIGHLIGHTS STATION ASSEMBLY MISSION With its crane still attached, the orbiter Discovery was mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform in high bay 3 of the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building. December 2006 MISSION OVERVIEW 1 Space Shuttle Discovery launches in December Integrated Truss Segment P5, which measures on its 33rd mission to deliver another truss 11 feet long by 15 feet wide by 14 feet high (3.3 segment of the International Space Station and x 4.5 x 3.2 meters). It will serve as a spacer and begin the intricate process of reconfiguring and be mated to the P4 truss that was attached in redistributing the power generated by two September during the STS‐115 mission of pairs of U.S. solar arrays. Atlantis. The shuttle launches with seven astronauts— Attachment of the 4,000‐pound six shuttle and one long‐duration station crew (1,800‐kilogram) P5 sets the stage for the member. This is the first crew member rotation relocation to its final assembly position of the in four years involving a shuttle rather than a P6 truss and the pair of solar arrays that have Russian Soyuz. been located temporarily atop the station’s Unity module for six years. The primary assembly hardware Discovery will deliver to the space station is the $11‐million A computer‐generated artistʹs rendering of the International Space Station after flight STS‐116/12A.1, following the delivery and installation of the third port truss segment (P5) and the retraction of the P6 port solar array wing and two radiators. December 2006 MISSION OVERVIEW 2 Three spacewalks (Extravehicular Activities or the shuttle and station crew members and flight EVAs) spread across the seven days of docked controllers in Mission Control, who will send operations will involve P5 installation and all commands to carefully redistribute power reconfiguration of cables so that flight and thermal management from one location to controllers in Mission Control, Houston, can another. The STS‐118 mission in the summer of send commands to swap power generation and 2007 will deliver an identical short spacer (S5) distribution from half of the P6 arrays to the to the opposite end of the station’s truss. newest P4 pair (power channel 2/3 moves to P4‐2A and 1/4 moves to power channel P4‐4A). Discovery will launch with seven crew members, including Commander Mark In addition to the P5 spacer, Discovery’s Polansky, Pilot William (Bill) Oefelein payload bay also houses a small pressurized (Commander, USN), and Mission Specialists logistics module holding supplies and an Nicholas Patrick, Robert (Bob) Curbeam (Captain, integrated carrier delivering space station USN), Joan Higginbotham, Christer Fuglesang hardware and three small satellites to be representing the European Space Agency, and deployed after the shuttle has undocked from Sunita Williams. Williams will replace crew the space station. member Thomas Reiter (ESA) who will return to Earth aboard Discovery in her place. th The 20 shuttle mission to the International Williams will return home next summer Space Station represents the most following Endeavour’s STS‐118 mission. choreographed assembly flight to date between Attired in their training versions of the shuttle launch and entry suit, astronauts Mark L. Polansky (left), STS‐116 commander, and William A. Oefelein, pilot, occupy the commander and pilotʹs station during a training session in the fixed‐ base shuttle mission simulator (SMS) in the Jake Garn Simulation and Training Facility at Johnson Space Center. December 2006 MISSION OVERVIEW 3 The launch from complex 39B at the Kennedy The first three days of the mission nearly mirror Space Center, Florida, is timed precisely to those of the previous three shuttle flights to occur within the same launch plane (similar to a inspect the thermal protection system tiles and lane on a highway) as the space station to the wing leading edge reinforced carbon‐carbon maximize propellant savings and minimize panels, and rendezvous and dock with the rendezvous time. International Space Station. Because of the excellent performance of the Patrick is the prime shuttle remote manipulator shuttleʹs external tank in minimizing foam system (robotic arm) operator and will lead the shedding during ascent, and the ability to inspection effort using the Remote Manipulator perform a 100 percent inspection of the orbiter System (RMS) extension – the Orbiter Boom thermal protection system for unlikely damage, Sensor System. Polansky and Oefelein serve as the restriction for daylight‐only launches has backup shuttle arm operators. been lifted. This allows Discovery’s launch to take place at night for the first 10 days of its The highest priority tasks of the flight will be to “window,” which opens no earlier than Dec. 7 transfer one station crewmember for another, and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • National Pal National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Inc
    NATIONAL PAL NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POLICE ATHLETIC/ACTIVITIES LEAGUES, INC. Fall 2020 Newsletter VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2 Kids, Cops & Community 1 | NATIONAL PAL SPRING 2020 NEWSLETTER National PAL Announces Table of Contents National Ambassador for STEM National PAL Announces National PAL is thrilled to officially National Ambassador for announce Mrs. Joan Higginbotham as STEM ............................................2 the National Ambassador for STEM. An electrical engineer and retired NASA The Re-Engagement of astronaut, Higginbotham is the third of Nigeria, Africa PAL.......................3 only three African American women to go into space. At an early age, Higginbotham Announcing the Launch fell in love with science and math and of Our New Website.....................4 while matriculating to high school, was introduced to INROADS, a program 2020 National PAL Virtual which exposes women and minorities to Youth Summit..............................4 the field of engineering. Because of her Joan Higginbotham, National Ambassador participation in this program, Higginbotham for STEM National PAL to Host Town decided to pursue engineering in college, Halls Bringing Together Kids, making the most of her love for science and math. Cops & Community.....................6 While in college, Higginbotham interned with IBM as an engineer and was later offered a job in sales upon graduating. While considering IBM’s offer, Higginbotham received a call from a NASA manager at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, who offered her a position as a rocket scientist, launching shuttles into space. Nine years later with 53 successful shuttle launches under her belt, Higginbotham was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA. She reported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, where she spent the next 11 years of her career.
    [Show full text]
  • Minutes of the 2007 ICARE Meeting
    Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the FAI Astronautic Records Commission held in Lausanne, Switzerland on 27 April 2007 FEDERATION AERONAUTIQUE INTERNATIONALE FAI ASTRONAUTIC RECORDS COMMISSION (ICARE) MINUTES OF A MEETING HELD AT THE FAI HEADQUARTERS 24 AVENUE MON REPOS, 1005 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND ON FRIDAY 27 APRIL 2007, STARTING AT 09h15 MINUTES Present: M. Segismundo SANZ FERNANDEZ de CORDOBA President Mr. Mike COLLINS USA M. Christian MARCHAL France Mr. Ulf MERBOLD Germany Mr. John F MILES United Kingdom Mr Valery KORSUN Russia In attendance : Mr Thierry MONTIGNEAUX FAI Asst. Secretary General Apologies: Mr. Yuri TARASOV Russia Mr. John GRUBBSTROM Sweden 1 WELCOME BY THE PRESIDENT M. Segismundo SANZ FERNANDEZ de CORDOBA welcomed all those attending. 2 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING The minutes of the previous meeting (21 April 2006) were approved without correction. The following matters arose from those Minutes: Para 6(a) “Gold Space Medal” : Mr. Montigneaux reported that the 2006 FAI General Conference had agreed that both FAI Gold Medals should be of equal status. As a result, the By Law concerning the Gold Space Medal had now been moved from Chapter 12 (awards made by Commissions) to Chapter 11 (awards subject to the approval of Vice Presidents). Mr. Montigneaux pointed out to delegates that a practical implication of this decision was that nominations for the Gold Space Medal would from this year on be submitted directly to FAI Vice Presidents for approval. Although there was no formal requirement for prior screening by ICARE, the views of ICARE would be of special interest to Vice Presidents, and would be passed on by the Secretariat.
    [Show full text]
  • The Flight Plan Vol
    ® Chicago DODO Chapter, The Flight Plan Vol. XIV no. 5 May 2007 Chicago DODO Chapter, P. O. Box 19063, Chicago, IL 60619 Beverly L. Dunjill, President Carrying on the legend and teaching young people about the opportunities in aviation. Chicago Celebrates Astronaut Higginbotham's Homecoming HOUSTON -- NASA astronaut Joan E. Higginbotham returns home to Chicago May 21-26 to celebrate the completion of her first space- flight. Higginbotham will take part in several community events during her week-long visit. Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will officially declare Wednesday, May 23, Joan Higginbotham Day and present her with an offi- cial proclamation at the Adler Planetarium's historic Sky Thea- tre at 2 p.m. Immediately following the presentation, Higginbotham will share her experiences as an astronaut with 250 students. She will show a video and discuss her recent mis- sion to the International Space Station. The event is open to media. At 7 p.m., Higginbotham will receive the distinguished 2007 Women in Space Science Award during a reception at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum. After accepting the award, Higginbotham will deliver a keynote address about her experiences as an astronaut. Higginbotham, a Whitney M. Young Magnet High School graduate, will visit her alma mater on Thursday, May 24, at 8 a.m. She will present the school with a banner she carried into space. During the school assembly, Alderman Edward Burke will present Higginbotham with an official resolution from City Council highlighting her achievements. The Chicago Public Schools board president and chief executive also are scheduled to speak. Higginbotham will be available for media interviews after the school assembly.
    [Show full text]
  • CHRONOLOGY of WAKEUP CALLS Compiled by Colin Fries, NASA History Division Updated 12/26/2013
    CHRONOLOGY OF WAKEUP CALLS Compiled by Colin Fries, NASA History Division Updated 12/26/2013 The idea for the Wakeup Call chronology arose as a result of my dual interests in the history of music and the space program. I discovered as soon as I began working as an archivist at the NASA History Office that there was no complete list of these calls sent from Mission Control. There have always been inquiries about flown items and mission events as we all know, and those about wakeup calls and music played in space encompassed a steady stream (no pun intended)! And NASA’s Web pages did provide audio for these calls beginning with STS-85 with the note that: “Wakeup calls are a longstanding tradition of the NASA program” -- yet nothing on when it started. One of the most frequent inquiries was and still is – What was the first wakeup call? (I later learned that it was “Hello Dolly” sent during Gemini 6). So with the blessing of the history staff I began compiling a chronology using the sources in the NASA Historical Reference Collection here at NASA Headquarters. The Space Shuttle portion of the Chronology proved to be the most challenging since the Johnson Space Center Audio Control Room Recorder Log began with STS-80. In 2005, I was able to visit JSC Public Affairs and make copies from their query books to fill in the gap. Still there were Space Shuttle wakeup calls, even entire missions, that remained elusive. The other sources that I used are listed at the end of this PDF.
    [Show full text]
  • STS129 Fact Sheet.Pub
    NASA Mission Summary National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, D.C. 20546 (202) 358-1100 STS-129 MISSION SUMMARY November 2009 SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS (STS-129) Atlantis' mission will focus on storing spare hardware on the exterior of the Interna- tional Space Station. The 11-day flight will include three spacewalks and the installa- tion of two platforms to the station’s truss, or backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are retired. This equipment is large and can only be transported using the unique capability of the shuttle. Atlantis also will bring back a station crew member after more than two months aboard the orbiting laboratory. This is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight for the station. CREW Charlie Hobaugh (hoe-baw) Barry E. Wilmore Commander (Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps) Pilot (Captain, U.S. Navy) ● Veteran of two spaceflights, pilot of STS-104 in ● First spaceflight 2001 & STS-118 in 2007 ● Hometown: Mt. Juliet, Tenn. ● Age: 47, (Nov. 5), born in Bar Harbor, Maine ● Logged 5,900+ hours in tactical jet aircraft ● Married with four children; enjoys triathalons ● Joined NASA in 2000 as a pilot ● Call Sign: Scorch ● Call Sign: Butch Leland Melvin Randy Bresnik Mission Specialist-1 Mission Specialist-2 (Lt. Col., U.S. Marine Corps) ● Veteran of one spaceflight (STS-122 in 2008) ● First spaceflight ● Age: 45, Hometown: Lynchburg, Va. ● Age: 42, Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif. ● Detroit Lions 11th round pick in 1986 NFL draft ● Married with one son & a daughter on the way ● Enjoys taking photos, piano, cycling, tennis and ● Test pilot, 4,800+ hours in 79 different aircraft walking his dogs, Jake & Scout ● Call Sign: Komrade Mike Foreman Robert “Bobby” Satcher Mission Specialist-3 (Captain, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Women in STEM: Hidden Figures, Modern Figures
    Science Briefing February 2, 2017 Kimberly Arcand (Chandra/SAO) Dr. Jedidah C. Isler (Vanderbilt University) Women in STEM: Dr. Cady Coleman (Retired USAF, Former Astronaut) Hidden Figures, Modern Figures Dr. Julie McEnery (NASA GSFC) Facilitator: Jessica Kenney (STScI) 1 Additional Resources http://nasawavelength.org/list/1642 Video: VanguardSTEM: Conversation with Margot Lee Shetterly Webinar: STAR_Net – Wed. Feb. 15 – Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA Activities: Coloring the Universe (with Pencil Code) Observing with NASA Websites: Women in Science VanguardSTEM Women@NASA Women in the High Energy Universe Women’s History Month 2016 Exhibits: Here, There, and Everywhere AstrOlympics Light: Beyond the Bulb From Earth to the Universe Visions of the Universe 2 Kim Arcand Visualization Lead [email protected] @kimberlykowal (Twitter, IG) 3 4 As of 2011, women made up only about 26% of U.S. STEM workers 5 Computer science is the only field in science, engineering and mathematics in which the number of women receiving bachelors degrees has decreased since 2002—even after it showed a modest increase in recent years. (Larson, 2014) 6 According to studies, contributing factors include: • a culture that encourages young women to play with dolls rather than robots and pursue traditionally female careers • a self-perpetuating stereotype that a programmer is a white male. (Larson, 2014) 7 Why should we care? By 2020, it is estimated that there will be 1.4 million computer-science related jobs available, in the U.S. but: Only 400,000 CS graduates to fill them. 8 Medication Why Women can experience more and varied side effects from many medications than men do because should such medicines can be biased towards male subjects we care? (Beerya & Zucker) Engineering Better job security and Automobile air bags have been pay but also, more and more dangerous for women of varied viewpoints.
    [Show full text]
  • Hubble Revisited on NASA's 50Th Anniversary Project Aether
    Volume 36, Issue 2 AIAA Houston Section www.aiaa-houston.org June 2011 Hubble RevisitedProject on NASA’s Aether 50th Anniversary AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 1 June 2011 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S From the Chair / From the Editor / From the Assistant Editor 3 HOUSTON ID of the Lone Man in the 1979 McCall Mural at NASA/JSC Bldg 2 7 Horizons is a quarterly publication of the Houston section Feature: Project Aether, Inspiring the Next Generation of Explorers 8 of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. NASA Photos: pp. 15, 40, 45, 81, 84 (ISS / Endeavour from Soyuz) 15 Douglas Yazell Editor Feature: An Astronaut Takes a Slow Flight by James C. McLane III 16 Mars Rover Celebration: Fun & Learning with Virtual Space Missions 24 Past Editors: Jon Berndt & Dr. Steven Everett Assistant Editor: Robert Beremand The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 12 (Houston) 27 Editing staff: Don Kulba Contributors: Ellen Gillespie, Lance Borden, Dr. Steven The 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport 28 Everett, Alan Simon, Don Kulba, Daniel Adamo Current Events: Lander Test Starts Grass Fire at NASA/JSC 34 AIAA Houston Section Executive Council Dinner Meeting Report: State of the NASA/JSC Center (Mike Coats) 35 Sarah Shull An Evening with Mary Roach: Best-Selling Book Packing for Mars 38 Apollo Lunar Module LM-2: History by Captain Andrew Hobokan 41 Sean Carter Irene Chan Chair-Elect Secretary Annual Technical Symposium (ATS 2011) / Engineers as Educators 46 Ellen Gillespie John Kostrzewski The 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) 52 Past Chair Treasurer The Red Baron Scenario in an Interplanetary Context: Daniel Adamo 61 Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Color Oct. 4.Pmd
    Oct. 4, 2002 Vol. 41, No. 20 Spaceport News America’s gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond. http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/snews/snewstoc.htm John F. Kennedy Space Center CLCS team faces challenge, shows solidarity Members of the Checkout and Launch Control System (CLCS) team stood and applauded numer- ous times Sept. 20 to show their support as Kennedy Space Center leaders frankly addressed the recent cancellation of the project. The hundreds of KSC workers gathered in the Debus Conference Facility at KSC Visitor Center showed their unwavering esprit de corps during Center Director Roy Bridges’ discussion and the question and answer session that followed. Bridges, Shuttle Processing Director Dave King, Spaceport Engineering and Technology Center Director Roy Bridges Jr. addresses the CLCS team. He and (from right) Shuttle Processing Director Dave Director Jim Heald and CLCS King, Spaceport Engineering and Technology Director Jim Heald and CLCS Project Manager Bruce Hevey Project Manager Bruce Hevey answered employee questions about the cancellation of CLCS. answered dozens of employee questions about the cancellation of for me,” Bridges said. “I needed KSC’s continuing evolution as a NASA, United Space Alliance, CLCS. The project was originally this time with you. … Like you, I am Spaceport Technology Center, but Lockheed Martin, Dynacs, Boeing, set in motion in 1996 to replace the intensely disappointed that CLCS that its cancellation ultimately Titan and other subcontracted Launch Processing System (LPS), was cancelled. But as difficult as it would not hinder the vision. employees involved in other the heritage computer system used is, we have got to come to grips The cancellation likely will mean projects on Center and to interest to process, test and launch the with it.” the eventual layoff of a number of the Shuttle Processing directorate Space Shuttle.
    [Show full text]
  • H. Res. 450 in the House of Representatives, U.S
    H. Res. 450 In the House of Representatives, U.S., September 20, 2005. Whereas the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was created in 1958 under President Eisenhower and has, since then, accomplished great things in the fields of science, technology, aeronautics, and aerospace explo- ration; Whereas women have worked since the 1960’s for the right to play a vital role in NASA’s missions in outer space; Whereas after more than twenty years of waiting, the first American woman, Sally Ride, flew in outer space in 1983 aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger; Whereas in 1984, Kathryn Sullivan became the first Amer- ican woman to perform a space walk aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger during mission STS–41; Whereas in 1986, Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first teacher and civilian in space after being selected from 11,000 applicants, and Mission Specialist Judith Resnick, were killed aboard the space shuttle Challenger just 73 seconds after lift-off during mission STS–51L; Whereas in 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African- American woman to fly in outer space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor during mission STS–47; 2 Whereas Shannon Lucid previously held the United States record for the amount of time spent living and working in space on a single mission aboard the Russian Mir space-station for over 6 months in 1996; Whereas in 1999, Eileen Collins became the first woman to command a space mission when Space Shuttle Columbia deployed the Chandra X-Ray Observatory; Whereas in 2003, Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla and Laurel
    [Show full text]
  • ISS Systems Engineering Case Study
    International Space Station Systems Engineering Case Study Dr. Bill Stockman InternationalJoe SpaceBoyle Station Systems EngineeringDr. John Bacon Case Study Air Force Center for Systems Engineering Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited The views expressed in this Case Study are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of NASA, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government. FOREWORD One of the objectives of the Air Force Center for Systems Engineering (AFCSE) is to develop case studies focusing on the application of systems engineering principles within various aerospace programs. The intent of these case studies is to examine a broad spectrum of program types and a variety of learning principles using the Friedman-Sage Framework to guide overall analysis. In addition to this case, the following studies are available at the AFCSE website. ■ Global Positioning System (space system) ■ Hubble Telescope (space system) ■ Theater Battle Management Core System (complex software development) ■ F-111 Fighter (joint program with significant involvement by the Office of the Secretary of Defense) ■ C-5 Cargo Airlifter (very large, complex aircraft) ■ A-10 Warthog (ground attack) ■ Global Hawk ■ KC-135 Simulator These cases support practitioners of systems engineering and are also used in the academic instruction in systems engineering within military service academies and at both civilian and military graduate schools. Each of the case studies comprises elements of success as well as examples of systems engineering decisions that, in hindsight, were not optimal. Both types of examples are useful for learning. Plans exist for future case studies focusing on various space systems, additional aircraft programs, munitions programs, joint service programs, logistics-led programs, science and technology/laboratory efforts, and a variety of commercial systems.
    [Show full text]
  • Space Shuttle Mission Chronology 2005 – 2007 Aug
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Volume 3 Space Shuttle Mission Chronology 2005 – 2007 Aug. 9 at KSC due to weather. Landed on first op- STS-114 portunity at EAFB, marking the 6th night landing at 17th Space Edwards and the 50th Shuttle landing in California. Kennedy Space Center was beset with weather issues Station Flight starting Aug. 7, the original landing date. Several land- ing opportunities at KSC were waived off Aug. 8 and again Aug. 9. Edwards was chosen as the preferred Discovery landing site. Pad B: Mission Highlights: 114th shuttle mission Discovery’s climb to orbit was extensively docu- 31st flight of OV-104 mented through a system of new and upgraded 50th California landing ground-based cameras, radar systems and airborne cameras aboard high altitude aircraft. The imagery Crew: captured of Discovery’s launch, and additional imagery Eileen Collins, commander (4th shuttle flight) from laser systems on Discovery’s new Orbiter Boom James Kelly, pilot (2nd) Sensor System laser-scanner as well as data from sen- Soichi Noguchi (JAXA), mission specialist (1st) sors embedded in the Shuttle’s wings, helped mission managers determine the health of Discovery’s thermal Stephen Robinson, mission specialist (3rd) protection system. Andrew Thomas, mission specialist (4th) When Discovery neared the Station early Thursday Wendy Lawrence, mission specialist (4th) morning, Krikalev and Phillips used digital cameras and Charles Camarda, mission specialist (1st) high-powered 800-mm and 400-mm lenses to photo- graph Discovery’s thermal protective tiles and key areas Orbiter Preps: around its main and nose landing gear doors. All imag- ery was downlinked to a team of 200 to analyze.
    [Show full text]
  • Winter 2007 Issue of Florida Tech TODAY
    1 President’s Perspective Dear Florida Tech Alumni and Friends, Welcome to the winter 2007 issue of Florida Tech TODAY. In this issue, we return to our roots by focusing on two alumnae who have reached the stars. Two Florida Tech alumnae, Sunita Williams and Joan Higginbotham, flew into space during the December launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Williams is still in space as you TODAY read this, soaring around the globe inside the International Space Station. Our cover story focuses on how Florida Tech Florida Institute of Technology PRESIDENT Anthony James Catanese, Ph.D., FAICP helped them in their own personal races to space. SR. VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADvaNCEMENT Thomas G. Fox, Ph.D. Another Florida Tech astronaut, space sciences professor Sam Florida Tech TODAY is published three times a year Durrance, is focusing his mission closer to home these days. His work in the by Florida Tech’s Office for Advancement and is life sciences laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center is featured in distributed to over 50,000 readers. this issue. MANAGING EDITOR/DESIGNER Judi Tintera, [email protected] EDITOR Jay Wilson, [email protected] As you know, your university was founded by rocket scientists nearly ASSISTANT EDITOR Karen Rhine, [email protected] 50 years ago. Today, we’re welcoming a new generation of scientists and COPY EDITOR Christena Callahan, [email protected] CLASS NOTES REPORTER Verna Layman, [email protected] engineers, as children of our alumni are joining a wonderful family tradition. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joan Bixby, Christena Callahan, In this issue you’ll meet Pamela Nabors, her daughter Maggie Walsh and the Diane Deaton, Ken Droscher, Christa Parulis-Kaye, Irene Klotz, Melinda Millsap, Karen Rhine, Jay Deffenbaugh family, and learn their stories of Panther pride.
    [Show full text]