SPACE CENTER March 9, 2001 Roundup VOL. 40, NO. 5 L YNDON B. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS Atlantis crew delivers heart of the space station pace Shuttle Atlantis glided to a people in MOD that provided the us because it’s really all about you. Our attach to the station berthing port. At belated but textbook touchdown at fabulous training that we’ve had for about nation’s space program is all about indi- 12:57 p.m. CST, the lab was latched into SEdwards Air Force Base, Calif., at two and one-half years now to get ready viduals like yourself who put in so many position on the station, and soon a set 2:33 p.m. CST Feb. 20, successfully for this flight.” hours of work so that we get to go up of automatic bolts tightened to hold it wrapping up a 5.3-million-mile mission to Cockrell took the opportunity to there and be on TV for a couple of permanently in place for years to come. deliver the U.S. Laboratory Destiny to the express greetings from the Expedition weeks doing things.” With Destiny secured to the station, International Space Station. One crew. “Bill Shepherd sends his Left on orbit is the U.S. Destiny Jones and Curbeam connected electrical, With STS-98 Commander Ken greetings to all of you. He’s having a Laboratory, which was installed onto the data and cooling lines. Cockrell at the controls, Atlantis darted great time up there. I can’t imagine a ISS Feb. 10 in a dazzling display of Jones and Curbeam breezed through through high clouds over the Mojave better crew to inaugurate the space robotics finesse and space-walking skill. the second space walk of the mission Desert test center to touch down on station era.” Ivins began the work of installing the on Feb. 12, attaching the PMA 2 to the concrete runway 22. The landing was the Polansky, completing his first flight in laboratory, using Atlantis’ robotic arm to end of the new Destiny module and 47th at Edwards and brought the 102nd space, had a few words to say about his remove Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 completing all of the space walk’s flight in program history to a close. commander: “He ran a great crew, and he (PMA 2), a station docking port, from the planned tasks and more. Cockrell and fellow crewmembers–Pilot really enabled us to do our jobs. He was Unity module to make room for Destiny. During the second space walk, Jones Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists there to provide oversight for the whole The adapter was removed from Unity and helped Ivins remove PMA 2 from the Z-1 Tom Jones, Marsha Ivins and Bob program. He did a remarkable job on the latched into a temporary position on the Truss by manually opening latches on the Curbeam–returned to Ellington Field at rendezvous and docking. And it was, station’s truss. Then Jones and Curbeam truss. Curbeam relocated himself to the about 3:30 p.m. CST the next day from my viewpoint, a fantastic landing. It began a space walk that continued end of the lab and provided clearance where they were greeted by a crowd of was for me a privilege to get to work with throughout the day, in tandem with Ivins’ cues to Ivins as she berthed PMA 2 to the well-wishers. a pro on my first flight.” robotic work. Jones provided Ivins visual end of the lab. Curbeam attached a vent “We had a wonderful flight,” Cockrell Polansky thanked all those who cues as she moved the adapter to its tem- to the lab’s pressure control system. told those in attendance. “I know it’s worked so hard to make the mission a porary position, and Curbeam removed Curbeam and Jones then moved pleased a lot of people, but it wasn’t all success. “The last two weeks have been a heater power connections from Atlantis to rapidly through a variety of tasks, includ- our doing. We did our part, I guess, but dream come true. It was just something the lab before unberth. ing attaching a vent to part of the lab’s air we’re here to say a really huge ‘thank that I’ve wanted to do my entire life and I Ivins then latched the robotic arm onto system and putting wires, handrails and you’ to all of you that put this flight just can’t believe that I finally got to do the Destiny lab and began lifting it from sockets on the exterior of Destiny as aids together and got us ready for it. it. As great an honor and a privilege as Atlantis’ payload bay. High above the for future space walkers. Ahead of “The reason a flight goes well is that was, I’m not naïve enough to think bay, Ivins deftly flipped the 16-ton lab schedule for the second space walk of the because things come together and things that flying in space is about me or about 180 degrees, moving it into position to mission, they connected several computer don’t go wrong, and very few things went and electrical cables between the docking wrong on this flight, which enabled the port and the lab and unveiled the lab’s big picture to come together so smoothly. large, high-quality window and attached It’s a testament to the hard work that’s an exterior shutter. gone into the Space Station Program, the Jones and Curbeam completed the third Space Shuttle Program–getting Atlantis space walk of the mission on Feb. 14. ready to carry the precious cargo up Space-walking tasks included going to to the station–to the people that are the top of the P6 Truss to inspect latches running station and running space shuttle on the solar array and testing the ability of operations here on the ground at MOD space walkers to carry an immobile [Mission Operations Directorate] and the crewmember back to the shuttle airlock. Ivins reflected on the successful work STS98-E-5189 performed on orbit, calling it a “miracle.” Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, “I just got to say that was a miracle,” STS-98 mission specialist, holds onto said Ivins, who also served as the flight handrail on Pressurized Mating engineer on STS-98. “We are asking for Adapter 3 during the second of three scheduled space walks on 5A. Please see Atlantis crew delivers Page 2 NASA names Estess acting JSC director ffective Feb. 23, Roy Estess, director of NASA’s Stennis Space Center NASA in a variety of increasingly senior positions. He was named JSC in Mississippi, was detailed to JSC as the acting center director. NASA director in 1996. As the focus of his new duties, Abbey will conduct, on a E Administrator Daniel S. Goldin appointed former JSC Director full-time basis, an assessment of the current International Space Station George W. S. Abbey as his senior assistant for international issues. partner contributions, providing the administrator with a report analyzing Estess has served as director of Stennis Space Center since 1989, and was its past and potential future contributions that will help increase the overall deputy director from 1980 to 1989. A native Mississippian and a graduate of effectiveness of the International Space Station Program. Mississippi State University, he began his career there in 1966 as a test engineer. Look for a tribute to former Center Director George W. S. Abbey Roy Estess Abbey’s appointment came after a highly decorated 40-year career with in the next issue. I Columbia returns New JSC archive Volunteers in time for its will provide expand their 20th birthday. easy access. horizons. Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 2 March 9, 2001 SPACE CENTER Roundup Improved Columbia returns to service by James Hartsfield of pounds. To save weight, almost 1,000 wiring will be used for testing to verify and begun in only a few months. Key to pounds of unused wire–leftover from that predictions of the characteristics of the success of the quick work on wiring n the eve of the 20th anniversary of equipment and sensors that were used on aging on shuttle wiring are accurate. enhancements was Doug White, director its maiden voyage, Columbia is Columbia for only the first few space “The wiring work, the inspection and of operational requirements in the Oreturning to service fresh from a year shuttle test flights–were removed. the removal of wiring was probably the United Space Alliance’s Orbiter and a half of maintenance and upgrades Due to multiple instances most significant thing done at Palmdale in Elements Office. that have made it better than ever. of wiring damage that were found in the terms of time and manpower required,” “The team did a great job quickly “As its 20th birthday approaches, shuttle fleet in 1999, comprehensive explained John Mulholland, deputy man- identifying and laying out what needed to Columbia is fit to fly for many more inspections of 95 percent of Columbia’s ager for operations in the Space Shuttle be done and getting it in work,” White said. years,” Space Shuttle Program Manager more than 200 miles of wire were Vehicle Engineering Office. “It may “The effort really stretched coast-to-coast. Ron Dittemore said. “It is safer and more performed at Palmdale. To prevent such also be one of the most significant People were involved from Houston, capable than it has ever been, a result of the damage from recurring, safety enhancements we have made.” Florida, Boeing in Huntington Beach, thorough maintenance and continuous technicians smoothed Normally, shuttle modifications are California, and Boeing in Palmdale.” improvements that have been incorporated rough edges throughout the planned out as much as a year in advance, Such inspections and protective regularly into the shuttle fleet.” shuttle and encased wiring in Mulholland added, but the wiring measures will be a regular feature of all More than 100 modifications and high-traffic work areas in work on Columbia was planned future shuttle maintenance periods.