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STS-70
STS-70 was the 21st flight of the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'', and the last of 7 shuttle missions to carry a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS). This was the first shuttle mission controlled from the new mission control center room at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. STS-70 was also the first flight of the new Block 1 orbiter main engine, designed to improve both engine performance and safety. The mission was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 13 July 1995, only six days after the landing of sister ship ''Atlantis'', marking the fastest turnaround between flights in the history of the program. Crew Preparations and Launch STS-70 had originally moved ahead of STS-71 because of a delay in the launch of the Russian Spektr laboratory module to the Russian space station Mir. However, on 31 May 1995 shuttle managers assessed damage to the External Tank of STS-70 caused by nesting flicker woodpeckers. The damage consisted of about 71 holes (ranging in size f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mary Ellen Weber
Mary Ellen Weber (born August 24, 1962) is an American executive, scientist, aviator, and a former NASA astronaut. Education Weber was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Bedford Heights, Ohio. She graduated from Bedford High School in 1980; received a B.S. in 1984 in chemical engineering (with honors) from Purdue University, where she was a member of Phi Mu sorority; received a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1988; and received an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University in 2002. Pre-NASA career As an undergrad, Weber was a chemical engineering intern at Ohio Edison, Delco Electronics, and 3M. In her doctoral research at Berkeley, she explored the physics of chemical reactions involving silicon. At Texas Instruments she researched new processes and revolutionary equipment for making computer chips, with SEMATECH and Applied Materials. She holds one patent and published nine papers in scientific journals. NASA career Weber w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TDRS-G
TDRS-7, known before launch as TDRS-G, is an American communications satellite, of first generation, which is operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was constructed by TRW as a replacement for TDRS-B, which had been lost in the ''Challenger'' accident, and was the last first generation TDRS satellite to be launched. History TDRS-7 is based on a custom satellite bus which was used for all seven first generation TDRS satellites. Whilst similar to its predecessors, it differed from them slightly in that twelve G/H band (C band (IEEE)) transponders which had been included on the previous satellites were omitted. It was the last communications satellite, other than amateur radio spacecraft, to be deployed by a Space Shuttle. Launch The TDRS-G satellite was deployed from during the STS-70 mission in 1995. ''Discovery'' was launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B at 13:41:55 UTC on 13 July 1995. TDRS-G was deployed from ''Disc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TDRS-7
TDRS-7, known before launch as TDRS-G, is an American communications satellite, of first generation, which is operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was constructed by TRW as a replacement for TDRS-B, which had been lost in the ''Challenger'' accident, and was the last first generation TDRS satellite to be launched. History TDRS-7 is based on a custom satellite bus which was used for all seven first generation TDRS satellites. Whilst similar to its predecessors, it differed from them slightly in that twelve G/H band (C band (IEEE)) transponders which had been included on the previous satellites were omitted. It was the last communications satellite, other than amateur radio spacecraft, to be deployed by a Space Shuttle. Launch The TDRS-G satellite was deployed from during the STS-70 mission in 1995. ''Discovery'' was launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B at 13:41:55 UTC on 13 July 1995. TDRS-G was deployed from ''Disco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inertial Upper Stage
The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), originally designated the Interim Upper Stage, was a two-stage, solid-fueled space launch system developed by Boeing for the United States Air Force beginning in 1976 for raising payloads from low Earth orbit to higher orbits or interplanetary trajectories following launch aboard a Titan 34D or Titan IV rocket as its upper stage, or from the payload bay of the Space Shuttle as a space tug. Development During the development of the Space Shuttle, NASA, with support from the Air Force, wanted an upper stage that could be used on the Shuttle to deliver payloads from low earth orbit to higher energy orbits such as GTO or GEO or to escape velocity for planetary probes. The candidates were the Centaur, propelled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, the Transtage, propelled by hypergolic storable propellants Aerozine-50 and , and the Interim Upper Stage, using solid propellant. The DOD reported that Transtage could support all defense needs, but could ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
STS-69
STS-69 was a Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' mission, and the second flight of the Wake Shield Facility (WSF). The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 7 September 1995. It was the 100th successful crewed NASA spaceflight, not including X-15 flights. Crew Spacewalks *'' Voss and Gernhardt '' – EVA 1 *EVA 1 Start: 16 September 1995 – 08:20 UTC *EVA 1 End: 16 September 1995 – 15:06 UTC *Duration: 6 hours, 46 minutes Mission highlights The 11-day mission was the second flight of the Wake Shield Facility (WSF), a saucer-shaped satellite that was to fly free of the Shuttle for several days. The purpose of the WSF was to grow thin films in a near perfect vacuum created by the wake of the satellite as it moved through space. The crew also deployed and retrieved the Spartan 201 astronomy satellite, performed a six-hour spacewalk to test assembly techniques for the international Space Station and tested thermal improvements made to spacesuits used during space wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
STS-71
STS-71 was the third mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program and the first Space Shuttle docking to Russian space station ''Mir''. It started on June 27, 1995, with the launch of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' from launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle delivered a relief crew of two cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyev and Nikolai Budarin to the station and recovered Increment astronaut Norman Thagard. ''Atlantis'' returned to Earth on July 7 with a crew of eight. It was the first of seven straight missions to ''Mir'' flown by ''Atlantis'', and the second Shuttle mission to land with an eight-person crew after STS-61-A in 1985. For the five days the Shuttle was docked to ''Mir'' they were the largest spacecraft in orbit at the time. STS-71 marked the first docking of a Space Shuttle to a space station, the first time a Shuttle crew switched members with the crew of a station, and the 100th crewed space launch by the United States. The mission carried Spa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of the orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully operational orbiters to be built. Its first mission, STS-41-D, flew from August 30 to September 5, 1984. Over 27 years of service it launched and landed 39 times, aggregating more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. The Space Shuttle launch vehicle has three main components: the Space Shuttle orbiter, a single-use central fuel tank, and two reusable solid rocket boosters. Nearly 25,000 heat-resistant tiles cover the orbiter to protect it from high temperatures on re-entry. ''Discovery'' became the third operational orbiter to enter service, preceded by '' Columbia'' and '' Challenger''. It embarked on its final mission, STS-133, on February 24, 2011, and touched down for the last time at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, having spent a cumulative total of nearly a full year in space. ''Discovery'' performed both ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TDRS-B
TDRS-B was an American communications satellite, of first generation, which was to have formed part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was destroyed in 1986 when the disintegrated 73 seconds after launch. Launch TDRS-B was launched in the payload bay of ''Challenger'', attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS). It was to have been deployed from the Shuttle in low Earth orbit. The IUS would have then performed two burns to raise the satellite into a geosynchronous orbit. On the previous TDRS launch, TDRS-1, the IUS second-stage motor malfunctioned following the first-stage burn, resulting in a loss of control, and delivery of the satellite into an incorrect orbit. Launch failed TDRS-B was originally scheduled for launch on STS-12 in March 1984; however, it was delayed and the flight cancelled following the IUS failure on TDRS-1. It was later re-manifested on STS-51-E; however, this too was cancelled due to concerns over the reliability of the IUS. It was ev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Solid Rocket
A solid-propellant rocket or solid rocket is a rocket with a rocket engine that uses solid propellants Rocket propellant is the reaction mass of a rocket. This reaction mass is ejected at the highest achievable velocity from a rocket engine to produce thrust. The energy required can either come from the propellants themselves, as with a chemical ... (fuel/oxidizer). The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used in warfare by the Mamluk Sultanate, Arabs, Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese, Ilkhanate, Persians, Mongol Empire, Mongols, and Delhi Sultanate, Indians as early as the 13th century. All rockets used some form of solid or powdered propellant up until the 20th century, when liquid-propellant rockets offered more efficient and controllable alternatives. Solid rockets are still used today in military armaments worldwide, model rockets, solid rocket boosters and on larger applications for their simplicity and reliability. Since sol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TDRS-1
TDRS-1, known before launch as TDRS-A, was an American communications satellite, operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was constructed by TRW and launched by on its maiden flight, STS-6. History While on the pad, problems were detected with ''Challenger'' main engines and repairs were begun. During this time, a severe storm caused contamination of TDRS-1 while it was in the Payload Change-out Room on the Rotating Service Structure at the launch pad. Consequently, the satellite had to be taken back to its checkout facility, where it was cleaned and rechecked. ''Challenger'' finally lifted off from Launch Complex 39A of the Kennedy Space Center at 18:30:00 UTC on 4 April 1983. Operations Following deployment from ''Challenger'', TDRS-1 was to be raised to its operational geosynchronous orbit by means of an Inertial Upper Stage, which consisted of two solid rocket motors, the first used to raise the orbit's apogee, the second its perigee. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
STS-6
STS-6 was the sixth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the maiden flight of the . Launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 4, 1983, the mission deployed the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-1, into orbit, before landing at Edwards Air Force Base on April 9, 1983. STS-6 was the first Space Shuttle mission during which a Extravehicular activity, spacewalk was conducted, and hence was the first in which the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) was used. Crew STS-6 was the last shuttle mission with a four-person crew until STS-135, the final shuttle mission, which launched on July 8, 2011. Commander Paul Weitz had previously served as Pilot on the Skylab 2 , first Skylab crewed mission (Skylab-2), where he lived and worked in Skylab for nearly a month from May to June 1973. After Skylab, Weitz became the Chief of the Astronaut Office, Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office under Chief Astronaut John Young (astronaut), John Young. Bobko originally became an astronaut for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
