Friday, November 28, 1997

STS-44 (Atlantis)

 1991-080A


Atlantis deployed the DSP satellite and carried out military experiments. The Terra Scout payload specialist used SPADVOS to study 27 ground targets and carried out the M88-1 experiments to study 16 other ground sites.

The payload bay contained a Protective Cover Removal System (PCRS) which seems to have been related to the DSP payload; presumably some sensor covers on DSP were designed to open before deployment, and perhaps a contingency spacewalk would have been made to remove the covers using tools stored in the PCRS - but this is just speculation.

The mission was cut by 3 days when an IMU malfunctioned on Nov 30 and a Minimum Duration Flight (MDF) was declared.

Atlantis rolled down the runway, with wheels stop at 2236:27 after a no-braking rollout test.


STS-44 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1991 Oct 18   Tow to VAB 
1991 Oct 24   Rollout  LC39A 
1991 Nov 24  2344:00  Launch from LC39A 
 2346:07  SRB sep 
 2352:30  MECO  88.78 70 x 358 x 28.5 (OMS dV) 
 2352:48  ET sep 
1991 Nov 25  0024:48  OMS-2 (3:04) 87m/s 
 0027:52  OMS-2 CO   
 0118  PLBD open  91.81 358 x 367 x 28.5 
 0602  DSP/IUS deployed 
 0617:46  OMS-3 sep 16s 10m/s 92.14 362 x 396 x 28.5 
1991 Nov 26  0600? ARCS-1 orbit lower 75s 
 0653   91.84 361 x 367 x 28.5 
1991 Nov 28  2210  RCS 7s mv avoid r/b K851 91.83 360 x 367 x 28.5 
1991 Nov 30  1514  IMU-2 failed 
 1625MDF (Min Duration Flight) declared 
1991 Dec 1  1845  PLBD closed  91.84 361 x 368 x 28.5 
 2128:16  OMS DO (3:03) 108m/s 
 2131:19  OMS DO CO 
 2203:23  Entry interface 128 km 
 2234:42  Landing RW05 EAFB 
 2234:51  NGTD 
 2236:27  Wheels stop 
1991 Dec 7  1430SCA takeoff  EAFB 
 1815SCA landing  Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX 
1991 Dec 8  1200SCA takeoff 
 1535SCA landing  KSC SLF 
 1900Tow to OPF  OPF/2 

No comments:

Post a Comment

These Are Not My Beautiful Stories

  Summary: The chapters within are outlines for both future stories I’ve got planned (in the case that I never get around to writing them) a...