Saturday, November 29, 1997
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 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 1625 | MDF (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 | 1430 | SCA takeoff | EAFB |
| 1815 | SCA landing | Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX | |
| 1991 Dec 8 | 1200 | SCA takeoff | |
| 1535 | SCA landing | KSC SLF | |
| 1900 | Tow to OPF | OPF/2 | |
Wednesday, November 26, 1997
OAO 3
1972-065A
OAO C carried the Princeton Experiment Package, an 0.8m telescope for ultraviolet spectroscopy of bright stars. Launch was at 1028 on 1972 Aug 21 by Atlas Centaur from Cape Kennedy. The Centaur AC-22 stage ignited for a single 7.5 minute burn at 1032. At 1040 OAO 3 was inserted into a 99.5 min, 736 x 744 km x 35.0 deg orbit. Centaur AC-22 vented its excess propellant at 1045 to make sure the stage would not share OAO 3's orbit. The sun baffle cover was jettisoned on rev 6. After an 8 day test period, Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 3 was declared operational on Aug 29. The satellite was renamed Copernicus in honor of the 500th anniversary of the famous astronomer Nikolai Kopernik (1473-1543). Copernicus carried out astronomical observations until 1980 Dec 30; after a series of engineering tests, it was switched off on 1981 Feb 15.
| OAO 3 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 Aug 21 | 1028:02 | Launch by Atlas Centaur | CKAFS LC36B |
| T+2:34 BECO | |||
| T+2:37? Booster sep | |||
| T+3:16 Insulation panels sep | |||
| T+3:47 SECO | |||
| T+3:50 Atlas sep | -5950? x 300? x 35.0 | ||
| 1032 | T+4:00 Centaur MES | ||
| T+4:12 Fairing sep | |||
| 1039:26 | T+11:24 Centaur MECO | 99.5 736 x 744 x 35.0 | |
| T+11:34 Solar paddles deployed | |||
| T+11:50 Balance booms extended | |||
| 1040:16 | T+12:14 Centaur sep | ||
| T+25min Centaur blowdown | |||
| 1920 | Rev 6 near VAFB | ||
| 1928 | Sun baffle sep, rev 6 | ||
| 1972 Aug 29 | Operational | ||
| 1980 Dec 30 | End of ops | ||
| 1981 Feb 15 | Decommissioned | ||
Okean 1
1988-056A
The fifth NKhM spacecraft, Okean-O1 No. 3 (NKhM No. 5) was the first to be given the official post-launch name `Okean'.
| Okean-O1 No. 3 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 Jul 5 | 0945:00 | Launch by Tsiklon-3 | PL LC32/1 |
| T+2:00 St 1 sep | |||
| T+3:33 GO sep | |||
| T+4:38 St 2 sep | |||
| T+5:20 S5M burn 1 | |||
| 0951 | T+6:48 S5M MECO1 | ||
| T+39:20 BOZ burn | |||
| 1025 | T+40:58 S5M burn 2 | ||
| 1026 | T+41:08 S5M MECO2 | ||
| T+41:38 S5M sep | |||
| 97.74 635 x 680 x 82.5 | |||
| 1995 Jun 14 | end of ops | ||