1996-036A
The STS-78 mission carried the LMS (Life and Microgravity Sciences) Spacelab and the EDO Extended Duration Orbiter kit. Commander Tom Henricks led a crew including pilot Kevin Kregel, payload commander Susan Helms, vet Richard Linnehan, doctor Charles Brady, CNES astronaut Jean-Jacques Favier and Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk. For the first time, a camera in the cabin recorded the ascent. A minor hardware problem surfaced in the backup flight system, but the launch appeared otherwise uneventful. However, the ET ran out of hydrogen instants before SSME shutdown - the engines completed the burn using the last fuel in the propellant lines, narrowly avoiding a possible catastrophic event in the SSMEs (https://waynehale.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/understanding-sts-93-the-key-is-mixture-ratio/)
Also, after the SRB's were recovered and examined, it turned out that hot gas had slipped through the J-flange of the field joints. While it was stopped by the O-rings, this was the first time this had happened and caused some concern.
STS-78 was the first carried out under the auspices of the United Space Alliance as prime processing and launch contractor, replacing Lockheed Martin. USA was a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Rockwell.
Problems with the Flash Evaporator System meant that the payload bay door radiators were deployed to lower the heat load on the system. The Bubble, Drop and Particle Unit malfunctioned but was repaired on Jun 28. Halfway through the flight, approval was given for a record flight day 17. On Jul 6, the astronauts tested a method for raising the orbital altitude using only the vernier jets. The technique was being developed to allow gentle reboost of the Hubble Space Telescope without the need to retract its solar arrays. Columbia returned to KSC on Jul 7 after a record breaking mission.
| STS-78 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 May 21 | Transfer from OPF to VAB | ||
| 1996 May 22 | ET mate | ||
| 1996 May 30 | Roll to LC39B | ||
| 1996 Jun 20 | 1449:00 | Launch by STS | KSC LC39B/MLP-3 |
| 1451:03 | SRB sep | ||
| 1457:30 | MECO | ||
| 1457:49 | ET-79 sep | 88 x 282 x 39.0 (OMS dV) | |
| 1530:28 | OMS-2, 1:57 56.4 m/s | ||
| 1532:26 | OMS-2 CO | ||
| 1609 | PLBD open | ||
| 1655 | Go for orbit ops | ||
| 1915 | RCS orbit adjust 52s 4m/s | ||
| 2200 | 90.12 278 x 282 x 39.02 | ||
| 1996 Jun 21 | 0600 | 89.97 267 x 278 x 39.02 | |
| 1996 Jun 22 | 1813 | Port radiator deployed | |
| 1996 Jun 24 | 0600 | 89.92 265 x 275 x 39.02 | |
| 1996 Jun 26 | 0600 | 89.91 265 x 274 x 39.02 | |
| 1996 Jun 27 | 0600 | 89.89 264 x 273 x 39.02 | |
| 1996 Jun 28 | 0600 | 89.87 263 x 272 x 39.02 | |
| 1996 Jul 1 | 0600 | 89.81 260 x 269 x 39.01 | |
| 1996 Jul 3 | 0600 | 89.77 259 x 267 x 39.01 | |
| 1704 | Starboard radiator deployed | ||
| 1996 Jul 5 | 0630 | 89.76 258 x 265 x 39.01 | |
| 1996 Jul 6 | 0300 | 89.74 257 x 264 x 39.0 | |
| 1011 | RCS vernier orbit adjust, 5 min | 89.58 246 x 261 x 39.0 | |
| 1996 Jul 7 | 0850 | PLBD closed | 89.58 246 x 260 x 39.0 |
| 0900:26 | PLBD latched | ||
| 1136:36 | OMS DO 2:42 82.6 m/s | -30 x 260 x 39.0 | |
| 1139:18 | OMS DO CO | ||
| 1204:37 | Entry interface | ||
| 1236:36 | Landed at KSC RW33 (16:21:47:36) | ||
| 1236:48 | NGTD | ||
| 1237:31 | WS | ||
| 1630 | Towed to OPF/1 | ||
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