Thursday, March 1, 2001
Wednesday, February 28, 2001
STS-78 (Columbia)
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 | ||
DM-F3
2000-048A
The Delta Mission Flight 3 payload is a mass model (instrumented payload simulator) of the Orion 3 HS-601 satellite. Launch Aug 2000. DM-F3 is a 2.04 dia 1.72m high 4348 kg cylinder. It is not designed to operate after separation from the second stage.
DM-F3 will be used by the USAF as a passive calibration satellite for study of payload dynamics and thermal state in orbit. The outer surface is painted with black and white stripes and reflective surface were added to provide laser targets.
In the event the orbit reached was significantly low compared to that planned.
| DM-F3 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Aug 23 | 1105:00 | Launch by Delta 8930 | CC LC17B |
| T+1:17 SRM 1-6 out | |||
| T+1:19 SRM 7-9 on | |||
| T+1:20 SRM 1-6 sep | |||
| T+2:35 SRM 7-9 out | |||
| T+2:37 SRM 7-9 sep | |||
| T+3:45 Fairing sep | |||
| T+4:19 MECO | |||
| T+4:27 St 1 sep | -4900 x 158 x 29.5 | ||
| T+4:41 SES-1 | |||
| 1118 | T+13:40 SECO-1 | 157 x 1363 x 29.50 (ILAM) | |
| 1126 | T+21:55 SES-2 | ||
| 1129 | T+24:38 SECO-2 | 183 x 25778 x 27.52 (ILAM) | |
| 1141 | T+36:18 Stage 2 sep | 186 x 25770 x 27.5 (ILAM) | |
| 1145s | T+40:33 CCAM | ||
| 1154s | T+51:12 depletion | 188 x 25768 x 27.6 (ILAM) | |
| (B) | 353.79 163 x 20219 x 27.9 | ||
| (A) | 345.95 51 x 19841 x 28.1 | ||
Monday, February 26, 2001
Skynet 1A
1969-101A
The Skynet 1 program was also called IDCSP/Augmentation and was considered to be related to the USAF's DSCS program. Skynet was sponsored by the UK Ministry of Defence in association with the Ministry of Technology. The satellite was built by Philco. SAMSO helped manage the program. USAF checked out the satellite on orbit and then transferred control to the RAF at Oakhangar.
| Skynet 1A | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 Nov 22 | 0037:00 | Launch by Delta M | CK LC17A |
| T+0:39 SRM 1-3 out | |||
| T+1:10 SRM 1-3 sep | |||
| 0040 | T+3:38 MECO | ||
| 0040 | T+3:43 St 1 sep | ||
| 0040 | T+3:43 SES-1 6:17 | ||
| 0040 | T+3:50 Fairing | ||
| 0047:00 | T+10:01 SECO-1 367 km 7.1667 km/s (rel?) | -1200? x 366 | |
| 0059:54 | T+22:52 St 2 sep | ||
| 0100:07 | T+23:06 TES 41.6s 339 km | ||
| 0100:51 | T+23:51 TECO 314 km 10.154 km/s | ||
| 0102:32 | T+25:32 St 3 sep | 217 x 36629 x 27.2 | |
| 655.3 258 x 37088 x 27.6 (MOR Post) | |||
| 1969 Nov 22 | 0530? | Apo 1 100E | |
| 1630? | Apo 2 65W | ||
| 1969 Nov 23 | 0330? | Apo 3 130E | |
| 1430? | Apo 4 35W | ||
| 1969 Nov 24 | 0130? | Apo 5 160E | |
| 1969 Nov 24 | 0139 | Star 17A (TE-M-521) AKM burn | |
| 1969 Nov | 1407.8 34702 x 35838 x 2.4 | ||
| 1969 Nov 25 | (From Post MOR) | 1431.01 34695 x 35754 x 2.44 | |
| 1969 Nov 25 | 1431.01 34695 x 36680 x 2.44 (TR-1022, MORP) 1.32E/d | ||
| 1969 Nov 26 | TCM to 7.5E/d | ||
| 1969 Nov | 1436.0 35799 x 35788 x 2.2 | ||
| 1969 Dec | GEO 49E | ||
| 1970 Jan 7 | Move into final orbit | GEO 39E | |
| 1970 Jan 14 | 44E | ||
| 1970 Jan 19 | 1436.46 35791 x 35796 x 2.3 GEO 41.0E | ||
| 1970 Jan 30 | Turned over to UK from SAMSO | ||
| 1970 Jun 15 | At 50E, reverse drift to W | ||
| 1970 Aug 22 | At 45E, begin E drift | ||
| 1970 Nov | At 50E, reverse drift | ||
| 1971 Jan | At 45E, begin E drift | ||
| 1971 May | At 50E, reverse drift | ||
| 1971 Jun | At 47E, begin E drift | ||
| 1972 Mar | End of regular operations | ||
| 1975 Dec 30 | GEO 55E (Morgan) | ||
| 1977 Jun 24 | 1436.09 35697 x 35876 x 4.0 GEO 107.2W | ||
| 1980 Apr 5 | 1436.0 35897 x 35681 x 5.7 GEO 106.5W | ||
| 1980 Sep | 1434.5 36827 x 34689 x 7.1 GEO 109W dr | ||
| 1989 Dec 27 | 1436.08 35699 x 35873 x 11.7 GEO 107.3W | ||
| 1990 Aug 31 | 1436.03 35686 x 35884 x 12.1 GEO 104.5W | ||
| 1992 Sep 9 | 1436.05 35681 x 35890 x 13.2 GEO 106.9W | ||
| 1994 Aug 26 | 1436.12 35680 x 35894 x 14.1 GEO 107.0W | ||
| 1996 Jul 25 | 1436.12 35686 x 35887 x 14.6 GEO 104.2W+0.01E | ||
| 1998 Jul 29 | 1436.08 35696 x 35876 x 14.7 GEO 103.4W | ||
Sunday, February 25, 2001
Kakehashi
1998-011A
The Communications and Broadcasting Engineering Test Satellite is a NASDA experimental satellite using a modified Toshiba ETS 6 bus; system integrator for COMETS was NEC. COMETS will act as a data relay satellite for ADEOS, OICETS and ETS-7, as well as test mobile communications technology. It will use Ka-band transmissions to support HDTV and digital broadcasting experiments and both Ka-band and mm-wave mobile communications.
COMETS was developed by NASDA and CRL/Tokyo. Launch drawings indicate the 4S fairing was used.
Launch was on 1998 Feb 21, but the orbit achieved was lower than planned. Initial planned transfer orbit was 250 x 35552 km x 28.5 deg, but NORAD tracked it in 247 x 1883 km x 30.0 deg. The second burn of the second stage cut off after only 44 seconds of the planned 3 min 12 sec burn when exhaust gases broke through the top of the engine nozzle due to a manufacturing flaw. Post-launch name was Kakehashi (`bridge' or `intermediary'). COMETS was tracked as object 25176 until Mar 23, then became object 25175.
COMETS had a Unified Propulsion Subsystem (UPS) with a 1700N apogee engine derived from LAPS. Unlike LAPS, UPS was an integral part of the COMETS satellite and included the RCS system which was separate on the earlier mission. After the failed launch, the UPS was used to raise the orbit of COMETS to 472 x 17715 km.
The IES engine was tested in early 1999 for a total of 14 hours.
| COMETS | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Feb 21 | 0755 | Launch by H-II-5/LAPS | TNSC Y |
| T+1:37 SRB sep | |||
| 0759 | Fairing sep T+4:00 | ||
| 0801 | Stage 1 sep T+5:54 | ||
| 0801 | Stage 2 burn 1, 304s | ||
| 0806 | SECO-1 802s coast | ||
| 0818 | T+23:26 Stage 2 burn 2 | ||
| 0819 | cutoff at 44s | 106.51 247 x 1883 x 30.0 | |
| 0822s | COMETS sep | ||
| 1998 Mar 8 | 1745 | 106.45 248 x 1876 x 30.0 | |
| 1998 Mar 20 | 2210? | LAPS-1 | 397 x 2493 x 30.0 |
| 1998 May 6 | LAPS burn | ||
| 1998 May 8 | 132.32 435 x 4011 x 30.0 | ||
| 1998 May 26 | 201.25 463 x 9533 x 30.0 | ||
| 1998 Jun 1 | 319.20 472 x 17715 x 30.0 | ||
| 1999 Feb 26 | Ion engine test | ||
| 1999 Mar 8 | end of IES tests | ||
| 1999 Aug 6 | 318.91 479 x 17688 x 30.1 | ||