Back to the Space Station News Index
|
|
Back to the Space Station News Index |
|
STS-92
(Z-1 Truss) & ISS NewsSTS-92's mission was to add the Z-1 Truss to the Unity node (Node-1) on the US side of the ISS. The Z1 Truss was originally conceived as the carrier of some of the core power, communications and attitude control elements of the station. It also serves as the bas on which the P6 Truss and first solar arrays and thermal rediators will be attached temporarilly while the main truss segments are assembled.
The second main objective was the addition of the PMA-3 shuttle docking adapter on the Unity node. The addition of PMA-3 will allow for the shuttle carrying the US Lab to dock at PMA-3 and add the lab to the position where the original shuttle docking adapter was placed on Unity. Both these components are critical to the next assembly flights being able to succeed.
In order to complete the assembly tasks, shuttle astronauts were required to make 4 spacewalks to complete the integration of the Z1 and PMA-3 to Node-1 (Unity). Cables had to be connected between the elements, antennas deployed and structures moved to allow for assembly to be completed.
Early in the flight it was found that the Ku-band antenna had failed limiting TV coverage of the mission to some S-band downlinks when over the USA, and slow scan frames the rest of the time.
The assembly tasks were also slightly complicated when an electrical problem disabled the space vision system used to precisely determine the position of the modules in relation to the station while docking them together. Work arounds were decided upon and the dockings when ahead without major problems.
Astronauts also entered the ISS and transfered some items to the station which would be used by its first permanent crews. The shuttle undocked and after a 2 day delay due to high winds at the Kennedy Space Center landing site and rain at Edwards AFB, landed on Oct. 24 at Edwards.
Russian space agency officals met to discuss the future of the Mir space station, and announced that two Progress docked on the fore and aft docking ports would be used to lower the Mir orbit to 80 kilometres where it should reenter the atmosphere (typically over the vast Pacific ocean) where most of it would burn up. While commercial ventures had tried to support the station monetarilly, these have failed, and with the ISS first crew preparing for launch on Nov. 1 (delayed 1 day from previous plans) Russian government support has shifted to the ISS.
|
|
|
|
|
How the Z1 Truss and PMA-3 were attached to the ISS |
The crew rings the station bell when boarding, in nautical tradition |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Z1 Truss configured for launch, held by a lifting fixture |
Z1 being lifted out of the Shuttle cargo bay by the RMS arm |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Berthing Mechanism opened and ready for docking of the Z1 |
Z1 about to be docked while astronauts visually guide its position from inside the Unity Node |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crew prepares on the shuttle middeck for one of 4 EVA's |
Z1 Truss and deployed Ku band antenna |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Crew working in the FGB module |
Crew working in the Unity node |
Images from NASA
| All material unless otherwise indicated is Copyright © 2000 International Space Station Guide all rights reserved. Please write for permission to use material. Additional material Copyright © as shown or supplied by NASA. |
email:issguide@attbi.com |
||||
