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By NASA
Successfully deployed from the space shuttle Challenger during the February 1984 STS-41B mission, the Westar 6 and Palapa B2 communications satellites ended up in incorrect orbits due to failures of their upper stage rockets. During STS-51A in November 1984, Discovery’s second trip into space, the crew of Commander Frederick H. “Rick” Hauck, Pilot David M. Walker, and Mission Specialists Joseph P. Allen, Anna L. Fisher, and Dale A. Gardner worked as a team to not only deploy two new satellites but also to retrieve the two wayward but otherwise healthy satellites for return to Earth. Hauck and Walker piloted Discovery to rendezvous with each satellite in turn, Allen and Gardner retrieved them during two spacewalks, and Fisher grappled and placed them in the payload bay for return to Earth. After refurbishment, both satellites returned to space.
Left: The STS-51A crew of Dale A. Gardner, left, David M. Walker, Anna L. Fisher, Frederick “Rick” H. Hauck, and Joseph P. Allen. Right: The STS-51A crew patch.
NASA originally designated Hauck, Walker, Allen, Fisher, and Gardner as a crew in November 1983 and assigned them to STS-41H, a mission aboard Challenger planned for late September 1984 to either deploy the second Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) or fly a classified payload for the Department of Defense. Due to ongoing problems with the Inertial Upper Stage that failed to put the first TDRS satellite in its correct orbit during STS-6, NASA canceled STS-41H and shifted Hauck’s crew to STS-51A. In February 1984, an agreement between NASA and the Canadian government added an as-yet unnamed Canadian payload specialist to the STS-51A crew. Managers later named the Canadian as Marc Garneau and reassigned him to STS-41G.
A shuffling of payloads following the STS-41D launch abort resulted in STS-51A now deploying the Anik D2 satellite for Canada and Leasat 1 (also known as Syncom IV-1) for the U.S. Navy. By early August, the launch date had slipped to Nov. 2, with NASA considering the possibility of retrieving the two wayward satellites from STS-41B, officially adding that task on Aug. 13. NASA selected Allen in 1967 as one of 11 scientist-astronauts, while the rest of the crew hail from the Class of 1978. Hauck, on his second mission after serving as pilot on STS-7, has the distinction as the first from his class to command a shuttle mission. Allen and Gardner had each flown one previous mission, STS-5 and STS-8, respectively, while for Walker and Fisher STS-51A represented their first flight. Fisher has the distinction as the first mother in space.
Left: After its arrival from the Orbiter Processing Facility, workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) prepare to lift Discovery for mating with an External Tank (ET) and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). Middle: Workers lift Discovery to stack it with the ET and SRBs. Right: The completed stack prepares to leave the VAB for the rollout to Launch Pad 39A.
Discovery arrived back at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Sept. 10, returning from Edwards Air Force Base in California following the STS-41D mission. Workers towed it to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) the next day to begin the process of refurbishing it for STS-51A. On Oct. 18, they rolled it over to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), for stacking with an External Tank and twin Solid Rocket Boosters.
At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery rolls out to Launch Pad 39A, with the Saturn V rocket on display in the foreground.
The completed stack rolled out to Launch Pad 39A on Oct. 23. Two days later, the five-member STS-51A crew participated in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, essentially a dress rehearsal for the actual countdown to launch. The crew returned to KSC on Nov. 5, the day the countdown began for a planned Nov. 7 launch. High upper-level winds that day forced a one-day delay.
Left: STS-51A astronaut Dale A. Gardner trains for the capture of a satellite using the Apogee Kick Motor Capture Device. Middle: Astronaut Anna L. Fisher trains to use the Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System, or robotic arm. Right: As part of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, the STS-51A astronauts practice rapid evacuation from the launch pad.
Following deployment from Challenger during STS-41B, the upper stages of both the Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellites malfunctioned, leaving them in non-useable 160-by-600-mile-high orbits instead of the intended 22,300-mile-high geostationary orbits required for their normal operations. While both satellites remained healthy, their own thrusters could not boost them to the proper orbits. NASA devised a plan to have astronauts retrieve the satellites during spacewalks using the jetpack known as the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), after which the shuttle’s Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) or robot arm would grapple them and place them into the cargo bay for return to Earth. Astronauts had demonstrated the capability of the MMU during the STS-41C Solar Max satellite repair mission in April 1984 and NASA felt confident of its ability to capture and return Westar and Palapa.
In the weeks prior to STS-51A, ground controllers lowered the orbits of both satellites and reduced their spin rates from 50 to 1 rpm to enable capture by the shuttle astronauts. Engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston developed the Apogee Kick Motor Capture Device (ACD), otherwise known as the stinger due to its appearance, to allow an astronaut to capture the satellites while flying the MMU. Once relocated over the payload bay, a second astronaut would remove the satellite’s omnidirectional antenna with pruning shears and install an Antenna Bridge Structure (ABS) with a grapple fixture over the satellite’s main antenna dish. Allen would fly the MMU to capture Palapa, then he would switch roles with Gardner who would capture Westar. Fisher would use the RMS to grapple the satellites by this second fixture and lower them into specially built cradles to secure them into the payload bay.
Left: The STS-51A crew leaves crew quarters on their way to Launch Pad 39A. Middle: Liftoff of Discovery on the STS-51A mission. Right: View inside Discovery’s payload bay shortly after orbital insertion – the top of Anik D2 is visible, with Leasat 1 hidden behind it.
Space shuttle Discovery roared off KSC’s Launch Pad 39A on Nov. 8, 1984, to begin the STS-51A mission and mark the orbiter’s first return to space. For Gardner, launch day coincided with his 36th birthday. The launch took place just 26 days after the landing of the previous mission, STS-41G, a then record-breaking turnaround time between shuttle flights. Eight and a half minutes after liftoff, Discovery and its five-member crew reached space and shortly thereafter settled into a 182-by-172-mile-high initial orbit. As their first order of business, the crew checked out the RMS to ensure its functionality for the satellite captures later in the mission. They also performed the first rendezvous burn to begin the approach to the Palapa satellite. The crew then settled down for its first night’s sleep in orbit.
Left: Nighttime deploy of the Anik D2 satellite. Middle: Deploy of the Leasat 1 satellite. Right: Leasat 1 as it departs from Discovery.
The primary activity of the second flight day involved Allen deploying the 2,727-pound Anik D2 satellite via a spring ejection mechanism, occurring on time and with no issues. The crew also circularized the shuttle’s orbit at 186 miles. The next day, Gardner deployed the 17,000-pound Leasat 1 using the Frisbee style mechanism used to deploy the first Leasat during STS-41D two months earlier. With the satellite deployments complete, the crew began to focus on the rendezvous maneuvers to bring them close to the Palapa B2 satellite while Allen and Gardner verified the functionality of their spacesuits. On flight day 4, the astronauts reduced the pressure inside the shuttle from 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi) to 10.2 psi in order to prevent the spacewalking astronauts from developing the bends inside the spacesuits that operated at 4.3 psi.
Left: During the first spacewalk, Jospeh P. Allen captures the Palapa B2 satellite. Middle: Anna L. Fisher grasps Allen and Palapa with the Remote Manipulator System, or robotic arm. Right: Allen, left, and Dale A. Gardner prepare to place Palapa in its cradle in the payload bay.
On the fifth mission day, after Hauck and Walker piloted Discovery to within 35 feet of Palapa, Allen and Gardner exited the airlock to begin the spacewalk portion of the satellite capture. Allen donned the MMU mounted on the side wall of the cargo bay, attached the stinger to its arms, and flew out to Palapa. Once there, he inserted the stinger into the satellite’s Apogee Kick Motor bell and using the MMU’s attitude control system stopped Palapa’s spin.
Fisher then steered the RMS to capture a grapple fixture mounted on the stinger between Allen and the satellite. She then maneuvered them over the payload bay where Gardner waited to remove its omnidirectional antenna and install the bridge structure. However, Gardner could not attach the ABS to the satellite due to an unexpected clearance issue on the satellite. Using a backup plan, Allen undocked from the stinger, leaving it attached to the satellite as well as the RMS, and stowed the MMU in the payload bay. With Allen now holding the satellite by its antenna, Gardner attached an adaptor to the bottom end of the satellite to secure it in its cradle in the payload bay. This plan worked and Allen and Gardner completed the spacewalk in exactly six hours.
Left: Dale A. Gardner flies the Manned Maneuvering Unit to capture Westar 6 during the second spacewalk. Middle: Anna L. Fisher operates the Remote Manipulator System from Discovery’s aft flight deck. Right: Gardner, left, and Joseph P. Allen maneuver Westar prior to placing it in its cradle in the payload bay.
Between the two spacewalk days, the crew serviced the spacesuits, conducted routine maintenance on the shuttle, and prepared for the second rendezvous, this time to retrieve Westar. Allen and Gardner switched roles for the second spacewalk on flight day seven, with Gardner flying the MMU to capture Westar. The astronauts repeated the procedure from the first spacewalk, except for not removing the omni antenna so they could use it as a handhold. With Westar secured in the payload bay, Gardner and Allen completed the second spacewalk in 5 hours and 42 minutes.
Left: Dale A. Gardner, left, and Joseph P. Allen pose at the end of the Remote Manipulator System controlled by Anna L. Fisher, holding a For Sale sign above the two retrieved satellites secured in Discovery’s payload bay. Middle: Inflight photo of the STS-51A crew after the successful satellite retrievals. Right: View inside Discovery’s payload bay shortly before the deorbit burn, with Westar 6 in the foreground and Palapa B2 behind it.
During their final full day in space, Discovery’s crew repressurized the shuttle’s cabin to 14.7 psi and tidied the cabin in preparation for reentry. On Nov. 16, the astronauts closed the payload bay doors and fired the Orbital Maneuvering System engines to begin the descent back to Earth. Hauck guided Discovery to a smooth landing at KSC, completing a flight of 7 days, 23 hours, and 45 minutes. The crew had traveled nearly 3.3 million miles and completed 127 orbits around the Earth. The next day, workers towed Discovery to the OPF to begin preparing it for its next flight, STS-51C in January 1985.
Left: Discovery streaks over Houston on its way to land at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Middle: Discovery moments before touchdown at KSC. Right: NASA officials greet the STS-51A astronauts as they exit Discovery.
As a postscript, STS-51A marked the last flight to use the MMUs, and the last untethered spacewalks until 1994 when STS-64 astronauts tested the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER). All subsequent spacewalks on the space shuttle and the International Space Station used safety tethers, with the SAFER as a backup in case a crew member disconnects from the vehicle.
Left: In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers inspect the Westar 6, left, and Palapa B2 satellites in Discovery’s payload bay. Right: The STS-51A crew, with Lloyd’s of London representative Stephen Merritt, sitting at right, during their visit to London.
On Dec. 7, 1984, in a ceremony at the White House, President Ronald W. Reagan presented the STS-51A crew with the Lloyd’s of London – the company had insured the two satellites they returned to Earth – Silver Medal for Meritorious Salvage Operations. Fisher has the distinction as only the second woman to receive that award. In February 1985, Lloyd’s flew the crew to London on the Concorde for a week of activities, including addressing the Lloyd’s underwriters and tea with Prince Charles at Kensington Palace.
Hong Kong-based AsiaSat purchased the Westar 6 satellite, refurbished it, and relaunched it as AsiaSat 1 on April 7, 1990, on a Chinese CZ-3 rocket. Title to the Palapa B2 satellite returned to Indonesia after its relaunch as Palapa B2R on April 13, 1990, aboard a Delta rocket.
Read recollections of the STS-51A mission by Hauck, Allen, and Fisher in their oral histories with the JSC History Office. Enjoy the crew’s narration of a video about the STS-51A mission.
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NASA-Funded Study Examines Tidal Effects on Planet and Moon Interiors
NASA-supported scientists have developed a new method to compute how tides affect the interiors of planets and moons. Importantly, the new study looks at the effects of body tides on objects that don’t have a perfectly spherical interior structure, which is an assumption of most previous models.
The puzzling, fascinating surface of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa looms large in this newly-reprocessed color view, made from images taken by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s. This is the color view of Europa from Galileo that shows the largest portion of the moon’s surface at the highest resolution. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute Body tides refer to the deformations experienced by celestial bodies when they gravitationally interact with other objects. Think of how the powerful gravity of Jupiter tugs on its moon Europa. Because Europa’s orbit isn’t circular, the crushing squeeze of Jupiter’s gravity on the moon varies as it travels along its orbit. When Europa is at its closest to Jupiter, the planet’s gravity is felt the most. The energy of this deformation is what heats up Europa’s interior, allowing an ocean of liquid water to exist beneath the moon’s icy surface.
“The same is true for Saturn’s moon Enceladus.” says co-author Alexander Berne of CalTech in Pasadena and an affiliate at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Enceladus has an ice shell that is expected to be much more non-spherically symmetric than that of Europa.”
The body tides experienced by celestial bodies can affect how the worlds evolve over time and, in cases like Europa and Enceladus, their potential habitability for life as we know it. The new study provides a means to more accurately estimate how tidal forces affect planetary interiors.
In this movie Europa is seen in a cutaway view through two cycles of its 3.5 day orbit about the giant planet Jupiter. Like Earth, Europa is thought to have an iron core, a rocky mantle and a surface ocean of salty water. Unlike on Earth, however, this ocean is deep enough to cover the whole moon, and being far from the sun, the ocean surface is globally frozen over. Europa’s orbit is eccentric, which means as it travels around Jupiter, large tides, raised by Jupiter, rise and fall. Jupiter’s position relative to Europa is also seen to librate, or wobble, with the same period. This tidal kneading causes frictional heating within Europa, much in the same way a paper clip bent back and forth can get hot to the touch, as illustrated by the red glow in the interior of Europa’s rocky mantle and in the lower, warmer part of its ice shell. This tidal heating is what keeps Europa’s ocean liquid and could prove critical to the survival of simple organisms within the ocean, if they exist. The giant planet Jupiter is now shown to be rotating from west to east, though more slowly than its actual rate. NASA/JPL-Caltech The paper also discusses how the results of the study could help scientists interpret observations made by missions to a variety of different worlds, ranging from Mercury to the Moon to the outer planets of our solar system.
The study, “A Spectral Method to Compute the Tides of Laterally Heterogeneous Bodies,” was published in The Planetary Science Journal.
For more information on NASA’s Astrobiology Program, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/astrobiology
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Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA employees plant an Artemis Moon Tree at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Oct. 29 to celebrate NASA’s successful Artemis I mission as the agency prepares for a return around the Moon with astronauts on Artemis II. NASA/Danny Nowlin A tree-planting ceremony at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Oct. 29 celebrated NASA’s successful Artemis I mission as the agency prepares for a return around the Moon with astronauts on Artemis II.
“We already have a thriving Moon Tree from the Apollo years onsite,” NASA Stennis Director John Bailey said. “It is exciting to add trees for our new Artemis Generation as it continues the next great era of human space exploration.”
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement Next Gen STEM Project partnered with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service to fly five species of tree seeds aboard the Orion spacecraft during the successful uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022 as part of a national STEM Engagement and conservation education initiative.
The Artemis Moon Tree species included sweetgums, loblolly pines, sycamores, Douglas-firs, and giant sequoias. The seeds from the first Artemis mission have been nurtured by the USDA into seedlings to be a source of inspiration for the Artemis Generation.
The Moon Tree education initiative is rooted in the legacy of Apollo 14 Moon Tree seeds flown in lunar orbit over 50 years ago by the late Stuart Roosa, a NASA astronaut and Mississippi Coast resident.
NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC), located at the site, planted companion trees during the Oct. 29 ceremony. Bailey and NSSC Executive Director Anita Harrell participated in a joint planting ceremony attended by a number of employees from each entity.
The American sweetgum trees are the second and third Moon Trees at the south Mississippi site. In 2004, ASTRO CAMP participants planted a sycamore Moon Tree to honor the 35th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969.
The road to space for both Apollo 14 and Artemis I went through Mississippi. Until 1970, NASA Stennis test fired first, and second stages of the Saturn V rockets used for Apollo.
NASA Stennis now tests all the RS-25 engines powering Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. Prior to Artemis I, NASA Stennis tested the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage and its four RS-25 engines.
The Artemis Moon Trees have found new homes in over 150 communities and counting since last spring, and each of the 10 NASA centers also will plant one.
As the tree grows at NASA Stennis, so, too, does anticipation for the first crewed mission with Artemis II. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration.
The flight will test NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities – the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft – for the first time with astronauts.
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
In Punakha, Bhutan, Dr. Aparna Phalke (left) from SERVIR works with a translator to converse with a local chili farmer (center) about his experiences cultivating these fields for over 30 years– including agricultural management practices, market prices, and farming challenges Sarah Cox/SERVIR NASA and the Kingdom of Bhutan have been actively learning from each other and growing together since 2019. The seeds planted over those years have ripened into improved environmental conservation, community-based natural resource management, and new remote sensing tools.
Known for its governing philosophy of “gross national happiness,” and has a constitutional mandate to maintain at least 60% forest cover. The government’s goals include achieving nationwide food security by 2030.
Bhutan first approached the U.S. State Department to partner on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities for the country, and NASA was invited to help lead these opportunities. In 2019, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, and was introduced to several NASA programs.
NASA’s Earth scientists and research staff from several complementary programs have helped support Bhutan’s goals by providing data resources and training to make satellite data more useful to communities and decision makers. Bhutan now uses NASA satellite data in its national land management decisions and plans to foster more geospatial jobs to help address environmental issues.
Supporting Bhutan’s Environmental Decision Makers
Bhutan’s National Land Commission offers tax breaks to farmers to support food security and economic resilience. However, finding and reaching eligible farmers on the ground can be expensive and time consuming, which means small farmers in remote areas can be missed.
A team from SERVIR – a joint NASA-U.S. Agency for International Development initiative – worked with Bhutanese experts to create decision-making tools like the Farm Action Toolkit (FAcT). The tool uses imagery from the NASA-U.S. Geological Survey Landsat satellites to identify and measure the country’s farmland. SERVIR researchers met with agricultural organizations – including Bhutan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Statistics Bureau, and National Center for Organic Agriculture – to adjust the tool for the country’s unique geography and farming practices. The Land Commission now uses FAcT to identify small farms and bring support to more of the country.
NASA also develops local capacity to use Earth data through efforts like the Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET). In early 2024, ARSET staff worked with SERVIR and Druk Holdings and Investments (DHI) to host a workshop with 46 Bhutanese government personnel. Using tailored local case studies, the teams worked to find ways to better manage natural resources, assist land use planning, and monitor disasters.
“We look forward to continuing this collaboration, as there are still many areas where NASA’s expertise can significantly impact Bhutan’s development goals,” said Manish Rai, an analyst with DHI who helped coordinate the workshop. “This collaboration is a two-way street. While Bhutan has benefited greatly from NASA’s support, we believe there are also unique insights and experiences that Bhutan can share with NASA, particularly in areas like environmental conservation and community-based natural resource management.”
Dr. Aparna Phalke gives a presentation on NASA technology and the SERVIR program to a group of 100 students at the Royal University of Bhutan College of Natural Resources. Sarah Cox/SERVIR Encouraging Bhutan’s Future Environmental Leaders
By working with students and educators from primary schools to the university level, Bhutan and NASA have been investing in the country’s future environmental leadership. Supporting educators and “training trainers” have been pillars of this collaboration.
NASA and Bhutan have worked together to boost the skills of early-career Earth scientists. For example, NASA’s DEVELOP program for undergraduates worked directly with local institutions to create several applied science internships for Bhutanese students studying in the U.S.
Tenzin Wangmo, a high school biology teacher in Bhutan, participated in DEVELOP projects focusing on agriculture and water resources. According to Wangmo, the lessons learned from those projects have been helpful in connecting with her students about STEM opportunities and environmental issues. “Most people only think of NASA as going to space, rather than Earth science,” she said. “It was encouraging to my students that there are lots of opportunities for you if you try.”
NASA is also supporting Bhutan’s future environmental leadership through the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program. The GLOBE program is a U.S. interagency outreach program that works with teachers to support STEM literacy through hands-on environmental learning. Since 2020, GLOBE has worked through the U.S. State Department and organizations like the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Forest Research and Training to support educators at two dozen schools in Bhutan. The program reached more than 650 students with activities like estimating their school’s carbon footprint.
This focus on STEM education enables students and professionals to contribute to Bhutan’s specific development goals now and in the future.
Sonam Tshering, a student who completed two DEVELOP projects on Bhutanese agriculture while studying at the University of Texas at El Paso, was able to share the value of these efforts at the 2023 United Nations Climate Conference. “By applying satellite data from NASA, we aimed to create actionable insights for our local farmers and our policymakers back in Bhutan,” she said.
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Lane Figueroa
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256.544.0034
lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Nov 04, 2024 Related Terms
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By NASA
On Nov. 3, 1994, space shuttle Atlantis took to the skies on its 13th trip into space. During the 11-day mission, the STS-66 crew of Commander Donald R. McMonagle, Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Payload Commander Ellen Ochoa, and Mission Specialists Joseph R. Tanner, Scott E. Parazynski, and French astronaut Jean-François Clervoy representing the European Space Agency (ESA) operated the third Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Sciences (ATLAS-3), and deployed and retrieved the U.S.-German Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (CRISTA-SPAS), as part of NASA’s Mission to Planet Earth. The remote sensing instruments studied the Sun’s energy output, the atmosphere’s chemical composition, and how these affect global ozone levels, adding to the knowledge gained during the ATLAS-1 and ATLAS-2 missions.
Left: Official photo of the STS-68 crew of Jean-François Clervoy, left, Scott E. Parazynski, Curtis L. Brown, Joseph R. Tanner, Donald R. McMonagle, and Ellen Ochoa. Middle: The STS-66 crew patch. Right: The ATLAS-3 payload patch.
In August 1993, NASA named Ochoa as the ATLAS-3 payload commander, and in January 1994, named the rest of the STS-66 crew. For McMonagle, selected as an astronaut in 1987, ATLAS-3 marked his third trip into space, having flown on STS-39 and STS-54. Brown, also from the class of 1987, previously flew on STS 47, while Ochoa, selected in 1990, flew as a mission specialist on STS-56, the ATLAS-2 mission. For Tanner, Parazynski, and Clervoy, all from the Class of 1992 – the French space agency CNES previously selected Clervoy as one of its astronauts in 1985 before he joined the ESA astronaut cadre in 1992 – STS-66 marked their first spaceflight.
Left: Schematic illustration of ATLAS-3 and its instruments. Right: Schematic illustration of CRISTA-SPAS retrievable satellite and its instruments.
The ATLAS-3 payload consisted of six instruments on a Spacelab pallet and one mounted on the payload bay sidewall. The pallet mounted instruments included Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS), Millimeter-Wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS), Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM), Measurement of the Solar Constant (SOLCON), Solar Spectrum Measurement from 1,800 to 3,200 nanometers (SOLSCAN), and Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM).
The Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) instrument constituted the payload bay sidewall mounted experiment. While the instruments previously flew on the ATLAS-1 and ATLAS-2 missions, both those flights took place during the northern hemisphere spring. Data from the ATLAS-3’s mission in the fall complemented results from the earlier missions. The CRISTA-SPAS satellite included two instruments, the CRISTA and the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI).
Left: Space shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Middle: Liftoff of Atlantis on STS-66. Right: Atlantis rises into the sky.
Following its previous flight, STS-46 in August 1992, Atlantis spent one and a half years at the Rockwell plant in Palmdale, California, undergoing major modifications before arriving back at KSC on May 29, 1994. During the modification period, workers installed cables and wiring for a docking system for Atlantis to use during the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission in 1995 and equipment to allow it to fly Extended Duration Orbiter missions of two weeks or longer. Atlantis also underwent structural inspections and systems upgrades including improved nose wheel steering and a new reusable drag chute. Workers in KSC’s Orbiter Processing Facility installed the ATLAS-3 and CRISTA-SPAS payloads and rolled Atlantis over to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Oct. 4 for mating with its External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters. Atlantis rolled out to Launch Pad 39B six days later. The six-person STS-66 crew traveled to KSC to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, essentially a dress rehearsal for the launch countdown, on Oct. 18.
They returned to KSC on Oct. 31, the same day the final countdown began. Following a smooth countdown leading to a planned 11:56 a.m. EST liftoff on Nov. 3, 1994, Atlantis took off three minutes late, the delay resulting from high winds at one of the Transatlantic Abort sites. The liftoff marked the third shuttle launch in 55 days, missing a record set in 1985 by one day. Eight and a half minutes later, Atlantis delivered its crew and payloads to space. Thirty minutes later, a firing of the shuttle’s Orbiter Maneuvering System (OMS) engines placed them in a 190-mile orbit inclined 57 degrees to the equator. The astronauts opened the payload bay doors, deploying the shuttle’s radiators, and removed their bulky launch and entry suits, stowing them for the remainder of the flight.
Left: Atlantis’ payload bay, showing the ATLAS-3 payload and the CRISTA-SPAS deployable satellite behind it. Middle: European Space Agency astronaut Jean-François Clervoy uses the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System (RMS) to grapple the CRISTA-SPAS prior to its release. Right: Clervoy about to release CRISTA-SPAS from the RMS.
The astronauts began to convert their vehicle into a science platform, and that included breaking up into two teams to enable 24-hour-a-day operations. McMonagle, Ochoa, and Tanner made up the Red Team while Brown, Parazynski, and Clervoy made up the Blue Team. Within five hours of liftoff, the Blue Team began their sleep period while the Red Team started their first on orbit shift by activating the ATLAS-3 instruments, the CRISTA-SPAS deployable satellite, and the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) or robotic arm in the payload bay and some of the middeck experiments. The next day, Clervoy, operating the RMS, grappled CRISTA-SPAS, lifted it from its cradle in the payload bay, and while Atlantis flew over Germany, deployed it for its eight-day free flight. McMonagle fired Atlantis’ thrusters to separate from the satellite.
Left: Ellen Ochoa and Donald R. McMonagle on the shuttle’s flight deck. Middle: European Space Agency astronaut Jean-François Clervoy in the commander’s seat during the mission. Right: Scott E. Parazynski operates a protein crystallization experiment in the shuttle middeck.
Left: Joseph R. Tanner operates a protein crystallization experiment. Middle: Curtis L. Brown operates a microgravity acceleration measurement system. Right: Ellen Ochoa uses the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System to grapple CRISTA-SPAS following its eight-day free flight.
For the next eight days, the two teams of astronauts continued work with the ATLAS instruments and several middeck and payload bay experiments such as protein crystal growth, measuring the shuttle microgravity acceleration environment, evaluating heat pipe performance, and a student experiment to study the Sun that complemented the ATLAS instruments. On November 12, the mission’s 10th day, the astronauts prepared to retrieve the CRISTA-SPAS satellite. For the retrieval, McMonagle and Brown used a novel rendezvous profile unlike previous ones used in the shuttle program. Instead of making the final approach from in front of the satellite, called the V-bar approach, Atlantis approached from below in the so-called R-bar approach. This is the profile Atlantis planned to use on its next mission, the first rendezvous and docking with the Mir space station. It not only saved fuel but also prevented contamination of the station’s delicate sensors and solar arrays. Once within 40 feet of CRISTA-SPAS, Ochoa reached out with the RMS, grappled the satellite, and then berthed it back in the payload bay.
A selection from the 6,000 STS-66 crew Earth observation photographs. Left: Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Middle left: Hurricane Florence in the North Atlantic. Middle right: The Ganges River delta. Right: The Sakurajima Volcano in southern Japan.
As a Mission to Planet Earth, the STS-66 astronauts spent considerable time looking out the window, capturing 6,000 images of their home world. Their high inclination orbit enabled views of parts of the planet not seen during typical shuttle missions.
Left: The inflight STS-66 crew photo. Right: Donald R. McMonagle, left, and Curtis R. Brown prepare for Atlantis’ deorbit and reentry.
On flight day 11, with most of the onboard film exposed and consumables running low, the astronauts prepared for their return to Earth the following day. McMonagle and Brown tested Atlantis’ reaction control system thrusters and aerodynamic surfaces in preparation for deorbit and descent through the atmosphere, while the rest of the crew busied themselves with shutting down experiments and stowing away unneeded equipment.
Left: Atlantis makes a perfect touchdown at California’s Edwards Air Force Base. Middle: Atlantis deploys the first reusable space shuttle drag chute. Right: Mounted atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, Atlantis departs Edwards for the cross-country trip to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
On Nov. 14, the astronauts closed Atlantis’ payload bay doors, donned their launch and entry suits, and strapped themselves into their seats for entry and landing. Tropical Storm Gordon near the KSC primary landing site forced a diversion to Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California. The crew fired Atlantis’ OMS engines to drop out of orbit. McMonagle piloted Atlantis to a smooth landing at Edwards, ending the 10-day 22-hour 34-minute flight, Atlantis’ longest flight up to that time. The crew had orbited the Earth 174 times. Workers at Edwards safed the vehicle and placed it atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the ferry flight back to KSC. The duo left Edwards on Nov. 21, and after stops at Kelly Field in San Antonio and Eglin AFB in the Florida panhandle, arrived at KSC the next day. Workers there began preparing Atlantis for its next flight, STS-71 in June 1995, the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission. Meanwhile, a Gulfstream jet flew the astronauts back to Ellington Field in Houston for reunions with their families. As it turned out, STS-66 flew Atlantis’ last solo flight until STS-125 in 2009, the final Hubble Servicing Mission. The 16 intervening flights, and the three that followed, all docked with either Mir or the International Space Station.
“The mission not only met all our expectations, but all our hopes and dreams as well,” said Mission Scientist Timothy L. Miller of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “One of its high points was our ability to receive and process so much data in real time, enhancing our ability to carry out some new and unprecedented cooperative experiments.” McMonagle said of STS-66, “We are very proud of the mission we have just accomplished. If there’s any one thing we all have an interest in, it’s the health of our planet.”
Enjoy the crew narrate a video about the STS-66 mission.
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