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STS-135

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STS-135
COSPAR ID2011-031A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.37736Edit this on Wikidata
End of mission

STS-135 (ISS assembly flight ULF7)[5] is the final mission of the American Space Shuttle.[6][7] It uses hardware originally processed for the STS-335 contingency mission, as the Launch On Need (LON) rescue mission designated to support STS-134 was not ultimately needed. The mission launched on 8 July and is scheduled to land on 20 July 2011.

Although the mission was authorized, it initially had no appropriation in the NASA budget, raising questions about whether the mission would fly at all. On 20 January 2011, program managers changed STS-335 to STS-135 on the flight manifest. This allowed for training and other mission specific preparations.[8] On 13 February 2011, program managers told their workforce that STS-135 would fly "regardless" of the funding situation via a continuing resolution.[9] Until this point, there had been no official references to the STS-135 mission in NASA official documentation for the general public.[10][11][12][13]

During an address at the Marshall Space Flight Center on 16 November 2010, NASA administrator Charles Bolden said that the agency needed to fly STS-135 to the station in 2011, due to likely delays in the development of commercial rockets and spacecraft designed to transport cargo to the ISS. "We are hoping to fly a third shuttle mission (in addition to STS-133 and STS-134) in June 2011, what everybody calls the launch-on-need mission ... and that's really needed to [buy down] the risk for the development time for commercial cargo," Bolden said.[14]

Space Shuttle Atlantis is to fly the 12-day mission. Atlantis will carry the STS-335 four-person crew (the smallest of any shuttle mission since April 1983's STS-6). The mission's primary cargo will be the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Raffaello and a Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier (LMC). The mission is included in NASA's 2011 authorization,[15] signed into law on 11 October 2010, but funding remained dependent on a subsequent appropriation bill. United Space Alliance signed a contract extension for this mission, along with STS-134; the contract contained six one-month options with NASA in order to support continuing operations. All STS-135 crew members were custom-fitted for a Russian Sokol space suit and molded Soyuz seat liner, should they be forced to return to Earth via a Soyuz capsule in the event that the shuttle is deemed unable to make a safe reentry.[16]

The U.S. government budget approved in mid-April 2011 called for $5.5 billion for NASA's space operations division, including the space shuttle and space station programs. According to NASA, the budget running through 30 September 2011 ended all concerns about funding the STS-135 mission.[17]

Crew

Mission poster of STS-135.

NASA announced the STS-335/135 crew on 14 September 2010.[18] It is the first time that a crew of four will fly to the International Space Station. The last shuttle mission to fly with just four crew members occurred 28 years prior to STS-135, on STS-6 on 4 April 1983 aboard Space Shuttle Challenger. Only four astronauts were assigned to the mission, versus the normal six or seven, because there no longer are any space shuttles on standby for a potential rescue. In the event of serious damage to the shuttle in orbit, the four will move into the International Space Station and return, one at a time over the course of a year, via Russian Soyuz capsules.[19] The reduced crew size also allowed the mission to maximize the amount of payload carried to the ISS.[20]

Position Astronaut
Commander Christopher Ferguson
Third spaceflight
Pilot Douglas Hurley
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Sandra Magnus
Third spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Rex Walheim
Third spaceflight
Flight Engineer

Crew seating



Seats 1–4 are on the Flight Deck. Seats 5–7 are on the Middeck. 		Seat Launch Landing
S1 Chris Ferguson Chris Ferguson
S2 Douglas Hurley Douglas Hurley
S3 Sandra Magnus Sandra Magnus
S4 Rex Walheim Rex Walheim

Authorization

With support from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the fate of STS-135 ultimately depended on whether lawmakers could agree to fund converting the mission from launch-on-need to an actual flight.[6]

On 15 July 2010, a U.S. Senate committee passed the 2010 NASA reauthorization bill, authored by Senator Bill Nelson, to direct NASA to fly an extra space shuttle mission (STS-135) pending a review of safety concerns.[21] The bill still needed the approval of the full Senate. A draft NASA reauthorization bill considered by the House Science & Technology Committee did not provide for an extra shuttle mission.[22] On 22 July 2010 U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, during a meeting of the House Science Committee, successfully amended the House version of the bill to add an additional shuttle mission to the manifest.[23]

On 5 August 2010, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the NASA reauthorization bill just before lawmakers left for the traditional August recess.[24][25] On 20 August 2010, NASA managers approved STS-135 mission planning targeting a 28 June 2011 launch.[6] On 29 September 2010 the U.S. House approved the Senate-passed bill on a 304–118 vote.[26] The bill, approved by the U.S. Congress, went to President Barack Obama for his signature.[27]

On 11 October 2010, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law, allowing NASA to move forward with STS-135,[7][28] though without specific funding.

As of 20 January 2011, STS-135's designation was officially changed from STS-335.[8]

As of 14 February 2011, NASA managers announced that STS-135 would fly 'regardless' of the funding situation in Congress.[29]

Mission parameters

  • Mass:[2]
    • Total liftoff weight: 4,521,143 pounds (2,050,756 kg)
    • Orbiter liftoff weight: 266,090 pounds (120,700 kg)
    • Orbiter landing weight: 226,375 pounds (102,682 kg)
    • Payload weight: 28,418 pounds (12,890 kg)
  • Perigee: TBD
  • Apogee: TBD
  • Inclination: 51.6°
  • Period: 91 minutes

Mission milestones

The mission marks:

  • 166th (and the final currently planned) NASA manned space flight
  • 135th shuttle mission since STS-1
  • 33rd flight of Atlantis
  • 3rd shuttle flight in 2011
  • 37th shuttle mission to the ISS
  • 110th post-Challenger mission
  • 22nd post-Columbia mission

Payload

MPLM rack compliment STS-135
LMC RMM up and ETCS/PM down payload STS-135

Atlantis will ferry extra supplies to the International Space Station. Since the ISS program has a strong likelihood of being extended to 2020, it is probable that the station will require more spare supplies after the shuttle retires. A shuttle extension would allow for the crew to maintain the completed space station, but an ISS extension was never intended to be a guaranteed shuttle program extension,[30] and the shuttle program is officially to end after STS-135. Therefore, the more delivery of excess supplies for the station, the better.[31]

Multi-Purpose Logistics Module

Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Raffaello will make up the majority of the payload. The MPLM will be filled with 16 resupply racks, which is the maximum that it can handle.

Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier

The Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier (LMC) will also be carried on this mission. The External Thermal Cooling System (ETCS) Pump Module (PM) on ESP-2, which failed and was replaced on orbit in August 2010, is planned to have a ride home on the LMC so that a failure analysis can be performed on the ground. The Robotic Refuelling Mission will ride up to the station on the underside of the LMC to be placed onto the ELC-4.

Robotic Refueling Mission

Atlantis will carry the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) developed by the Satellite Servicing Capabilities project at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It plans to demonstrate the technology and tools to refuel satellites in orbit by robotic means.[32] After the proof of concept, the long-term goal of NASA is to transfer the technology to the commercial sector.[32]

RRM will include four tools, each of these incorporating electronics and two cameras and lights. Additionally it will have pumps and controllers and electrical systems such as electrical valves and sensors.[33]

The RRM payload was transported to the Kennedy Space Center in early March, 2011 where the GSFC team will perform the final preparations for space flight. Once up in the International Space Station, RRM will be installed into the ELC-4. The Dextre robot will be used during the refueling demonstration.

TriDAR

This mission is the third flight of the TriDAR sensor package designated DTO-701A (Detailed Test Objective), a 3D dual-sensing laser camera, intended for potential use as an autonomous rendezvous and docking sensor. It was developed by Neptec Design Group and funded by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. Previously TriDAR was flown twice on STS-128 and STS-131, aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. TriDAR provides guidance information that can be used for rendezvous and docking operations in orbit, planetary landings and vehicle inspection/navigation of unmanned rovers. TriDAR does not rely on any reference markers, such as reflectors, positioned on the target spacecraft. To achieve this, it relies on a laser based 3D sensor and a thermal imager. Geometric information contained in successive 3D images is matched against the known shape of the target object to calculate its position and orientation in real-time.

The sensor is installed on the exterior airlock truss next to a Trajectory Control System (TCS) sensor. The TriDAR hardware was installed in Atlantis' Payload Bay on 6 April 2011. On STS-135 TriDAR will also be used to demonstrate technology for autonomous rendezvous and docking in orbit. The crew will have a laptop set up to display the information that is acquired by the system, however it will not be used to provide information to the Shuttle's TCS.

Down-mass payload

The failed ammonia pump module that was replaced in August 2010 is expected to be returned inside Atlantis' payload bay. Also, a problematic Common Cabin Air Assembly (CCAA) Heat Exchanger (HX) is expected to be returned inside the MPLM.

  • Raffaello in the Space Station Processing Facility.
    Raffaello in the Space Station Processing Facility.
  • Robotic Refueling Mission during pre-launch preparations.
    Robotic Refueling Mission during pre-launch preparations.
  • the failed Pump Module (PM) on the right in this image of the ESP-2 platform
    the failed Pump Module (PM) on the right in this image of the ESP-2 platform

Shuttle processing

External Tank 138 in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building
Atlantis makes its rollover to the VAB.

External Tank 138 (ET-138) was produced at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans and arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on the Pegasus barge.[34] After offloading, the tank was transported into a checkout cell inside the VAB on 14 July 2010.

NASA initially planned for STS-134 (Endeavour) to fly with the newer ET-138 and for the LON STS-335 (Atlantis) mission to utilize the refurbished ET-122 only in the event that a rescue of Endeavour's crew were required. During Hurricane Katrina, ET-122 was damaged at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans and while the tank was certified as completely flight-worthy after its repairs were completed, NASA management ruled that ET-122 posed a slightly higher risk of losing foam from the repaired areas and therefore assigned it to the STS-335 mission that would likely never fly. However, once it was decided to fly Atlantis on a full STS-135 mission, the tank assignments were swapped so that in the event STS-134 (Endeavour) were to suffer damage from ET-122, Atlantis with the newer and less risky ET-138 would be poised to rescue Endeavour's crew.[35]

In early December 2010, ground technicians installed the main engines on Atlantis. The Shuttle received the center engine on 7 December 2010, followed by the lower-right engine and the lower-left on 8 and 9 December 2010 respectively inside Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-1). The event marked the last set of main engines ever to be installed on a space shuttle.[36]

Stacking operations of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) for the mission commenced in the evening hours of 29 March 2011.[37] Technicians inside the VAB, lifted the left-aft segment from the handling crate and carefully maneuvered into High Bay No. 1 and finally onto the mobile launch platform. The booster stacking was completed in mid April. The completed boosters had a mixture of refurbished and unflown elements (11 sections on each booster). For example, the forward dome for the right-hand booster is new, while the upper cylinder on the left booster flew with STS-1 – the historic maiden flight of Space Shuttle Columbia.[38] (For detailed information on the STS-135 boosters, see [39])

After completing the assembly process, the ET-138 was mated to the SRBs on 25 April.[40]

Visit by First Family

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, viewed Atlantis at the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-1) on their visit to the Kennedy Space Center on 29 April 2011.[41] The first family missed the launch of Endeavour on the STS-134 mission, as the launch was scrubbed due to problems with two heaters on one of Endeavour's auxiliary power units (APUs).

During their tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility, the first family was accompanied by United Space Alliance tile technician Terry White and astronaut Janet Kavandi. Standing under the wings of space shuttle Atlantis, White gave the president and his family an informal tutorial.[42]

Rollover

Marking the historic final ever rollout of a Space Shuttle, Atlantis moves to Launch Pad 39A bathed in xenon lights.

On the early morning of 17 May 2011, Space Shuttle Atlantis departed OPF-1 and headed to the VAB for mating operations with ET-138.[43] The short trip took longer than normal and allowed the shuttle workers to pose for a photo opportunity with the shuttle. The four STS-135 astronauts were also present to greet the workers and representatives of the media.[44][45] Atlantis remained on the Orbiter Transport System overnight, as opposed to heading over to High Bay 1 on the same day.

Inside the VAB transfer aisle, lifting operations to rotate Atlantis vertically commenced on 18 May 2011. The crane that hoisted the shuttle placed it into the adjacent high bay. Atlantis was next lowered to meet up with the external tank and the two solid rocket boosters. The mating operations were completed on 19 May 2011. On the same day, NASA officially announced 8 July 2011 as the intended launch date of the STS-135 mission.

Rollout

Atlantis was rolled out to Launch Pad 39A on 1 June.[46] The first motion of Atlantis out of the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 20:42 EDT on 31 May 2011. Due to a minor hydraulic leak on a corner valve for the jacking and elevation system on the crawler-transporter, the move was delayed by 40 minutes.[47] After the 3.4-mile journey, the shuttle was secured on the launch pad at 03:29 EDT on 1 June 2011.[48][49][50]

Large crowds, including the families of NASA's workforce, were present during the rollout. The STS-135 crew was also at the Kennedy Space Center to witness the last-ever rollout of a Space Shuttle. The crew participated in an informal Question & Answer session with news media, which was aired live on NASA TV. While Atlantis was rolled out to the launch pad, Endeavour was landing a few miles away at the Shuttle Landing Facility, touching down on Kennedy Space Center's Runway 15 at 02:34 EDT after completing its final mission, STS-134.

  • President Obama and his family view Atlantis at OPF-1.
    President Obama and his family view Atlantis at OPF-1.
  • Atlantis is lowered toward the External Tank and the Solid Rocket Boosters.
    Atlantis is lowered toward the External Tank and the Solid Rocket Boosters.
  • Shuttle's cargo, the Raffaello MPLM and LMC, inside the payload bay.
    Shuttle's cargo, the Raffaello MPLM and LMC, inside the payload bay.
  • Atlantis at the Launch Pad after completing the rollout.
    Atlantis at the Launch Pad after completing the rollout.

External tank fueling test

Atlantis's External Tank for the STS-135 mission was put through a Tanking Test on 15 June 2011 to check the health of the tank's stringers.[51] It was slightly delayed due to a lightning storm which passed over the Kennedy Space Center. During the test, technicians detected a hydrogen fuel valve leak in Atlantis' main engine No. 3 as it recorded temperatures below normal levels.[52] The leaking Hydrogen valve was replaced on 21 June.[53]

On 18 June, engineers also commenced X-ray inspections to verify the performance of the radius block doublers that were installed over the top of the stringers. The stringers form the backbone of ET-138's central "intertank" compartment that separates the upper liquid Oxygen tank from the larger liquid Hydrogen tank below. The installation of the doublers on ET-138, was ordered after engineers found stringer cracks in the tank used for shuttle Discovery's STS-133 mission. Technicians finished all X-ray scans of the stringers on 24 June, well ahead of schedule. After analyzing the results, they found no issues.

Payload canister

Payload canister and Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A.

The STS-135 payload canister's move to Launch Pad 39A began in the night of 16 June.[54] The canister's lift up the pad structure to place it into the cleanroom happened on the next day.[55] Technicians at the launch pad closed the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) back around Atlantis to gain access to the orbiter's payload bay. The payload bay doors were opened on the night of 18 June and the cargo was installed into the shuttle's payload bay on 20 June.

Terminal countdown demonstration test

The STS-135 crew traveled to Kennedy Space Center arriving in T-38 jets just after 17:30 EDT on 20 June to take part in the countdown dress rehearsal and emergency training drills.[56] After the arrival, the four astronauts spoke to reporters at the runway and acknowledged the historic nature of the final shuttle mission. "We're incredibly proud to represent the final flight," noted the commander, Chris Ferguson.[57] During the training, the crew spend time learning pad 39A evacuation procedures and test-drove an armored tank available for the astronauts to escape the area. They also boarded Atlantis for a full countdown simulation on 23 June.

Mission timeline

Atlantis will rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station on flight day 3. STS-135 is planned to be a 12 day mission, launching July 8 and landing on July 20. At first, STS-135 was going to be a 14 day mission, but after some issues it became a 12 day mission.[3][58]

Actual launch time was 11:29:03.9 EST.

16 May (Flight Day 1 – Launch)

Launch shuttle Atlantis

The launch day was threatened by unfavorable weather leaving only a 30% chance of a launch occurring[59]; this changed an hour before launch to 60% chance of launch. An estimated 1 million people showed up to view the launch at viewing sites. Satisfactory weather appeared an hour before the launch window allowing the mission to proceed as planned.[60] The final flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Friday, 8 July at 11:29 EDT. The launch was cheered by a crowd of nearly one million both inside the Kennedy Space Center and the surrounding area.[61][62]

Launch attempts

Attempt Planned Result Turnaround Reason Decision point Weather go (%) Notes
1 8 Jul 2011, 11:26:46 am success — 30% Initial weather reports indicated concerns for clouds, thunderstorms and lightning in the area. Countdown was held at 31 seconds to verify gaseous oxygen vent hood had fully retracted. Launch time 11:29:04[4][63]

References

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