STS-68

STS-68 was a human spaceflight mission using that launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on September 30, 1994.

Crew

Launch

The launch was originally scheduled August 18, 1994, but there was an RSLS abort at T−1.9 s, after all three main engines ignited – the fifth (and final) time in the shuttle program where an RSLS abort occurred after main engine ignition. Previous aborts occurred on STS-41-D, STS-51-F, STS-55 and STS-51. The automatic abort was initiated by the onboard General Purpose Computers (GPC) when the discharge temperature on MPS Main Engine #3 High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (HPOT) exceeded its redline value. The HPOT typically operates at 28,120 rpm and boosts the liquid oxygen pressure from 422 to 4,300 psi (2.91 to 29.6 MPa). There are 2 sensor channels measuring temperature on the HPOT. The B channel indicated a redline condition while the other was near redline conditions. The redline limit to initiate a shutdown is at 867 K. This limit increases to 980 K at (5.3 s after Main Engine Start). Main Engine #3 (SN 2032) has been used on two previous flights with of hot-fire time and a total of eight starts. This was the first flight for the HPOT on Main Engine (SSME) #3. Mission specialist Dan Bursch became the only astronaut to experience two RSLS aborts, having previously experienced one on STS-51.

A new launch date was set for early October and then moved up to late September. The procedure that has been used on previous aborts treats an RSLS abort after SSME ignition as a launch and to require a complete engine reinspection. A rollback of Endeavour to the VAB was done on August 24, 1994. Afterwards, Endeavour'''s SSMEs were removed and inspected. Three flight certified SSMEs (removed from the Atlantis STS-66 mission) were installed on the orbiter and Endeavour was rolled back to the launch pad on September 13, 1994. SSME #3 was shipped to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for test stand firing over the Labor day weekend (September 5, 1994). The engine was later flown on STS-70 in 1995.

Lift-off occurred on September 30, 1994, at 7:16:00.068 am EDT from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A, at the start of a 2-hour-30-minute launch window. Orbiter mass at liftoff was 247,129 pounds (112,096 kg) including payload. Total vehicle liftoff mass was ; payload liftoff mass was . At Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) at MET+8:35, Endeavour was in an orbit with an apogee of and a perigee of , traveling at . No OMS-1 burn was required. OMS-2 burn was 1 min 42 s () at MET+33 min.

Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) sites for the initial launch attempt were Zaragoza, Spain, Moron, Spain and Ben Guerir, Morocco. Abort Once Around landing site was White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, USA.

Landing Landing took place at Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 11, 1994. Endeavour was originally scheduled to land at the KSC at 11:36 am EDT; however, KSC landing attempts on that date were waved off due to cloud cover over the Shuttle Landing Facility.Endeavour performed an OMS deorbit burn at 12:09 pm EDT about from the landing strip at Edwards Air Force Base. The burn lasted 2 minutes 17 seconds, which lowered Endeavour's velocity by . Astronaut John Casper flew the shuttle training aircraft at Edwards and said the weather was clear with light winds. Approach was from the southwest of the landing site with a right overhead turn of 280 degrees. Nose wheel touched down at 1:02:21 pm EDT, with wheel stop at 1:03:08 pm EDT. Rollout was approximately down the runway. Landing speed at main gear touchdown was approximately . Orbiter landing mass was . Payload landing mass was .

Crew seat assignments Seat Launch Landing Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck.Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck. 1 Baker 2 Wilcutt 3SmithWisoff 4 Bursch 5WisoffSmith 6 Jones 7 Unused Mission highlights

September 30, 1994 (Flight Day 1)

On Friday, September 30, 1994, at 9 am CST, STS-68 MCC Status Report #1 reported:

On Friday, September 30, 1994, at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #2 reported:

October 1, 1994 (Flight Day 2)

On Saturday, October 1, 1994, at 9 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #3 reported:

October 2, 1994 (Flight Day 3)

On Sunday, October 2, 1994, at 9 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #4 reported:

October 3, 1994 (Flight Day 4)

On Monday, October 3, 1994, at 10 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #5 reported:

On Monday, October 3, 1994, at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #6 reported:

October 4, 1994 (Flight Day 5)

On Tuesday, October 4, 1994, at 9 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #7 reported:

On Tuesday, October 4, 1994, at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #8 reported:

Also on October 4, Payload Commander Tom Jones discussed the significance of radar systems and the Earth's environment in an interview with ABC's Good Morning America. Mission Specialist Jeff Wisoff discussed the mission with CONUS Communications Syndicate affiliates WTKR-TV in his hometown of Norfolk, Va., and the All News Channel in Minneapolis.

October 5, 1994 (Flight Day 6)

On Wednesday, October 5, 1994, at 8 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #9 reported:

On Wednesday, October 5, 1994, at 4 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #10 reported:

October 6, 1994 (Flight Day 7)

On Thursday, October 6, 1994, at 8 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #11 reported:

On Thursday, October 6, 1994, at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #12 reported:

October 7, 1994 (Flight Day 8)

On Friday, October 7, 1994, at 8 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #13 reported:

On Friday, October 7, 1994, at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #14 reported:

October 8, 1994 (Flight Day 9)

On Saturday, October 8, 1994, at 5 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #15 reported:

October 9, 1994 (Flight Day 10)

On Sunday, October 9, 1994, at 9 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #16 reported:

October 10, 1994 (Flight Day 11)

On Monday, October 10, 1994, at 10 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report #16 reported:

STS-68

Bron en licentie