STS-49

STS-49

Mission Specialists Richard Hieb, Thomas Akers and Pierre Thuot capture the Intelsat 603 satellite during STS-49
Mission type Satellite repair
Operator NASA
COSPAR ID 1992-026A
SATCAT № 21963
Mission duration 8 days, 21 hours, 17 minutes, 38 seconds
Distance travelled 5,948,166 kilometers (3,696,019 mi)
Orbits completed 141
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft Space Shuttle Endeavour
Landing mass 91,214 kilograms (201,092 lb)
Payload mass 14,618 kilograms (32,227 lb)
Crew
Crew size 7
Members Daniel C. Brandenstein
Kevin P. Chilton
Richard J. Hieb
Bruce E. Melnick
Pierre J. Thuot
Kathryn C. Thornton
Thomas D. Akers
Start of mission
Launch date 7 May 1992, 23:40:00 (1992-05-07UTC23:40Z) UTC
Launch site Kennedy LC-39B
End of mission
Landing date 16 May 1992, 22:57:38 (1992-05-16UTC22:57:39Z) UTC
Landing site Edwards Runway 22
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Perigee 268 kilometres (167 mi)
Apogee 341 kilometres (212 mi)
Inclination 28.35 degrees
Period 90.6 min


Left to right: Thornton, Melnick, Thuot, Brandenstein, Chilton, Akers, Hieb


Space Shuttle program
 STS-45 STS-50

STS-49 was the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The primary goal of its nine-day mission was to retrieve an Intelsat VI satellite (Intelsat 603, which failed to leave low earth orbit two years before), attach it to a new upper stage, and relaunch it to its intended geosynchronous orbit. After several attempts, the capture was completed with a three-person extra-vehicular activity (EVA). This was the first time that three people from the same spacecraft walked in space at the same time, and as of 2014 it was the only such EVA.[1] It would also stand until STS-102 in 2001 as the longest EVA ever undertaken.

Crew

Position Astronaut
Commander Daniel C. Brandenstein
Fourth spaceflight
Pilot Kevin P. Chilton
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Richard J. Hieb
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Bruce E. Melnick
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3 Pierre J. Thuot
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 4 Kathryn C. Thornton
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 5 Thomas D. Akers
Second spaceflight

Spacewalks

Crew seating arrangements

Seat[2] Launch Landing
Seats 1–4 are on the Flight Deck. Seats 5–7 are on the Middeck.
S1 Brandenstein Brandenstein
S2 Chilton Chilton
S3 Hieb Thuot
S4 Melnick Melnick
S5 Thuot Hieb
S6 Thornton Thornton
S7 Akers Akers

Mission highlights

The Intelsat 603 satellite, stranded in an unusable orbit since launch aboard a Commercial Titan III rocket in March 1990, was captured by crewmembers during an EVA (extra-vehicular activity) and equipped with a new perigee kick motor. The satellite was subsequently released into orbit and the new motor fired to put the spacecraft into a geosynchronous orbit for operational use.

The capture required three EVAs: a planned one by astronaut Thuot and Hieb who were unable to attach a capture bar to the satellite from a position on the RMS; a second unscheduled but identical attempt the following day; and finally an unscheduled but successful hand capture by Thuot, Hieb and Akers as commander Brandenstein delicately maneuvered the orbiter to within a few feet of the 4215 kg communications satellite. An Assembly of Station by EVA Methods (ASEM) structure was erected in the cargo bay by the crew to serve as a platform to aid in the hand capture and subsequent attachment of the capture bar.

A planned EVA also was performed by astronauts Thornton and Akers as part of the ASEM experiment to demonstrate and verify maintenance and assembly capabilities for Space Station Freedom. The ASEM space walk, originally scheduled for two successive days, was cut to one day because of the lengthy Intelsat retrieval operation.

Other "payloads of opportunity" experiments conducted included: Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Ultraviolet Plume Imager (UVPI) and the Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) investigation. The mission was extended by two days in order to complete all the mission objectives.

The following records were set during the STS-49 mission:[3]

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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