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The crew of STS-47, Commander Robert L. Gibson, Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Payload Commander Mark C. Lee, Mission Specialists N. Jan Davis, Jay Apt, and Mae C. Jemison, and Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri answer questions from the press about the upcoming Endeavour mission and the crew's personal views of the mission.
Personnel from the Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility (GSFC/WFF) in Virginia are responsible for the overall management of the NASA Sounding Rocket Program. Payloads are generally in support of NASA's Space Science Enterprise's missions and return a variety of scientific data as well as providing a reasonably economical means of conducting engineering tests for instruments and devices used on satellites and other spacecraft. The fifteen types of sounding rockets used by NASA can carry payloads of various weights to altitudes from 50 km to more than 1,300 km. Launch activities are conducted not only from established missile ranges, but also from remote locations worldwide requiring mobile tracking and command equipment to be transported and set up at considerable expense. The advent of low earth orbit (LEO) commercial communications satellites provides an opportunity to dramatically reduce tracking and control costs of launch vehicles and Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by reducing or eliminating this ground infrastructure. Additionally, since data transmission is by packetized Internet Protocol (IP), data can be received and commands initiated from practically any location. A low cost Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) system is currently under development for sounding rockets which also has application to UAVs and scientific balloons. Due to relatively low data rate (9600 baud) currently available, the system will first be used to provide GPS data for tracking and vehicle recovery. Range safety requirements for launch vehicles usually stipulate at least two independent tracking sources. Most sounding rockets flown by NASA now carry GPS receivers that output position data via the payload telemetry system to the ground station. The Flight Modem can be configured as a completely separate link thereby eliminating requirement for tracking radar. The system architecture which integrates antennas, GPS receiver, commercial satellite packet data modem, and a single board computer with custom software is described along with the technical challenges and the plan for their resolution. These include antenna development, high Doppler rates, reliability, environmental ruggedness, hand over between satellites and data security. An aggressive test plan is included which in addition to environmental testing measures bit error rate, latency and antenna patterns. Actual flight tests are planned for the near future on aircraft, long duration balloons and sounding rockets and these results as well as the current status of the project are reported.
Footage shows the training activities for the crew of STS-53 (Commander David M. Walker, Pilot Robert D. Cabana, and Mission Specialists Guion S. Bluford, James S. Voss, and Michael R. Clifford), including Emergency Egress Training. Commander Walker introduces the crew and they answer questions from the press.
Footage shows the crew of STS-54, Commander John H. Casper, Pilot Donald R. McMonagle, and Mission Specialists Mario Runco, Jr., Gregory J. Harbaugh, and Susan J. Helms landing and emerging from several T-38 aircraft during the Terminal Countdown and Demonstration Test (TCDT). Commander Casper introduces the crew and they each make a brief statement about the mission.
The crewmembers of STS-52, Commander James B. Wetherbee, Pilot Michael A. Baker, and Mission Specialists Charles L. Veach, William M. Shepherd, Tamara E. Jernigan, and Steven G. MacLean are seen landing and emerging from several T-38 aircraft. Commander Wetherbee introduces the crew and they each give a brief statement about the upcoming Columbia mission.
The crew of STS-47, Commander Robert L. Gibson, Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Payload Commander Mark C. Lee, Mission Specialists N. Jan Davis, Jay Apt, and Mae C. Jemison, and Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri, is seen during various parts of their training, including SAREX training in the Full Fuselage Trainer (FFT), firefighting training. A familiarization flight in the KC-135, a food tasting, photo training in the Crew Compartment Trainer, and bailout training in the Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) are also shown.
The crew of STS-69, Commander David M. Walker, Pilot Kenneth D. Cockrell, Payload Commander James S. Voss, and Mission Specialists James H. Newman and Michael L. Gernhardt, is seen during emergency egress training and answer questions from the press during the press showing.
The crew of STS-69, Commander David M. Walker, Pilot Kenneth D. Cockrell, Payload Commander James S. Voss, and Mission Specialists James H. Newman and Michael L. Gernhardt, is seen at breakfast and suiting up in preparation for the launch of Endeavour. Footage shows Firing Room activities shortly before launch.
The advent of low earth orbit (LEO) commercial communications satellites provides an opportunity to dramatically reduce Telemetry Tracking and Control (TT&C) costs of launch vehicles and Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by reducing or eliminating ground infrastructure. Personnel from the Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility (GSFC/WFF) in Virginia have successfully used commercial GEO & Big LEO communications satellites for Long Duration Balloon flight TT&C. In addition, TDRSS capability for these balloons has been developed by WFF for the Ultra Long Duration Balloons with the first test flight launch in January 2001 for one global circumnavigation at 120,000 feet altitude launched from Alice Springs. Australia. Numerous other low cost applications can new utilize the commercial LEO satellites for TT&C. The Flight Modern became a GSFC/WFF Advanced Range Technology Initiative (ARTI) in an effort to streamline TT&C capability to the user community at low cost. Phase I ground tests of The Flight Modem verified downlink communications quality of service and measured transmission latencies. These tests were completed last year, Phase II consisting of aircraft flight tests provide much of the data presented in this paper. Phase III of the Flight Modern baseline test program is a demonstration of the ruggedized version of the WFF Flight Modem flown on one sounding rocket launched from Sweden. Flights of opportunity have been and are being actively pursued with other centers, ranges and users at universities. The WFF goal is to reduce TT&C costs by providing a low cost COTS Flight Modem with a User Handbook containing system capability and limitation descriptions. Additionally, since data transmission is by packetized Internet Protocol (IP), data can be received and commands initialed from practically any location with no infrastructure. The WFF, like most ranges, has been using GPS receivers on sounding rockets and long duration balloons for several years, The WFF Flight Modem contains a GPS receiver to provide vehicle position for tracking and vehicle recovery. The system architecture which integrates antennas, GPS receiver, commercial satellite packet data modem. and a single board computer with custom software is described and a number of technical challenges are discussed along with the plan for their resolution. These include antenna development, high Doppler rates, reliability, environmental ruggedness, hand over between satellites and data security. An aggressive test plan is included which in addition to environmental Testing measures bit error rate latency and antenna patterns. Additional flight tests are planned far the near future on aircraft, long duration balloons and sounding rockets and these results as well as the current status of the project arc reported. Use of the WFF Flight Modem on small satellites is also being pursued. The LEO satellite constellation altitude above 1400 km is not an obstacle because most spacecraft do not require continuous Communications. The challenge is scheduling where store and forward techniques for command are required and downlink when the communications link allows connection (above 60 percent of the time depending on the satellite altitude). Sophisticated scheduling techniques utilizing 2-line orbital element sets available on the NASA/NORAD Internet site could be implemented for rare special cases. The current 9600 baud rate of the LEO communications link may be increased With special techniques that are planned for development in the WFF Flight Modem project.
Footage shows the docking of the Discovery Orbiter with the International Space Station (ISS). The STS-102 crew (Commander James D. Wetherbee, Pilot James M. Kelly, and Mission Specialists Andrew S. W. Thomas and Paul Richards) and the Expedition 2 crew (James S. Voss, Susan J. Helms, and Yuriy V. Usachev) are seen greeting the Expedition 1 crew (William M. Shepherd, Yuri P. Gidzenko, and Sergei K. Krikalev) after Commander Wetherbee opens the hatch connecting Discovery to the ISS.
Jim Voss and Yuriy Usachev are seen helping Susan Helms prepare for the Reflex Experiment: Effects of Altered Gravity on the Spinal Cord. External shots show the payload bay of Discovery and as Discovery orbits, China is seen from space. STS-102 Commander Jim Wetherbee and Expedition 2 Commander Yuriy V. Usachev answer questions from the President of the Italian Space Agency during an in-flight interview.
The crew of STS-102 (Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot James Kelly, and Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas and Paul Richards) and Expedition 2 (Commander Yuriy Usachev and Flight Engineers James Voss and Susan Helms) are seen during this prelaunch press conference. Each crewmember describes his or her role in the mission, describing the spacewalks and transfer of supplies from the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to the Destiny Laboratory. They then answer questions from the press.
Joel Wells, NASA Public Affairs, introduces STS-102 Commander Jim Wetherbee in this post-landing press conference. Commander Wetherbee gives a brief statement about the success of the mission and answers questions from the press.
On this fifth day of the STS-100 mission, the crews of Endeavour (Commander Kent Rominger, Pilot Jeffrey Ashby, and Mission Specialists Chris Hadfield, Scott Parazynski, John Phillips, Umberto Guidoni, and Yuri Valentinovich Lonchakov) and the Expedition 2 crew (Commander Yuriy Usachev and Flight Engineers James Voss and Susan Helms) are seen greeting each other after opening the connecting hatches between Endeavour and the International Space Station (ISS). Parazynski uses the newly installed Canadian Robotic Arm to lift the Rafaello Module out of the payload bay of Endeavour and install it onto the Destiny Laboratory Module on the ISS. Ashby, Hadfield, and Parazynski answer questions about the mission during an on-orbit press conference. Ashby and Parazynski give a guided video tour of the interior of the ISS/Endeavour complex.
On this twelfth day of the STS-100 mission, the crewmembers of Atlantis, Commander Kent Rominger, Pilot Jeffrey Ashby, and Mission Specialists Chris Hadfield, Scott Parazynski, John Phillips, Umberto Guidoni, and Yuri Valentinovich Lonchakov, are seen in an on-orbit press conference as they answer questions from the press. Also shown is the approach and dock of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The Expedition 2 crew, Commander Yuriy Usachev and Flight Engineers James Voss and Susan Helms, and the Soyuz crew greet each other and welcome space tourist Dennis Tito to the ISS.
On this ninth day of the STS-100 mission, Commander Kent Rominger and Mission Specialist Chris Hadfield answer questions about the mission in an on-orbit press conference. The Expedition 2 crew, Commander Yuriy Usachev and Flight Engineers James Voss and Susan Helms, answer questions about their mission and the Canadian Robotic Arm in another on-orbit press conference. The Rafaello Logistics Module is removed from the Unity Module on the International Space Station and transfers it to the payload bay of Atlantis.
This video gives an overview of the first four flight days of the STS-102 mission through a compilation of footage from each day. The crew of STS-102 (Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot James Kelly, and Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas and Paul Richards) and the Expedition 2 crew (Commander Yuriy Usachev and Flight Engineers James Voss and Susan Helms) are seen during the ceremonial breakfast, suitup, and as they board Discovery. The orbiter's launch is seen from several different viewpoints, and various in-flight activities are shown, such as the opening of Discovery's payload bay doors, Helms preparing for the 'H-Reflex Experiment: Effects of Microgravity on the Spine', the rendezvous and docking of Discovery with the International Space Station (ISS), and Helms and Voss preparing for and performing their spacewalks. The crew of STS-102 and both Expedition crews (E1 crew William Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev) are seen in the Destiny Laboratory Module. Activities for flight day five can be seen on 'STS-102 Mission Highlight Resource Tape, Part 1 of 2, Tape 2 of 2' (internal ID 2001096941). Flight days 6-14 activities can be seen on 'STS-102 Mission Highlight Resource Tape, Part 2 of 2, Tape 1 of 2' (internal ID 2001096943) and 'STS-102 Mission Highlight Resource Tape, Part 2 of 2, Tape 2 of 2' (internal ID 2001096940).
On this third day of the STS-104 mission, the Atlantis Orbiter approaches and docks with the International Space Station (ISS). The crew of STS-104, Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Charles Hobaugh, and Mission Specialists Michael Gernhardt, James Reilly, and Janet Kavandi, and the Expedition 2 crew, Commander Yuriy Usachev and Flight Engineers James Voss and Susan Helms, are seen as they open the hatches between Atlantis and the ISS. External video shows the Quest airlock in the payload bay of Atlantis.