STS-122 Press Kit

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DECEMBER 2007 CONTENTS i

CONTENTSSection PageS T S -1 2 2 M I S S IO N O V E R V IE W : T HE V O YAG E O F CO L U MBU S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1T I M E L I NE O V E R VI E W .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 9 M I S S I O N P R O FI LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 1 1 M I S S I O N P R I O RI T I E S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 M I S S I O N P E R S O NNE L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5S T S -1 2 2 AT L ANT IS CR E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7P AYL O AD O V E R VI E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7

TH E E U R O P E A N C O LU M B U S LA B O R A TO R Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7M O TI O N C O N TR O L S U B S YS TE M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 N I TR O G E N TA N K A S S E M B LY (N TA ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5

COLUMBUS CONTROL CENTER, OBERPFAFFENHOFEN, GERMANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47R E NDE ZV OU S AND DO CK I NG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1

U N D O C K I N G , S E P A R A TI O N , A N D D E P A R TU R E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4S P ACE W AL K S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 5 7

E V A - 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 8 E V A - 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 0 E V A - 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1

E X P E R I M E NT S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 D E TA I LE D TE S T O B J E C TI V E S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3 S H O R T- D U R A TI O N R E S E A R C H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4E U R O P E A N E X P E R I M E N T P R O G R A M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 8

S HU T T L E R E FE R E NCE DAT A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7L AU NCH AND L ANDI NG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

LA U N C H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1 A B O R T- TO - O R B I T (A TO ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1


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ii CONTENTS DECEMBER 2007

Section PageTR A N S A TLA N TI C A B O R T LA N D I N G (TA L) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1 R E TU R N - TO - LA U N C H - S I TE (R TLS ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1 A B O R T O N C E A R O U N D (A O A ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1LA N D I N G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1

ACR O NYM S AND ABBR E VI AT I O NS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93M E DI A AS S I S TANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 9P U BL I C AFFAI R S CO NT ACT S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 1


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DECEMBER 2007 MISSION OVERVIEW 1

STS-122 MISSION OVERVIEW:

THE VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS

ThisgraphicillustratesAtlantisdockedtotheInternationalSpaceStation

astheShuttleRoboticArmgrapplestheColumbusmodule.

Scientific research will take on a new look

aboard

the

International

Space

Station

when

the

space shuttleAtlantis launcheson theSTS122

mission. Themission,alsoknownasassembly

flight 1E, will deliver the newest research

module to theorbiting complex, theEuropean

SpaceAgencysColumbuslaboratory.

The addition of Columbus will expand the

science capabilities of the space station.

ColumbuswillbeEuropeslargestcontribution

to

the

construction

of

the

station.

Twenty

three

feet long and 15 feet indiameter, themodule

will house experiments in life sciences,

materials science, fluid physics and other

disciplines. In addition to the Columbus

module,Atlantiswilldeliverexperimentstobe

performedinorbitandtwoESAastronauts,one

ofwhomwillremainonthestationtodothem.


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2 MISSION OVERVIEW DECEMBER 2007

TheSTS122crewmembers,attiredintrainingversionsoftheirshuttlelaunchandentrysuits,pose

foracrewphotopriortoatrainingsessionintheSpaceVehicleMockupFacilityatJohnson

SpaceCenter. FromtheleftareEuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA)astronautsHansSchlegeland

LeopoldEyharts and NASAastronautStanley G. Love, all mission specialists; Stephen N. Frick,

commander; Alan G. Poindexter, pilot; Leland D. Melvin and Rex J. Walheim, both mission specialists.

TwoNavy commanderswill lead themission.

Veteran astronaut Steve Frick, 43, will

commandthemissionandAlanPoindexter,46,

will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists

LelandMelvin,43;AirForceCol.RexWalheim

(WALLhime), 45, Stanley Love, 42; and ESA

astronauts Hans Schlegel (SHLAYguhl), 56,

and French Air Force Gen. Lopold Eyharts

(arts),50,roundoutthecrew.

Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani

(TAWnee),who traveled to the space station

on theSTS120mission,will returnhomewith

the STS122 crew. Eyharts will join the

Expedition 16 crew, servingwithCommander

Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri

Malenchenko.

Thisgraphicdepictsthelocation

ofSTS122payloadhardware.


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The 11day mission begins with the targeted

liftoffofAtlantis fromNASAsKennedySpace

Centerat4:31p.m. ESTDec.6. Thenextday

includes the close inspection ofAtlantis heatshieldusing the shuttles robotic arm and the

Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) to check

for any ascentimposed damage to the

reinforcedcarbon carbon panels on the

shuttleswings andnose cap. Crewmembers

alsowillperformacheckoutofthespacesuitsto

beusedduringthemissionsspacewalks.

Atlantis arrives at the International Space

Stationonthethirddayofthemission. Asthe

shuttleapproaches thespacestation,Frickwill

perform the rendezvous pitchmaneuverwith

Atlantisabout600feetbelowthestation,aslow

backflip that will allow Whitson and

Malenchenko tousecameras to takehundredsof detailed images of the shuttles protective

tiles. The images will be downlinked for

analysisbyspecialistsontheground. Withthe

pitch maneuver complete, Frick will fly the

shuttleaheadofthestationandslowlyeasethe

orbiterbacktoadockingwiththecomplex.

After the requisite leak checks, the hatches

between the two vehicles will be opened,

kickingoffsixdaysofjointoperationsbetween

theshuttleandstationcrews.

ThisillustrationdepictstherendezvouspitchmaneuverwhilecrewaboardtheInternational

SpaceStationphotographtheorbiterforanalysisbyspecialistsontheground.


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AstronautRexJ.Walheim,STS122missionspecialist,donsatrainingversionoftheExtravehicular

MobilityUnit(EMU)spacesuitpriortobeingsubmergedinthewatersoftheNeutralBuoyancy

Laboratory(NBL)nearJohnsonSpaceCenter. UnitedSpaceAlliancesuittechnician

GregPavelko

assists

Walheim.

Laterinflightday3,preparationswillbeginfor

the firstof threeplanned spacewalks to install

andoutfit theColumbus laboratory. Walheim

andSchlegelwilltransferspacesuitstobeused

during the missions spacewalks from the

shuttle to the Quest Airlock and begin

configuring them for the next days

extravehicularactivity. Thetwowillspendthe

nightintheQuestAirlockinpreparationforthe

firstspacewalk.

Earlyonflightday4,oneofthefirsttaskswill

be theexchangeofTanisandEyhartscustom

seatliners used in the Soyuz spacecraft. With

this exchange, Eyharts will become an

Expedition16crewmember.

InstallationofColumbustoitsnewhomeonthe

space stationwillhighlight the first spacewalk.

First Walheim and Schlegel will prepare the

module to be removed from the shuttles

payload bay by installing a Power and Data

Grapple Fixture (PDGF)on it. Once complete,

Melvin and Lovewill use the stations robotic

arm to grab the PDGF on the module and

removeColumbusfrom theshuttlescargobay,

delicatelymaneuveringitto itsdockingporton

thestarboardsideoftheHarmonymodule.

The spacewalkers will then demate nitrogen

lines andbeginwork to remove theNitrogen

Tank Assembly. Meanwhile, the robotics

operators will proceed with the capture and

latchingofColumbustoHarmony.


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Attiredintrainingversionsoftheirshuttlelaunchandentrysuits,astronautsRexJ.Walheim,

EuropeanSpaceAgencysHansSchlegelandStanleyG.Love,allSTS122mission

specialists,awaitthestartofatrainingsessionintheSpaceVehicleMockupFacility

attheJohnsonSpaceCenter.

Flight day 5 will be dedicated to continued

setup,activationandingressofthenewlabora

tory. Columbushasfivepayloadracks,threeof

which will be relocated. That activity will

includeanumberofumbilicalconnectionsand

individual umbilical power downs. Supplies

and equipment also will be transferred.

Eyharts and Whitson will be the first crew

memberstoenterESAsnewlaboratory.

A focused inspection of the shuttles heat

shield, or thermal protection system, will be

conducted if needed. Late in the crews day,

Walheim andSchlegelwill campout inQuest

inpreparationforthenextdaysspacewalk.

On flight day 6, Walheim and Schlegel will

begin the missions second spacewalk. They

will replace the Nitrogen Tank Assembly.

Whilethespacewalkisunderway,Eyhartsand

his new station crewmates will continue the

internalactivationandoutfittingofColumbus

systems.


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TheSTS122crewmembersparticipateinatooltrainingsessionintheSpaceVehicleMockupFacilityat

the

Johnson

Space

Center.

From

the

left

are

European

Space

Agency

astronaut

Hans

Schlegel,

LelandD.Melvin,bothmissionspecialists;StephenN.Frick,commander;RexJ.Walheim,mission

specialist;AlanG.Poindexter,pilot;andStanleyG.Love,missionspecialist. UnitedSpaceAlliance

crewtrainerDaveMathers(seatedright)assiststhecrewmembers.

Flight day 7 is a lightduty day for the crew

members. Itwill include preparation for the

third planned spacewalk. Walheim and Love

willcampoutinQuest.

On flight day 8,Walheim and Lovewill add

science facilities to the exterior of Columbus.

The two spacewalkers will assist Melvin and

Tani,whowilluse thestationsroboticarm,to

install two external research suites on

Columbus: theSunMonitoringontheExternal

PayloadFacility,orSOLAR,whichwillbeused

tostudythesun,andtheEuropeanTechnology

ExposureFacility(EuTEF).

Walheim and Love also will transfer a failed

Control Moment Gyroscope from its storage

locationon thestation to theshuttle forreturn

toEarth. Thisgyroscope,oneoffourthathelp

maintainthestationsorientation,wasremoved

and

replaced

during

the

STS

118

mission.

Mission managers are considering plans for

spacewalkers to further inspect the solararray

rotary joint, SARJ, on the right side of the

station. The station has two SARJs,which are

used torotate thesolararrays to track thesun

for electrical power generation. The goal is to

search for and return evidence to help


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understandandcorrectthevibrationcausedby

debrisinthejoint.Understandingthecausefor

the debris seen in previous spacewalk

inspectionswillprovideapathforrepair.

Flight day 9 will be dedicated to post

spacewalk tasks and final transferwork. The

crews also will say farewell to one another

before the hatch closure that evening, in

preparationforundocking.

Fortheundocking,scheduledforflightday10,

Poindexter will back the shuttle away about

400feetaheadofthestation,thenmaneuverto

a position above the station to perform a

flyaround so that his crewmates can capture

videoanddigitalstillphotographyofthecom

plex in itsnew configuration. Later thatday,thecrewwillperformarequisitelateinspection

using the cameras on theOBSS to ensure no

orbital debris impact might have occurred to

causeanycriticaldamagetotheshuttle.

Landing is scheduled in theearlyafternoonof

flight day 12 at theKennedy SpaceCenter to

wrap up the fourth and final shuttle flight of

theyear.

ThisimagedepictstheconfigurationoftheInternationalSpaceStationfollowing

theinstallationoftheColumbusmodule.


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Whileseatedatthecommandersandpilotsstations,astronautsStephenN.Frick(left)and

AlanG.

Poindexter,

STS

122

commander

and

pilot,

respectively,

participate

in

apost

insertion/deorbittrainingsessioninthecrewcompartmenttrainer(CCT2)inthe

SpaceVehicleMockupFacilityatJohnsonSpaceCenter.FrickandPoindexterare

wearingtrainingversionsoftheirshuttlelaunchandentrysuits.


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DECEMBER 2007 TIMELINE OVERVIEW 9

TIMELINE OVERVIEW

FLIGHT DAY 1

Launch PayloadBayDoorOpening KuBandAntennaDeployment ShuttleRoboticArmActivationand

Checkout

UmbilicalWellandHandheldExternalTank

Video

and

Stills

Downlink

FLIGHT DAY 2

AtlantisThermalProtectionSystemSurveywithOrbiterBoomSensorSystem(OBSS)

ExtravehicularMobilityUnitCheckout CenterlineCameraInstallation OrbiterDockingSystemRingExtension OrbitalManeuveringSystemPodSurvey RendezvousToolsCheckoutFLIGHT DAY 3

RendezvouswiththeInternationalSpaceStation

RendezvousPitchManeuverPhotographybytheExpedition16Crew

DockingtoHarmony(Node2)/PressurizedMatingAdapter2

HatchOpeningandWelcoming OBSSUnberthbyCanadarm2

Extravehicular

Activity

(EVA)

1

Procedure

Review

EVA1CampoutbyWalheimandSchlegelFLIGHT DAY 4

SoyuzSeatLinerSwapandExpeditionCrewExchangebyTaniandEyharts

EVA1byWalheimandSchlegel(ColumbusGrappleFixtureInstallation,P1Truss

NitrogenTank

Assembly

Preparation)

TemporaryShuttleKubandAntennaStowageforColumbusModuleUnberth

ColumbusModuleGrapple,UnberthandInstallationonStarboardSideofHarmony

FLIGHT DAY 5

AtlantisThermalProtectionSystemFocused

Inspection

with

OBSS

(if

required)

ShuttleKubandAntennaRedeployment ColumbusModuleIngressPreparations ColumbusModuleIngress EVA2ProcedureReview EVA2CampoutbyWalheimandSchlegelFLIGHT DAY 6

EVA2byWalheimandSchlegel(P1TrussNitrogenTankAssemblyInstallation,

StowageofOldN2TankAssembly)

ColumbusModuleOutfitting


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10 TIMELINE OVERVIEW DECEMBER 2007

FLIGHT DAY 7

ColumbusModuleRacksandSystemsOutfitting

OffDutyPeriods EVA3ProcedureReview EVA3CampoutbyWalheimandLoveFLIGHT DAY 8

EVA3byWalheimandLove(SOLARandEuTEFFacilityInstallation,FailedControl

MomentGyroscope

Transfer

to

Atlantis

PayloadBay)

FLIGHT DAY 9

ShuttleandStationTransfers JointCrewNewsConference ISSReboost ColumbusModuleOutfitting FarewellsandHatchClosureFLIGHT DAY 10

UndockingfromHarmonyNode2/PressurizedMatingAdapter2

andFlyaround

FinalSeparationfromtheInternationalSpaceStation

OBSSUnberthandLateInspectionofAtlantisThermalProtectionSystem

OBSSFinalBerthingFLIGHT DAY 11

CabinStow FlightControlSystemCheckout ReactionControlSystemHotFireTest CrewDeorbitBriefing LaunchandEntrySuitCheckout RecumbentSeatSetUpforTani KuBandAntennaStowFLIGHT DAY 12

DeorbitPreparations PayloadBayDoorClosing DeorbitBurn KennedySpaceCenterLanding


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DECEMBER 2007 MISSION PROFILE 11

MISSION PROFILE

CREWCommander: SteveFrick

Pilot: AlanPoindexter

MissionSpecialist1: LelandMelvinMissionSpecialist2: RexWalheimMissionSpecialist3: HansSchlegelMissionSpecialist4: StanleyLoveMissionSpecialist5: LeopoldEyharts(up)MissionSpecialist5: DanielTani(down)LAUNCHOrbiter: Atlantis(OV104)LaunchSite: KennedySpaceCenter

LaunchPad39A

LaunchDate: NoearlierthanDec.6,2007

LaunchTime: 4:31p.m.EST (PreferredInPlanelaunchtimefor

12/6)

LaunchWindow: 5MinutesAltitude: 122NauticalMiles

(140Miles)Orbital

Insertion;185NM

(213Miles)Rendezvous

Inclination: 51.6DegreesDuration: 10Days,19Hours,

58Minutes

VEHICLE DATA

ShuttleLiftoffWeight: 4,523,508pounds

Orbiter/PayloadLiftoffWeight: 267,341pounds

Orbiter/PayloadLandingWeight: 206,212pounds

SoftwareVersion: OI32

Space Shuttle Main Engines:

SSME1: 2059SSME2: 2052SSME3: 2057ExternalTank: ET125SRBSet: BI132RSRMSet: 99SHUTTLE ABORTS

Abort Landing Sites

RTLS: KennedySpaceCenterShuttleLandingFacility

TAL: PrimaryZaragoza,SpainAlternatesMoron,Spainand

Istres,France

AOA: PrimaryKennedySpaceCenterShuttleLandingFacility;

AlternatesEdwardsAFB,Calif.,

WhiteSandsSpaceHarbor,N.M.

LANDING

LandingDate: NoearlierthanDec.17,2007

LandingTime: 12:29p.m.ESTPrimarylandingSite: KennedySpaceCenter

ShuttleLandingFacility

PAYLOADS

ColumbusLaboratory


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12 MISSION PROFILE DECEMBER 2007

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DECEMBER 2007 MISSION PRIORITIES 13

MISSION PRIORITIES

1.

Dock

Atlantis

to

Pressurized

Mating

Adapter2portandperformmandatory

stationsafetybriefingforallcrewmembers

2. RotateExpedition15/16flightengineerwith

Expedition16flightengineerandtransfer

mandatorycrewrotationcargo

3. Configure,mateandsafeColumbusmodule

toHarmonystarboardlocationusingthe

spacestationroboticarm

4. Transferwaterofmandatoryquantities

fromtheshuttletothespacestation

5. Performminimumcrewhandoverof

12hoursperrotatingcrewmember

6. Removeandreplacethespacestations

Port1NitrogenTankAssembly7. CompletepurgeofHarmonysoxygen

system

8. Installandperformmandatoryactivationof

theColumbusSOLARexternalpayloadon

theExternalPayloadFacility(EPF).

(SOLAR,theSunMonitoringonthe

ExternalPayloadFacilityofColumbus,isa

monitoringobservatorytomeasurethe

sunsspectralirradiance.)

9.

Return

failed

control

moment

gyroscope

fromExternalStowagePlatform2

10. Installandperformmandatoryactivationof

theColumbusEuropeanTechnology

ExposureFacility(EuTEF)ontheEPF.

(EuTEFwillcarryexperimentsrequiring

exposuretothespaceenvironment.)

11.Transfermandatoryitems

12.Activate

Columbus

module

systems

requiredforsustainedcrewpresence

includingremovalofnegativepressure

reliefvalvesandinstallationof

intermoduleventilationvalves

13.Performrequestedpublicaffairseventwith

toplevelEuropeangovernmentleaderas

soonafterinitialingressintotheColumbus

moduleandactivationaspractical

14. Installtrunnionandkeelthermalcovers

15.Activateandinitiate

checkout/commissioningactivitiesfor

SOLARandEuTEFpayloadsandtheEPF

16.Transferremainingitems


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14 MISSION PRIORITIES DECEMBER 2007



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DECEMBER 2007 MISSION PERSONNEL 15

MISSION PERSONNEL

KEY CONSOLE POSITIONS FOR STS-122

Flt.Director CAPCOM PAOAscent NormKnight JimDutton

TerryVirts(Weather)RobNavias

Orbit1(Lead) MikeSarafin KevinFord NicoleLemasters(Lead)

Orbit2 TonyCeccacci SteveRobinson PatRyanPlanning PaulDye ShannonLucid Lynnette MadisonEntry BryanLunney JimDutton

TerryVirts(Weather)RobNavias

ShuttleTeam4 MattAbbott N/A N/AISSOrbit1 BobDempsey HalGetzelman N/AISSOrbit2(Lead) SallyDavis ChrisCassidy N/AISSOrbit3 RonSpencer ChrisZajac N/AStationTeam4 KwatsiAlibaruho N/A N/A

Int.PartnerFDAnnetteHasbrook(interfaceswithColumbusControlCenterinOberpfaffenhofen,Germany

JSCPAORepresentativeatKSCforLaunchBrandiDeanKSCLaunchCommentatorGeorgeDillerKSC

Launch

Director

Doug Lyons

NASALaunchTestDirectorJeffSpaulding


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16 MISSION PERSONNEL DECEMBER 2007



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DECEMBER 2007 CREW 17

STS-122 ATLANTIS CREW

The STS122patchdepicts the continuation ofthe voyages of the early explorers to todays

frontier,space. Theshipdenotesthetravelsof

theearlyexpeditionsfromtheEasttotheWest.

The space shuttle shows the continuation of

thatjourneyalongtheorbitalpathfromWestto

East.

A little more than 500 years after Columbussailedto thenewworld, theSTS122crewwill

bringtheColumbusEuropeanlaboratorymod

uletotheInternationalSpaceStationtousherin

aneweraofscientificexploration.


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18 CREW DECEMBER 2007

AtlantiscrewtakesabreakfromtrainingtoposefortheSTS122crewportrait. Fromtheleft

(frontrow)areCommanderSteveFrick,EuropeanSpaceAgencys(ESA)MissionSpecialist

LeopoldEyhartsandPilotAlanPoindexter. Fromtheleft(backrow)areLelandMelvin,

RexWalheim,StanleyLoveandESAsHansSchlegel,allmissionspecialists. Thecrew

membersareattiredintrainingversionsoftheirshuttlelaunchandentrysuits.

Short

biographical

sketches

of

the

crew

follow

withdetailedbackgroundavailableat:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/


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STS-122 CREW BIOGRAPHIES

SteveFrick

ANavy commander,Steve Frickwill lead the

crewofSTS122on the24th shuttlemission to

theInternationalSpaceStation. Frickservedas

thepilotofSTS110in2002. Makinghissecond

spaceflight,hehasloggedmorethan259hours

in space. Hehasoverall responsibility for the

execution of the mission, orbiter systems

operations and flight operations, including

landing. Inaddition,Frickwillflytheshuttlein

a procedure called the rendezvous pitch

maneuverwhileAtlantis is 600 feetbelow the

stationtoenablethestationcrewtophotograph

the shuttles heat shield. He will then dock

Atlantistothestation.


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AlanPoindexter

A Navy commander, Alan Poindexter has

3,500flight hours in more than 30 different

aircraft. He will make his first journey into

space as the pilot of Atlantis for the STS122

mission. SelectedbyNASAin1998,Poindexter

has served as the lead support astronaut at

NASAs Kennedy Space Center. He will be

responsible fororbiter systems operations and

willhelpFrick in the rendezvousanddocking

withthestation. Poindexterwillcoordinatethe

threespacewalksfrominsidethespacecraftand

undockAtlantis from the stationat the endof

thejointmission.


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LelandMelvin

Astronaut Leland Melvin will be making his

first spaceflight for STS122 as mission

specialist 1. Before being selected as an

astronaut in 1998, he worked at NASAs

Langley Research Center on advanced fiber

optic sensor and laser research for spacecraft

and civil aviation health monitoring systems.

Melvin has worked in the Astronaut Office

Space Station Operations and Robotics

branchesand for theEducationDepartmentat

NASAHeadquarters. Hewillbe theprimary

operator of the space station robotic arm and

will use the shuttle robotic arm to inspect

Atlantisheatshield.


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RexWalheim

An Air Force colonel, Rex Walheim will be

makinghissecondflightintospaceforSTS122

asmission specialist2. He flewwithFrickon

STS110 in 2002, during which he conducted

twospacewalkstoinstalltheS0trusssegment.

He has loggedmore than 259 hours in space,

including14hoursandfiveminutesduringthe

spacewalks. Walheimwillbeontheflightdeck

duringlaunchandlanding,servingastheflight

engineertoassistFrickandPoindexter. Healso

willassistthemwithrendezvouswiththespace

station and be the lead spacewalker for the

threeexcursions.


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HansSchlegel

ESAastronautHansSchlegel,ofGermany,will

bemakinghissecondtripintospaceasmission

specialist3 forSTS122. He loggedmore than

239hoursinspaceforSTS55in1993duringthe

Germansponsored Spacelab D2 mission.

SchlegeltrainedasanastronautattheGerman

AerospaceCenter(DLR)beginningin1988. He

was integrated into the ESA astronaut corps

and began training as part of NASAs 1998

astronaut class. Heworked as the lead space

stationCAPCOMforExpedition10andasESA

lead astronaut atNASAsJohnson SpaceCen

ter. Hewill conduct the first two spacewalks

withWalheimduringSTS122.


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StanleyLove

AstronautStanleyLove,whoholdsadoctorate

in astronomy,willbe making his first space

flight during STS122 as mission specialist 4.

SelectedbyNASA in1998,hehas servedasa

space station CAPCOM for Expeditions 1

through7andthreespaceshuttlemissions. He

served in the Astronaut Office Exploration

Branch, helping develop future space vehicles

and missions. Love will conduct the third

spacewalkwithWalheim and operate the sta

tion robotic armwithMelvin during the first

twospacewalks.


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LeopoldEyharts

This will be the second spaceflight for

LeopoldEyharts,

aFrench

astronaut

from

the

CenterNationaldEtudesSpatiales(CNES). He

was selectedasanastronautbyCNES in1990

andbyESA in 1992. His firstmissionwas to

the Mir Space Station in 1998, where he

supported the CNES scientific space mission

Pgase. He performed various French

experiments in the areas of medical research,

neuroscience, biology, fluid physics and

technology.He

logged

20

days,

18

hours

and

20 minutes in space. In 1998 ESA assigned

Eyharts to train at NASAs Johnson Space

Center. Hewill launch tothespacestationon

theSTS122missionandwillreturnonSTS123,

targeted for February 2008. He will remain

aboard station for the commissioning of the

EuropeanColumbuslaboratory.


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DanielTani

Expedition16

Flight

Engineer

Daniel

Tani

trav

eledtothestationonSTS120inOctoberandis

scheduledtoreturntoEarthonAtlantisduring

STS122. TaniflewonSTS108in2001andhas

loggedmorethan11daysinspace,includinga

spacewalktowrapthermalblanketsaroundISS

Solar Array Gimbals. During STS120, Tani

performedthe

second

spacewalk

and

operated

the station robotic arm for the P6 relocation,

Harmony Node 2 installation and various

spacewalk activities. He conducted two addi

tional spacewalks during the Expedition 16

mission with Commander Peggy Whitson to

continuetheexternaloutfittingofHarmony.


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28 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW DECEMBER 2007

During its projected lifespan of 10 years,

Columbuswill support sophisticated research

inweightlessness,having internalandexternal

accommodation for numerous experiments inlife sciences, fluidphysics and ahost ofother

disciplines. The laboratorymarksasignificant

enhancement in European space

experimentation and hardware development

when compared to the missions of the

EuropeandevelopedSpacelab inthe1980sand

1990s.

MultipurposelogisticsmoduleLeonardoin

thespaceshuttlecargobayonMarch10,2001,

duringtheSTS102missiontotheISS.

TheColumbusLaboratorysharesitsbasic

structurewiththemultipurpose

logisticsmodules.

The7meterlong(23footlong)Columbus labo

ratory consists of apressurised cylindricalhull

4.5meters (14.7 feet) in diameter, closedwith

weldedendcones. Toreducecostsandmaintainhigh reliability, the laboratory shares its basic

structure and lifesupport systems with the

Europeanbuiltmultipurpose logisticsmodules

(MPLMs): pressurized cargo containers,which

travelinthespaceshuttlescargobay.

Theprimaryand internal secondary structures

of Columbus are constructed from aluminum

alloys. These layersarecoveredwithamulti

layer insulation blanket for thermal stability

anda further twotonsofpanelingconstructed

ofanaluminiumalloy togetherwitha layerof

Kevlar and Nextel to act as protection from

spacedebris.

The Columbus Laboratory has a mass of

10.3tons and an internal volume of 75 cubic

meters (98 cubic yards), which can

accommodate 16 racks arranged around the

circumferenceof thecylindricalsection in four

sets of four racks. These rackshave standard

dimensionswithstandardinterfaces,usedinall

nonRussian modules, and can hold for

exampleexperimentalfacilitiesorsubsystems.

ColumbusLaboratoryatEADSAstriumin

Bremenwithdebrisprotectionpanels.

Insulationmaterialexposedunderone

sectionofpaneling. July2004.


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DECEMBER 2007 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 29

Ten of the 16 are International Standard Pay

loadRacks fullyoutfittedwithresources (such

aspower,cooling,videoanddata lines), tobe

able to accommodate an experiment facilitywith a mass of up to 700 kilograms

(1,543pounds). This extensive experiment

capabilityoftheColumbuslaboratoryhasbeen

achievedthroughacarefulandstrictoptimiza

tionofthesystemconfiguration,makinguseof

the end cones for housing subsystem equip

ment. The central area of the starboard cone

carries systemequipment suchasvideomoni

tors and cameras, switchingpanels, audio ter

minalsandfireextinguishers.

Internationalstandardpayloadrackinto

whichexperimentfacilities,subsystems

orstoragerackscanbefitted.

ColumbuslaboratoryinIntegrationhall

ofEADSinBremen. Primarystructure

exposed. June2002

Although it is the stations smallest laboratory

module, the Columbus laboratory offers the

same payload volume, power, and data

retrieval, for example, as the stations other

laboratories. A significantbenefitof this cost

saving design is that Columbus will be

launchedalreadyoutfittedwith2,500kilograms

(5,511 pounds) of experiment facilities and

additional hardware. This includes the ESA

developedexperimentfacilities:

Biolab,which supportsexperimentsonmicro

organisms, cell and tissue culture, and even

smallplantsandanimals;

Biolabexperimentfacilityduring

payloadintegration.


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EuropeanbuiltNode2beingmovedonan

overheadcraneinpreparationforleaktesting

intheSpaceStationProcessingFacilityat

theKennedySpaceCenterinFlorida,USA.

Node2,alsoknownasHarmony,was

attachedtothestationduringthe

STS120missioninOctober2007.

For the internal environment, Columbus is

ventilated by a continuous airflow from

Node2, theEuropeanbuilt ISSmodulewhere

theColumbusLaboratorywillbepermanently

attached. The air returns to Node 2 for

refreshing and carbon dioxide removal. Thisair content is monitored by Columbus

subsystemsforcontamination.

The crew can also control the temperature

(16to 30 degreesC) (61 to 86 degrees F) and

humidity inColumbus. Awater loop system,

connected to the ISS heat removal system,

serves all experimental facility and system

locationsforremovalofheatandthusstopping

equipmentfromoverheating. Inaddition,there

is an air/water heat exchanger to remove

condensation from the cabin air. A systemof

electrical heaters also helps to combat the

extremecoldpossibleatsomestationattitudes.

Once it is attached to the ISS, the Columbus

Control Center (ColCC) inOberpfaffenhofen,

Germany,onthepremisesoftheDLRsGerman

SpaceOperationsCenterwillberesponsibleforthe control and operation of the Columbus

laboratory. All the European payloads on

Columbuswill transfer data, via the ISS data

transfersystem,directlytoColCC.

ColCC will coordinate European experiment

(payload) operations. Relevant data will be

distributed fromColCC to the differentUser

SupportandOperationsCentersacrossEurope,

responsible for either complete facilities,

subsystems of facilities or individual

experiments.

ColCC alsowillbe in close contactwith the

MissionControlCenter inHouston,whichhas

overallresponsibility forthe ISS, togetherwith

the Mission Control Center in Moscow. In

addition, ColCC coordinates operations with

the ISS Payload Operations and Integration

Center at theMarshall Space FlightCenter in

Huntsville, Ala., which has overall

responsibilityforISSexperimentpayloads.

ControlRoomattheColumbusControl

CenterinOberpfaffenhofen,Germany


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EuropeanfacilitiestobelaunchedinsideColumbus. Frontrowfromleft: EuropeanDrawerRack,

FluidScienceLaboratoryandBiolab. Backrowfromleft: EuropeanPhysiologyModulesand

EuropeanTransportCarrier.

Columbus Internal Facilities

ESAhasdevelopedarangeofpayloadracksfor

theColumbuslaboratory,alltailoredtoacquire

the maximum amount of research from the

minimum of space and to offer European

scientistsacrossawiderangeofdisciplinesfull

access to aweightless environment that isnot

possibleonEarth. WhenSTS122 is launched,

Columbus will be outfitted with the five

pressurized (internal) payloads: Biolab, the

Fluid Science Laboratory, the European

Physiology Modules facility, the European

Drawer Rack, and the European Transport

Carrier. ThefirstthreeweredevelopedwithinESAs Microgravity Facilities for Columbus

Program,while the last two fall under ESAs

UtilizationProgram.

Theabove ISSexperiment facilitiesrepresenta

firstinEuropeanresearchandhardwaredevel

opmentbyproviding the scientificcommunity

with a European platform for running

longtermexperimentsinweightlessnessonthe

ISS rather than the shortterm experiments

typicaloftheearlierSpacelabmissions.

Themultiuser facilitiesaremodular indesign

toallowforupgradingandeasyrefurbishment

andrepairbecauseofthe longtermoperations

foreseen in the space station era,beyond the

retirement of the space shuttle in 2010. This

modularity provides the opportunity and

flexibility tobeusedoveragainwithdifferent

experiment containers, to allow for shorter

missionpreparation timesandcontributes toa

faster scientific development in the specificfield.

Theresearchfacilitieshavebeendesignedtobe

compactenough to fit into therestrictedspace

of an International Standard Payload Rack,

durable enough towithstand years of service,

able to accommodate multiple users, and


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largely automatic and fully controllable from

groundstationssincethestationcrewhasonly

a limitedamountof time tosuperviseongoing

experiments.

Experiment containers tobe processed in the

facilitieswillbe transported separatelywithin

theMultiPurposeLogisticsModules(MPLMs),

which are pressurized cargo transportation

modules that travel inside the space shuttle

cargobay. Experiments requiring late access

also can be transported within the shuttle

middeck lockers. Experiment containers will

also be transported using the European

Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) or the

HIITransfer Vehicle (HTV) or the Russian

Progress vehicles. This includes certain

biological andmedical samples thatwill need

tobe thermally conditioned in storage in the

Minus Eighty degrees Laboratory Freezer for

the ISS (MELFI), which serves as the major

permanentISSrefrigerator/freezer.

Internal Facilities: Biolab

Biolab is a facility designed to support

biological experiments on microorganisms,

cells, tissue cultures, small plants and small

invertebrates. The major objective of

performinglifesciencesexperimentsinspaceis

toidentifytherolethatweightlessnessplaysat

all levelsofanorganism, from theeffectsona

singlecelluptoacomplexorganism including

humans.

The first experiment to take place in Biolab,

when Columbus arrives at the ISS, will

investigate the effect ofweightlessness on the

growth of seeds and will aim to better

understand the cellular mechanism which

impairs the immune functions and aggravates

the radiation response under spaceflight

conditions. This experiment is important in

view of future, longterm human space

missions. Further experiments will try to

unravel the influence of gravity on cellular

mechanisms such as signal transduction andgene expression. These two effects are

important steps in the reaction of a cell to

changes in its environment, so the results are

important for finding causes or treatments for

diseasesonEarth.

Biolab is divided physically and functionally

into twosections: theautomaticsection in the

leftsideof therack,and themanualsection in

the right side of the rack. In the automatic

section, known as theCoreUnit, all activities

are performed automatically by the facility,

aftermanual sample loadingby the crew. By

implementingsuchahigh levelofautomation,

the demand on crew time is drastically

reduced. The manual section, in which all

activities are performed by the crew

themselves, is mainly devoted to sample

storage and specific crew activities of

experimenthandling.

ThemainelementoftheCoreUnit is the large

Incubator,athermallycontrolledvolumewhere

the experiments take place. Inside the

incubator are two centrifuges that can each

hold up to six experiment containers, which

contain the biological samples, and can be

independently spun to generate artificial

gravity in the range from 103g to 2 g. This

allows for thesimultaneousperformanceof0g

experimentswith 1g reference experiments in

thefacility.

During processing of the experiment, the

facilityhandlingmechanismwill transport the

samples to the facilitys diagnostic

instrumentationwhere,throughteleoperations,

the scientist on the ground can actively

participateinthepreliminaryinsituanalysesof


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the samples. The handling mechanism also

providestransportofsamples intotheambient

and temperaturecontrolledautomatic stowage

unitsforpreservationorforlateranalysis. ThetypicalBiolabexperimentdurationsrangefrom

onedaytothreemonths.

Biolabs manual section carries a laptop for

crewcontrol,twotemperaturecontrolunitsfor

sample storage and a BioGlovebox. The

temperature control units are cooler/freezers

(+10degreesC to 20degreesC) (50degreesF

to 4 degrees F) for storing larger items and

experimentcontainers. TheBioGlovebox isan

enclosedcontainer forhandling toxicmaterials

and delicate biological samples that must be

protected against contaminationby the space

station environment. An ozone generator

ensures sterilization of the BioGlovebox

workingvolume.

TheBiolab facilitywillbe launched inside the

EuropeanColumbuslaboratory.

Biolab

Internal Facilities: European Drawer

Rack

There isaneed inthescientificcommunityfor

mediumsized, dedicated experiment

equipment for space research to reduce

research costs and development times. ESAs

solution is the EuropeanDrawer Rack,which

provides a flexible experiment carrier for a

large variety of scientific disciplines. It

provides the accommodation and resources to

experimentmodules in two types of standard

ISS housings called International Subrack

Interface Standard (ISIS) drawers and ISS

Lockers. The facility can accommodate up to

three of these drawers, each with a payload

volumeof72litersandfourlockers,eachwitha

payloadvolumeof57liters.

This approach allows a quick turnaround

capability, and provides increased flight

opportunities for theuser communitywishing

to flypayloads thatdonot requireacomplete

rack. The overall design of the facility is

optimized for the parallel accommodation of

three to four payloads, i.e., an average

experiment payload accommodating two

drawers/lockers, but both larger and smaller

payloadsmaybeaccommodated.

The resource management covers the

monitoringofresourceallocationstoindividual

payloads, but the operating concept of the

EuropeanDrawerRackassumes thatpayloads

are largelyautonomous. Thefacilitycomputer

distributes ISS data to payloads and routespayload data to ground and the European

Drawer Rack laptop. The European Drawer

Rack data management system supports all

modesofpayloadoperation,rangingfromfully

automatic to stepbystep control by an

astronaut.


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EuropeanDrawerRackwithclearviewof

3drawerand4lockerlocations

InadditiontodistributingColumbusresources

to the experiment modules, the European

DrawerRackprovides services such as an air

cooling loop and conversion of the 120 volt

Columbuspowerstandardto28volts.

ThefirstconfigurationoftheEuropeanDrawerRackwillincludeoneexperimentmodule. This

is theProteinCrystallizationDiagnosticsFacil

ityand isamultiusermaterial science instru

ment,whichwilltackletheproblemsofprotein

crystallization in space. This facilitywillhelp

to establish the conditions underwhich good

zeolitecrystalscanbegrown. Thiscanonlybe

determinedinweightlessness. Theresultsgen

eratedwill holdbenefits in various industrial

applications.

Asecondmodulewillbelaunchedwithalater

flight. This is theFacility forAdsorption and

SurfaceTension(FASTER),whichwillestablish

a link between emulsion stability and

characteristics of droplet interfaces. This

research has a lot of application links in

industrial domains and is linked to

investigations like foam stability/

drainage/rheology.

Internal Facilities: EuropeanPhysiology Modules Facility

The European PhysiologyModules Facility is

designed to investigate the effects of

longduration spaceflight on thehumanbody,

with typicalresearchareas includingneurosci

ence, cardiovascular and respiratory system,

bone andmuscle physiology and endocrinol

ogyandmetabolism. Theresearchintohuman

physiology under weightless conditions also

will contribute to an increased understanding

ofterrestrialproblemssuchastheageingproc

ess,osteoporosis,balancedisorders,andmuscle

deterioration.

Aselectionofthefirstsetofexperimentstotake

place in the European Physiology Modules,

when Columbus arrives at the ISS, relate to

neuroscience, mechanisms of heart disease,

weightless effects on human skeletal muscle

function, and sodium retention inweightless

ness.

The facilityconsistsofa setofup toeight sci

encemodulesmounted in a carrier infrastruc

ture. Thecarrierprovides thesemoduleswith

datahandling,thermalcontrolandhousing. It

interfacesdirectlywithColumbusandprovides

support for both rackmounted and external


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sciencemodules. In addition to sciencemod

ulesmounted in the carrier, it is possible for

instruments deployed in theColumbus center

aisletointerfacetothecarrierviaaUtilityDistributionPanel.

Three sciencemodules havebeen selected for

the first launch configuration of theEuropean

PhysiologyModulesFacility. Theseare:

Cardiolab: This is a facility for investigating

the different systems that are involved in the

regulation of arterial blood pressure and the

heart rate. Data from Cardiolab alsowillbe

used to maintain the crew in good healthduring theirstayonboard,and toprepare the

astronautsfortheirreturntoEarth. Cardiolab,

developedbyCNESandDLRhasbeenadded

to the European PhysiologyModules through

cooperativeagreements.

MEEMM (Multi Electrodes Encephalogram

MeasurementModule): MEEMMwillbeused

to studybrain activitybymeasuring electrical

signals from electrodes mounted on the

experimentsubject.

PORTEEM (Portable Electroencephalogram

Module): Thisinstrumentisaflexible,modular

and portable digital recorder for ambulatory

and sleep studies. The instrument isoutfitted

with a 16channel EEG/polysomnography

moduleforEEGsleepstudies,butcanbeeasily

reconfigured for a wide variety of other

applications.

ESAsEuropeanPhysiologyModulesFacilityis

closely linked to NASAs Human Research

FacilityracksintheU.S.Laboratorywhereeven

someofESAsphysiologysciencemoduleslike

the Pulmonary Function System are

accommodated. The Pulmonary Function

System is now in orbit and is functioning

successfully.

New science modules and other necessary

itemswillbe transported to the stationon the

STS122 flight and on future flights foruse in

conjunction with the European physiology

modules. Thiswillmainly comprise counter

measuresequipmentliketheFlyWheelExercise

Device,aPortablePulmonaryFunctionSystem

radiation monitors, etc. This European

physiologymodulesequipmentcanbebrought

totheISSbytheEuropeanAutomatedTransfer

Vehicle(ATV),theRussianProgressandSoyuz

vehicles or the space shuttle. Samples are

returned using the MPLM, the shuttles

middecklockersandtheSoyuzspacecraft.

EuropeanPhysiologyModulesFacility


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Internal Facilities: Fluid Science

Laboratory

The Fluid Science Laboratory is a multiuser

facility designed to study the dynamics of

fluids in the absence of gravitational forces.

Themajorobjectiveofperformingfluidscience

experiments in space is to study dynamic

phenomena in the absence of gravitational

forces. Underweightlessconditions,ason the

ISS,such forcesarealmostentirelyeliminated,

resulting in significant reductions in gravity

drivenconvection, sedimentation, stratification

andfluidstaticpressure. Thisallowsthestudy

of fluid dynamic effects normallymaskedby

gravity.

Thefirstexperimentstotakeplace intheFluid

ScienceLaboratory,whenColumbusarrivesat

theISS,includetheheatandmasstransferfrom

freesurfacesinbinaryliquids,astudyofemul

sion stability, an investigation of geophysical

flow inweightlessness,whichcanhave impor

tance in areas such asglobalscale flow in the

atmosphereandoceans,studiesofelectricfields

ontheboilingprocess,andastudyto improve

theprocessingofperitecticalloys.

The Fluid Science Laboratory is modular in

design and based on the use of drawer ele

ments. This facilitates the removal and trans

portofcomponents,eithertoupgradethemor

torepairdefectiveparts. Itcanbeoperated in

fullyautomatic or semiautomatic mode and

can be controlled onboardby the ISS astro

nauts,orfromthegroundintelesciencemode.

The right sideof theFluidScienceLaboratory

contains functional subsystems for power dis

tribution,environmentalconditioninganddata

processingandmanagement. Thecoreelement

onthe leftsideoftheFluidScienceLaboratory

consistsoftheOpticalDiagnosticsModuleand

Central Experiment Module, into which the

experiment containers are inserted for opera

tion.

The Optical Diagnostics Module houses the

equipment for visual, velocimetric and

interferometricobservation, the related control

electronics, and the attachment points and

interfacesforspecialfrontmountedcameras.

TheCentralExperimentModuleisdividedinto

two parts. The first contains the suspension

structure for the experiment containers,

including all the functional interfaces and

optical equipment. This structure isdesignedtobepulledoutfromtheracktoallowinsertion

and removal of the standard dimension

experiment containers into which the

experiments are integrated. The second part

contains allof thediagnostic and illumination

equipment,togetherwiththecontrolelectronics

tocommandandmonitortheelectromechanical

andoptomechanicalcomponents.

TheFluidScienceLaboratory


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Cooperative agreements have added to the

facility the Microgravity Vibration Isolation

System developed by the Canadian Space

Agency. This system will provide goodisolation for experiments fromdisturbances in

theweightlessenvironmentfromthestation.

Anexperimentcontaineralsomaybeequipped

with dedicated experiment diagnostics to

complementthestandarddiagnosticsprovided

bytheFluidScienceLaboratoryitself.

A facility likeFluidScienceLab,whichcanbe

used over and over again with different

experiment containers, allows shorterindividual mission preparation times and

contributestoafasterscientificdevelopmentin

thespecificfield.

Internal Facilities: European Transport

Carrier

TheEuropeanTransportCarrieraccommodates

itemsfortransportandstowagebasedonstan

dardizedcargo transferbags thatarecompati

ble for transportationwith the EuropeanbuiltMultiPurpose LogisticsModule (MPLM) and

ATV,andforuseonboardISSmodulessuchas

Columbus. ThemodularEuropeanTransport

Carrierdesign,basedonrigidstowagecontain

ers, offers maximum flexibility for handling

differentcargotransferbagsizes. AllEuropean

payloaditemswillbetransportedandstoredin

ISS cargo transfer bags. These are Nomex

bags in four standard sizes with removable,

reconfigurabledividers.

The European Transport Carriers rigid

stowage containers are optimized in size for

accommodation of the different sized cargo

transferbags. Therearetwosmallercontainers

for accommodating full and halfsize cargo

transferbags,eachoneequivalentinvolumeto

1.5 shuttle middeck lockers. There are four

containers, which offer about three times the

volumeofashuttlemiddeck locker. Theycan

befilledwithanycombinationofcargotransfer

bags, up to the triplesize. All stowagecontainersaredesignedtowithstandthelaunch

andlandingloadswhilecarryingtheirstowage

contents.

EuropeanTransportCarrier

The European Transport Carrier will carry

payload items that cannotbe launchedwithin

the ESA facilities because of stowage or

transportlimitations. Inorbit,itwillserveasa

workbench and stowage facility to support

experiments with Biolab, Fluid Science Lab,

European PhysiologyModules and European

DrawerRack. Onepieceofequipmentthatwill

be brought to the ISS inside the European


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Transport Carrier will be the European

FlywheelExerciseDevice. This isa resistance

exercise device that acts to countermeasure

muscle atrophy,bone loss, and impairmentofmuscle function in astronauts. It will be

transportedwithintwoofthetriplesizedcargo

transferbags.

The European Transport Carriers secondary

use iswithin theMPLM after it is eventually

replaced inColumbusbyanactiveexperiment

rack.(ESAcurrentlyownsfiverackpositions,

all are active/powered positions). The

EuropeanTransportCarriermay then actas a

logistics carrierbetweenEarth and the ISS for

the Columbus ESA payload racks. It is

designed for 15 launches, and can be

reconfigured on the ground to the specific

stowageneedsofeachflight.

Ingeneral,theEuropeanTransportCarrierwill

stowandtransportcommissioning items,com

plementary instruments, consumables, flight

andorbitalsupportequipment,orbitalreplace

ableunits,resupplyitemsandscienceitemslike

experimentcontainersandconsumables.

In addition, European Transport Carriers

ZerogStowagePockets(twoupper,onelower)

allow onorbit use of the remaining internal

volume. They can onlybe filled in orbit and

cannotbe used for launch and descent trans

portation.

TheEuropeanTransportCarriercancarrymore

than 400 kilograms (882 pounds) of payloadandexperiment items,totalinguptoabout800

liters. OnboardtheISS,ZerogStowagePock

etsextendcapacitytoabout1,000liters.

Columbus External Facilities

We usually think of astronauts aboard the

International Space Station performing

experiments inside the pressurized laboratory

modules,butexternalpayloadsofferthechoice

of experimentation in the open space

environmentwiththemajoradvantagesoflongduration exposure and return to Earth

thereafter for examination and analysis. One

noticeable example of this is the

ESAMatroshka radiation dosimetry facility,

whichwaslocatedontheexternalsurfaceofthe

ISS for 1.5 years following installation in

March2004.

ESAhasequipped theColumbusmodulewith

the External Payload Facility,which provides

four locations (platforms) to accommodate

researchpayloads. It isa frameworkmounted

onthemodulesendconeandprovidespower,

dataandcommandlinks.

TheColumbusExternalPayloadFacilityoffers

theopportunity for classical space scienceand

technology experiments in a diverse array of

disciplines. TheExternalPayloadFacilitywill

enhance the stations return without

significantly increasing the infrastructure cost

by exploiting automated operations, with

almostnocrewintervention.

EuTEFExternalPayloadFacility


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TheExternalPayloadprogramconsistsof two

elements: early utilization (before station

assembly iscomplete)and routineexploitation

(after assembly completion). Each payload ismounted on an adaptor able to accommodate

small instrumentsandexperiments totalingup

to 227 kilograms (500 pounds). Following an

Announcement of Opportunity and peer

review, five payloadswere selected, ofwhich

four entered development. They were

originally planned to use the NASA external

sitesbutwillnowbelocatedonColumbus.

Two of the payloads: The European

Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) and

SOLAR are flying on the STS122 flight with

Columbusandwillbeattachedtotheoutsideof

Columbus during the lastmission spacewalk.

TheAtomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES)

andtheAtmosphereSpaceInteractionMonitor

(ASIM)willbeflowntotheISSonalaterflight.

ThisfirstbatchofexternalColumbuspayloads

willbereplacedbynewpayloadsinthefuture.

OnesuchpayloadisASIM,(Atmosphere/Space

Interactions Monitor), payload composed of

optical instruments for theobservationofhigh

altitude emission from the stratosphere and

mesosphererelatedtothunderstorms.

In the future, the inorbit transfer of the

unpressurizedpayloadsfromtheshuttletothe

External Payload Facility, and viceversa,will

be performed by the Space Station Robotic

ManipulatorSystem. For SOLAR andEuTEF,

however the transfer will be carried out byastronautswith roboticarmassistance,aspart

ofEVA tasks. Futurepayloads likeASIMand

ACES could be uploaded with the HTV;

smaller/modularoneswiththeATVorProgress

aswell.

SOLARExternalPayloadFacility

External Facilities: European

Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF)

The European Technology Exposure Facility

(EuTEF)willbemountedoutsidetheColumbus

module and carry experiments requiring

exposure to the space environment. It is aprogrammable, fully automated, multiuser

facility with modular and flexible

accommodation for a variety of technology

payloads. EuTEF is specifically designed to

facilitate the rapid turnaround of experiments

and for its first configuration on orbit will

accommodateninedifferentinstruments.

Theexperimentsand facility infrastructureare

accommodated on the Columbus External

Payload Adaptor, consisting of an adapter

plate, theActiveFlightReleasableAttachment

Mechanism and the connectors and harness.

Theexperimentsaremountedeitherdirectlyon

the adapter plate or a support structure that

elevates them for optimum exposure to the

direction of flight or pointing away from the

Earth.


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In total, the payload mass is under

350kilograms (771 pounds), and requires less

than 450 watts of power. The suite of

experimentsconsistsof:

MEDET, the Material Exposure andDegradation Experiment (CNES, ONERA,

UniversityofSouthampton,ESA);

DOSTEL, radiation measurements (DLRInstituteofFlightMedicine);

TRIBOLAB, a testbed for the tribologyproperties of materials in space (INTA,

INASMET);

EXPOSE, photobiology and exobiology(KayserThrede,underESAcontract);

DEBIE2, a micrometeoroid and orbitaldebrisdetector(PatriaFinavitec,underESA

contract). Shares a standard berth with

FIPEX. DEBIE1flewontheProbasatellite;

FIPEX, an atomic oxygen detector(UniversityofDresden). Sharesastandard

berthwithDEBIE2;

PLEGPAY,plasmaelectrongunpayloadforplasma discharge in orbit (Thales Alenia

Space,underASIcontract);

EuTEMP, an experiment candidate tomeasure EuTEFs thermal environment

during unpowered transport from the

shuttle to the Columbus External Payload

Facility(EFACEC,underESAcontract).

EVC: anEarthViewingCamera,developedby

ESA/Carlo Gavazzi Space for outreach activi

ties.

EuTEF


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External Facilities: SOLAR

Apart from contributing to solar and stellar

physics,knowledgeof the interactionbetween

thesolarenergyfluxandEarthsatmosphereis

ofgreat importance foratmosphericmodeling,

atmospheric chemistry and climatology.

SOLAR,willstudythesunwithunprecedented

accuracyacrossmostofitsspectralrange. This

iscurrentlyscheduledtolasttwoyears. Itwill

be located on theColumbusExternal Payload

Facility zenith position (i.e., pointing away

fromtheEarth).

The SOLAR payload consists of three instruments complementing each other to allow

measurements of the solar spectral irradiance

throughoutvirtuallythewholeelectromagnetic

spectrum from 17 nm to 100 m inwhich

99% of the solar energy is emitted. The three

complementarysolarscienceinstrumentsare:

SOVIM (SOlarVariable& IrradianceMoni

tor),whichcoversnearUV,visibleandthermal

regions of the spectrum (200 nm 100 m) is

developed by PMOD/WRC (Davos, Switzerland)withoneof the instrumentsradiometers

providedbyIRM(Brussels,Belgium).

SOLSPEC (SOLar SPECctral Irradiance

measurements) covers the 180 nm 3,000 nm

range. SOLSPEC is developed by CNRS

(VerriresleBuisson, France) in partnership

with IASB/BIRA (Belgium) and LSW

(Germany).

SOL

ACES

(SOLar

Auto

Calibrating

Extreme

UV/UV Spectrophotometers) measures the

EUV/UVspectralregime. SOLACES isdevel

opedbyIPM(Freiburg,Germany).

SOVIMandSOLSPECareupgradedversionsof

instruments that have already accomplished

several spacemissions. SOLACES isanewly

developedinstrument.

SOLAR

External

Payload

Facility

inMarch2007

Future External Facilities

AtomicClockEnsembleinSpace(ACES)

ACESwilltestanewgenerationofatomicclock

in space. PHARAO (Projet dHorloge

Atomique par Refroidissement dAtomes en

Orbite)developedbyCNES inFranceand the

Space Hydrogen Maser developed in

Switzerland will be characterized and their

output signals comparedwith each other and

with national frequency standardsworldwide

using a dedicated microwave link. The

ultimate performance of PHARAO in

microgravitywillbeexploredandanumberof

fundamental physics experiments will be

performed.

ACES is a complex payload involving

stateoftheart instruments and subsystems.The atomic clocks are extremely sensitive to

theiroperatingenvironment,sotheparticularly

harsh environment of space provides new

challenges to the clock and payload designs.

Thermalandelectromagnetic sensitivityplaces

particularlysevereconstraintsonthepayload.


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MOTION CONTROL SUBSYSTEM

The InternationalSpaceStation control system

iscomposedofRussianandU.S.segmentsthatmaintain attitude control. When the Russian

segment is in control, it uses thrusters,which

burnpropellant. When theU.S. segment is in

control,ControlMomentGyroscopes (CMGs),

manufactured by L3 Communications, are

used. FourCMGsaremountedontheZ1truss,

an exterior framework that houses the

gyroscopes and some communications

equipment. A shuttle crew installed the Z1

truss on orbitwith four gyrospreinstalled in

October2000.

Tomaintain thestation in thedesiredattitude,

the CMG system must cancel or absorb the

torquegeneratedbythedisturbancesactingon

thestation. TheCMGsrelyonelectricalpower

readily available from the solar powered

electricalsubsystem.

EachCMGweighsapproximately600pounds.

A CMG consists of a large, flat, 220pound

stainlesssteelflywheelthatrotatesataconstant

speed (6,600 rpm) and develops an angular

momentum of 3,600 ftlbsec (4,880 Newton

metersec) about its spin axis. This rotating

wheel ismounted in a twodegreeoffreedom

gimbal system that can point the spin axis

(momentum vector) of the wheel in any

direction. ControlmotorsontheCMGgimbals

changetheorientationofthespinningrotorsto

produce torque on the station tobalance the

effects of gravity and aerodynamics,maintaining the station at an equilibrium

attitudewithoutusingpropellant.

At least two CMGs are needed to provide

attitudecontrolandaretheminimumnecessary

to steer and steady the station as it travels

aroundtheEarthevery90minutesataspeedof

morethanfivemileseachsecond.

There are fourCMGsoperatingonorbit. The

original CMG 1 was removed, replaced, and

returned from orbit in August 2005. The

originalCMG 3was removed and replaced in

August 2007, and it will be returned on

STS122.

CMG Statistics:

Primaryintegrator: Boeing

Manufacturer: L3Communications,Spaceand

NavigationDivision,BuddLake,N.J.

Weight: 600pounds

Purpose: Control the attitude of the Interna

tionalSpaceStationwithoutuseofpropellant.

Structure: Each CMG contains a 220pound

stainlesssteelflywheelthatspinsat6,600rpm.

Removal and Installation: Sixbolts and four

power/data connectorsneed tobedetached to

remove the ControlMoment Gyroscope from

thestationsZ1Truss.

ControlMomentGyroscope


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NITROGEN TANK ASSEMBLY (NTA)

Built at The Boeing Companys Houston

manufacturing facility, the Nitrogen TankAssembly (NTA) Orbital Replacement Unit

(ORU) on the International Space Stations

Port1 (P1) truss segment will be replaced

during space shuttle Atlantis STS122 and

ISSAssemblySequence1Emission.

The NTA provides a highpressure gaseous

nitrogensupplytocontroltheflowofammonia

out of the Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA).

The ATA contains two flexible, chambers

incorporated into its ammonia tanks thatexpand as pressurized nitrogen expels liquid

ammonia out of them. There are four NTA

ORUs, three ofwhich willbe onorbit at the

conclusionofSTS122.

The NTA controls ammonia pressure in the

ATA as a key part of the External Active

Thermal Control System, an external system

that circulates ammonia to cool ISS segments,

including the newly installed Columbus

modulewhichwasalsoflownonSTS122.

Mounted toboth the Starboard 1 (S1) and P1

truss segments, the NTA is equipped with a

Gas Pressure Regulating Valve (GPRV) and

isolationvalvesaswellassurvivalheaters. The

GPRV and isolation valves provide control

function and over pressure protection of

downstreamcomponents. Theheatersprevent

theelectronicequipmentfromgettingtoocold.

TheNTAssupportstructureismadelargelyof

aluminum,andthetankisacarboncomposite.

TheNTA ORU currently in place on P1will

have themajority of its usable nitrogenmassdepleted due to assembly operations since its

initial installationonNov. 23, 2002, aspart of

theP1 trussduringSTS113and ISSAssembly

Sequence11A. ItsreplacementORUhasa full

tank with a weight of about 80 pounds of

nitrogen at approximately 2,500 pounds per

squareinch(psi)ofpressurenearly80times

the pressure of an average automotive tire at

30psi. It also provides the capability to be

refilledwhileonorbit through itsnitrogen fill

quickdisconnect(QD).

ThereplacedNTAwillbereturnedtoHouston

for modification and refurbishment, which

includes redesigning heaters and installing an

onorbit capable fill quick disconnect. The

refurbishedNTAwillbe returned to ISS on a

futuremission.


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DECEMBER 2007 COLUMBUS CONTROL CENTER 47

COLUMBUS CONTROL CENTER,

OBERPFAFFENHOFEN, GERMANY

RoomK4oftheColumbusControlCenterinOberpfaffenhofen,

nearMunich,Germany. Aug.9,2004.

ESAsColumbusControlCenter (ColCC)will

support the European Columbus laboratory

once itbecomes an integralpartof the station

aftertheSTS122launch. Thecenterissituated

attheGermanAerospaceCenter(DLR)facility

in

Oberpfaffenhofen,

near

Munich,

Germany.

Thecontrolcenterwillbethedirect linktothe

Columbus laboratorywhen in orbit. Itsmain

functionswillbe to command and control the

Columbus laboratory systems, to coordinate

operations of the European payloads aboard

the ISS and to operate the European ground

communicationsnetwork.

In its main function of commanding and

controlling the systems of the Columbus

laboratory,theColCCwillbemakingsurethat

astronauts working within Columbus have a

safeand comfortable environment inwhich to

work

and

that

the

payload

facilities

have

the

necessary system support in order to function

properly. This will include monitoring and

configuring, by remote command, the life

support systems to maintain air quality, the

power supply to experiment facilities, and

systems for removal of heat from experiment

facilities.


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48 COLUMBUS CONTROL CENTER DECEMBER 2007

European and nonEuropean astronaut

activities inside Columbus will be monitored

andcoordinatedfromtheColCC. TheControl

Center

also

will

hold

overall

responsibility

for

such issues as safety in the Columbus

laboratory under the overall authority of the

ISSMission Control Center in Houston. The

ColCC will react to any changes during the

mission, coordinating decisions and

establishing priorities should any change

interferewiththeEuropeanexperimentsinside

Columbus.

Columbuswillhaveexperimentalfacilitiesboth

internallyand

externally

covering

amultitude

of experiments over the course of its lifetime.

The involvement of the astronauts with these

experimentscouldrangefromahighdegreeof

interaction toonly someactivity limited to the

integrationandremovaloftheexperimentfrom

itsprocessinglocation.

Any autonomous activities of the Columbus

systems and experiment facilities will be

monitored and coordinated through the

ColCC. The Columbus systems will be

configured as and when necessary to account

foralterationsinproceduresorachangewithin

the payload facilities. All data coming from

Columbus will be routed by the ColCC,

exercisingitsroleasnetworkoperationscenter.

The engineering data will be archived at

ColCC whereas the scientific and relevant

experimentandfacilitydatawillbedistributed

todecentralizedUserSupportandOperations

Centersor

USOCs,

where

these

will

be

processedandarchived.

The USOCs are based in national centers

distributed throughout Europe and will be

responsible for the specific operations of the

ESA payload and experiment facilities within

Columbus. At these centers scientific

investigators

can

monitor,

or

be

linked

to,

their

experiments.

TheColCC isresponsiblefordistributingdata

to theUSOCs and receiving information from

them such as requests for resources and

reconfiguration of Columbus systems in

support of experiments and payload facility

operations. Such information is fed into the

mission planning process that generates

timelinesforflightcontrollersandastronauts.

Longtermstoragelibraryatthe

ColumbusControlCenter


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DECEMBER 2007 COLUMBUS CONTROL CENTER 49

TheEuropeanAstronautCenterinCologne,Germany

TheColCCalsowillbelinkedtotheEuropean

AstronautCenter inCologne,Germany,which

isresponsibleformedicalsupport,monitoring,

andsafetyofESAastronautsduringmissions.

Since Columbus itself will host nonEuropean

experiments such as U.S. payload facilities,

decisions such as changes in scheduling are

coordinatedwiththeISSinternationalpartners.

For this reason theColCC isconnected to the

ISSMission

Control

Center

at

the

Johnson

Space Center in Houston, the Huntsville

OperationsSupportCenter inHuntsville,Ala.,

andtothe Mission ControlCenter in Moscow.

Further to its functions of command and

control of Columbus systems as well as the

coordination of the Columbus payload

operations, the ColCC is responsible for

operatingthegroundcommunicationsnetwork

that provides communication services (voice,

videoanddata)toalargenumberofsites: ESA

Operations Management at ESA/ESTEC; the

USOCs; the European Astronaut Center;

industrialengineeringsupportsites;andtothe

Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Control

Center in Toulouse, France. The ATV is the

Europeanbuilt

ISS

re

supply

ship,

the

first

of

which (JulesVerne) isdue for launch early in

2008 by an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou,

FrenchGuiana. TheATVControlCenterwill

coordinateandsupportallATVoperations for

ESA.


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50 COLUMBUS CONTROL CENTER DECEMBER 2007

TheISSFlightControlRoomattheMission

ControlCenterinHouston

TheCol

CC

has

two

control

rooms:

one

for

realtime operation control and one for

preparation activities, such as the training of

controllers,simulations,etc. Thesecondcontrol

roomalsoactsasabackup for the firstcontrol

room. Abackupcontrolcenter,whichcantake

overoperationsincaseofamajordisastersuch

asfireinthecontrolfacility,isprovidedonsite

ofDLRbutnotlocatedinthesamebuilding.

TheATVControlCenterinToulouse,France

willreceivecommunicationsservicesfrom

theColumbusControlCenter.

The integratedColCC flight control team isa

joint DLR and EADS Astrium team. This

mission control service is provided as part of

the

overall

end

to

end

operations

service

delivered by EADS Astrium as the ISS

industrialoperator. Theflightcontrolteamwill

beledbyDLRflightdirectorsandwillbeunder

the overall supervision of an ESA mission

directorbased atDLROberpfaffenhofen. The

ColCC operations teams will be capable of

supporting seven day/week, 24 hours/day

operations during the Columbus launch and

assembly mission. Thereafter, the ColCC

operations will be tailored to the payload

operationsneeds.

NetworkEquipment

Room

at

the

ColumbusControlCenter


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DECEMBER 2007 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING 51

RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING

BackdroppedbyablueandwhiteEarth,spaceshuttleDiscoveryapproachesthe

InternationalSpaceStationduringSTS120rendezvousanddockingoperations.

About 2.5 hoursbefore docking, Atlantisjets

willbefiredduringwhatiscalledtheTerminal

Initiationburn tobegin the final phase of the

rendezvous. Atlantiswillclose the finalmiles

tothestationduringthenextorbit.

As Atlantis moves closer to the station, the

shuttles rendezvous radar system and trajec

torycontrol sensorwill track thecomplexand

providerangeandclosingratedatatothecrew.

Duringthefinalapproach,Atlantiswillexecute

several smallmidcourse correctionburns that

will place the shuttle about 1,000 feet directly

below the station. STS122 Commander

SteveFrickthenwillmanuallycontroltheshut

tlefortheremainderoftheapproachanddock

ing.

Frick

will

stop

the

approach

600

feet

beneath

the station to ensure proper lighting for

imagery prior to initiating the standard

Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver (RPM), or

backflip.

Frick will maneuver Atlantis through a

9minute, 360degree backflip that allows the


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52 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING DECEMBER 2007

stationcrewtotakeasmanyas300digitalpic

turesoftheshuttlesheatshield.

OnverbalcuefromPilotAlanPoindextertothe

station crew, Frick will command Atlantis tobeginanoseforward,threequarterofadegree

persecondrotationalbackflip.

Both400and800mmdigitalcameralenseswill

beusedtophotographAtlantisbystationcrew

members. The 400 mm lens provides up to

3inch resolution and the 800 mm lens can

provideup to 1inch resolution. The imagery

includes the upper surfaces of the shuttle as

wellas

Atlantis

underside,

capturing

pictures

of the nose landing gear door seals, themain

landinggeardoorsealsandtheelevoncove.

Thephotoswillbetakenoutofwindowsinthe

ZvezdaServiceModuleusingKodakDCS760

digitalcameras. The imagery isoneofseveral

inspectiontechniquestodeterminethehealthof

theshuttlesthermalprotectionsystem,includ

ingthetilesandreinforcedcarboncarbonwing

leadingedgesandnosecap.

The photos will be downlinked through the

stations Kuband communications system for

analysis by systems engineers and mission

managers.

When Atlantis completes its rotation, its

payloadbaywillbefacingthestation.

Frick then will move Atlantis to a position

about400feetdirectlyinfrontofthestationin

preparationfor

the

final

approach

to

docking

to

the PMA2, newly located at the end of the

Harmonymodule.

The shuttles crew members operate laptop

computersprocessingthenavigationaldata,the

laser range systems and Atlantis docking

mechanism.

Rendezvous Approach Profile

Space Shuttle Rendezvous Maneuvers

OMS-1 (Orbit insertion) Rarely used ascentburn.

OMS-2 (Orbit insertion) Typically used tocircularize the initial orbit following ascent,completing orbital insertion. For ground-uprendezvous flights, also considered arendezvous phasing burn.

NC (Rendezvous phasing) Performed to hita range relative to the target at a future time.

NH (Rendezvous height adjust) Performedto hit a delta-height relative to the target at afuture time.

NPC (Rendezvous plane change) Performed

to remove planar errors relative to the target ata future time.

NCC (Rendezvous corrective combination) First on-board targeted burn in the rendezvoussequence. Using star tracker data, it isperformed to remove phasing and height errorsrelative to the target at Ti.

Ti (Rendezvous terminal intercept) Secondon-board targeted burn in the rendezvoussequence. Using primarily rendezvous radardata, it places the orbiter on a trajectory tointercept the target in one orbit.

MC-1, MC-2, MC-3, MC-4 (Rendezvousmidcourse burns) These on-board targetedburns use star tracker and rendezvous radardata to correct the post Ti trajectory inpreparation for the final, manual proximityoperations phase.


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Atlantis will move to a distance of about

450feet, where Poindexter will begin to fly

around the station in its new configuration.

This

maneuver

will

occur

only

if

propellant

marginsandmissiontimelineactivitiespermit.

OnceAtlantis completes1.5 revolutionsof the

complex, Poindexter will fire Atlantis jets to

leave the area. The shuttle will move about

46miles from the station and remain there

whilegroundteamsanalyzedatafromthe late

inspection of the shuttles heat shield. The

distance iscloseenoughtoallowtheshuttleto

return to the station in theunlikely event that

theheat

shield

is

damaged,

preventing

the

shuttlesreentry.


Expedition16crewsconcluded11daysofcooperativeworkonboardtheshuttleandstation.

Backdroppedbytheblacknessofspace,theInternationalSpaceStationisseenfromspace

shuttleDiscoveryasthetwospacecraftbegintheirrelativeseparation. EarliertheSTS120and

UNDOCKING, SEPARATION, AND

DEPARTURE

At

undocking

time,

the

hooks

and

latches

will

be opened, and springs will push the shuttle

away from the station. Atlantis steeringjets

willbeshutofftoavoidanyinadvertentfirings

duringtheinitialseparation.

OnceAtlantisisabouttwofeetfromthestation

and the docking devices are clear of one

another, Poindexter will turn the steeringjets

back on and will manually control Atlantis

withina tight corridoras the shuttle separates

fromthe

station.


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DECEMBER 2007 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING 55

Thisimagedepictsthespaceshuttleundockingfromtheorbitaloutpost

duringtheSTS120mission.


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DECEMBER 2007 SPACEWALKS 57

SPACEWALKS

The

objective

of

the

spacewalks

during

the

STS122mission is to install and prepare the

European Space Agencys Columbus r

STS-122 Press Kit

Documents

Transcript of STS-122 Press Kit