STS-40, the eleventh launch of
Space ShuttleThe Space Shuttle, part of the Space Transportation System , is a spacecraft operated by NASA for orbital human spaceflight missions. It began operations in the 1980s and is scheduled to be retired from service in 2010 after 134 launches...
ColumbiaSpace Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it flew a total of 27 times before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 on the STS-107 mission , killing all seven...
, was a nine-day mission. It carried the
SpacelabSpacelab was a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle. It allowed scientists to perform experiments in microgravity in Earth orbit...
module for Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1), the fifth Spacelab mission and the first dedicated solely to
biologyBiology is the natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy...
.
- Mass
In physics, mass commonly refers to any of three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent: inertial mass, active gravitational mass and passive gravitational mass...
:
- Orbiter landing with payload: 102,283 kg
- Payload: 12,374 kg
- Perigee: 287 km
- Apogee: 296 km
- Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.- Orbits :The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
: 39.0°
- Period
The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
: 90.4 min
Launch originally set for May 22, 1991.
STS-40, the eleventh launch of
Space ShuttleThe Space Shuttle, part of the Space Transportation System , is a spacecraft operated by NASA for orbital human spaceflight missions. It began operations in the 1980s and is scheduled to be retired from service in 2010 after 134 launches...
ColumbiaSpace Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it flew a total of 27 times before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 on the STS-107 mission , killing all seven...
, was a nine-day mission. It carried the
SpacelabSpacelab was a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle. It allowed scientists to perform experiments in microgravity in Earth orbit...
module for Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1), the fifth Spacelab mission and the first dedicated solely to
biologyBiology is the natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy...
.
Crew
Mission parameters
- Mass
In physics, mass commonly refers to any of three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent: inertial mass, active gravitational mass and passive gravitational mass...
:
- Orbiter landing with payload: 102,283 kg
- Payload: 12,374 kg
- Perigee: 287 km
- Apogee: 296 km
- Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.- Orbits :The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
: 39.0°
- Period
The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
: 90.4 min
Mission highlights
Launch originally set for May 22, 1991. Mission postponed less than 48 hours before launch when it became known that a leaking liquid hydrogen transducer in orbiter main propulsion system which was removed and replaced during leak testing in 1990, had failed an analysis by vendor. Engineers feared that one or more of the nine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen transducers protruding into fuel and oxidizer lines could break off and be ingested by the engine turbopumps, causing engine failure.
In addition, one of orbiter five general purpose computers failed completely, along with one of the multiplexer demultiplexers that control orbiter hydraulics ordinance and orbiter maneuvering system / reaction control system functions in aft compartment.
New general purpose computer and multiplexer demultiplexer were installed and tested. One liquid hydrogen and two liquid oxygen transducers were replaced upstream in propellant flow system near the 17-inch (43 cm) disconnect area, which is protected by internal screen. Three liquid oxygen transducers replaced at engine manifold area, while three liquid hydrogen transducers here were removed and openings plugged. Launch reset for 8 a.m. EDT, June 1, but postponed again after several attempts to calibrate inertial measurement unit 2 failed. Unit was replaced and retested, and launch was rescheduled for June 5. Launched successfully on June 5, 1991, at 9:24:51 a.m. EDT., the mission had a launch Weight: 251,970 lb (114,290 kg).
It was the fifth dedicated
SpacelabSpacelab was a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle. It allowed scientists to perform experiments in microgravity in Earth orbit...
mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1, and first dedicated solely to life sciences, using the habitable module. Mission featured most detailed and interrelated physiological measurements in space since 1973–1974
SkylabSkylab was the United States' first space station, and the second space station visited by a human crew. It was also the only space station NASA launched alone...
missions. Subjects were humans, 30
rodentRodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s and thousands of tiny
jellyfishJellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish have several different morphologies that represent several different cnidarian classes including the Scyphozoa , Staurozoa , Cubozoa , and Hydrozoa Jellyfish (also known as jellies or sea jellies) are free-swimming members of...
. Primary SLS-1 experiments studied six body systems; of 18 investigations, ten involved humans, seven involved rodents, and one used jellyfish.
Six body systems investigated were cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary (heart, lungs and blood vessels); renal/endocrine (kidneys and hormone-secreting organs and glands); blood (blood plasma); immune system (white blood cells); musculoskeletal (muscles and bones); and neurovestibular (brains and nerves, eyes and inner ear). Other payloads included twelve
Getaway SpecialGetaway Special was a NASA program that offered interested individuals or groups, opportunities to fly small experiments aboard the Space Shuttle...
(GAS) canisters installed on GAS bridge in cargo bay for experiments In materials science, plant biology and cosmic radiation (see
G-616-GAS G-616: The Effect of Cosmic Radiation on Floppy Disks:G-616: Carried on Shuttle Columbia mission STS-40NASA's Getaway Special canisters are installed on the GAS bridge in shuttle cargo bay for experiments in materials science, plant biology and cosmic radiationGAS canister # G-616: The Effect...
); Middeck Zero-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE); and seven Orbiter Experiments (
OEXOEX may refer to :* Orbital experiments, by NASA* Château-d'Œx, Switzerland* S&P 100 ticker symbol...
).
Landing was on June 14, 1991, at 8:39:11 a.m. PDT, on Runway 22, at
Edwards Air Force BaseEdwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond. It is named in...
, California. Rollout distance: 9,403 feet (2866 m). Rollout time: 55 seconds. Orbiter returned to KSC June 21. Landing Weight: 226,535 lb (102,755 kg).
See also
- Space science
Space science is an all-encompassing term that describes all of the various science fields that are concerned with the study of the Universe, generally also meaning "excluding the Earth" and "outside of the Earth's atmosphere". Originally, all of these fields were considered part of astronomy...
- Space shuttle
The Space Shuttle, part of the Space Transportation System , is a spacecraft operated by NASA for orbital human spaceflight missions. It began operations in the 1980s and is scheduled to be retired from service in 2010 after 134 launches...
- List of space shuttle missions
- List of human spaceflights chronologically
- G-616
-GAS G-616: The Effect of Cosmic Radiation on Floppy Disks:G-616: Carried on Shuttle Columbia mission STS-40NASA's Getaway Special canisters are installed on the GAS bridge in shuttle cargo bay for experiments in materials science, plant biology and cosmic radiationGAS canister # G-616: The Effect...
"The effects of Cosmic Radiation on Floppy Disks"
External links