STS-4V
| STS-4V | |||||
Mission insignia | |||||
| Mission statistics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission name | STS-4V | ||||
| Space shuttle | Terra Nova | ||||
| Launch pad | SLC-6 | ||||
| Launch date | July 29, 2009 6:25 a.m. PDT (14:25 UTC) | ||||
| Landing | August 10, 2009 7:47 a.m. PDT (15:47 UTC) | ||||
| Mission duration | 13 days, 1 hour, 22 minutes | ||||
| Number of orbits | 251 | ||||
| Orbital period | 90 minutes | ||||
| Orbital altitude | 191 miles (307 km) | ||||
| Orbital inclination | 90° | ||||
| Distance traveled | 6,314,909 miles (3,924,084.5 km) | ||||
| Related missions | |||||
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STS-4V was a multinational Earth-science space shuttle mission, launched July 29, 2009. The primary payload was the SPACEHAB Research Double Module and two Extended Duration Orbiter pallets. The mission included two spacewalks using newly a updated version of the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). The mission, which launched while STS-127 and Expedition 20 were in orbit, held a record for the most people in space at once (18) until the Orbital Contingency Test Flight launched in February of 2010.
Contents
Crew
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Harold Hamilton Fourth spaceflight | |
| Pilot | David Sanders Fourth spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 1 | Ixy Comeaux Fifth spaceflight Lead spacewalker, EV1 | |
| Mission Specialist 2 | Yuri Gregorov, RKA First spaceflight EV2 | |
| Payload Specialist 1 | Clarissa Thomas, ESA First spaceflight | |
Mission parameters
- Mass:
- Orbiter Liftoff: 229,095 lb (506,300 kg)
- Orbiter Landing: TBD
- Payload: 9,699 lb (21,553 kg)
- Perigee: 168 mi (270 km)
- Apogee: 177 mi (285 km)
- Inclination: 90°
- Period: 90 minutes
Mission payload
Launch attempts
Mission highlights
Extra-vehicular activity
Two spacewalks were planned for the mission, and both were completed successfully.
| EVA # | Spacewalkers | Start (UTC) | End (UTC) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVA 1 |
Ixy Comeaux | August 2 16:19 |
August 2 21:51 |
5 hours, 32 minutes |
| First successful test of the newly designed NG-MMU. Fourth ever untethered spacewalk. | ||||
| EVA 2 |
Comeaux Yuri Gregorov |
August 4 15:27 |
August 4 22:20 |
6 hours, 53 minutes |
| First Russian and fifth ever untethered spacewalk. | ||||
Wake-up calls
A tradition for NASA human spaceflights since the days of Gemini, mission crews are played a special musical track at the start of each day in space. Each track is specially chosen, often by their families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.
| Flight Day | Song | Artist/Composer | Played for | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 2 |
"Cosmic Castaway" | Electrasy | Ixy Comeaux | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 3 |
“Life Is a Highway” | Rascal Flatts | David Sanders | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 4 |
“Zamboni” | Gear Daddies | Harold Hamilton | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 5 |
“Takin' Care of Business” | Bachman-Turner Overdrive | Ixy Comeaux | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 6 |
“Anthem of Europe” | Ludwig van Beethoven | Clarissa Thomas | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 7 |
“State Anthem of the Russian Federation” | Alexander Alexandrov | Yuri Gregorov | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 8 |
“Here Comes the Sun” | The Beatles | STS-4V Crew | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 9 |
“Learn to Fly” | Foo Fighters | STS-4V Crew | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 10 |
“What a Wonderful World” | Louis Armstrong | STS-4V Crew | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 11 |
“Hold on Tight” | Electric Light Orchestra | STS-4V Crew | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 12 |
“Fly Me to the Moon” | Frank Sinatra | STS-4V Crew | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 13 |
“Life in Technicolor II” | Coldplay | STS-4V Crew | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Contingency mission
STS-505 was the designation given to the Contingency Shuttle Crew Support mission which would have been launched in the event Space Shuttle Terra Nova became disabled during STS-4V. Due to the inclination and other orbital parameters of the mission, Terra Nova would have been unable to use the International Space Station as a safe haven in the event of structural or mechanical failure. The mission would have been a modified version of the STS-400 rescue mission, and would have launch from Space Launch Complex 7 at Vandenberg AFB. Once in orbit, the rescue Orbiter would perform an extended TPS tile check and would link up with Terra Nova, which would grapple the Orbiter with its Remote Manipulator System (RMS). Once the crew of STS-4V was safely aboard the other Shuttle, a final transfer would take place to install a backup Remote Control Orbiter in-flight maintenance (RCO IFM) cable aboard the Terra Nova, which lacked a dedicated remote landing and control system.[1] The rescue Orbiter would land first, landing at Vandenberg on day eight to nine of STS-505. Terra Nova would remain in orbit until the rescue Orbiter was removed from the runway, at which point the decision would be made to either land at Vandenberg or to ditch the Shuttle in South Pacific Ocean, should the damage be too severe to allow a safe landing. Vandenberg would be the preferred landing site due to its location along the orbit of the Shuttle and due to its proximity to the Pacific. Should a problem develop that would make landing dangerous, the Shuttle could be remotely ditched into the ocean away from populated areas.
Notes
- ↑ Space Shuttle Constitution was designed to be remotely controlled from mission control or to land automatically on its own. A refit was completed for Terra Nova in late 2009 to early 2010 to allow automated landing and was used successfully during the Orbital Contingency Test Flight.
External links
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