 Columbia retrieves theLong Duration Exposure Facility. | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-32 STS-32R |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Syncom IV-F5 satellite deployment LDEF satellite retrieval |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1990-002A |
| SATCATno. | 20409 |
| Mission duration | 10 days, 21 hours, 36 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 7,258,096 km (4,509,972 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 172 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Columbia |
| Launch mass | 116,117 kg (255,994 lb) |
| Landing mass | 103,571 kg (228,335 lb) |
| Payload mass | 12,014 kg (26,486 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 5 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | January 9, 1990, 12:35:00 (1990-01-09UTC12:35Z) UTC (7:35 am EST) |
| Launch site | Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | January 20, 1990, 09:35:36 (1990-01-20UTC09:35:37Z) UTC (1:35:36 am PST) |
| Landing site | Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 22 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 296 km (184 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 361 km (224 mi) |
| Inclination | 28.45° |
| Period | 91.10 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| |
 STS-32 mission patch  Standing:Ivins,Low andDunbar Seated:Brandenstein andWetherbee | |
STS-32 was the 33rd mission ofNASA'sSpace Shuttle program, and the ninth launch ofSpace Shuttle Columbia. Launched on January 9, 1990, it marked the first use ofKennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A since 1986; it also marked the first use ofMobile Launcher Platform-3 (MLP-3) in theSpace Shuttle program. STS-32 was, at the time, the longest shuttle mission yet conducted, with a duration of nearly 11 days. Before STS-32, the only mission of the same duration had beenSTS-9 in 1983. On January 20, 1990, STS-32 executed the third night landing of the shuttle program. STS-32 was also the first Shuttle mission of the 1990s.
The mission was technically designatedSTS-32R, as the original STS-32 designator had been used internally forSTS-61-C, the 24th Space Shuttle mission. Official documentation and flight paperwork for that mission had contained the designator STS-32 throughout. Flights with theSTS-26 throughSTS-33 designators used theR in their documentation to avoid conflicts in tracking data from one mission to another.[1]
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Daniel Brandenstein Third spaceflight | |
| Pilot | Jim Wetherbee First spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 1 | Bonnie J. Dunbar Second spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 2 Flight Engineer | Marsha Ivins First spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 3 | G. David Low First spaceflight | |
| Seat[2] | Launch | Landing |  Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck. Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandenstein | ||
| 2 | Wetherbee | ||
| 3 | Dunbar | Low | |
| 4 | Ivins | ||
| 5 | Low | Dunbar | |
| 6 | Unused | ||
| 7 | Unused | ||
STS-32 marked the inaugural launch fromKennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A following an extensive refurbishment.[3] The pad, which had been inactive since theSTS-61-C mission in 1986, underwent significant modifications to enhance safety and operational efficiency. These improvements encompassed upgrades to the crew emergency egress system and shuttle payload bay, increasing anti-freeze protection for water systems, as well as the integration of debris traps for propellant loading and enhanced weather protection measures. A new umbilical system was also installed to provide power, instrumentation, and control for the solid rocket booster field joint heaters.
Concurrently,Mobile Launcher Platform-3 (MLP-3), a legacy structure from theApollo program, was substantially retrofitted for shuttle operations. This process involved removing the umbilical tower, reconfiguring exhaust vents, and modernizing electrical and mechanical ground support systems.
| Attempt | Planned | Result | Turnaround | Reason | Decision point | Weather go (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 Jan 1990, 8:10:00 am | Scrubbed | — | Weather | 8 Jan 1990, 9:00 am (T−00:05:00) | 10[4] | Low level clouds in the KSC area. |
| 2 | 9 Jan 1990, 7:35:00 am | Success | 0 days 23 hours 25 minutes | 90[4] |
STS-32 launched from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, on January 9, 1990, at 7:35:00 a.m.EST. The launch was initially scheduled for December 18, 1989, but was later postponed to allow the modifications to Pad A to be completed and verified. The second scheduled launch, on January 8, 1990, was aborted due to weather conditions.[5]Columbia had a mission launch weight of 116,117 kg (255,994 lb).[6]
The primary objectives of the mission were to deploy theSyncom IV-F5military communications satellite (also known asLeasat 5),[7] and to retrieve NASA'sLong Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), whose retrieval had been delayed for 41⁄2 years by scheduling changes and theChallenger disaster of 1986. Syncom IV-F5 (Leasat-5) was deployed on the second flight day, and a third-stage Minutemansolid apogee kick motor propelled it into ageosynchronous orbit. Dunbar retrieved the LDEF on the fourth day of the flight using the shuttle's Remote Manipulator System (Canadarm). The timeliness of the retrieval was of critical importance, because a high rate ofsolar flux had increased the density of the LDEF's orbital environment and accelerated its rate oforbital decay. Specialists who carefully monitored the stability of the craft's orbit had anticipated that if the LDEF was not retrieved in time, it would pass too low for the shuttle to safely reach, and could be destroyed during re-entry in February 1990. Thus, the mission's exact liftoff time was determined about 12 hours before launch, using the latest tracking data on LDEF. It was flown on a 352 km (219 mi) orbitinclined 28.45° to theequator.
The crew performed a 41⁄2-hour photographic survey of the free-flying structure, which held 57 science, technology and applications experiments. The 12-sided cylinder, about the size of a smallbus, was then berthed in the orbiter's payload bay for return toEarth.
NASA had planned to acquire data on the crew members' exposure to long periods ofzero gravity, and its effects on the crew's performance while landing the orbiter after an extended mission. STS-32 set a new shuttle duration record of nearly eleven days. An orbiter kit was developed to allow the shuttle to operate for up to 16 days in Earth orbit, and would later make its debut onColumbia'sSTS-50 mission in 1992.
The retrieval of LDEF was filmed with anIMAX camera, and appeared in the IMAX filmDestiny in Space in 1994. Earth observation footage from the camera also appeared in the 1990 filmBlue Planet.
Columbia landed safely on January 20, 1990, at 1:35:37 a.m.PST on Runway 22 ofEdwards Air Force Base,California. The orbiter had a landing weight of 103,571 kg (228,335 lb). The roll-out distance was 3,271 m (10,732 ft), and the roll-out time was 62 seconds. The orbiter returned to KSC on January 26, 1990.
In addition to the Syncom IV-F5 (Leasat-5) satellite, STS-32 carried a number of mid-deck scientific payloads, some of which had already been flown on previous shuttle missions. The experiments included:
NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during theProject Gemini, and first used music to wake up a flight crew duringApollo 15. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.[8]
| Flight Day | Song | Artist/Composer |
|---|---|---|
| Day 2 | "What's More American?" | Bing Crosby |
| Day 3 | "The Banana Boat Song" parody | |
| Day 4 | "Let It Snow" parody | |
| Day 5 | "Hello Dolly" parody | |
| Day 6 | "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" | |
| Day 7 | "Notre Dame Victory March" | |
| Day 8 | "Bow Down to Washington" | University of Washington |
| Day 9 | "Glory, Glory, Colorado" | University of Colorado |
| Day 10 | "Danny Boy" | Larry Bird |
| Day 11 | "Washington and Lee" | Washington and Lee University |
| Day 12 | "Born to Be Wild" | Steppenwolf |
| Day 13 | "Anchors Aweigh" | Charles A. Zimmerman |
The three stars on the left and two stars on the right of STS-32's insignia symbolized the flight's numerical designation in theSpace Transportation System's mission sequence. The inverted orbiter on the mission patch reflects the overhead phasing required for rendezvous with LDEF. LDEF had dropped to such a low altitude that the orbiter could not do the usual lower-orbit catch-up because of the thicker atmosphere, and had to reach the LDEF from above.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Space ShuttleColumbia (OV-102) | ||
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