 Atlantis in orbit; in-flight photography of this Department of Defense support mission is limited | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-38 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | DoD satellite deployment |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1990-097A |
| SATCATno. | 20935 |
| Mission duration | 4 days, 21 hours, 54 minutes, 31 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 3,291,199 km (2,045,056 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 79 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Atlantis |
| Launch mass | 2,055,639 kg (4,531,908 lb) |
| Landing mass | 86,677 kg (191,090 lb) |
| Payload mass | (Classified) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 5 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | November 15, 1990, 23:48:15 (1990-11-15UTC23:48:15Z) UTC (6:48:15 pm EST) |
| Launch site | Kennedy,LC-39A |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | November 20, 1990, 21:42:46 (1990-11-20UTC21:42:47Z) UTC (4:42:46 pm EST) |
| Landing site | Kennedy,SLF Runway 33 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[1] |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 260 km (160 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 269 km (167 mi) |
| Inclination | 28.45° |
| Period | 89.79 minutes |
 STS-38 mission patch  Standing:Gemar,Springer andMeade Seated:Culbertson andCovey | |
STS-38 was aSpace Shuttle mission byNASA using theSpace ShuttleAtlantis. It was the 37th shuttle mission and carried aclassified payload for theU.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It was the seventh flight forAtlantis and the seventh flight dedicated to the Department of Defense. The mission was a 4-day mission that traveled 3,291,199 km (2,045,056 mi) and completed 79 revolutions.Atlantis landed atKennedy Space Center'sShuttle Landing Facility's runway 33. The launch was originally scheduled for July 1990 but was rescheduled due to ahydrogen leak found onSpace Shuttle Columbia during theSTS-35 countdown. During a rollback to theOrbiter Processing FacilityAtlantis was damaged during a hail storm. The eventual launch date of November 15, 1990, was set due to a payload problem. The launch window was between 18:30 and 22:30EST. The launch occurred at 18:48:13 EST.[2] The mission ended with a landing at theShuttle Landing Facility, marking the first time in five years that a mission returned to the Kennedy Space Center sinceSTS-51-D. This also marked the first timeAtlantis ended a mission at the Kennedy Space Center.
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Richard O. Covey Third spaceflight | |
| Pilot | Frank L. Culbertson Jr. First spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 1 | Carl J. Meade First spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 2 Flight Engineer | Robert C. Springer Second and last spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 3 | Charles D. Gemar First spaceflight | |
| Seat[3] | Launch | Landing |  Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck. Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Covey | ||
| 2 | Culbertson | ||
| 3 | Meade | Gemar | |
| 4 | Springer | ||
| 5 | Gemar | Meade | |
| 6 | Unused | ||
| 7 | Unused | ||
The launch occurred on November 15, 1990, 18:48:13 EST. It was originally scheduled for July 9, 1990, however, aliquid hydrogen leak found onColumbia during theSTS-35 countdown prompted three precautionary tanking tests onAtlantis at the pad on June 29, 1990, on July 13, and on July 25, 1990.[4]: 10, 12, 15 Tests confirmed the hydrogen fuel leak on the external tank side of the external tank/orbiter 43.2 cm (17.0 in) quick disconnect umbilical. This could not be repaired at the pad andAtlantis was rolled back to the VAB on August 9, 1990, demated, then transferred to theOrbiter Processing Facility (OPF). During rollback, the vehicle remained parked outside the VAB for about a day while theColumbia/STS-35 stack was transferred to the pad for launch. While outside,Atlantis suffered minor hail damage to its tiles during a thunderstorm. After repairs were made in the OPF,Atlantis was transferred to the VAB for mating on October 2, 1990. During hoisting operations, the platform beam that was to have been removed from the orbiter's aft compartment fell and caused minor damage, which was repaired. The vehicle rolled out to Pad A on October 12, 1990. The fourth mini-tanking test was performed on October 24, 1990, with no excessive hydrogen or oxygen leakage detected. During theFlight Readiness Review (FRR), the launch date was set for November 9, 1990. The launch was reset for November 15 due to payload problems. Liftoff occurred during a classified launch window lying within a launch period extending from 18:30 to 22:30 EST on November 15, 1990.
According toAviation Week, the shuttle initially entered a 204 km (127 mi) x 519 km (322 mi) orbit at aninclination of 28.45° to theequator. It then executed threeorbital maneuvering system (OMS) burns, the last on orbit #4. The first of these circularized the orbit at 519 km (322 mi).
The first classified payload was code-named USA-67,[5] which was deployed from Atlantis' cargo bay on the seventh orbit and ignited itsrocket motor at the ascending node of the eighth orbit to place it in ageostationary transfer orbit (GTO).Aviation Week reported that USA-67 was a secretELINT gathering satellite headed forgeosynchronous orbit and launched to monitor the events during the firstGulf War in 1990. As a result of there being two upper stages aboard STS-38, USA-67 was originally believed to be aMagnum satellite like those deployed onSTS-51-C andSTS-33, which were launched via a two-stageInertial Upper Stage (IUS).[6] Today it is believed that USA-67 was instead a secretSatellite Data System (SDS-2)military communications satellite, like those deployed onSTS-28 andSTS-53.[7][8]
It is also believed that USA-67 was not the only satellite deployed during STS-38. A publicly released image ofAtlantis' vertical stabilizer and upper aft bulkhead, similar to the one released from STS-53, confirms that the ASE (Airborne Support Equipment) for the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) was absent from this flight.[9] An explanation is that two separate satellites were deployed, using single-stagePayload Assist Module (PAM-D). Rumors that appear to have been substantiated by the identification of an "unknown" geostationary satellite by amateur observers[10][11] insist that the second payload was a stealth satellite known asProwler, reportedly intended to covertly inspect other nation's geostationary satellites.[12]
The mission was extended by one day due to unacceptable crosswinds at the planned landing site ofEdwards Air Force Base. Continued adverse conditions led to a decision to shift the landing to theShuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at the Kennedy Space Center.[13] The SLF had not been used by a returning shuttle mission in five years, sinceSTS-51-D whenDiscovery suffered extensive brake damage and a ruptured tire during landing. Landing occurred on November 20, 1990, at 21:42:46 UTC (4:42:42 pm EST, local time). The orbiter rolled down Runway 33 for 2,753 m (9,032 ft) and 57 seconds. STS-38 marked the first KSC landing forAtlantis, weighing 86,677 kg (191,090 lb) at landing.[14]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. 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 ShuttleAtlantis (OV-104) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Completed flights | .jpg) | |
| Status |
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| On display | ||
