 Spacelab Module LM1 inColumbia's payload bay, serving as the United States Microgravity Laboratory | |
| Mission type | Microgravity research |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1995-056A |
| SATCATno. | 23688 |
| Mission duration | 15 days, 21 hours, 53 minutes, 16 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 10,600,000 kilometres (6,600,000 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 255 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Columbia |
| Payload mass | 15,250 kilograms (33,620 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 7 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 20 October 1995, 13:53:00 (1995-10-20UTC13:53Z) UTC |
| Launch site | Kennedy,LC-39B |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 5 November 1995, 11:45:21 (1995-11-05UTC11:45:22Z) UTC |
| Landing site | Kennedy,SLF Runway 33 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 241 kilometres (150 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 241 kilometres (150 mi) |
| Inclination | 39.0 degrees |
| Period | 89.7 min |
  Left to right - Seated: Sacco, Rominger, Lopez-Alegria; Standing: Coleman, Bowersox, Leslie, Thornton | |
STS-73 was aSpace Shuttle program mission, during October–November 1995, on board theSpace ShuttleColumbia. The mission was the second mission for the United States Microgravity Laboratory. The crew, who spent 16 days in space, were broken up into 2 teams, the red team and the blue team. The mission also included several Detailed Test Objectives or DTO's.
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Kenneth D. Bowersox Third spaceflight | |
| Pilot | Kent V. Rominger First spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 1 | Catherine G. Coleman First spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 2 Flight Engineer | Michael López-Alegría First spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 3 | Kathryn C. Thornton Fourth and last spaceflight | |
| Payload Specialist 1 | Fred W. Leslie Only spaceflight | |
| Payload Specialist 2 | Albert Sacco Jr. Only spaceflight | |
| Member of Blue Team Member of Red Team | ||
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Payload Specialist 1 | R. Glynn Holt Only spaceflight | |
| Payload Specialist 2 | David H. Matthiesen Only spaceflight | |
| Seat[1] | Launch | Landing |  Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck. Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowersox | ||
| 2 | Rominger | ||
| 3 | Coleman | Thornton | |
| 4 | Lopez-Alegria | ||
| 5 | Thornton | Coleman | |
| 6 | Leslie | ||
| 7 | Sacco | ||
| Attempt | Planned | Result | Turnaround | Reason | Decision point | Weather go (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 Sep 1995, 9:35:00 am | Scrubbed | — | Technical | 28 Sep 1995, 4:00 am (T−03:30:00) | 60[2] | Hydrogen leak inSSME no. 1.[3][4]: 4 |
| 2 | 5 Oct 1995, 9:40:00 am | Scrubbed | 7 days 0 hours 5 minutes | Weather | 4 Oct 1995, 2:00 pm (T−11:00:00 hold) | 30[5] | Strong winds and rain forecasted due toHurricane Opal.[6] |
| 3 | 6 Oct 1995, 9:40:00 am | Scrubbed | 1 day 0 hours 0 minutes | Technical | 6 Oct 1995, 3:05 am | 30[7] | Problem with hydraulic system no. 1.[8] |
| 4 | 7 Oct 1995, 9:41:00 am | Scrubbed | 1 day 0 hours 1 minute | Technical | 7 Oct 1995, 10:00 am (T−00:20:00 hold) | 60 | Master events controller problem.[9] |
| 5 | 14 Oct 1995, 9:46:00 am | Scrubbed | 7 days 0 hours 5 minutes | Technical | 13 Oct 1995, 3:32 pm (T−11:00:00 hold) | 80[10] | Examinations of the SSME were required due to an oxidizer leak in a test engine.[11] |
| 6 | 15 Oct 1995, 10:46:00 am | Scrubbed | 1 day 1 hour 0 minutes | Weather | 15 Oct 1995, 1:25 pm (T−00:05:00) | 20[12] | Poor weather atKSC andRTLS.[13][14]: 2 |
| 7 | 20 Oct 1995, 9:53:00 am | Success | 4 days 23 hours 7 minutes | 40[15] | Countdown held at T−5 minutes due to range safety problem.[16] |
The second United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2)Spacelab mission was the prime payload on STS-73.[14]: 1 [17] The 16-day flight continued a cooperative effort of the U.S. government, universities and industry to push back the frontiers of science and technology in "microgravity", the near-weightless environment of space.
On October 26, through pre-recorded video, Mission Commander Ken Bowersox threw out the first pitch for Game 5 of the1995 World Series between theCleveland Indians and theAtlanta Braves from orbit.[18]
Some of the experiments carried on the USML-2 payload were suggested by the results of the first USML mission that flew aboardColumbia in 1992 duringSTS-50. The USML-1 mission provided new insights into theoretical models of fluid physics, the role of gravity in combustion andflame spreading, and how gravity affects the formation of semiconductor crystals. Data collected from several protein crystals grown on USML-1 enabled scientists to determine the molecular structures of those proteins.
USML-2 built on that foundation. Technical knowledge gained was incorporated into the mission plan to enhance procedures and operations. Where possible, experiment teams refined their hardware to increase scientific understanding of basic physical processes on Earth and in space, as well as to prepare for more advanced operations aboard the International Space Station and other future space programs.
USML-2 Flight controllers and experiment scientists directed science activities from NASA's Spacelab Mission Operations Control facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center. In addition, science teams at several NASA centers and universities monitored and supported operations of a number of experiments.
Other payloads on board included the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE), Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), Three Dimensional Microgravity Accelerometer (3DMA), Suppression of Transient Accelerations By Levitation Evaluation (STABLE) and the High-Packed Digital Television Technical Demonstration system.
Launch was originally scheduled for 25 September 1995 but endured six scrubbed launch attempts before its 20 October 1995 lift off. STS-73 andSTS-61C both carry the distinction of being tied for the most scrubbed launches, each having launched on their seventh attempt.[19]
After the mission, five of the crew members, namely, Bowersox, Coleman, Thornton, Leslie, and Sacco appeared on the 13 February 1996 episode ofHome Improvement, "Fear of Flying", on a segment ofTool Time.[20] It was Bowersox's second time on the show.
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Space ShuttleColumbia (OV-102) | ||
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