NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 19920008315: STS-38 Space Shuttle mission report

28 Pages·1.1 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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C:' STS-38SPACESHUTTLE
ASA-TM-10547819920008315
MISSION REPORT
January 1991
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MISSION REPORT (NASA) 19 p CSCL 22B
• " I (NASA-TM-105478) STS-38 SPACE SHUTTLE N92-17534
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NASA LA"N_GLElYILAI.F_JdR_OAVRNI,,RIGRIECNSEIENAATRECRHNAsA
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Lyndon B.JohnsonSpaceCenter
Houston, Texas
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-°.2NJ7534_# ISSUE 8 PAGE 124F2 CATEGORY 16 RPT#: NASA-TM-105L_-?8 WAS
1.15:J.05478 NSTS-08308 91/01/00 19 PAGES UNCLASSIFIED DOCUMENT
UTTL: STS-38 Space Shuttle mission report
AUTH: A/CAMP, DAVID W.; B/GERMANY, D. M.; C/NICHOLSON, LEONARD S.
CORP: l.lational Aero'nautics and Sp,'-_-eAdministrati_-,n. Lyndon B. Johnson Space
Center, Houston7, TX.
SAP: Avail: NTIS HCiMF A03
CIO: UNITED STATES
HA.IS: i_ATLANTIS (ORBITER)/-.*SPACE MISSIONS!*SPACE SHUTTLESi.*SPACE TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM FLIGHTS
MINS: / DEFENSE PROGRAM/ EXTERNAL TANKS/ SPACE SHUTTLE BOOSTERS/ SPACE SHUTTLE
MAIN ENGINE
ABA: Author
ABS: ['he STS-38 Sp_ce Shuttle Program Mission Rep_-,r'tcc,ntains a summary of the
vehicle subsystem activities on this thirty-seventh flight of the Space
Shuttle and the seve'nth flight of the Orbiter vehicle Atlantis (0V-104).
In addition to the Atlantis vehicle, the flight vehicle consisted of an
External Tank (ET) (designated as ET-_O/LWT-33), three Space Shuttle mai_;
e_Tgine-s (SSME'_s) (serial numbers 2019, 20ee, 20_?), and two Solid Rocket
Ec_,o:_ters (SRB'_s), designated as BI-039. The STS-38 mission7 ,,,_asa
classified Department of Defense mission, a_Td as much, the classified
po,-tic,1_s of the mission are' not preser_ted in thi_:.sreport. ]he _equence of
ENTER: MORE
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SCREEN II"IAGEE USER=._EBB SESS ION=TeOBF;',08 A/15/9R__-09:31 .5'i.'-2.-.AM
DISPLAY i'?/e/i
events for this mir.--.,sii_..s,nshc,wn. The -:ignificant problem._ that occuried
_.nthe Space Shuttle Orbiter subsystem during the missic,n are summarized
and the ofi:icial problem tracking list i.spresented. In additic0n, each
Space Shutt].e Orbiter problem is cited in the subsystem discussion,
ENTEF;: :

". NSTS-08308
STS-38
SPACE SHUTTLE
MISSION REPORT
___vid< Camp
_/ Manager,FlightData and
EvaluationOffice
D° M.
Manager, GFEProjects
Deput_r_or_Pace-Shuttle Program
NATIONALAERONAUTICASNDSPACEADMINISTRATION
LYNDONB. JOHNSONSPACECENTER
HOUSTON,TEXAS77058
January1991
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INTRODUCTION
The STS-38SpaceShuttleProgramMissionReportcontainsa summaryof the
vehiclesubsystemactivitieson this thirty-seventhflightof the SpaceShuttle
and the seventhflightof the OrbitervehicleAtlantis(OV-104). In additionto
theAtlantisvehicle,the flightvehicleconsistedof an ExternalTank (ET)
(designatedas ET-40/LWT-33),threeSpaceShuttlemain engines(SSME's)(serial
numbers2019,2022,2027),and two SolidRocketBoosters(SRB's),designatedas
BI-039.
The STS-38missionwas a classifiedDepartmentof Defensemission,and as such,
the classifiedportionsof the missionare not presentedin thisreport.
The sequenceof eventsfor thismissionis shownin tableI. The reportalso
summarizesthe significantproblemsthatoccurredin the Orbitersubsystems
during themission,and the officialproblemtrackingllstis presentedin
tableII. In addition,eachOrbiterproblemis citedin thesubsystem
discussionwithinthe bodyof the report.
The crew for thisthirty-seventhflightof theSpaceShuttlewas RichardO.
Covey,Col.,USAF,Commander;FrankL. Culbertson,Capt.,USN, Pilot;CharlesD.
Gemar,Capt.,U.S.Army,MissionSpecialistI;RobertC. Springer,Col.,USMC,
MissionSpecialist2; and CarlJ. Meade,Major,USAF,MissionSpecialist3.
i- Thiswas the thirdflightfor the Commander,the firstflightfor the Pilotand
MissionSpecialists1 and 3, and thesecondflightforMissionSpecialist2.
MISSIONSUMMARY
The STS-38missionwas launchedat 319:23:48:15.006G.m.t. (6:48:15p.m.e.s.t.
on November15, 1990)fromlaunchpad 39A on a Departmentof Defensemission.
The launchphasewas satisfactoryinall respectsand all Orbitersubsystems
operatedin a nominalmanner. All SSMEand redesignedsolidrocketmotor (RSRM)
startsequencesoccurredas expected. Firststageascentperformancewas normal
with SRB separation,entry,deceleration,and waterimpactoccurringas planned.
Performanceof the SSME's,ET, and mainpropulsionsystem(MPS)was alsonormal.
The orbitalmaneuveringsubsystem(OMS)-i and OMS-2maneuverswere performed
with nominalresults.
Whileoperatingon A controller,watersprayboiler(WSB)2 failedto cool the
auxiliarypowerunit (APU)lubricationoil duringascent. WSB 2 was switchedto
theB controllerand APU 2 was lefton afterAPU's1 and 3 were shutdown to
allowevaluationof lubricationoil coolingon the B controller. Effective
lubricationoil coolingwas achieved1 minute6 secondsafterthe switchto the
B controller;APU 2 was thenshutdown. The A controllerwas used for entryand
data showednominaloperation.
The OMS-3maneuverand two reactioncontrolsubsystem(RCS)maneuverswere
satisfactorilycompletedand all parametersremainedwithinacceptableranges.
The powerreactantstorageand distribution(PRSD)hydrogentank3 quantity
sensorfailedoff-scalehigh. The crewreportedthatthe onboardmeteron panel
02 also indicatedoff-scalehigh. This failuredid not impactthe mission.
Circuitbreaker29 on panelL4 openedwhilethe vacuumcleanerwas beingused.
The vacuumcleanerwas subsequentlystowed. No furtheruse was made of the
vacuumcleaneror of the electricalsocketintowhichit had beenplugged.
The two-engineOMS-4maneuverwas completedwith nominalperformance.
On flightday 3, theRCS hot-firetestwas successfullycompleted. The flight
controlsystem(FCS)checkoutwas completedusingAPU 3, and performanceof all
subsystemsduring theFCS checkoutwas nominal.
Duringpreparationsfor the initialentryopportunityon flightday 4, the
switchtalkbackindicationfor generalpurposecomputer(GPC)3 indicatedthat
theGPC failedtogo to run. The crewreinitializedtheGPC and returnedit to
the redundantset in whichit operatedproperly.
Threelandingopportunitieswere canceledon flightday 4 becauseof
unacceptableweatherconditionsfor landingat EdwardsAir ForceBase. On the
firstopportunity,the headwindsexceededthe flightrule limitof 25 kts on
runways22 and 23. Excessivecrosswindsas wellas windsvaryingfrom the
forecastcausedthe cancellationof landingon the secondand third
opportunities,and the missionwas extendedone day.
Weatherforecastsfor landingat EdwardsAir ForceBase on flightday 5 showed
unfavorablewindson all runways. As a result,the decisionwas made to change
the primarylandingsite to KennedySpaceCenterbecauseof the very favorable
weatherconditionsexistingat thatlandingsite.
Aftercompletionof all entrypreparationsincludingstowageand payloadbay
door closure,the OMS deorbitmaneuverwas performedat 324:20:46:15G.m.t.,
witha firingdurationof 114.9secondsand a differentialvelocityof 228.5
ft/sec. Entry interfaceoccurredat 324:21:11:52G.m.t.,and becauseof the
presenceof the Trackingand DataRelaySatellite(TDRS),communicationswere
maintainedthroughoutentry.
Main landinggear touchdownoccurredat 324:21:42:42G.m.t.,on the Shuttle
LandingFacilityat KennedySpaceCenter. Nose landinggear touchdownoccurred
I0 secondslaterwith wheelsstopat 324:21:43:41G.m.t. The rolloutwas normal
in all respects. The threeAPU'swere shutdown by 324:21:57:05.43G.m.t.,and
the crew completedthe requiredpostfllghtreconfigurationsand exitedthe
vehicleat 324:22:32:25G.m.t.
Postlanding data showed that the right hand vent doors 1 and 2 closed instead of
going to the purge position. Investigation into the cause of this anomaly is
continuing.
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