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STS-122

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STS-122
COSPAR ID2008-005A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.32486Edit this on Wikidata
End of mission

STS-122 is the next NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It will be flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis, with a target launch date of December 6, 2007.[1][2] This flight will mark the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st space shuttle flight.

The primary objectives of STS-122 are to deliver the European built Columbus module to the station, and to return Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani to Earth. After Atlantis lands, the orbiter will be prepared for STS-125, the final servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope. STS-122 will mark the final scheduled visit by Atlantis to the International Space Station. The completion of the mission will leave ten flights remaining in the Space Shuttle program until its end in 2010, excluding two as-yet-unconfirmed Contingency Logistic Flights.

Crew

* Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.

Launching ISS Expedition 16 Crew

Landing ISS Expedition 16 Crew

Crew notes

Mission parameters

Mission payload

File:ESA Columbus module.jpg
Computer generated model of the ESA-built Columbus Laboratory Module.
Illustration of the ISS after STS-122, highlighting the addition of the Columbus laboratory module.

STS-122 will be the ISS Assembly Flight 1E, bringing the European Columbus module to the station, along with the Biolab, Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL), European Drawer Rack (EDR), and European Physiology Modules (EPM) payloads. STS-122 will also carry the Solar Monitoring Observatory (SOLAR), and European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) payloads, which are mounted in the cargo bay on an ICC-Lite payload rack. A malfunctioning Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) that was swapped out with a new one on STS-118 will be returned to Earth with STS-122.

Mission background

The mission marks:

  • 152nd manned US space launch.
  • 121st space shuttle flight since STS-1.
  • 96th post-Challenger mission.
  • 8th post-Columbia mission.

Mission timeline

Atlantis at LC 39A.
Columbus is moved to the payload cannister in preparation for transfer to the launchpad

Launch preparations

The external tank (ET-125) arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on September 14, 2007, after traveling by barge from the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana. The external tank was then transferred to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to be inspected, and have the Liquid oxygen feedline bracket modified, before being mated to the solid rocket boosters on October 17.

The external tank was attached to the solid rocket boosters on October 18, 2007, and Atlantis moved to the VAB on November 3, 2007.[5] With the entire stack placed upon the Mobile Launcher Platform, Atlantis moved to launch pad 39A on November 10, and the Columbus module was loaded into the orbiter's payload bay on November 12.[6] The terminal countdown demonstration test is scheduled for November 18-20.

Contingency mission

STS-323 is the designation given to the Contingency Shuttle Crew Support mission which would be launched in the event Space Shuttle Atlantis becomes disabled during STS-122. It would be a modified version of the STS-123 mission, which would involve the launch date being brought forward. The crew for this mission would be a four-person subset of the full STS-123 crew.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b NASA (2007). "Consolidated Launch Manifest". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b NASA. "NASA's Shuttle and Rocket Missions". NASA. Retrieved 2007-09-21. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  3. ^ NASA (2006). "NASA Assigns Crew for Columbus Shuttle Mission". NASA. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ NASA (2007). "NASA Announces Three International Space Station Crews". NASA. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Chris Bergin (2007). "EVA-4 success with array repair". NASASpaceflight.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Chris Bergin (2007). "Atlantis arrives at Pad 39A ahead of STS-122". NASA Spaceflight.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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