STS-104

Infobox Space mission
mission_name = STS-104
insignia = Sts-104-patch.png shuttle = Atlantis
launch_pad = 39-B
launch = July 12, 2001, 5:04 a.m. EDT
landing = July 24, 2001, 11:38 p.m EDT, KSC
duration = 12 days, 18 hours, 36 minutes, 39 seconds
altitude = 122 nautical miles (226 km)
inclination = 51.6 deg
distance = 5.3 million miles (8.5 million km)
crew_photo = STS-104 crew.jpg
crew_caption =
previous = STS-100
next = STS-105

STS-104 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle "Atlantis". Its primary objectives were to install the Quest Joint Airlock and help perform maintenance on the International Space Station. It was successful and returned to Earth without incident, after a successful docking, equipment installation and three spacewalks.

Crew

*Steven W. Lindsey (3), Commander
*Charles O. Hobaugh (1), Pilot
*Michael L. Gernhardt (4), Mission Specialist
*Janet L. Kavandi (3), Mission Specialist
*James F. Reilly (2), Mission Specialist

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

Mission parameters

*Mass:
**"Orbiter Liftoff:" 117,129 kg
**"Orbiter Landing:" 94,009 kg
**"Payload:" 8,241 kg
*Perigee: 372 km
*Apogee: 390 km
*Inclination: 51.6°
*Period: 92.2 min

Docking with ISS

*Docked: July 14, 2001, 03:08:00 UTC
*Undocked: July 22, 2001, 04:54:00 UTC
*Time Docked: 8 days, 1 h, 46 min, 00 s

pace walks

*" Gernhardt and Reilly " - EVA 1
*EVA 1 Start: July 15, 2001 - 03:10 UTC
*EVA 1 End: July 15, - 09:09 UTC
*Duration: 5 hours, 59 minutes
*" Gernhardt and Reilly " - EVA 2
*EVA 2 Start: July 18, 2001 - 03:04 UTC
*EVA 2 End: July 18, - 09:33 UTC
*Duration: 6 hours, 29 minutes
*" Gernhardt and Reilly " - EVA 3
*EVA 3 Start: July 21, 2001 - 04:35 UTC
*EVA 3 End: July 21, - 08:37 UTC
*Duration: 4 hours, 02 minutes

Mission highlights

The primary purpose of the flight was to deliver and install the Quest airlock. The Joint Airlock is a pressurized flight element consisting of two cylindrical chambers attached end-to-end by a connecting bulkhead and hatch. Once installed and activated, the ISS airlock became the primary path for International Space Station space walk entry and departure for U.S. spacesuits, which are known as Extravehicular Mobility Units, or EMUs. In addition, the Joint Airlock is designed to support the Russian Orlan spacesuit for EVA activity.

The Joint Airlock is 20 ft (6.1 m) long, 13 ft (4.0 m) in diameter and weighs 6.5 short tons (5.9 metric tons). It was built at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) by the Space Station Prime Contractor Boeing. The ISS-airlock has two main components: a crew airlock and an equipment airlock for storing EVA gear and EVA preflight preps. STS-104 also carries a spacelab pallet with four High Pressure Gas Assembly containers that were attached to the exterior of the airlock.

Mission Specialists Michael Gernhardt and James Reilly conducted three space walks while Space Shuttle "Atlantis" was docked to the International Space Station. They spent a total of 16 hours and 30 minutes outside. During the first space walk, Gernhardt and Reilly assisted in the installation of the airlock. During the second and third excursions, they focused on the external outfitting of the Quest airlock with four High Pressure Gas Tanks, handrails and other vital equipment. The third spacewalk was conducted from "Quest" itself. [cite web | url = http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-104/ | title = Giving the space station a doorway to space | publisher = NASA]

References

ee also

*Space science
*Space shuttle
*List of space shuttle missions
*List of human spaceflights chronologically
*List of ISS spacewalks
*List of spacewalks

External links

* [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-104/mission-sts-104.html NASA mission summary]
* [http://www.nss.org/resources/library/shuttlevideos/shuttle105.htm STS-104 Video Highlights]