STS-98/ISS-%A Launch Announcement from RSC Energia
Today at 19 hours 51 minutes the US reusable transport space vehicle
(RTSV) Atlantis performing Flight 5 A under the station increment program
(flight of this Shuttle-type space vehicle is designated by STS-98 as
classified by NASA) docked with the International Space Station (ISS)
Orbital Complex.
The Space Shuttle was launched from the Launch Complex of the Kennedy
Space Center on February 8 at 2 hours 13 minutes 11 seconds Moscow Time.
The crew involving five NASA astronauts (Kenneth Cockrell, commander;
Mark L. Polansky, pilot; Robert L. Curbeam, Marsha S. Ivens and Thomas
D. Jones, mission specialists) was aboard the Space Shuttle. The launch
objective is to support further increment of the ISS Orbital Complex
and deliver cargoes for the 1st Russian-American Prime Crew ISS-1, which
have been operating aboard the Complex since November 2 last year.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis has delivered the Destiny ("Fate")
Laboratory Module to the station for its subsequent docking with the
ISS air, potable water, food supplies for the station crew, as well
as two microprocessors, central post computer, the Vozdukh system environment
purification unit with completing parts for outfitting of the Russian
Segment Zvezda Service Module.
The Progress M1-4 logistics vehicle, which have flown as part of the
ISS Russian Segment till February 8, 2000, had been undocked before
the Space Shuttle Atlantis docking with the ISS and deorbited by a descent
trajectory in world ocean area.
ISS Orbital Complex of mass about 201 t has the following content: the
Soyuz TM-31 manned space vehicle – the Russia-built Zvezda Service Module
– Zarya Functional – Cargo Block (FGB) – the US-provided Unity Module
– the Space Shuttle Atlantis with the Destiny Module. Onboard systems
of the Complex operate faultlessly.
Prime Crew ISS-1 involving Russian cosmonauts Yu. Gidzenko, S. Krikalev
and US astronaut W. Shepherd has made the required efforts to ensure
the Orbital Complex readiness for docking with the Atlantis Space Shuttle
and monitored the rendezvous and docking processes between the Shuttle
and the station.
The Atlantis docking operations were commanded by the Lead Operational
Control Team housed in the Moscow Mission Control Center (MCC-M). Flight
Director is Pilot-Cosmonaut V.A. Solovyov. Mission control is performed
in cooperation with the American Mission Control Center based in Houston
(MCC-H).
As the mission control experts report, the ISS is flying around near-earth
orbit with the following parameters: inclination of 51.6o; maximum and
minimum flight altitude of 381.1 and 353.8 km, respectively. Orbital
period is 91.6 min.
