STS-30

Crew

Flight Engineer

Crew seat assignments

Shuttle processing

Atlantis spent three months in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-2) after returning to the Kennedy Space Center at the end of STS-27. During this period technicians got to work removing and replacing all of the damaged Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles that Atlantis sustained during her prior flight. They also took detailed inspections of the shuttle while simultaneously preparing Atlantis for STS-30R. The shuttle was rolled over to the Vehicle Assembly Building and mated with ET-29 and an SRB set on March 11, 1989. Eleven days later on March 22, 1989, Atlantis was rolled out to launch pad 39B.

Mission summary

Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 14:46:59 EDT on May 4, 1989. The primary payload, the Magellan spacecraft with its attached Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), was successfully deployed later that day. Magellan was the first American planetary mission in 11 years.

The launch was originally scheduled for April 28, 1989, the first day of a 31-day launch period when Earth and Venus were properly aligned. However, the liftoff was scrubbed at T−31 seconds because of a problem with the liquid hydrogen recirculation pump on Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) No. 1, and a vapor leak in the liquid hydrogen recirculation line between the orbiter and external tank (ET). On the rescheduled liftoff date of May 4, 1989, the launch was again delayed until the final five minutes of the launch window due to cloud cover and excessive crosswinds at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Good landing conditions were required at the SLF in case of a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) abort early in the flight.

The only major glitch during the flight occurred on May 7, 1989, when one of the four general-purpose computers programmed to operate the orbiter failed. The shuttle crew replaced the computer, part of a redundant set, with a backup one. It was the first time a computer had been replaced while in orbit.

However, the STS-30 crew experienced several minor annoyances. A Hasselblad camera used to photograph sites on Earth had to be stowed for the remainder of the mission after a shutter stuck during the crew's third day in space. The Text and Graphics Systems (TAGS), a device to send images and graphics to the orbiter from Mission Control Center, had to be turned off on Flight Day 2 because of a paper jam. Commander Walker and Pilot Grabe had problems with a device used to take measurements of central venous pressure to determine the effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular system. On the second full day in space, the water dispensing system in the galley malfunctioned, causing some difficulties for the crew in preparing meals.

Atlantis touched down at Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, California, on May 8, 1989, at 15:43:27 EDT. Minutes before landing, the runway had to be switched from 17 to 22 due to high crosswinds. The mission lasted a total of 4days, 0hours, 56minutes, and 28seconds.

Payload and experiments

The Magellan spacecraft was deployed from the shuttle's payload bay six hours and 14 minutes into the mission. Two successive IUS propulsion burns placed the spacecraft on its trajectory to Venus about an hour later. Magellan arrived at Venus in August 1990 and began a 243-day mission of mapping the planet's surface with radar.

Three mid-deck experiments were included on the mission. All had flown before. Mission Specialist Cleave used a portable laptop computer to operate and monitor the Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA). An 8 mm video camcorder, flown for the first time on the Shuttle, provided the opportunity for the crew to record and downlink on-orbit activities such as the FEA, which was a joint endeavor between Rockwell International and NASA. Payload bay video cameras were used to record storm systems from orbit as part of the Mesoscale Lightning Experiment.

Wake-up calls

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Project Gemini, and first used music to awaken a flight crew during Apollo 15. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.

Gallery

Image:Magellan at Kennedy Space Center.jpg|The Magellan probe being tested at Kennedy Space Center. Image:Magellan Preparations.jpg|The probe imaged aboard Atlantis. Image:1989 s30 Magellan aboard Atlantis.jpg|Magellan in its stowed position. Image:Magellan Overhead.jpg|Magellan passes overhead. Image:ISD highres STS030 STS030-89-59.jpg|Thunderstorms imaged from orbit. Image:ISD highres STS030 STS030-76-31.jpg|Ocean waves off the coast of Mexico imaged from orbit.

References

References

1. "Spaceflight mission report: STS-30". SPACEFACTS.
2. (April 1989). "STS-30 Press Kit". NASA.
3. (1989-05-04). "Look, up in the sky! Is it Atlantis — or just rain clouds?". Deseret News.
4. (May 4, 1989). "STS-30 Atlantis, OV-104, lifts off from KSC LC Pad 39B". NASA.
5. (September 1, 2011). "Space Shuttle Missions Summary". NASA.
6. "STS-30". NASA.
7. (1989-04-28). "Shuttle liftoff halted with 31 seconds to go". Deseret News.
8. Maugh II, Thomas H.. (1989-05-05). "Only 5 Minutes Left, Atlantis Lifts Into Orbit". Los Angeles Times.
9. Neumann. (1994). "Computer-Related Risks". Addison-Wesley Professional.
10. (August 25, 1989). "Misson Safety Evaluation Report for STS-30 - Postflight Edition". NASA.
11. Fries, Colin. (March 13, 2015). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls". NASA.