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Currie, Nancy Jane Sherlock

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Currie Credit: www.spacefacts.de

Status: Inactive; Active 1990-2005. Born: 1958-12-29. Spaceflights: 4 . Total time in space: 41.65 days. Birth Place: Wilmington, Delaware.

NAME: Nancy Jane Currie, Ph.D. (Major, USA)

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA:

Born December 29, 1958, in Wilmington, Delaware, but considers Troy, Ohio, to be her hometown. Married to David W. Currie (CW5, USA) of Hookstown, Pennsylvania. One daughter. She enjoys running, swimming, triathlons, weight lifting, skiing, and scuba diving. Her parents, Warren & Shirley Decker, reside in Troy. His mother, Mrs. Delores Simmons, resides in Freedom, Pennsylvania. His father, Mr. Lee Currie, is deceased.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from Troy High School, Troy, Ohio, in 1977; received a bachelor of arts degree in biological science from Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, in 1980, a master of science degree in safety engineering from the University of Southern California in 1985, and a doctorate in industrial engineering from the University of Houston in 1997.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Member of Army Aviation Association of America, Phi Kappa Phi, Ohio State University and ROTC Alumni Associations, Institute of Industrial Engineers, and Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Arts and Sciences Award for Scholarship, Ohio State University (1980), Distinguished Graduate of the Army Air Defense Artillery Officer Basic Course (1981), Honor Graduate of the Army Rotary Wing Aviator Course (1982), Honor Graduate of the Army Aviation Officer Advanced Course (1986), NASA Flight Simulation Engineering Award (1988), NASA Space Flight Medal (1993, 1995), Defense Superior Service Medal (1993), Ohio Veteran's Hall of Fame (1994), Troy, Ohio Hall of Fame (1996), Silver Order of St. Michael, Army Aviation Award (1997), Ohio State University Army ROTC Hall of Fame (1996).

EXPERIENCE:

Following graduation, Nancy served as a neuropathology research assistant at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. She was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in July 1981, and attended the Air Defense Officer Basic Course and the United States Army Aviation School. Following flight training she was assigned to Fort Rucker, Alabama as a helicopter instructor pilot. She also served as a section leader, platoon leader, and brigade flight standardization officer for all phases of rotary wing flight, including combat skills and night vision goggle operations. Prior to her assignment at NASA she completed the Aviation Officer Advanced Course, the Combined Arms Services Staff School, and the Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Qualification Course. A senior army aviator, she has logged 3,500 flying hours in a variety of rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Assigned to NASA Johnson Space Center in September 1987 as a flight simulation engineer on the Shuttle Training Aircraft, a complex airborne simulator which models flight characteristics of the Orbiter. Selected by NASA in January 1990, she became an astronaut in July 1991. Nancy has held various technical assignments within the Astronaut Office including: flight crew representative for crew equipment; Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (RMS); spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) providing a communications interface between ground controllers and flight crews. A veteran of two space flights, she has logged over 454 hours in space. She was a mission specialist on STS-57 in 1993, and STS-70 in 1995.

STS-57 launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on June 21, 1993, and returned there on July 1, 1993. The primary objective of this flight was the retrieval of the European Retrievable Carrier satellite (EURECA) using the RMS. Additionally, this mission featured the first flight of Spacehab, a commercially-provided middeck augmentation module for the conduct of microgravity experiments, as well as a spacewalk by two crew members, which also involved the use of the Shuttle's robotic arm. Spacehab carried 22 individual flight experiments in materials and life sciences research. STS-57 was accomplished in 155 orbits of the Earth in 239 hours.

STS-70 launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 13, 1995, and returned there July 22, 1995. The five-member crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery deployed the final NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite to complete the constellation of NASA's orbiting communication satellite system. The crew also conducted a myriad of biomedical and remote sensing experiments. During this 8 day 22 hour mission, the crew completed 142 orbits of the Earth, traveling 3.7 million miles. STS-70 was the first mission controlled from NASA's new combined control center.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:

Nancy Currie will serve on the crew of STS-88, the first Space Shuttle mission to carry hardware to space for the assembly of the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for July 1998.

• Birth of Nancy Jane nee Sherlock Currie - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie. American engineer mission specialist astronaut 1990-2005. US Army engineer. 4 spaceflights, 41.6 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-57 (1993), STS-70, STS-88, STS-109..

• NASA Astronaut Training Group 13 selected. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bursch, Chiao, Clifford, Cockrell, Collins, Eileen, Currie, Gregory, William, Halsell, Harris, Helms, Jones, McArthur, Newman, Ochoa, Precourt, Searfoss, Sega, Thomas, Voss, Janice, Walz, Wilcutt, Wisoff, Wolf.

  The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

  Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. Reported to the Johnson Space Center in late July 1990 to begin their year long training. Chosen from 1945 qualified applicants, then 106 finalists screened between September and November 1989.

• STS-57 - . Call Sign: Endeavour. Crew: Currie, Duffy, Grabe, Low, Voss, Janice, Wisoff. Payload: Endeavour F04 / GBA-5. Mass: 8,931 kg (19,689 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Duffy, Grabe, Low, Voss, Janice, Wisoff. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-57. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Endeavour. Duration: 9.99 days. Decay Date: 1993-07-01 . USAF Sat Cat: 22684 . COSPAR: 1993-037A. Apogee: 471 km (292 mi). Perigee: 402 km (249 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 93.30 min.

  Manned six crew. Carried Spacehab 1; retrieved Eureca-1 spacecraft. Payloads: Spacehab 01, retrieval of European Retriev-able Carrier (EURECA) Satellite, Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer (SHOOT), Consortium for Materials Development in Space Complex Autonomous Payload (CONCAP)-IV, Fluid Acquisition and Resupply Experiment (FARE), Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) II, Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS), GAS bridge assembly with 12 getaway special payloads.

• Landing of STS-57 - . Return Crew: Currie, Duffy, Grabe, Low, Voss, Janice, Wisoff. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Duffy, Grabe, Low, Voss, Janice, Wisoff. Flight: STS-57. STS-57 landed at 12:51 GMT. .

• STS-70 - . Call Sign: Discovery. Crew: Currie, Henricks, Kregel, Thomas, Weber, Mary. Payload: Discovery F21 / TDRS 7 [IUS]. Mass: 20,159 kg (44,442 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Henricks, Kregel, Thomas, Weber, Mary. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-70. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Discovery. Duration: 8.93 days. Decay Date: 1995-07-22 . USAF Sat Cat: 23612 . COSPAR: 1995-035A. Apogee: 257 km (159 mi). Perigee: 257 km (159 mi). Inclination: 28.45 deg. Period: 90.50 min.

  Deployed TDRS 7. Payloads: Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) G/ Inertial Upper Stage (IUS); Bioreactor Demon-stration System (BDS) B; Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC); Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG); Hand-Held, Earth-Oriented, Real-Time, Cooperative, User-Friendly, Location-Targeting and Environmental System (HER-CULES); Microcapsules in Space (MIS) B; Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rodents (R); Radiation Monitoring Experiment (RME) III; Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) II; Space Tissue Loss (STL)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) Cells (C); Military Applications of Ship Tracks (MAST); Visual Function Tester (VFT) 4; Window Experiment (WINDEX).

• Landing of STS-70 - . Return Crew: Currie, Henricks, Kregel, Thomas, Weber, Mary. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Henricks, Kregel, Thomas, Weber, Mary. Program: STS. Flight: STS-70. STS-70 landed at 12:02 GMT. .

• ISS Status Report 1 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Newman, Ross. Program: ISS.

  With the first component of the International Space Station encapsulated in its nose fairing, a 180-foot long Russian Proton rocket was transported to its launch pad at dawn today at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan in preparation for liftoff Friday to begin assembly of the new complex. Additional Details: here....

• ISS Status Report 3 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie. Program: ISS.

  Under overcast skies from a launch pad not far from where Yuri Gagarin became the first human to be launched into space, a spacecraft named Zarya, the Russian word for sunrise, rocketed into orbit today to usher in the era of the International Space Station. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 01 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  The first International Space Station assembly mission was postponed for 24 hours when the brief 5-minute launch window ran out before flight controllers could fully analyze the cause of a master alarm that sounded inside the Space Shuttle Endeavour's crew cabin. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 04 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  STS-88 Commander Bob Cabana and his crew received their first wake up call from Mission Control this afternoon at 3:36 p.m. CST to begin their first full day of on orbit activities. The crew were awakened with the song "Get Ready" by the Temptations, an appropriate description of the full slate of activities the crew will be involved with as they get ready for the important events of the flight by checking out the equipment and tools that will be utilized during rendezvous, docking and space walking activities. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 03 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  Endeavour's six astronauts wrapped up their first day in space a bit later than planned, at approximately 8:21 a.m. Central time today, when they began an abbreviated sleep period. Crew members were trouble-shooting a minor problem with the Orbiter Communications Adapter (OCA) system, which is used to transmit software files between the Space Shuttle and the flight controllers on the ground. A wake-up call from Mission Control is planned for 3:36 p.m. Central time, for the crew to begin their first full day of on-orbit activities. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 02 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  Five Americans and one Russian set off to begin building the International Space Station at 2:36 a.m. CST today, launching from Kennedy Space Center with the first American-built component of the station -- a connecting module named Unity -- in the Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay. The shuttle's climb to orbit was flawless. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 - . Call Sign: Endeavour. Crew: Cabana, Currie, Krikalyov, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Payload: Endeavour F13. Mass: 116,277 kg (256,346 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Krikalyov, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Agency: NASA Houston. Manufacturer: North American. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-88. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Endeavour. Duration: 11.80 days. Decay Date: 1998-12-16 . USAF Sat Cat: 25549 . COSPAR: 1998-069A. Apogee: 399 km (247 mi). Perigee: 382 km (237 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 92.40 min.

  First attempted launch of STS-88 was scrubbed at 09:03 GMT on December 3 due to a problem with a hydraulic system sensor. Launch came the next day, with Endeavour entering an initial 75 km x 313 km x 51.6 degree orbit. Half an orbit after launch, at 09:19 GMT, Endeavour fired its OMS engines to raise the orbit to 180 km x 322 km x 51.6 degree.

  On December 5 at 22:25 GMT Nancy Currie unberthed the Unity space station node from the payload bay using the RMS arm. She then moved the Unity to a position docked to the Orbiter Docking System in the payload bay in readiness for assembly with the Russian-launched Zarya FGB ISS component. After rendezvous with the Zarya FGB module, on December 6 at 23:47 GMT Endeavour grappled Zarya with the robot arm, and at 02:07 GMT on December 7 it was soft docked to the PMA-1 port on Unity. After some problems hard dock was achieved at 02:48 GMT. Unity and Zarya then formed the core of the future International Space Station. Ross and Newman made three space walks to connect cables between Zarya and Unity, on December 7, 9 and 12. On the last EVA a canvas tool bag was attached to the exterior of Unity to provide tools for future station assembly workers. Docking cables were disconnected to prevent Unity and Zarya from inadvertently undocking. Following an internal examination of the embryonic space station, Endeavour undocked at 20:30 GMT on December 13. The SAC-A and Mightysat satellites were ejected from the payload bay on December 14 and 15. Deorbit burn was December 16 at 03:48 GMT, and Endeavour landed at 04:53:29 GMT, on Runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center.

  Payloads included:

  • Sill: RMS arm No. 303
  • Bay 1-2: Tunnel Adapter 002
  • Bay 3-4: Orbiter Docking System/External Airlock (Boeing/Palmdale)
  • Bay 7-13: Unity (Node 1) (Boeing/Huntsville), including the PMA-1 and PMA-2 docking adapters (Boeing/Huntington Beach)
  • Bay 2 Port: GABA adapter with SAC-A satellite
  • Bay 4 Starboard: Carrier with Tool Stowage Assembly
  • Bay 5 Port: GABA adapter with two PFR space walk platforms and one PFR stanchion.
  • Bay 5 Starboard: GABA adapter with two more PFR space walk platforms and one PFR stanchion.
  • Bay 6 Port: GABA adapter with Mightysat
  • Bay 6 Starboard: APC carrier with TCS laser rendezvous sensor
  • Bay 7 Starboard: APC carrier with TCS laser rendezvous sensor
  • Bay 13 Port: GABA adapter with SEM-7 and G-093 canisters
  • Bay 13 Starboard: GABA adapter with IMAX Cargo Bay Camera

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 06 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts were awakened at 1:36 p.m. Central time today to begin in earnest preparations for on-orbit assembly of the International Space Station.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 05 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts began an eight-hour sleep period at 5:36 a.m. Central time following a full night of activity in which they checked out equipment that will be used in the assembly of the first two components of the International Space Station.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 07 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88. Astronaut Nancy Currie gently mated the 12.8-ton Unity connecting module to Endeavour's docking system late Saturday afternoon, successfully completing the first task in assembling the new International Space Station.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  Endeavour's crew awoke at 10:36 a.m. CST today to begin the orbital assembly of the International Space Station, uniting the first two station modules, Zarya and Unity. The astronauts were awakened to the sounds of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," requested by Commander Bob Cabana's daughter, Sarah. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 09 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  Endeavour's astronauts continued the assembly of the International Space Station late Sunday, mating the Russian-built Zarya control module with the U.S.-built Unity connecting module in the shuttle's cargo bay following a flawless rendezvous and grapple of Zarya. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 12 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  At the request of Commander Bob Cabana, Mission Control delayed Endeavour's wake-up call by one-half hour today, waking the crew at 12:06 p.m. CST, after the astronauts remained up past their scheduled sleep time to enjoy the view and relax following a very busy and successful day yesterday. The crew was awakened by Dwight Yokum's "Streets of Bakersfield," requested by the wife of Pilot Rick Sturckow, a California native. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 11 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  The first U.S. segment of the International Space Station came to life Monday night as the Unity module was activated for the first time. Activation followed the connection of electrical and data cables by Astronauts Jerry Ross and Jim Newman during a 7-hour, 21-minute space walk. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 14 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Newman, Ross. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  After enjoying a half day of rest yesterday, Endeavour's crew was awakened at 10:36 a.m. Central time to begin preparations for a second spacewalk. The crew awoke to the tune "Floating in the Bathtub," selected for Mission Specialist Jim Newman by his wife, Mary Lee. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 16 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Husband, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  Endeavour's six astronauts awoke at 10:41 a.m. CST today and are preparing for a historic day - entry into the International Space Station for the first time. The crew was awakened to Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," played for Mission Specialist-2, Nancy Currie at the request of her husband, David. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 18 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  Endeavour's crew was awakened at 10:36 a.m. CST today to continue their work of preparing the International Space Station for future crews. "Trepak," a Russian dance from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" ballet, was played as the wake-up music in honor of cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Sergei Krikalev. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 17 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Gidzenko, Newman, Ross, Shepherd, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  Endeavour's astronauts opened the new International Space Station for business Thursday, entering the Unity and Zarya modules for the first time and establishing an S-band communications system that will enable U.S. flight controllers to monitor the outpost's systems. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 22 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Fincke, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  For the first time ever, the new International Space Station Flight Control Room in Houston issued a wake-up call to orbiting astronauts. At 10:36 a.m. CST, space station communicator Astronaut Mike Fincke awoke Endeavour's crew with the song" Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" as they prepare to say "goodnight" to the space station. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 26 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  Endeavour's astronauts awoke to the sounds of Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" today, and are now preparing for a return trip to Earth. The wake-up call came at 11:36 a.m. CST, and was chosen by the flight control team to energize the six crew members in anticipation of tonight's landing in Florida, marking the 10th nighttime Shuttle landing in the program's history. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 25 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts wrapped up their mission objectives and packed up their ship, ready for a landing late tonight at Kennedy Space Center and the end of the first mission to assemble the International Space Station.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-88 Mission Status Report # 27 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88.

  NASA's final Shuttle mission of 1998 came to an end this evening with the landing of Space Shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center. Following a 4.6 million mile journey, STS-88 Commander Bob Cabana guided the orbiter down onto runway 15 with landing gear touchdown occurring at 9:54 p.m. CST. Additional Details: here....

• Landing of STS-88 - . Return Crew: Cabana, Currie, Krikalyov, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cabana, Currie, Krikalyov, Newman, Ross, Sturckow. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-88. STS-88 landed at 04:16 GMT. .

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #02 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Following Columbia's on-time launch from the Kennedy Space Center this morning, flight controllers in Mission Control noticed a degraded flow rate in one of two freon cooling loops that help to dissipate heat from the orbiter.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #01 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. With the Hubble Space Telescope orbiting high overhead, the shuttle Columbia lifted off this morning on a complex mission to replace and upgrade key telescope systems through five challenging spacewalks.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #03 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The crew of Columbia was awakened for its first full day in space at 8:22 p.m. CST with the song "Blue Telescope" by John Hiatt. In its morning mail, the crew received news that mission managers are optimistic the full mission will go forward as planned in spite of low flow in a shuttle cooling line. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 - . Call Sign: Columbia. Crew: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Payload: Columbia F27. Mass: 115,900 kg (255,500 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Agency: NASA. Manufacturer: Boeing. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-109. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Columbia. Duration: 10.92 days. Decay Date: 2002-03-12 . USAF Sat Cat: 27388 . COSPAR: 2002-010A. Apogee: 578 km (359 mi). Perigee: 486 km (301 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 95.30 min.

  Hubble Servicing Mission 3B. STS-109 main engine cutoff came at 1130 UTC with Columbia in a 55 x 574 km x 28.5 deg transfer orbit. The OMS-2 burn at about 1207 UTC raised perigee to about 195 km. There was a problem with a freon cooling loop on the Orbiter, but it wasn't quite bad enough to affect the mission. The Hubble Space Telescope closed its aperture door on March 2 in preparation for the rendezvous. Columbia got within 100m of HST by 0852 UTC on March 3 and grappled it with the RMS at 0931 UTC. HST was berthed on the FSS in Columbia's payload bay by 1032 UTC.

  In the course of five spacewalks, the crew installed new equipment on HST. This was the first flight of Columbia since the launch of Chandra in 1999 following refurbishment. In the first two spacewalks, two new solar arrays were installed, and the two old arrays stowed on the RAC carrier. The RWA-1R reaction wheel assembly on the MULE carrier replaced the faltering RWA-1 in the telescope. The third spacewalk was the most difficult, as HST was entirely powered down while astronauts replaced its power controller unit, not designed for on-orbit replacement. On the fourth spacewalk the astronauts removed the European FOC camera, aboard HST since launch in 1990, and replaced it with the new ACS (Advanced Camera for Surveys). They also installed the CASH wire harness, part of the aft shroud cooling system. On the final spacewalk, the astronauts installed the NCS (NICMOS cooling system) cryocooler in the aft shround and the associated NCS radiator on the telescope's exterior. The NICMOS infrared camera had been idle since its original thermal control system failed. With the removal of FOC, the COSTAR device (which deployed contact lenses for the original instruments) became obsolete, since the newer instruments made the corrections to the incorrect HST mirror internally. Cargo manifest:

  • Middeck:4 EMU spacesuits - 480 kg
  • Bay 4: RAC (Rigid Array Carrier) - 2393 kg. The RAC carried the two folded SA-III rigid solar arrays which replaced the SA-II roll-up arrays. It calso carried the DBA2 diode box assembly which controlled the arrays, and a wire harness and containers associated with the NICMOS cooling system.
  • Bay 7-8: SAC (Second Axial Carrier) - 2517 kg. The SAC was a specially designed pallet that flew on the first two Hubble SM flights, STS-61 and STS-82. On this flight it carried the ACS camera up (and the FOS camera down) as well as the NCS cryocooler, the PCU-R power controller, the CASH wire harness, and the thermal covers used in the PCU replacement.
  • Bay 11: FSS (Flight Support System) - 2111 kg. The FSS first flew on STS 41-C (the Solar Max Repair) and was reused for each of the HST SM flights. It carried the BAPS Berthing and Positioning System, which was the docking ring for HST. Stowed on the FSS were a support post for BAPS and a cover for the HST low gain antenna.
  • Bay 12: MULE (Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment Carrier) - 1409 kg. The MULE carried the NCS radiator, the NCS electronics support module, and the RWA-1R reaction wheel unit. MULE first flew on STS-48 carrying the UARS satellite, and then on STS-95 carrying the HOST payload which tested out the NCS.
  • Sill: RMS arm No 201 - 410 kg

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #04 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. As Columbia's crew completed preparations today for the capture of the Hubble Space Telescope, mission managers confirmed that a degraded shuttle cooling system will pose no problems for Columbia's flight.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #05 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. To the theme of "Mission Impossible," Columbia's astronauts awakened this morning to the news that all systems are go for their mission, a week characterized as the most challenging flight ever to maintain and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #06 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. The Hubble Space Telescope is secure in Columbia's payload bay following its capture at 3:31 a.m. central time today, as the two spacecraft soared 350 miles above the Pacific Ocean southwest of the Mexican Coast.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #07 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The crew of the space shuttle Columbia awoke for its first spacewalking day in orbit to "Five Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," performed by Jeno Jando. It was played for John Grunsfeld. Spacewalkers Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan will step out into space for the first time during this mission at about 12:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #09 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  Rested and ready for another day of spacewalking, the crew of the space shuttle Columbia was awakened at 7:53 p.m. by the children's song "Floating in the Bathtub," by Tonya Evetts Weimer. It was played for Jim Newman who is to step out into space for the second spacewalk of this mission at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. The Hubble Space Telescope has a new starboard solar array after a seven hour-one minute long spacewalk by Columbia astronauts John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #10 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. The crew of Columbia completed the second of five planned spacewalks this morning with the successful installation of a new port solar array and a new Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA) on the Hubble Space Telescope.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #11 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Columbia's crew is preparing tonight for the third space walk of the mission, a complex, seven-hour excursion that will include the unprecedented step of turning off the Hubble Space Telescope to replace the heart of its power system.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #12 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The Hubble Space Telescope received a new "heart" today during a 6 hour, 48 minute spacewalk by astronauts John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan. The two installed a new Power Control Unit (PCU), replacing the original unit launched with the telescope in April 1990. The PCU serves as Hubble's central power switching station by distributing electricity to all systems, scientific instruments and the Nickel Hydrogen batteries. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #13 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. With a new heart beating strong and new power generating arrays ready to convert sunlight into energy, the Hubble Space Telescope is poised for Columbia's astronauts to improve its vision.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #15 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The crew of the space shuttle Columbia will give Hubble a way to open one of its slumbering eyes during the fifth and final scheduled spacewalk of this mission. An experimental cooling system will be installed on a camera that has been dormant since 1999 in hopes of bringing it back to life. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #14 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Following today's successful installation of the new Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists will be able to see farther into our universe and with greater clarity and speed than ever before.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #17 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Columbia's crew is preparing to bid a rejuvenated Hubble Space Telescope farewell following five days of spacewalks that have updated and enhanced the world's greatest observatory.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #16 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  TThe crew of the space shuttle Columbia completed the last of its five ambitious spacewalks this morning with the successful installation of an experimental cooling system for Hubble's Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). The NICMOS has been dormant since January 1999 when its original coolant ran out. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #19 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Bursch, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman, Onufrienko, Walz. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  After five days of successful spacewalks to rejuvenate the Hubble Space Telescope, the crew of Columbia will enjoy a Sunday off. The crew was awakened at 8:50 p.m. CST Saturday by "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra. The song was played for Commander Scott "Scooter" Altman. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #18 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. "Good luck Mr. Hubble," was the call from on board Columbia this morning as the newly rejuvenated telescope was released from the grasp of the shuttle's robotic arm at 4:04 a.m. central time today.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #21 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. After a day off and a good night's rest, the seven-member crew of Columbia will focus on the end of a mission featuring five successful spacewalks to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.. Additional Details: here....

• Landing of STS-109 - . Return Crew: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-109. Columbia deorbit was at 0822 UTC with landing on runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center at 0931 UTC..

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #23 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman, Ross. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The space shuttle Columbia landed at Kennedy Space Center early Tuesday after a 10-day, 22-hour and 10-minute mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Columbia astronauts conducted five successful spacewalks during their STS-109 mission to improve the orbiting observatory. Additional Details: here....