Space Shuttle Atlantis: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia
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Line 1: {{Short description|Retired {{DISPLAYTITLE:Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''}} {{Use American English|date=January 2014}} Line 104: [[File:STS-132 Atlantis at ISS 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|''Atlantis'' docked to the [[International Space Station]] during STS-132 mission]] During the launch of [[STS-27]] in 1988, a piece of insulation shed from the right solid rocket booster struck the underside of the vehicle, severely damaging over 700 tiles and removing one tile altogether.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hartsfield |first=Tom |date=August 12, 2022 |title=How the Space Shuttle program nearly ended in disaster |url=https://bigthink.com/the-past/space-shuttle-program-near-disaster/ |access-date=August 19, 2022 |website=Big Think |language=en-US}}</ref> The crew were instructed to use the remote manipulator system to survey the condition of the underside of the right wing, ultimately finding substantial tile damage. Due to the classified nature of the mission, the only images transferred to the [[mission control center]] were encrypted and of extremely poor quality. Mission control personnel deemed the damage to be "lights and shadows" and instructed the crew to proceed with the mission as usual, infuriating many of the crew. Upon landing, Atlantis became the single-most-damaged shuttle to successfully land. The survival of the crew is attributed to a steel [[L band]] antenna plate which was positioned directly under the missing tile.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19890010807&hterms=TM-100355|title=STS-27R OV-104 Orbiter TPS damage review team, volume 1|last=Thomas|first=John|date=February 1, 1989|publisher=NASA|website=NTRS NASA Technical Reports Servers}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> A similar situation would eventually lead to the [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|loss of the shuttle ''Columbia'' in 2003]], albeit on the more critical reinforced carbon-carbon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-107.html|title=NASA – STS-107|last=KSC|first=Lynda Warnock|website=nasa.gov|access-date=June 17, 2019|archive-date=February 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206060058/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-107.html|url-status=dead}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> During [[STS-37]] in 1991, ''Atlantis'' deployed the [[Compton Gamma Ray Observatory]]. Beginning in 1995 with [[STS-71]], ''Atlantis'' made seven straight flights to the former [[Russia]]n [[space station]] ''[[Mir]]'' as part of the [[ [[File:Space_Shuttle_Atlantis_launches_on_STS-132.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|''Atlantis'' heads toward Earth orbit at the beginning of [[STS-132]]]] ''Atlantis'' delivered several vital components for the construction of the [[International Space Station]] (ISS). During the February 2001 mission [[STS-98]] to the ISS, ''Atlantis'' delivered the [[Destiny (ISS module)|Destiny Module]], the primary operating facility for U.S. research payloads aboard the ISS.<ref>{{cite web | [[File:STS-132 Liftoff Space Shuttle Atlantis.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=21|STS-132 Space Shuttle launch]] [[File:STS-135 Atlantis and Southern Lights.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' docked to the [[International Space Station|ISS]] for the [[STS-135|final time]]]] In May 2009 ''Atlantis'' flew a seven-member crew to the [[Hubble Space Telescope]] for its Servicing Mission 4, [[STS-125]].<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=May 29, 2009 |title=Mission Accomplished: Leaving Hubble Better Than Ever |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts125/launch/125_overview.html The longest mission flown using ''Atlantis'' was [[STS-117]], which lasted almost 14 days in June 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/news/STS-117-30.html|title=STS-117 MCC Status Report #30|publisher=NASA|date=June 22, 2007|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-date=November 20, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120185309/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/news/STS-117-30.html|url-status=dead}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> During STS-117, ''Atlantis''{{'}} crew added a new starboard truss segment and solar array pair (the [[Integrated Truss Structure|S3/S4]] truss), folded the P6 array in preparation for its relocation and performed four spacewalks. ''Atlantis'' was not equipped to take advantage of the [[Electrical system of the International Space Station|Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System]] so missions could not be extended by making use of power provided by ISS.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts122/interview_love.html |title=Preflight Interview: Stan Love, Mission Specialist|publisher=NASA|date=November 19, 2007}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> During the [[STS-129]] post-flight interview on November 16, 2009, shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach said that ''Atlantis'' officially beat [[Space Shuttle Discovery|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'']] for the record low amount of interim problem reports, with a total of just 54 listed since returning from STS-125. Leinbach added, "It is due to the team and the hardware processing. They just did a great job. The record will probably never be broken again in the history of the Space Shuttle Program, so congratulations to them."{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} Leinbach made a similar report during a post-launch interview on May 14, 2010, saying that there were a total of 46 listed from STS-129 to STS-132. == Orbiter maintenance down periods == Line 163: ==Flights listing== <!-- Note: missions are ordered by the launch date rather than the mission number, please do not change this order --> {{ {| class="wikitable sticky-header" |-
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | # ! scope="col" width=18% style="background:#efefef;" | Date Line 528: ||<small> ''Atlantis''<nowiki>'</nowiki> final launch at the beginning of the [[STS-135]] mission</small> |<small> ''Atlantis''<nowiki>'</nowiki> final landing at the end of the [[STS-135]] mission</small> |<small> A welcome home ceremony is held for ''Atlantis'' at the [[Orbiter Processing Facility]] following the STS-135 mission</small> |<small>''Atlantis'' in its final exhibit display at [[Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex]]</small> | Line 624: <nowiki>*</nowiki> Mission canceled following the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|''Challenger'' disaster]]. ==In media== * The 1986 film ''[[SpaceCamp]]'' involves a crew of students at [[United States Space Camp]] that are accidentally launched into space on-board ''Atlantis''. |