Joseph likes Astronomy, and they have been talking about STS-104, the Space Shuttle flown by Atlantis to install the Quest Joint Airlock that was launched on a day like today in 2001.
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.
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 6.1 m long, 4.0 m in diameter and weighs 5.9 metric tons. It is made from steel and aluminium, and manufactured at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) by the Space Station main 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 space lab 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.
More information: NASA
STS-104 was the final Space Shuttle mission to have a five-member crew. All succeeding missions would have six or seven, except the final mission, STS-135, which had 4.
STS-104 was the first shuttle mission to fly with a Block II SSME. Post-launch analysis indicated an anomaly occurred when the engine was shut down. The cause was determined, and the mitigation approach was demonstrated on the STS-108 flight in November 2001.
The Quest Joint Airlock, previously known as the Joint Airlock Module, is the primary airlock for the International Space Station.
Quest was designed to host spacewalks with both Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuits and Orlan space suits. The airlock was launched on STS-104 on July 14, 2001.
Before Quest was attached, Russian spacewalks using Orlan suits could only be done from the Zvezda service module, and American spacewalks using EMUs were only possible when a Space Shuttle was docked. The arrival of Pirs docking compartment on September 16, 2001 provided another airlock from which Orlan spacewalks can be conducted.
More information: NASA
The Quest Airlock consists of two segments, the Equipment lock that stores spacesuits and equipment, and the Crew Lock from which astronauts can exit into space. It was derived from the Space Shuttle airlock, although it was significantly modified to waste less atmospheric gas when used.
It was attached to the starboard CBM of the Unity during STS-104. It has mountings for four high-pressure gas tanks, two containing oxygen and two containing nitrogen, which provides for atmospheric replenishment to the American side of the space station, most specifically for the gas lost after a hatch opening during a space walk.
Quest was necessary because American suits will not fit through a Russian airlock hatch and have different components, fittings, and connections. The airlock is designed to contain equipment that can work with both types of spacesuits, however, it is currently only able to host American spacewalks because the equipment necessary to work with Russian space suits has not been launched yet, which required the Expedition 9 crew to take a circuitous route to a worksite because of problems with the American space suits.
The hatch to space has an inward opening airtight hard hatch, and an outwardly hinged thermal cover. The inner airtight hatch gets stowed at the end of the crew lock to allow ingress and egress.
More information: NASA
The most remarkable discovery in all of astronomy
is that the stars are made of atoms of the same kind
as those on the earth.
Richard P. Feynman
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