STS-4

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Mission emblem
Mission emblem STS-4
Mission dates
Mission: STS-4
COSPAR-ID : 1982-065A
Crew: 2
Begin: June 27, 1982, 15:00:00  UTC
Starting place: Kennedy Space Center , LC-39A
Landing: July 4, 1982, 16:09:31 UTC
Landing place: Edwards Air Force Base , Runway 22
Flight duration: 7d 1h 9m 31s
Earth orbits: 113
Track height: 302 km
Orbit inclination : 28.5 °
Covered track: 4.6 million km
Payload: DFI, DOD 82-1, CFES, GAS containers
Team photo
Henry Hartsfield (left) and Thomas Mattingly
Henry Hartsfield (left) and Thomas Mattingly
◄ Before / After ►
STS-3 STS-5

STS-4 ( english S pace T ransportation S ystem ) was a space mission of the US Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) NASA . The launch took place on June 27, 1982. It was the fourth space shuttle mission and the fourth flight of the space shuttle Columbia.

team

Mission overview

STS-4 was the last test flight of the space shuttle program. The tests on the thermal load of the space shuttle begun during the last mission were continued. In addition, the robotic arm of the orbiter grabbed a device for the second time and lifted it out of the hold: the box-shaped IECM (Induced Environment Contamination Monitor) experiment was already flying with the STS-3 , but was not used.

In addition to a secret cargo for the US Department of Defense , the first active GAS container (GetAway Special) was on board, which contained nine experiments. The astronauts also conducted medical experiments on through and trained tightening the space suits for spacewalks in future shuttle missions.

Mission history

The launch of STS-4 on June 27, 1982 at 15:00 UTC was the first to take place within the shuttle program at a precisely specified time. Although raised STS-3 well on the day, the NASA had previously called, but an hour late.

Columbia is taking off on its fourth flight

STS-4 was the first shuttle flight in which the two solid rocket rockets could not be recovered. The two so-called Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) burned out two minutes after take-off and are thrown off. They go down on parachutes in the Atlantic, where they are towed back to the Kennedy Space Center by salvage ships. During this flight, the SRBs hit the water at a higher speed and sank before the rescue teams could reach them. The reason was either that the main parachutes had not opened properly during the descent, or that the ignition mechanism for triggering the explosive bolts to separate the SRB parachutes from the rocket casings was triggered too early. (At that time the SRBs were designed so that the parachutes were blown off when the water hit, to facilitate recovery.)

On this final test flight of the space shuttle, the final tests of the space shuttle systems were on the program. Above all, the behavior under thermal loads, the position control system and the robot arm were tested.

During the extensive thermal tests, the Columbia was repeatedly aligned differently to the sun during the mission. Initially, the underside pointed towards the sun for a day and a half. The team should then determine whether the payload bay doors were working properly. Obviously, the one-sided warming up had stretched the structure, because the gates did not close easily at first. On the next attempt, the two gates could be locked on the fifth day of flight (July 1) after the Columbia had rotated around its longitudinal axis like a barbecue spit for ten hours. Another test consisted of pointing the tail of the orbiter toward the sun for a total of two and a half days.

A large part of the payload bay was occupied by the DFI (Development Flight Instrumentation) pallet for measuring the condition of the orbit, as well as the first military test set-up carried by a US space shuttle into space. The apparatus classified as secret with the designation "DOD 82-1" was on board on behalf of the US Department of Defense . The Pentagon's payload, which remained anchored in the Columbia's hold during the flight, consisted of an infrared telescope , a UV sensor and a sextant .

With the CFES electrophoresis apparatus, the shuttle took a paid freight into space for the first time. The Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System was on board for McDonnell Douglas . In the future, CFES should be able to produce medical samples of a previously unknown purity. The 1.8 meter high device was housed in the middle deck and worked for seven hours. With electrophoresis , biological materials such as human cells are separated in a liquid by applying an electric field - during this “general rehearsal” the operational capability was tested with six protein samples. Since each cell reacts differently to the field, the particles separate differently. On earth, convection and sedimentation are the main pollutants.

The first active GAS container (GetAway Special) was also transported by shuttle on this flight. Immediately after the GAS program was launched in 1976, Gilbert Moore, a manager at US company Thiokol, rented a container for $ 10,000. He donated this to Utah State University , which decided to carry out nine experiments by students in the 90 by 60 centimeter cylinder. Research was carried out into the root growth of duckweed , the hardening of composite materials , the surface tension of solder and the growth of brine shrimp .

Initially, the GAS container located on the starboard side of the payload bay could not be activated. The switch in the cockpit didn't work. After consulting the control center, Commander Mattingly and Pilot Hartsfield unscrewed the panel. The check revealed incorrect wiring. After the repair, the experiments could be switched on on June 29th. Due to the wiring problem, the GAS canister could not be switched off properly and ran until landing.

US President Ronald Reagan and the two STS-4 astronauts

On June 29th, Columbia's robotic arm was activated and its handling was tested. Then the Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM) canister was lifted and held out of the hold. For two days, the eleven instruments on board collected data on trace gases, moisture and other factors that could provide information about the area around the shuttle. The IECM (mass 370 kilograms) worked not only outside the payload bay, but also before and after the launch.

After a week, the mission ended on July 4th, the day the United States celebrated its independence . In addition to landing on a public holiday, the Columbia first fell on a concrete runway. US President Ronald Reagan expected the Columbia to arrive at Edwards Air Force Base in California and then announced that the shuttle had completed its testing phase.

See also

Web links

Commons : STS-4  - album with pictures, videos and audio files