STS-105 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
STS-105

Aft view of the ISS from the departing Discovery
Mission type	ISS crew rotation/logistics
Operator	NASA
Mission duration	11 days, 21 hours, 13 minutes, 52 seconds
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Discovery
Launch mass	116,914 kilograms (257,751 lb)
Landing mass	100,824 kilograms (222,279 lb)
Payload mass	9,072 kilograms (20,000 lb)
Crew
Crew size	7
Members	Scott J. Horowitz Frederick W. Sturckow Patrick G. Forrester Daniel T. Barry
Launching	Frank L. Culbertson Jr. Mikhail Tyurin Vladimir N. Dezhurov
Landing	Yury V. Usachev James S. Voss Susan J. Helms
EVAs	2
EVA duration	11 hours, 45 minutes
Start of mission
Launch date	10 August 2001, 21:10:14 (2001-08-10UTC21:10:14Z) UTC
Launch site	Kennedy LC-39A
End of mission
Landing date	22 August 2001, 18:23 (2001-08-22UTC18:24Z) UTC
Landing site	Kennedy SLF Runway 15
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee	373 kilometres (232 mi)
Apogee	402 kilometres (250 mi)
Inclination	51.6 degrees
Period	92.3 minutes
Docking with ISS
Docking port	PMA-2 (Destiny forward)
Docking date	12 August 2001 18:41 UTC
Undocking date	20 August 2001 14:51 UTC
Time docked	7 days, 20 hours, 9 minutes
Left to right. Centre group: Sturckow, Forrester, Barry, Horowitz. Top left (Expedition 2): Voss, Usachev, Helms. Top right (Expedition 3): Tyurin, Culbertson, Dezhurov Space Shuttle program ← STS-104 STS-108 →

STS-105 was a space mission by the Space Shuttle Discovery. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 10, 2001. The main goal of this mission was to visit the International Space Station (ISS).

This was Discoverys last flight for a while. The shuttle was taken out of service for upgrades. Later, all Space Shuttles were grounded after the Columbia accident. Discovery received a new "glass cockpit" during its upgrades. This is a modern flight deck with digital screens.

Meet the Crew of STS-105

The STS-105 mission had a team of seven astronauts. Four astronauts flew up on Discovery. Three astronauts from the International Space Station returned to Earth with Discovery.

Position	Launching Astronaut	Landing Astronaut
Commander	Scott J. Horowitz Fourth and last spaceflight
Pilot	Frederick W. Sturckow Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1	Patrick G. Forrester First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2	Daniel T. Barry Third and last spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3	Frank L. Culbertson Jr. Expedition 3 Third and last spaceflight ISS Commander	Yury V. Usachev, RKA Expedition 2 Fourth and last spaceflight ISS Commander/ISS Soyuz Commander
Mission Specialist 4	Mikhail Tyurin, RKA Expedition 3 First spaceflight ISS Flight Engineer	James S. Voss Expedition 2 Fifth and last spaceflight ISS Flight Engineer
Mission Specialist 5	Vladimir N. Dezhurov, RKA Expedition 3 Second and last spaceflight ISS Soyuz Commander	Susan J. Helms Expedition 2 Fifth and last spaceflight ISS Flight Engineer 2

Space Walks During STS-105

Astronauts Daniel T. Barry and Patrick G. Forrester performed two spacewalks. These spacewalks were important for working on the International Space Station.

• Barry and Forrester – EVA 1
• EVA 1 Start: August 16, 2001 – 1:58 PM UTC
• EVA 1 End: August 16, 2001 – 8:14 PM UTC
• Duration: 6 hours, 16 minutes

• Barry and Forrester – EVA 2
• EVA 2 Start: August 18, 2001 – 1:42 PM UTC
• EVA 2 End: August 18, 2001 – 7:11 PM UTC
• Duration: 5 hours, 29 minutes

Mission Goals and Highlights

This image shows the ICC with the Early Ammonia Servicer and MISSE experiments.

The main purpose of STS-105 was to change out the crew on the International Space Station. It also delivered important supplies and equipment. The mission used a special cargo module called Leonardo. This module was built in Italy.

Leonardo carried many items for the space station. It brought new science racks for the station's U.S. laboratory, Destiny. These racks, called EXPRESS Racks 4 and 5, helped the astronauts do more experiments. EXPRESS stands for "Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the Space Station."

The module also carried storage racks and platforms. These were filled with bags of equipment and supplies. In total, Leonardo brought over 4,990 kilograms (about 11,000 pounds) of cargo to the ISS.

Another important item in the shuttle's cargo bay was the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC). It held the Early Ammonia Servicer. It also carried the Materials International Space Station Experiments (MISSE).

Testing Materials in Space

The MISSE project was a special experiment. It tested how different materials act in space. Scientists wanted to see how space conditions, like radiation and extreme temperatures, affected them. This helps engineers choose the best materials for future spacecraft.

The MISSE experiments were placed outside the ISS. They were carried in special containers called Passive Experiment Containers (PECs). These PECs are like suitcases that open up in space to expose the experiments.

Other Experiments

STS-105 also carried other smaller experiments. These included:

• Simplesat, a small satellite experiment.
• The Cell Growth in Microgravity experiment.
• The Microgravity Smoldering Combustion experiment.
• The Hitchhiker Experiment Advancing Technology Space Experiment Module-10.

These experiments helped scientists learn more about how things behave in the microgravity of space.

Launch Details

The launch of STS-105 happened on August 10, 2001. It was a successful launch. Interestingly, this was the only Space Shuttle launch that happened at the very beginning of its launch window. This means it launched earlier than usual. The reason was that a storm was approaching. Launch control wanted to get Discovery into space before the bad weather arrived.

Wake-up Calls for Astronauts

NASA has a fun tradition of playing music to wake up astronauts in space. This started during the Gemini program and was first used during the Apollo 15 mission. Each song is chosen carefully. Often, the astronauts' families pick the songs. The music usually has a special meaning to an astronaut or relates to their work that day.

Images for kids

• 

  STS-105 launches from Kennedy Space Center, 10 August 2001.

• 

  Illustration of the International Space Station during STS-105.

• 

  The Canadarm2 / Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) being operated by a crew-member.

• 

  STS-105 lands at the Shuttle Landing Facility, 22 August 2001.

See also

In Spanish: STS-105 para niños