STS-52 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
STS-52

Columbia's payload bay, with the LAGEOS 2 satellite being deployed.
Names	Space Transportation System-51
Mission type	Microgravity research LAGEOS 2 satellite deployment
Operator	NASA
Mission duration	9 days, 20 hours, 56 minutes, 13 seconds (achieved)
Distance travelled	6,645,026 km (4,129,028 mi)
Orbits completed	159
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Columbia
Launch mass	113,460 kg (250,140 lb)
Landing mass	97,574 kg (215,114 lb)
Payload mass	8,078 kg (17,809 lb)
Crew
Crew size	6
Members	James D. Wetherbee Michael A. Baker Charles L. Veach William M. Shepherd Tamara E. Jernigan Steven G. MacLean
Start of mission
Launch date	22 October 1992, 17:09:39 UTC
Rocket	Space Shuttle Columbia
Launch site	Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B
Contractor	Rockwell International
End of mission
Landing date	1 November 1992, 14:05:52 UTC
Landing site	Kennedy Space Center, SLF Runway 33
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee	300 km (190 mi)
Apogee	302 km (188 mi)
Inclination	28.45°
Period	90.60 minutes
STS-52 mission patch Back: Michael A. Baker, James D. Wetherbee, Steven G. MacLean Front: Charles L. Veach, Tamara E. Jernigan, William M. Shepherd Space Shuttle program ← STS-47 (50) STS-53 (52) →

STS-52 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using the Space Shuttle Columbia. It launched on October 22, 1992. This mission focused on scientific research in space. It also deployed an important satellite.

Meet the Astronauts

The STS-52 mission had a crew of six brave astronauts. They worked together to complete all the tasks in space.

Main Crew Members

Backup Crew Members

Sometimes, astronauts have backup crew members. They train in case a main crew member cannot fly.

Mission Goals and Experiments

Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia for the STS-52 mission.

The main goals of STS-52 were to launch a special satellite and to do experiments in microgravity. Microgravity means a very low gravity environment, like what astronauts experience in space.

Launching the LAGEOS-2 Satellite

One key task was deploying the Laser Geodynamics Satellite 2, or LAGEOS-2. This satellite was a joint project between NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). It was released from Columbia on the second day of the mission. LAGEOS-2 helps scientists study Earth's shape and gravity. It also helps track how continents move.

Microgravity Research with USMP-1

The mission also included the U.S. Microgravity Payload-1 (USMP-1). This set of experiments studied how different materials behave in space. These experiments were placed in the shuttle's cargo bay.

• Lambda Point Experiment: This experiment studied how fluids behave at very cold temperatures.
• MEPHISTO: This experiment, from France, looked at how metals solidify in space.
• Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): This system measured tiny vibrations on the shuttle. These vibrations can affect sensitive experiments.

Other Science Projects

Many other experiments were carried out during STS-52.

• CANEX-2: This Canadian experiment package included several smaller projects.
  • Space Vision System (SVS): This system helped astronauts see and control robotic arms better.
  • Materials Exposure in Low-Earth Orbit (MELEO): This exposed materials to the harsh space environment.
  • Queen's University Experiment in Liquid-Metal Diffusion (QUELD): This studied how metals mix in space.
  • Phase Partitioning in Liquids (PARLIQ): This looked at how liquids separate.
  • Sun Photospectrometre Earth Atmosphere Measurement-2 (SPEAM-2): This measured sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere.
  • Orbiter Glow-2 (OGLOW-2): This studied a faint glow around the shuttle caused by atoms in space.
  • Space Adaptation Tests and Observations (SATO): This observed how astronauts adapted to space.
• ASP: This set of sensors tested new ways to help the shuttle know its position in space.
• Middeck Payloads: Several smaller experiments were done inside the shuttle's cabin.
  • Commercial Materials Dispersion Apparatus Instrument Technology Associates Experiments: These looked at how different materials mix.
  • Commercial Protein Crystal Growth experiment: This grew protein crystals, which helps in making new medicines.
  • Chemical Vapor Transport Experiment Heat Pipe Performance Experiment (CVTEHPPE): This studied how heat moves in space.
  • Physiological Systems Experiment (PSE): This involved studying small rodents to see how living things adapt to space.
  • Shuttle Plume Impingement Experiment (SPIE): This studied how the shuttle's engine exhaust affected other objects.

A Special Passenger

A small amount of the ashes of Gene Roddenberry were carried on this mission. He was the creator of the famous TV show Star Trek.

Wake-Up Music

Since the Project Gemini missions, NASA has had a tradition of playing music to wake up astronauts. A special song is chosen each day. Often, the astronauts' families pick the songs. These songs might have a special meaning or relate to the day's activities.