STS-92 Fact Sheet

By Cliff Lethbridge

STS-92 — Discovery

100th Space Shuttle Mission

28th Flight of Discovery

Crew:

Brian Duffy, Commander

Pamela A. Melroy, Pilot

Leroy Chiao, Mission Specialist

William “Bill” S. McArthur, Mission Specialist

Peter “Jeff” J.K. Wisoff, Mission Specialist

Michael E. Lopez-Alegria, Mission Specialist

Koichi Wakata, Mission Specialist

Orbiter Preparations:

Tow to Orbiter Processing Facility – December 27, 1999

Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building – August 24, 2000

Rollout to Launch Pad 39B – September 11, 2000

Launch:

October 11, 2000 – 7:17:00 p.m. EST. Launch was originally scheduled for October 5, 2000 but was postponed to allow evaluation of why an External Tank/Orbiter separation bolt failed to retract properly during launch of STS-106. Launch was rescheduled for October 9, 2000. The delay also allowed the replacement of an orbiter liquid oxygen pogo accumulator recirculation valve located in Discovery’s main propulsion system.

Launch attempt on October 9, 2000 was scrubbed prior to tanking operations due to high winds at the launch pad. Launch attempt on October 10, 2000 was scrubbed during the T-minus 20 minute hold upon a decision to remove a ground support equipment pin and tether that had been inadvertently left on an orbiter access platform at the launch pad. Launch on October 11 occurred as scheduled with no delays.

Landing:

October 24, 2000 – 4:59:42 p.m. EST at Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, California. Rollout distance was 9,090 feet. Rollout time was 75 seconds. Mission duration was 12 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes, 25 seconds. Landing occurred during the 202nd orbit. Landing was postponed two days and diverted to Edwards Air Force Base, California due to persistent high crosswinds at the Kennedy Space Center.

Mission Summary:

STS-92 marked the fifth Space Shuttle flight to the International Space Station (ISS). Discovery docked to ISS at 1:45 p.m. EST on October 13, 2000. Astronauts Chiao and McArthur conducted the first spacewalk of the mission on October 15, 2000. This spacewalk lasted 6 hours, 28 minutes. Primary activities included the connection of umbilical cables to provide electricity to heaters and electrical conduits located on the ISS Z1 Truss Assembly. The astronauts also relocated and deployed two communications assemblies and installed a toolbox to be used during ISS construction activities.

Astronauts Wisoff and Lopez-Alegria conducted the second spacewalk of the mission on October 16, 2000. This spacewalk lasted 7 hours, 7 minutes. Primary activities included the attachment of Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) to ISS and preparation of the ISS Z1 Truss Assembly to receive solar arrays due to be installed during STS-97. Astronauts Chiao and McArthur conducted the third spacewalk of the mission on October 17, 2000. This spacewalk lasted 6 hours, 48 minutes. Primary activities included the installation of two electrical converter units atop the ISS Z1 Truss Assembly to allow proper conversion of electricity generated by the yet to be installed solar arrays.

Astronauts Wisoff and Lopez-Alegria conducted the fourth and final spacewalk of the mission on October 18, 2000. This spacewalk lasted 6 hours, 56 minutes. Primary activities included the testing of manual berthing mechanisms, installation of a tray to be used to supply electricity to an ISS laboratory module and removal of a grapple fixture from the ISS Z1 Truss Assembly. Two small astronaut rescue backpacks that may be used if spacewalking astronauts encounter an emergency were also tested.

Due to a lengthy schedule of spacewalks, the crew was only able to spend 27 hours, 4 minutes inside ISS. Since this was the last Space Shuttle mission to ISS prior to the arrival of the first permanent ISS crew, the astronauts spent much of their time aboard ISS installing equipment and supplies to support of the upcoming crew arrival. They also completed connections to the ISS Z1 Truss Assembly and tested four ISS orientation gyroscopes. Discovery undocked from ISS at 11:08 a.m. EST on October 20, 2000 after a total docked time of 6 days, 21 hours, 23 minutes.