STS-78 was the fifth dedicated Life and Microgravity

Spacelab Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, ...

mission for the

Space Shuttle program The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Its ...

, flown partly in preparation for the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

project. The mission used the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'', which lifted off successfully from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B on June 20, 1996. This marked the 78th flight of the Space Shuttle and 20th mission for ''Columbia''.

Crew

Backup crew

Mission objectives

* Research into the effects of long-duration spaceflight on human physiology in preparation for flights on the International Space Station. * 22 life science and microgravity experiments using the Orbiter's pressurized Life & Microgravity Spacelab module (LM2). * Tests into the use of the Orbiter's

Reaction Control System A reaction control system (RCS) is a spacecraft system that uses Thrusters (spacecraft), thrusters to provide Spacecraft attitude control, attitude control and translation (physics), translation. Alternatively, reaction wheels can be used for at ...

jets to raise the altitude of orbiting satellites.

Crew seat assignments

Mission highlights

During the 16-day, 21-hour mission, the crew of ''Columbia'' assisted in the preparations for the International Space Station by studying the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body in readiness for ISS Expeditions, and also carried out experiments similar to those now being carried out on the orbital station. Following launch, ''Columbia'' climbed to an altitude of with an orbital inclination of 39° to the Earth's

equator The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...

to allow the seven-member flight crew to maintain the same sleep rhythms they were accustomed to on Earth and to reduce vibrations and directional forces that could have affected on-board microgravity experiments. Once in orbit, the crew entered the long pressurized Spacelab module to commence over 40 science experiments to take place during the mission. Not only did these experiments make use of the module's laboratory, but also employed lockers in the middeck section of the orbiter. Thirteen of the experiments were dedicated to studying the effects of microgravity on the human body, whilst another six studied the behavior of fluids and metals in the almost weightless environment and the production of metallic alloys and protein crystals. The crew also carried out the first ever comprehensive study of sleep patterns in microgravity, research into bone and muscle loss in space, and in-flight fixes to problem hardware on the Bubble, Drop and Particle Unit (BDPU), designed to study fluid physics. The mission also featured a test of a procedure that was later used during the second

Hubble Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...

servicing mission to raise the telescope's altitude without damaging the satellite's solar arrays. During the test, ''Columbia's'' vernier Reaction Control System jets were gently pulsed to boost the Shuttle's altitude without jarring any of the mission payloads. The test was successful, and was later employed by ''Discovery'' during

STS-82 STS-82 was the 22nd flight of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery, ''Discovery'' and the 82nd mission of the Space Shuttle program. It was NASA's second mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, during which ''Discovery's'' crew repai ...

, and was used multiple times to boost the orbit of the ISS when docked with an orbiter.

Mission anomaly

Although the launch went without any issue, an issue was discovered with the

solid rocket booster A solid rocket booster (SRB) is a solid propellant motor used to provide thrust in spacecraft launches from initial launch through the first ascent. Many launch vehicles, including the Atlas V, SLS and Space Shuttle, have used SRBs to give laun ...

s (SRBs) following their disassembly in June post-recovery. Analysis showed worrying damage to the field joints which was likely caused by hot gases. Failure of booster seals on the lower sections of Space Shuttle ''Challenger'''s right SRB ultimately caused the orbiter to break up mid-flight in 1986. This time the issue did not compromise astronaut safety because the hot gas path traveled through the engines' field joints but not their capture joint (containing the infamous "O-ring" seals). Despite there being no issue with safety, it did raise questions about a new

Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations: * Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia * Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana) * Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) * Environmenta ...

(EPA)–mandated adhesive and cleaning fluid. Due to the issue, STS-79 which was meant to dock with the Space Station ''Mir'' and return astronaut Shannon Lucid, was delayed. Options of returning Shannon on a Soyuz were considered, but never followed through as the Shuttle was considered safe and able to return Shannon.

References

External links

NASA mission summary

{{Use American English, date=January 2014 Spacecraft launched in 1996 STS-078