![]() The next morning, they showed their solution, which was sketched on a piece of paper and placed in front of a TV camera, to mission control. Akers, brainstormed ideas, looking out the window into the payload bay. “…I was convinced-the crew was convinced, for that matter-that we had done, with the tools we had and the procedure we had originally developed, that we had done it as well as it could be done, and it still didn’t work,” Brandenstein recalled.ĭuring the day off, the entire crew, which included Pilot Kevin P. Thuot, cooperate on the effort to attach a specially designed grapple bar underneath the satellite. After the second EVA also ended with multiple, unsuccessful capture attempts, Brandenstein recommended that the crew take a day off from the recapture efforts to weigh options. Intelsat flight controllers, however, were able to gain control over the satellite, meaning the crew of STS-49 would have a second chance. … So, we got back and Rick back inside and flew away and got some distance on it.” We thought we’d lost this 150 million, 200 million-dollar satellite, you know, and you don’t like that to happen. ![]() “That was a pretty low point,” Brandenstein recalled, “because when we left, it had a pretty good rate on it, and it was kind of flat spinning and stuff. And, as Brandenstein suspected, the attempts had sent the satellite drifting at a rate that ruled out further attempts during that EVA. The first EVA to capture the satellite ended after several attempts in which Thuot aligned the capture bar to the structural element, but the latches didn’t secure the two together. “But, you know, you’re training in 1 G, and there’s some artificialities associated with that when compared to what’s really happening in zero gravity,” Brandenstein said. When their training was complete, both Thuot and Hieb could attach the capture bar proficiently. His concerns were eased by the training Thuot and Hieb performed on what is known as an “air bearing floor,” which uses compressed air to simulate what it is like to move objects in space. “From day one, my concern was that if we bump it and it doesn’t latch, is it going to be difficult or impossible to catch?” Brandenstein recalled. The crew was then to fit the satellite with a new perigee motor and return it to space. Hieb to attach the satellite to the Shuttle’s mechanical arm and retrieve it. Thuot was to place a special capture bar onto a structural element of the satellite, latch it into place, then work with Mission Specialist Richard J. The Endeavour crew practiced the retrieval process extensively during their training. Eventually, flight controllers jettisoned the perigee motor to free the satellite, but that left the satellite with no means to enter the proper geostationary orbit. In space, the satellite wouldn’t release from the second stage of the Titan III. It was helpful that the Shuttle performed well, because the crew faced a major challenge with one of the primary objectives, retrieving Intelsat 603, a communications satellite that launched atop a Titan III rocket in March 1990. Simulation at JSC’s Weightless Environment Training Facility was conducted with extravehicular mobility unit suited astronauts F. It was really nice that the Endeavour performed like an old pro.” “It makes the training easier… They built a beautiful vehicle. “…You strive to keep the vehicle as similar as possible,” Brandenstein recalled in an oral history. ![]() Brandenstein, Commander of STS-49, recalled that although Endeavour was slightly lighter than earlier Shuttles and included a drag chute for landings on shorter runways, the flying experience and basic systems were the same. NASA incorporated updated avionics and auxiliary power units into Endeavour, as well as other upgrades to enable the shuttle to accommodate missions as long as 28 days. The name was suggested through a contest. The name was in recognition of the HMS Endeavour, a ship that British explorer James Cook used to navigate the South Pacific Ocean from 1768-1771, exploring the coasts of New Zealand and Australia. Endeavour was the fifth and final Space Shuttle NASA built. Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on its first flight, STS-49, 28 years ago this month on May 7, 1992. The Shuttle performed flawlessly in a difficult mission to capture and repair satellite. NPR 7120.5 Revision F Rollout Briefing (NASA Only).Lessons Learned Lifecycle and Highlights. ![]() Systems Engineering Leadership Program (SELP).
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