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STS-88 Fact Sheet By Cliff Lethbridge STS-88 — Endeavour 93rd Space Shuttle Mission 13th Flight of Endeavour Crew: Robert D. Cabana, Commander Frederick W. Sturckow, Pilot Nancy J. Currie, Mission Specialist Jerry L. Ross, Mission Specialist James H. Newman, Mission Specialist Sergei K. Krikalev, Payload Specialist, Russian Space Agency Orbiter Preparations: Tow to Orbiter Processing Facility – February 1, 1998 Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building – October 13, 1998 Rollout to Launch Pad 39A – October 21, 1998 Launch: December 4, 1998 – 3:35:34 a.m. EST. Launch was originally scheduled for December 3, 1998 during a 10-minute launch window. A last-minute go-ahead was given to proceed with the countdown when isolated clouds moved out of the launch area. However, when Endeavour’s hydraulics system was activated at about T-minus 4 minutes, a master alarm appeared on the flight deck. The countdown was held several minutes. Engineers determined that the hydraulic pressure in Hydraulic System Number One had momentarily dropped far enough to cause the alarm, but that the hydraulic pressure had returned to normal and had stabilized. A decision was given to proceed with the countdown. However, the countdown clock was stopped automatically at T-minus 19 seconds because the launch window had expired. Launch on December 4 occurred as scheduled with no delays. Landing: December 15, 1998 – 10:53:29 p.m. EST at Runway 15, Kennedy Space Center. Rollout distance was 8,343 feet. Rollout time was 44 seconds. Mission duration was 11 days, 19 hours, 18 minutes. Landing occurred during the 186th orbit. Mission Summary: STS-88 marked an important milestone for NASA and the Space Shuttle program. This was the first Space Shuttle mission dedicated to assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). The primary payload was the U.S. built ISS module called Unity, technically referred to by NASA as ISS Node-1. The primary objective of the mission was the mating of Unity to the Russian built ISS module called Zarya, technically referred to by NASA as the ISS Functional Cargo Block and referred to by the Russians as the Control Module, with the acronym translated FGB. Zarya, which was built in Russia but financed by NASA, was launched from Russia on November 20, 1998. Zarya is essentially the engineering backbone of ISS, providing electrical power, steering control and other vital functions. Unity was designed to be the main passageway for crews living aboard ISS as well as the main connecting block to other elements of ISS. Endeavour completed a rendezvous with the orbiting Zarya module just two days after launch. After the Zarya module was successfully grappled and stabilized by Endeavour’s robot arm, astronaut Currie used the robot arm to guide a docking adapter on Zarya to within inches of a corresponding docking adapter on Unity, which itself remained fastened to Endeavour’s payload bay. After this maneuver was completed, a gentle firing of Endeavour’s on-board thrusters was performed, and the two ISS modules were forced together. The mating of Zarya to Unity was completed at 9:06 p.m. EST on December 6, 1998 resulting in the official birth of ISS. The crew immediately began checking Zarya and Unity systems to prepare them for an actual boarding of ISS, planned for later in the mission. This included checks of all systems, and making sure air pressure within the modules was properly and safely equalized. Astronauts Ross and Newman conducted the first of three spacewalks of the mission on December 7, 1998. This spacewalk lasted 7 hours, 21 minutes. The astronauts attached electrical and data cables between Unity and Zarya, which provided Unity with power and communications capabilities. They also removed thermal covers from computers located on the exterior of Unity. In addition, the astronauts prepared the payload bay of Endeavour for the remaining spacewalks, and made a visual inspection of the exterior of both modules. An analysis was made on whether or not two back-up automatic docking control antennas which failed to deploy from Zarya after it was launched could be repaired during the remaining spacewalks. During the course of the first spacewalk, astronaut Ross broke the record for total spacewalking duration by a U.S. astronaut. The previous record, held by astronaut Tom Akers, was 29 hours, 41 minutes. Astronauts Ross and Newman conducted the second of three spacewalks of the mission on December 9, 1998. This spacewalk lasted 7 hours, 2 minutes. The astronauts installed hand rails and other equipment to the ISS exterior that would aid in upcoming ISS assembly missions, as well as made other adjustments to the ISS exterior. The astronauts also installed communications antennas to the exterior of Unity, and installed thermal insulation covers over four trunions used to attach Unity to the payload bay of Endeavour. One of the four covers accidentally broke off after it was installed and floated off into space. A sunshade for ...

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