STS-52

STS-52
	Columbia's payload bay, with the LAGEOS 2 satellite being deployed.
Names	Space Transportation System-52
Mission type	LAGEOS 2 satellite deployment; Microgravity research
Operator	NASA
COSPAR ID	1992-070A
SATCAT no.	22194
Mission duration	9 days, 20 hours, 56 minutes, 13 seconds
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	Jim Wetherbee; Michael A. Baker; Charles L. Veach; William Shepherd; Tamara E. Jernigan; Steve MacLean;
Start of mission
Launch date	October 22, 1992, 17:09:39 UTC (1:09:39 pm EDT)
Launch site	Kennedy, LC-39B
Contractor	Rockwell International
End of mission
Landing date	November 1, 1992, 14:05:53 UTC (9:05:53 am EST)
Landing site	Kennedy, SLF Runway 33
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude	300 km (190 mi)
Apogee altitude	302 km (188 mi)
Inclination	28.45°
Period	90.60 minutes
Instruments
	Canadian experiment (CANEX-2); Chemical Vapor Transport Experiment Heat Pipe Performance Experiment (CVTEHPPE); Lambda Point Experiment; Low Altitude Conical Earth Sensor (LACES); Materials Exposure in Low-Earth Orbit (MELEO); Matériel pour l'Étude des Phénomènes Intéressant la Solidification sur eT en Orbite (MEPHISTO); Modular Star Sensor (MOSS); Mission Peculiar Equipment Support Structures (MPESS); Orbiter Glow (OGLOW-2); Phase Partitioning in Liquids (PARLIQ); Queen's University Experiment in Liquid-Metal Diffusion (QUELD); Physiological Systems Experiment (PSE); Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS); Space Adaptation Tests and Observations (SATO); Shuttle Plume Impingement Experiment (SPIE); Sun Photospectrometre Earth Atmosphere Measurement (SPEAM-2); Space Vision System (SVS); Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Thermal Phenomena (TPCE/TP); Yaw Earth Sensor (YES);
	; STS-52 mission patch; ; Back: Baker, Wetherbee and MacLean; Front: Veach, Jernigan and Shepherd Space Shuttle program ← STS-47 (50) STS-53 (52) →

STS-52 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using Space Shuttle Columbia, launched on October 22, 1992.^[3]

Crew


Position	Astronaut ^[4]
Commander	Jim Wetherbee Second spaceflight
Pilot	Michael A. Baker Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1	Charles L. Veach Second and last spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Flight Engineer	William Shepherd Third spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3	Tamara E. Jernigan Second spaceflight
Payload Specialist 1	Steve MacLean, CSA First spaceflight

Backup crew
Position	Astronaut
Payload Specialist 1	Bjarni Tryggvason, CSA

Crew seat assignments

Seat^[5]	Launch	Landing	Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck. Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck.
1	Wetherbee
2	Baker
3	Veach	Jernigan
4	Shepherd
5	Jernigan	Veach
6	MacLean
7	Unused

Mission highlights

Primary mission objectives were deployment of the Laser Geodynamics Satellite 2 (LAGEOS-2) and operation of the U.S. Microgravity Payload-1 (USMP-1). LAGEOS 2, a joint effort between NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), was deployed on day 2 and boosted into an initial elliptical orbit by ASI's Italian Research Interim Stage (IRIS). The spacecraft's apogee kick motor later circularized LAGEOS 2 orbit at its operational altitude of 5,900 km (3,700 mi). The USMP-1, activated on day one, included three experiments mounted on two connected Mission Peculiar Equipment Support Structures (MPESS) mounted in the orbiter's cargo bay. USMP-1 experiments were: Lambda Point Experiment; Matériel pour l'Étude des Phénomènes Intéressant la Solidification sur eT en Orbite (MEPHISTO),^[6] sponsored by the French agency Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES); and Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS).^[3]

Secondary payloads: (1) Canadian experiment (CANEX-2), located in both the orbiter's cargo bay and middeck and which consisted of Space Vision System (SVS); Materials Exposure in Low-Earth Orbit (MELEO); Queen's University Experiment in Liquid-Metal Diffusion (QUELD); Phase Partitioning in Liquids (PARLIQ); Sun Photospectrometre Earth Atmosphere Measurement-2 (SPEAM-2); Orbiter Glow-2 (OGLOW-2); and Space Adaptation Tests and Observations (SATO).^[7] A small, specially marked satellite, the Canadian Target Assembly (CTA), was deployed on day nine, to support SVS experiments. (2) ASP, featuring three independent sensors mounted on a Hitchhiker plate in the cargo bay – Modular Star Sensor (MOSS), Yaw Earth Sensor (YES) and Low Altitude Conical Earth Sensor (LACES), all provided by the European Space Agency (ESA).^[8]

Other middeck payloads: Commercial Materials Dispersion Apparatus Instrument Technology Associates Experiments; Commercial Protein Crystal Growth experiment; Chemical Vapor Transport Experiment Heat Pipe Performance Experiment (CVTEHPPE); Physiological Systems Experiment (PSE) (involving 12 rodents); and Shuttle Plume Impingement Experiment (SPIE). The orbiter also was used as a reference point for calibrating an Ultraviolet Plume Instrument on an orbiting Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) satellite.^[9]

The Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Thermal Phenomena (TPCE/TP) was contained in a Getaway Special (GAS) canister in the orbiter's cargo bay.^[10]

Some of the ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry were also carried aboard the orbiter for the duration of the mission.^[11]

Wake-up calls

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Project Gemini, and first used music to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15. A special musical track is chosen for each day in space, often by the astronauts' families, to have a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or in reference to the day's planned activities.^[12]

Day	Song	Artist/Composer	Played For
Day 2	Wake Up Columbia	Crow Carroll
Day 3	Shake, Rattle and Roll	Big Joe Turner	Deployment of LAGEOS-II
Day 5	The World is Waiting for the Sunrise	Les Paul and Mary Ford
Day 6	Birthday	The Beatles	Mike Baker's 39th Birthday
Day 7	"Hawaiian music"
Day 8	Mack the Knife	Bobby Darin
Day 9	Bang the Drum	Todd Rundgren
Day 10	Monster Mash	Bobby "Boris" Picket	To celebrate Halloween
Day 11	Notre Dame Victory March	JSC employees & Notre Dame grads	James Wetherbee

References

^ Rumerman, Judy A. (2009). "3B". NASA Historical Data Book (PDF). Vol. VII. NASA History Division. pp. 435–437. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ ^a ^b "STS-52 Space Shuttle Mission Report" (PDF). NTRS – NASA Technical Reports Server. NASA. December 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ ^a ^b Ryba, Jeanne (March 31, 2010). "STS-52". Space Shuttle – Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ "STS-52 Press Kit" (PDF). JSC History Collection. NASA. October 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ "STS-52". Spacefacts. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
^ Chen, Adam (2012). Wallack, William; George, Gonzalez (eds.). Celebrating 30 years of the space shuttle (PDF). NASA. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-16-090202-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ Chowdhury, Abul A. (October 6, 2020). "STS-52". Life Sciences Data Archive. NASA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ Aceti, R.; Trischberger, M.; Underwood, P. J.; Pomilia, A.; Cosi, M.; Boldrini, F. (October 1, 1993). "Attitude Sensor Package" (PDF). NTRS – NASA Technical Reports Server. NASA. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ "1981-1999 Space Shuttle Mission Chronology" (PDF). NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ Dumoulin, Jim (June 29, 2001). "STS-52". Kennedy Space Center's Science, Technology and Engineering Homepage. NASA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ Goodman, Rebecca (October 23, 2012). "This Week @ NASA, 23 October 2012". NASA Podcasts. NASA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021. ...Columbia also carried to space ashes of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry
^ Fries, Colin (March 13, 2015). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls" (PDF). NASA History Division. NASA. pp. 24–25. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

External links

NASA mission summary Archived April 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
STS-52 Video Highlights Archived September 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

[NASAHistoricalDataBookVII3B-1] Rumerman, Judy A. (2009). "3B". NASA Historical Data Book (PDF). Vol. VII. NASA History Division. pp. 435–437. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[MissionReport-2] "STS-52 Space Shuttle Mission Report" (PDF). NTRS – NASA Technical Reports Server. NASA. December 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[STS52Archive-3] Ryba, Jeanne (March 31, 2010). "STS-52". Space Shuttle – Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[PressKit-4] "STS-52 Press Kit" (PDF). JSC History Collection. NASA. October 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[5] "STS-52". Spacefacts. Retrieved July 29, 2024.

[30years-6] Chen, Adam (2012). Wallack, William; George, Gonzalez (eds.). Celebrating 30 years of the space shuttle (PDF). NASA. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-16-090202-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[LSDA-7] Chowdhury, Abul A. (October 6, 2020). "STS-52". Life Sciences Data Archive. NASA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[ASP-8] Aceti, R.; Trischberger, M.; Underwood, P. J.; Pomilia, A.; Cosi, M.; Boldrini, F. (October 1, 1993). "Attitude Sensor Package" (PDF). NTRS – NASA Technical Reports Server. NASA. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[Chronology-9] "1981-1999 Space Shuttle Mission Chronology" (PDF). NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[KSC-10] Dumoulin, Jim (June 29, 2001). "STS-52". Kennedy Space Center's Science, Technology and Engineering Homepage. NASA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[TWAN2012-10-23-11] Goodman, Rebecca (October 23, 2012). "This Week @ NASA, 23 October 2012". NASA Podcasts. NASA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021. ...Columbia also carried to space ashes of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry

[WakeUpChronology-12] Fries, Colin (March 13, 2015). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls" (PDF). NASA History Division. NASA. pp. 24–25. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

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v t e Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102)
Flights	STS-1 STS-2 STS-3 STS-4 STS-5 STS-9 STS-61-C STS-28 STS-32 STS-35 STS-40 STS-50 STS-52 STS-55 STS-58 STS-62 STS-65 STS-73 STS-75 STS-78 STS-80 STS-83 STS-94 STS-87 STS-90 STS-93 STS-109 STS-107
Status	Out of service: Columbia disaster (destroyed) 1 February 2003 (STS-107)
Related	Columbia Accident Investigation Board STS-61-E STS-61-H STS-144 Columbia Memorial Space Center Columbia Hills (Mars) "Countdown" (1982 song) Hail Columbia (1982 documentary) Columbia: The Tragic Loss (2004 documentary)

v t e ← 1991 Orbital launches in 1992 1993 →
January	Kosmos 2175 STS-42 Kosmos 2176 Progress M-11 Kosmos 2177, Kosmos 2178, Kosmos 2179
February	Unnamed USA-78 Fuyo 1 Kosmos 2180 USA-79 Superbird B1, Arabsat 1C
March	Molniya 1-83 Kosmos 2181 Galaxy 5 Soyuz TM-14 STS-45
April	Kosmos 2182 Gorizont No.36L Kosmos 2183 USA-80 Kosmos 2184 Telecom 2B, Inmarsat-2 F4 Progress M-12 USA-81 Resurs-F2 No.8 Kosmos 2185
May	STS-49 Palapa B4 SROSS-C Kosmos 2186
June	Kosmos 2187, Kosmos 2188, Kosmos 2189, Kosmos 2190, Kosmos 2191, Kosmos 2192, Kosmos 2193, Kosmos 2194 EUVE Intelsat K Resurs-F1 No.55 STS-50 Progress M-13
July	Kosmos 2195 USA-82 SAMPEX USA-83 Kosmos 2196 INSAT-2A, Eutelsat-2 F4 Kosmos 2197, Kosmos 2198, Kosmos 2199, Kosmos 2200, Kosmos 2201, Kosmos 2202 Gorizont No.37L Geotail, DUVE Kosmos 2203 Soyuz TM-15 Kosmos 2204, Kosmos 2205, Kosmos 2206 Kosmos 2207 STS-46 (EURECA, TSS-1)
August	Molniya 1-84 FSW-13 TOPEX/Poseidon, Uribyol 1, S80/T Kosmos 2208 Optus B1 Progress M-14 Resurs-F1 No.54, Pion-Germes 1, Pion-Germes 2 Galaxy 1R Satcom C4
September	USA-84 Kosmos 2209 Hispasat 1A, Satcom C3 STS-47 Kosmos 2210 Mars Observer
October	FSW-14, Freja Foton No.8L DFS-Kopernikus 3 Molniya-3 No.50 Kosmos 2211, Kosmos 2212, Kosmos 2213, Kosmos 2214, Kosmos 2215, Kosmos 2216 Kosmos 2217 STS-52 (LAGEOS-2, CTA) Progress M-15 (Znamya-2) Galaxy 7 Kosmos 2218 Ekran-M No.15L
November	Resurs 500 Kosmos 2219 Kosmos 2220 MSTI-1 USA-85 Kosmos 2221 Kosmos 2222 Gorizont No.38L USA-86
December	Superbird A1 Molniya-3 No.56 STS-53 (USA-89, ODERACS) Kosmos 2223 Kosmos 2224 USA-87 Optus B2 Kosmos 2226 Kosmos 2225 Kosmos 2227 Kosmos 2228 Kosmos 2229
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).