CRISTA/SPAS
From The Space Library
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| Organization | NASA-Office of Space Science Applications (United States),German Space Agency (Federal Republic of Germany) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth Science |
| Launch date | November 4, 1994 |
| Launch vehicle | STS-66 |
| Carrier rocket | Space Shuttle |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, United States |
| COSPAR ID | 1994-073B |
| Mass | 3260.0 kg |
| Experiments | Here |
| Alternate Names | CRISTA, SPAS/CRISTA, 23341 |
| Additional Information | Here |
| PDMP Information | Here |
| Telecommunications Information | Here |
| Data Collection | {$Data Collection} |
The Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) was a joint scientific program between NASA and the DARA, the German Space Agency. The SPAS was developed by Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm (MBB) in Germany, and was employed as a reusable carrier for short-duration missions. The Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes (CRISTA)-SPAS was co-manifested with the third flight of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS 3) on the Space Shuttle. CRISTA-SPAS was deployed from the Shuttle cargo bay using the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) and executed a series of pre-programmed mission objectives. The carrier was powered by batteries and data were stored on tape. The CRISTA-SPAS was retrieved by the RMS at the end of the mission and returned to Earth. The CRISTA-SPAS consisted of two instruments: (1) the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes (CRISTA) from Germany for observing the atmospheric limb; and (2) the Middle Atmospheric High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory for dayglow studies. Both CRISTA and MAHRSI were integrated into the ATLAS 3 Science Plan.
