STS-46
From The Space Library
 | |
| Organization | NASA-OfficeofSpaceFlight(UnitedStates) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Human Crew |
| Launch date | July 31, 1992 |
| Launch vehicle | Space Shuttle |
| Carrier rocket | {$Carrier Rocket} |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, United States |
| COSPAR ID | 1992-049A |
| Mass | {$Mass} |
| Experiments | Here |
| Alternate Names | 22064 |
| Nominal Power | {$Nominal Power} |
| Additional Information | Here |
| Data Collection | Here |
| Payload Mass Up | 12965.0 kg |
STS 46 was the 49th shuttle mission and the 12th flight of the Atlantis orbiter. It carried a crew of seven. The Shuttle was to deploy the Tethered Satellite System-1 (TSS-1), an Italian Space Agency-developed satellite. The satellite was to have been attached by a 12.5 mile cable to the Shuttle cargo bay to explore the dynamics of electricity-generating systems. However, attempts by the crew to release the cable failed and the experiment was unsuccessful. The European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA), developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), was deployed. The satellite, carrying 15 experiments in material science, life science and space physics and upper atmosphere research, was retrieved by STS 57 a year later. The following experiments were also carried by STS-46: (1) Evaluation of Oxygen Interaction with Materials III (EOIM); (2) Thermal Energy Management (TEMP 2A); (3) IMAX camera production; (4) materials processing experiments; (5) Limited Duration Space Environment Candidate Materials Exposure (LDCE); (6) Pituitary Growth Hormone Cell Function (PHCF); (7) Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS); and, (8) Ultraviolet Plume Experiment (UVPI). The orbiter landed at Kennedy Space Center after completing 127 orbits. The mission duration was 7 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes, and 3 seconds.
Mission patch: 
