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STS-102

STS-102 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand STS-102 rather than just read about it. In short: STS-102 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-102 flew in March 2001; its primary objectives were resupplying the ISS and rotating the Expedition 1 and Expedition 2 crews.

STS-102 — main illustration
STS-102 — illustration

Key takeaways

  • STS-102 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect STS-102 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of STS-102 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

STS-102 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-102 flew in March 2001; its primary objectives were resupplying the ISS and rotating the Expedition 1 and Expedition 2 crews. It was Discovery's 29th flight. The first EVA performed on the mission, at eight hours and 56 minutes, held the title of the longest spacewalk ever undertaken until the 17th of December 2024 when it was surpassed by Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong during the Shenzhou 19 spaceflight.

Crew

Crew seat assignments

Unique to this flight, Shepherd, Gidzenko, and Krikalev were all seated together on the mid-deck in special "recumbent couches" that allowed them to stay in a laid-back reclining position during landing, instead of the usual upright seats. It was thought that after their four months in space, their bodies would be deconditioned and the recumbent position would minimize the impacts of returning to a gravity environment. Because of the special seats, Thomas moved to the normal number 5 seat on the mid-deck to operate the side hatch as necessary. Future shuttle missions would not use the recumbent couches.

Spacewalks

EVA 1 Personnel: Voss and Helms Start: 11 March 2001, 05:12 UTC End: 11 March 2001, 14:08 UTC Duration: 8 hours, 56 minutes EVA 2 Personnel: Thomas and Richards Start:13 March 2001, 05:23 UTC End: 13 March 2001, 11:44 UTC Duration: 6 hours, 21 minutes

Mission highlights Space Station Assembly Flight ISS-5A.1 was the first use of the Multi Purpose Logistics Module (Leonardo) to bring supplies to the station. The steel modules were equipped with up to 16 International Standard Payload Racks for installation in the US Lab. Also carried an Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC). The ICC had the External Stowage Platform-1 mounted on its underside. ESP-1 was placed on the port side of 'Destiny' as a storage location for orbital replacement units. The mission also included two spacewalks to relocate the units carried up by the ICC to the Destiny module exterior.

Wake-up calls NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, which was first used to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15. Each track is specially chosen, often by their families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.

See also

List of human spaceflights List of International Space Station spacewalks List of Space Shuttle missions List of spacewalks and moonwalks 1965–1999 Outline of space science

References

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

External links NASA mission summary Archived 10 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine STS-102 Video Highlights Archived 4 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine

Illustrations

STS-102 illustration
STS-102 illustration
STS-102 illustration
STS-102 illustration
STS-102: ICC STS-102
ICC STS-102

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with STS-102

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what STS-102 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to STS-102 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about STS-102 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of STS-102

In research
STS-102 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses STS-102 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
STS-102 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2001 in Florida, Human spaceflights to the International Space Station, March 2001 in the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for STS-102 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study STS-102 in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what STS-102 means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain STS-102 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is STS-102 in simple terms?

STS-102 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-102 flew in March 2001; its primary objectives were resupplying the ISS and rotating the Expedition 1 and Expedition 2 crews.

Why does STS-102 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study STS-102?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on STS-102.

Tags

  • 2001 in Florida
  • Human spaceflights to the International Space Station
  • March 2001 in the United States
  • Space Shuttle missions
  • Spacecraft launched in 2001

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