science

STS-110

STS-110 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-110 rather than just read about it. In short: STS-110 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on 8–19 April 2002 flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis. The main purpose was to install the S0 Truss segment, which forms the backbone of the truss structure on the station.

Key takeaways

STS-110 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-110 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of STS-110 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

STS-110 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on 8–19 April 2002 flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis. The main purpose was to install the S0 Truss segment, which forms the backbone of the truss structure on the station.

Crew

Mission highlights

The main purpose of STS-110 was to attach the stainless steel S0 Truss segment to the International Space Station (ISS) to the Destiny Laboratory Module. It forms the backbone of the station to which the S1 and P1 truss segments were attached (on the following missions STS-112 and STS-113, respectively). STS-110 also delivered the Mobile Transporter (MT), which is an 885 kilograms (1,951 lb) (1,950 lb) assembly that glides down rails on the station integrated trusses. The MT was designed and manufactured by Astro Aerospace in Carpinteria, CA. During the next shuttle mission, STS-111, the Mobile Base System (MBS) was mounted to the MT. This Mobile Servicing System (MSS) allows the Canadarm2 to travel down the length of the installed truss structure.

Flight Day 1: Launch After a launch scrub on 4 April 2002 due to a hydrogen leak, Space Shuttle Atlantis successfully launched on 8 April 2002, from Launch Complex 39B. The countdown on 8 April encountered an unscheduled hold at the T−5-minute mark due to data dropouts in a backup Launch Processing System. The Launch Processing System team reloaded the required data and the countdown resumed. Liftoff occurred with 11 seconds remaining in the launch window. STS-110 was the first shuttle mission to feature the upgrade Block II main engines, which featured an "improved fuel pump...a stronger integral shaft/disk, and more robust bearings". The intent of the upgrade was to increase the flight capacity of the engines, while increasing reliability and safety. With the launch of Atlantis, mission specialist Jerry Ross became the first human to have traveled to space seven times.

Crew seat assignments

Spacewalks

Media

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with STS-110

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what STS-110 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-110 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-110 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-110

In research: STS-110 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-110 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-110 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Human spaceflights to the International Space Station, Space Shuttle missions, Spacecraft launched in 2002, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for STS-110 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-110 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what STS-110 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain STS-110 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is STS-110 in simple terms?

Why does STS-110 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-110?

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-110.