STS-117

Key takeaways

STS-117 belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect STS-117 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of STS-117 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

STS-117 (ISS assembly flight 13A) was a Space Shuttle mission flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis, launched from pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center on June 8, 2007. Atlantis lifted off from the launch pad at 19:38 EDT. Damage from a hail storm on February 26, 2007, had previously caused the launch to be postponed from an originally-planned launch date of March 15, 2007. The launch of STS-117 marked the 250th orbital human spaceflight. It was also the heaviest flight of the Space Shuttle. Atlantis delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) the second starboard truss segment (the S3/S4 Truss) and its associated energy systems, including a set of solar arrays. During the course of the mission the crew installed the new truss segment, retracted one set of solar arrays, and unfolded the new set on the starboard side of the station. STS-117 also brought Expedition 15 crewmember Clayton Anderson to the station, and returned with ISS crewmember Sunita Williams. On June 11, 2007, NASA mission managers announced a two-day extension of the mission, adding a fourth extra-vehicular activity (EVA). These two days were inserted into the mission timeline after flight day 8. This possibility had been discussed prior to launch. Because of launch day and thus rendezvous day uncertainty the decision to extend was deferred until after launch. The repair of the gap in the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) thermal blanket (heat shielding) was conducted during EVA 3. STS-117 remains the longest mission for Atlantis because of the cancellation of landing opportunities on June 21, 2007, due to bad weather. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base on June 22, 2007.

Crew

Crew Notes

The initial crew manifest before the Columbia accident was:

Mission payload

S3/S4 truss segments

For comprehensive description of the S3/S4 truss segment and more information, also see

The STS-117 mission delivered the second starboard truss segment (S3/S4) and associated energy systems to the International Space Station (ISS). Manufactured by the Boeing Company at the Michoud Assembly Facility, S3/S4 is the heaviest station payload the shuttle has ever carried. The main functions of the S3/S4 truss segments are to provide electrical power and data interfaces for station's electronics and convert sunlight to electricity. They also provide active thermal protection to electrical components throughout the space station and allow the connection of platforms to store spare parts. S3/S4 segments were the second starboard addition to the ISS truss structure after the S1 truss was attached during Atlantis' STS-112 mission. Both S3/S4 were handed off to NASA in September 2002. S3/S3 measures 44 feet 9.6 inches (13.655 meters) long by 16 feet 3.4 inches (4.963 meters) wide by 15 feet 2.3 inches (4.630 meters) high and weighs 35,678 lbs (16,183 kilograms). It is made from stainless steel. During flight day 4 activities, the S3/S4 truss segment was removed from the payload bay of Atlantis using the shuttle's robotic arm and handed off to the station's Canadarm2, where it was maneuvered and mated to the outboard end of the S1 truss.

Starboard 3 The S3 primary structure is made of a hexagonal-shaped stainless steel structure and includes four bulkheads and six longerons, beams that connect the bulkheads. The secondary structure includes brackets, fittings, attach platforms, EVA activity equipment and miscellaneous mechanisms. S3 was delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on December 7, 2000. The major S3 subsystems include the Solar Array Rotary Joint (SARJ) – which contains large bearings, Segment-to-Segment Attach System (SSAS) and Payload Attach System (PAS). The SARJ continuously rotates to keep the Solar Array Wings (SAWs) on S4 and S6 (launched on shuttle mission STS‐119 in March 2009) oriented toward the sun as the ISS orbits the Earth. The S3 also provides a passive attachment point to the S1 segment via the SSAS. The PAS allows platforms to be attached to S3 for the storage of additional science payloads or spare Orbital Replacement units (ORUs).

Starboard 4 Major subsystems of the S4 truss are the port inboard Photovoltaic Module (PVM), the Photovoltaic Radiator (PVR), the Alpha Joint Interface Structure (AJIS) and the Modified Rocketdyne Truss Attachment System (MRTAS). The primary functions of the PVMs are to collect, convert, store and distribute electrical power to loads within the segment and to other station segments. There are two SAWs on the S4 each deployed in the opposite direction from each other. Each SAW is made up of two solar blankets mounted to a common mast (made from shape memory alloy) and measures 115 by 38 feet (35 by 12 m). In addition to the SARJ, the SAWs also are oriented by the Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA), which can change the pitch of the wings by spinning the solar array. The PVR is deployable on orbit and is capable of dissipating up to 14 kW of heat into space. The PVR weighs 1,633 pounds and when deployed measures 44 by 12 by 7 feet (2.1 m). The AJIS provides the structural transition between S3 and S4 structures. S4 contains the passive side of the MRTAS which provides the structural attachment for S5 on S4. S4 was delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on January 15, 2001.

Hydrogen Vent Valve Atlantis carried a Hydrogen Vent Valve in its mid-deck to the space station. The valve used to vent Hydrogen overboard is part of the oxygen generating system (OGS). The OGS helps to produce oxygen for the crew to replace oxygen lost due to experiment use, airlock depressurization and venting.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with STS-117

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what STS-117 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, 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-117 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-117 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-117

In research: STS-117 appears in physics 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-117 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-117 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Edwards Air Force Base, Human spaceflights to the International Space Station, Space Shuttle missions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for STS-117 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.

How to study STS-117 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what STS-117 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-117 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is STS-117 in simple terms?

STS-117 (ISS assembly flight 13A) was a Space Shuttle mission flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis, launched from pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center on June 8, 2007. Atlantis lifted off from the launch pad at 19:38 EDT.

Why does STS-117 matter?

Because it connects several physics 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-117?

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-117.