physics

STS-92

STS-92 is a physics 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-92 rather than just read about it. In short: STS-92 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-92 marked the 100th mission of the Space Shuttle and Discovery's 28th flight.

Key takeaways

STS-92 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-92 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of STS-92 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

STS-92 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-92 marked the 100th mission of the Space Shuttle and Discovery's 28th flight. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 11 October 2000.

Crew

Spacewalks EVA 1 Personnel: Chiao and McArthur Start: 15 October 2000 – 14:27 UTC End: 15 October 2000 – 20:55 UTC Duration: 6 hours, 28 minutes EVA 2 Personnel: López-Alegría and Wisoff Start: 16 October 2000 – 14:15 UTC End: 16 October 2000 – 21:22 UTC Duration: 7 hours, 7 minutes EVA 3 Personnel: Chiao and McArthur Start: 17 October 2000 – 14:30 UTC EVA 3 End: 17 October 2000 – 21:18 UTC Duration: 6 hours, 48 minutes EVA 4 Personnel: López-Alegría and Wisoff Start: 18 October 2000 – 15:00 UTC End: 18 October 2000 – 21:56 UTC Duration: 6 hours, 56 minutes

Crew seat assignments

Mission highlights

STS-92 was an ISS assembly flight that brought the Z1 truss, Control Moment Gyros, Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) (mounted on a Spacelab pallet) and two DDCU (Heat pipes) to the space station. The Z1 truss was the first exterior framework installed on the ISS and allowed the first U.S. solar arrays to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power during flight 4A. The Ku-band communication system supported early science capabilities and U.S. television on flight 6A. The CMGs (Control Moment Gyros) weigh about 27 kilograms (60 lb) and provide non-propulsive (electrically powered) attitude control when activated on flight 5A, and PMA-3 provides shuttle docking port for solar array installation on flight 4A and Destiny Lab installation on flight 5A. The mission included seven days of docked operations with the space station, four EVAs, and two ingress opportunities. Over the course of four scheduled spacewalks, two teams of space walkers and an experienced robot arm operator collaborated to install the Z1 (Z for zenith port) truss structure on top of the U.S. Unity connecting node on the growing station and to deliver the third Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA 3) to the ISS for the future berthing of new station components and to accommodate shuttle dockings. The Z1 truss was the first permanent lattice-work structure for the ISS, very much like a girder, setting the stage for the future addition of the station's major trusses or backbones. The Z1 fixture also served as the platform on which the huge U.S. solar arrays were mounted on the next shuttle assembly flight, STS-97. The Z1 truss included many elements of the Communications and Tracking subsystem. The hardware included a Transmitter/Receiver/Controller (SGTRC) built by L3 Communications Systems-East in Camden, NJ. John Schina was the Chief Engineer of the ISS Program at L3. The Z1 contains four large gyroscopic devices, called Control Moment Gyroscope (CMGs), which are used to maneuver the space station into the proper orientation on orbit once they were activated following the installation of the U.S. laboratory. During the fourth spacewalk, astronauts Wisoff and López-Alegría tested the SAFER jet backpack, flying up to 50 feet while remaining tethered to the spacecraft.

Media

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with STS-92

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what STS-92 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-92 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-92 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-92

In research: STS-92 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-92 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-92 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2000 in the United States, Edwards Air Force Base, Human spaceflights to the International Space Station, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for STS-92 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-92 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what STS-92 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-92 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is STS-92 in simple terms?

STS-92 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-92 marked the 100th mission of the Space Shuttle and Discovery's 28th flight.

Why does STS-92 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-92?

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-92.