View source for Engineering:STS-46

{{Short description|1992 American crewed spaceflight to deploy EURECA and TSS-1}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name               = STS-46
| names_list         = [[Astronomy:Space Transportation System|Space Transportation System]]-46
| image              = STS-46 EURECA deployment.jpg
| image_caption      = ''Atlantis''{{'}}s [[Engineering:Canadarm|Canadarm]] grapples the [[Organization:European Space Agency|European Space Agency]]'s [[Astronomy:European Retrievable Carrier|EURECA]] satellite, prior to its deployment.
| image_size         = 300px

| mission_type       = [[Astronomy:European Retrievable Carrier|EURECA satellite deployment]]<br/>[[Engineering:Technology|Technology]]
| operator           = [[Organization:NASA|NASA]]
| COSPAR_ID          = 1992-049A
| SATCAT             = 22064
| mission_duration   = 7{{nbsp}}days, 23{{nbsp}}hours, 15{{nbsp}}minutes, 3{{nbsp}}seconds<ref>{{cite web|title=STS-46|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-46.html |publisher=NASA|access-date=February 9, 2022|date=March 31, 2010|last=Ryba|first=Jeanne}}</ref>

| distance_travelled = {{cvt|5344643|km}}
| orbits_completed   = 127

| spacecraft         = {{OV|104}}
| launch_mass        = {{cvt|116134|kg}}
| landing_mass       = {{cvt|94676|kg}}
| payload_mass       = {{cvt|12164|kg}}

| crew_size          = 7
| crew_members       = {{Unbulleted list|Loren Shriver|Andrew M. Allen|Claude Nicollier|Marsha Ivins|Jeffrey A. Hoffman|[[Biography:Franklin Chang Díaz|Franklin Chang Díaz]]|Franco Malerba}}

| launch_date        = July 31, 1992, 13:56:48{{nbsp}}[[Physics:Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]
| launch_rocket      = [[Engineering:Space Shuttle Atlantis|Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'']]
| launch_site        = Kennedy Space Center, [[Astronomy:Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B|LC-39B]]
| launch_contractor  = [[Company:Rockwell International|Rockwell International]]

| landing_date       = August 8, 1992, 13:11:50{{nbsp}}UTC
| landing_site       = Kennedy Space Center,<br/>[[Organization:Shuttle Landing Facility|SLF Runway 33]]

| orbit_reference    = [[Astronomy:Geocentric orbit|Geocentric orbit]]
| orbit_regime       = [[Astronomy:Low Earth orbit|Low Earth orbit]]
| orbit_periapsis    = {{cvt|425|km}}
| orbit_apoapsis     = {{cvt|437|km}}
| orbit_inclination  = 28.46°
| orbit_period       = 93.20 minutes
| apsis              = gee

| instruments        = {{ubl|Consortium for Materials Development in Space Complex Autonomous Payload (CONCAP II and CONCAP III)|Evaluation of Oxygen Integration with Materials/Thermal Management Processes (EOIM-III/TEMP 2A)|IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC)|Limited Duration Space Environment Candidate Materials Exposure (LDCE)|Pituitary Growth Hormone Cell Function (PHCF)|Ultraviolet Plume Instrument (UVPI)}}

| insignia           = Sts-46-patch.png
| insignia_caption   = STS-46 mission patch
| insignia_size      = 200px

| crew_photo         = Sts-46_crew.jpg
| crew_photo_caption = Standing: Ivins, Nicollier, Hoffman, Chang-Díaz, Malerba<br/>Seated: Allen, Shriver
| crew_photo_size    = 300px

| programme          = '''[[Engineering:Space Shuttle program|Space Shuttle program]]'''
| previous_mission   = [[Engineering:STS-50|STS-50]] (48)
| next_mission       = [[Engineering:STS-47|STS-47]] (50)
}}

'''STS-46''' was a [[Organization:NASA|NASA]] [[Engineering:Space Shuttle|Space Shuttle]] mission using [[Engineering:Space Shuttle Atlantis|''Atlantis'']] and was launched on July 31, 1992, and landed on August 8, 1992.

== Crew ==
{{Spaceflight crew
| terminology = Astronaut

| position1   = Commander
| crew1_up    = {{Flagicon|USA}} Loren Shriver
| flights1_up = Third and last

| position2   = Pilot
| crew2_up    = {{Flagicon|USA}} Andrew M. Allen
| flights2_up = First

| position3   = Mission Specialist 1
| crew3_up    = {{Flagicon|CHE}} Claude Nicollier
| flights3_up = First
| agency3_up  = [[Organization:European Space Agency|ESA]]

| position4   = Mission Specialist 2
| crew4_up    = {{Flagicon|USA}} Marsha Ivins
| flights4_up = Second

| position5   = Mission Specialist 3
| crew5_up    = {{Flagicon|USA}} Jeffrey A. Hoffman
| flights5_up = Third

| position6   = Mission Specialist 4
| crew6_up    = {{Flagicon|CRC}}/{{Flagicon|USA}} Franklin Chang-Díaz
| flights6_up = Third

| position7   = Payload Specialist 1
| crew7_up    = {{Flagicon|ITA}} Franco Malerba
| flights7_up = Only
| agency7_up  = [[Organization:Italian Space Agency|ASI]]
}}

=== Backup crew ===
{{Spaceflight crew
| terminology = Astronaut

| position7   = Payload Specialist 1
| crew7_up    = {{Flagicon|ITA}} Umberto Guidoni
| flights7_up = First
| agency7_up  = [[Organization:Italian Space Agency|ASI]]
}}

=== Crew seating arrangements ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Seat<ref>{{cite web|title=STS-46|url=http://spacefacts.de/mission/english/sts-46.htm|publisher=Spacefacts|access-date=March 4, 2014}}</ref> 
! Launch
! Landing
| rowspan="8" style="text-align: center;" | [[File:Space Shuttle seating plan.svg|150px]]<br />Seats 1–4 are on the Flight Deck. Seats 5–7 are on the Middeck.
|-
! S1
| Shriver
| Shriver
|-
! S2
| Allen
| Allen
|-
! S3
| Nicollier
| Hoffman
|-
! S4
| Ivins
| Ivins
|-
! S5
| Hoffman
| Nicollier
|-
! S6
| Chang-Díaz
| Chang-Díaz
|-
! S7
| Malerba
| Malerba
|}

== Mission highlights ==

The mission's primary objectives were the deployment of the [[Organization:European Space Agency|European Space Agency]]'s [[Astronomy:European Retrievable Carrier|European Retrievable Carrier]] (EURECA) and the joint NASA/ASI ([[Organization:Italian Space Agency|Italian Space Agency]]) [[Engineering:Space tether|Tethered Satellite System]] (TSS-1). EURECA was deployed a day later than scheduled because of a problem with its data handling system. Seven and a half hours after deployment, the spacecraft's thrusters were fired to boost EURECA to its planned operating altitude of around {{cvt|500|km}}. However, thruster firing was cut to six minutes from twenty-four minutes because of unexpected attitude data from the spacecraft. The problem was resolved, and EURECA was successfully boosted to its operational orbit on the mission's sixth day. TSS-1 deployment also was delayed one day because of the problems with EURECA. During deployment, the satellite reached a maximum distance of only {{cvt|260|m}} from the orbiter instead of the planned {{cvt|20|km}} because of a jammed tether line. After numerous attempts over several days to free the tether, TSS-1 operations were curtailed, and the satellite was stowed for return to [[Astronomy:Earth|Earth]]. It would be reflown in 1996 on [[Engineering:STS-75|STS-75]], with astronauts Allen, Hoffman, Nicollier and Chang-Díaz also flying again on that mission.

Secondary payloads included the Evaluation of Oxygen Integration with Materials/Thermal Management Processes (EOIM-III/TEMP 2A), Consortium for Materials Development in Space Complex Autonomous Payload (CONCAP II and CONCAP III), [[IMAX]] Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC), Limited Duration Space Environment Candidate Materials Exposure (LDCE), Pituitary Growth Hormone Cell Function (PHCF), and the Ultraviolet Plume Instrument (UVPI). The mission was extended by a day in order to complete scientific objectives.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:Sts046-99-039 - cropped.jpg|EURECA after deployment
Image:STS-46 TSS-1.jpg|TSS-1 satellite
Image:STS-46 TSS-1 tether close-up.jpg|TSS-1 tether close-up deployment
Image:STS-46 TSS-1 fully extended.jpg|TSS-1 fully extended deployment
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Engineering:STS-75|STS-75]], a space shuttle mission with objectives similar to those of STS-46
* [[Astronomy:List of human spaceflights|List of human spaceflights]]
* [[Engineering:List of Space Shuttle missions|List of Space Shuttle missions]]
* [[Outline of space science]]
* [[Engineering:Space Shuttle|Space Shuttle]]

== References ==
{{NASA}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-46/mission-sts-46.html NASA mission summary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527213345/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-46/mission-sts-46.html |date=May 27, 2010 }}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQSvtbrgiCw STS-46 Post Flight Presentation] 

{{European human spaceflight}}
{{All U.S. Space Shuttle Missions}}

[[Category:Space Shuttle missions]]

{{Sourceattribution|STS-46}}