Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-03-2024 04:15 PM
How many different EVA hatch locations were there on the various space shuttle missions? The locations changed depending on the mission. I count four different orbiter locations:
aft bulkhead of the forward fuselage (like STS-51I)
transfer tunnel between aft bulkhead and the Orbiter Docking System (ODS) (like STS-76)
transfer tunnel between ODS and Spacehab Module (like STS-96)
aft hatch below ODS (like STS-98)
STS-51I
STS-76
STS-96
STS-98
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1970 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 07-03-2024 04:49 PM
The tunnel adapter with hatch was between a Spacelab or Spacehab module, before ODS existed.
The aft hatch is part of the ODS.
When they put the ODS permanently, they put it as close to the aft bulk head as possible. This meant that missions with occupied modules required the tunnel adapter aft of the ODS.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-04-2024 12:16 PM
In the STS-96 payload bay configuration, could the non-EVA crewmembers move freely between the shuttle and the ISS when the EVA was in progress?
Here is an overhead view of the STS-118 payload bay, which has the EVA hatch in the same location as STS-96.
This is a high-res version of the photo: https://archive.org/download/s118e09909/s118e09909.jpg
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 54178 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-04-2024 01:08 PM
The single EVA on STS-96 preceded the crew entering the space station for the first time. The spacewalk ended at 6:51 a.m. EDT on May 30, 1999. The hatches between the shuttle and Unity module were opened at 9:14 p.m. EDT that night.
(The EVAs during the STS-118 mission were conducted from the station's Quest airlock.)
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-04-2024 01:46 PM
I was wondering how much of the tunnel was in a vacuum on the STS-96 EVA with the EVA hatch in that location.
It looks like STS-101 and STS-106 may have used the EVA hatch in that location.
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1970 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 07-04-2024 06:14 PM
From the forward aft bulkhead to the end of the tunnel adapter.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-04-2024 08:49 PM
I see. Thanks for those answers.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 54178 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-04-2024 08:59 PM
As with STS-96, the spacewalks on STS-101 and STS-106 preceded the respective crews entering the space station.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-05-2024 10:17 AM
This is a pre-launch photo of the STS-88 Endeavour payload bay with the Unity module. I see two EVA hatches. They used the ODS hatch.
On the next ISS flight of Endeavour (STS-97), the ODS was right up to the aft bulkhead of the forward fuselage.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-06-2024 01:12 AM
STS-104 installed the Quest airlock on the ISS. There were three EVAs. EVA-1 and EVA-2 were from the ODS aft hatch. EVA-3 was from the new Quest airlock.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-07-2024 08:10 AM
EVA astronauts on the fourth Hubble servicing mission (STS-109) used the aft bulkhead EVA hatch on Columbia.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-08-2024 11:09 AM
This STS-69 photo shows Michael Gernhardt exiting the aft bulkhead EVA hatch. That looks like a Node panel at left. The panel has "STS-69" on it for some reason.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-09-2024 08:54 AM
The panel is a debris shield. Part of DTO 671, apparently. From the press kit:
DTO 671 consists of a number of tasks designed to evaluate and verify specific assembly and maintenance tasks for the Space Station. Each of the two EVA astronauts will spend about an hour performing a variety of tasks at a board mounted on the starboard side of the payload bay. The tasks include working with handrails, fasteners and connectors while the spacewalker is both free-floating and positioned in a fixed foot restraint. The amount of time and effort required for specific tasks also will be assessed during this time.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-20-2024 11:09 AM
This STS-88 photo shows Jerry Ross at the ODS hatch:
View of the ISS stack (Node 1/Unity and FGB/Zarya modules) taken during the third of three extravehicular activities (EVAs) including: View looking down at the Node 1/Unity module (-XA module side).
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 02-05-2025 02:23 PM
From the STS-114 Press Kit:
Each of the (three) spacewalks by Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson will last approximately 6 hours, 30 minutes. They will be conducted from the Space Shuttle Discovery’s airlock, thus becoming the 26th, 27th and 28th Shuttle-based EVAs in support of Space Station assembly.
The third EVA on STS-114 was the last EVA from a Shuttle airlock at the ISS.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 02-07-2025 09:10 AM
STS-61 was the first Hubble servicing mission This photo shows the open hatch on Endeavour.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 02-09-2025 02:54 AM
The payload bay configuration was a bit different for the STS-82 Hubble servicing mission. There was a tunnel adapter in the payload bay. The top hatch was Hatch 'C', and the aft hatch was Hatch 'D'.
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1970 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 02-09-2025 09:33 AM
There is no tunnel adapter, just the external airlock.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 02-09-2025 10:40 AM
The Space Shuttle Missions Summary says that STS-89 was the first flight with an external airlock.
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1970 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 02-09-2025 11:40 AM
Well, that is not a tunnel adapter. And it is an airlock truss. This shows the difference between the two.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 02-14-2025 01:50 PM
Figure 3-9 in the Space Shuttle News Reference has some interesting diagrams of the different airlock and tunnel adapter configurations.
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1970 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 02-14-2025 04:11 PM
That was published before the first launch and the airlock or docking system on the tunnel adapter was not used. Also the external airlock was not free standing.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 02-21-2025 02:05 PM
The EVA astronauts on the STS-109 Hubble service mission used the aft bulkhead hatch. The EVA hatch is reflected in the gold visor of John Grunsfeld on EVA-1.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 02-22-2025 09:23 PM
STS-76 delivered Shannon Lucid to the Mir space station for a long-duration stay. There was an EVA on the shuttle mission. From the STS-76 Press Kit:
Prior to beginning the spacewalk, the hatches of both Atlantis and the Mir will be closed at the docking mechanism. A hatch at the end of the shuttle tunnel adapter also will be closed, allowing only the airlock and tunnel to be depressurized.
All of the shuttle crew members will be in Atlantis' crew cabin for the duration of the spacewalk, and all Mir crew members, including Mir-21 crewmember astronaut Shannon Lucid, will be aboard the Mir.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 02-23-2025 07:32 AM
I think STS-76 was the first shuttle docking mission with an EVA.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 02-25-2025 03:23 PM
The two EVAs on STS-80 were cancelled because they could not open the aft bulkhead hatch. Here is the Flight Day 10 Highlights video:
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 03-07-2025 05:20 AM
quote:Originally posted by LM-12: The Space Shuttle Missions Summary says that STS-89 was the first flight with an external airlock.
I have since read that Discovery had an external airlock on the STS-82 Hubble service mission. STS-82 flew about a year before STS-89. Is the Summary wrong?
OV-105 Member
Posts: 923 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000
posted 03-08-2025 12:34 PM
The photos of the EVAs and of Hubble in the payload bay for STS-82 you can see they had an external airlock on that flight.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 03-08-2025 08:35 PM
I think some configurations can be a bit confusing. At least they are to me. Take the second photo (STS-76) for instance: the airlock on STS-76 was still internal, but the EVA hatch was well into the payload bay, on top of the tunnel connection.
The whole airlock/tunnel area was depressurized, of course.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 03-08-2025 10:10 PM
The payload bays for Mir missions STS-86 and STS-89 look very similar. However, STS-86 had an internal airlock, and STS-89 had an external airlock.
STS-86 Atlantis
STS-89 Endeavour
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4072 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 03-11-2025 12:14 AM
Why was there a docking system on the STS-103 Hubble repair mission? Both the STS-82 and STS-125 Hubble repair missions did not have it. All three missions did have the external airlock.
posted 07-03-2024 04:15 PM
advertisement