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| STS-110 | |
|---|---|
| Name | STS-110 |
| Operator | NASA |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Atlantis |
| Launch date | April 8, 2002 |
| Landing date | April 19, 2002 |
| Mission duration | 11 days, 19 hours, 6 minutes, 8 seconds |
STS-110 STS-110 was a Space Shuttle mission flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station in April 2002. The flight delivered and installed the first section of the International Space Station's S0 truss, expanded the station's Integrated Truss Structure, and featured multiple Extravehicular Activitys to complete assembly tasks. The mission involved coordination among NASA, Roscosmos, European Space Agency, and international partners including Canadian Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B and docked to the Unity and Destiny modules of the International Space Station. Objectives included transport of the S0 truss manufactured by Boeing and assembly using the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm provided by the Canadian Space Agency. Flight controllers from Johnson Space Center and Mission Control Center (MCC-H) in Houston, Texas coordinated rendezvous maneuvers based on tracking from Goddard Space Flight Center and orbital data from United States Space Surveillance Network. The mission supported ongoing assembly defined by the ISS Assembly Sequence and aligned with long-term plans by International Partners to expand the station's structural backbone.
The seven-person crew included a mix of NASA astronauts and mission specialists trained at Johnson Space Center to operate Canadarm2 and perform EVAs. The commander was a veteran of Space Shuttle Columbia flights who had trained with crews at Marshall Space Flight Center. Other crew members brought experience from STS-92, STS-99, and long-duration missions on Mir and STS-100-related operations. Flight crew training involved coordination with the Russian Federal Space Agency for contingencies involving Soyuz vehicles and contingency procedures developed with the European Astronaut Centre.
Primary payload was the S0 truss segment built by Boeing and integrated with power and data interfaces developed in collaboration with Hamilton Sundstrand and Northrop Grumman. The mission carried an External Stowage Platform and a variety of struts, attachment fittings, and thermal blankets produced at facilities such as Kennedy Space Center, Michoud Assembly Facility, and Marshall Space Flight Center. Payloads included spare flight tools from Johnson Space Center's Extravehicular Activity Hardware System and avionics components compatible with the Destiny Laboratory and Unity module. The flight also transported experiments manifesting through NASA Glenn Research Center and hardware interfaces tested at Ames Research Center.
Crew performed multiple EVAs to install the S0 truss using procedures developed at Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and rehearsed at Johnson Space Center. Spacewalks utilized tools such as the Pistol Grip Tool and work platforms coordinated with Canadarm2 operations from the station and manipulator inputs from the shuttle's Remote Manipulator System. Tasks included routing power and data cabling to integrate the S0 truss with the station's Integrated Truss Structure and connecting power transfer systems compatible with Solar Array deployments planned for later missions like STS-97 and STS-115. EVAs were supported by suit systems certified by Hamilton Sundstrand and life support systems tested at JSC EVA Operations.
Launch occurred from Launch Complex 39B in the early morning hours, followed by orbital insertion and phasing maneuvers using the orbiter's Orbital Maneuvering System and guidance from Mission Control Center (MCC-H). After rendezvous, the orbiter performed a docking at the station's forward port and crew transferred equipment and completed final fit checks on the S0 truss. Over the mission's 11-plus days, the crew executed scheduled EVAs, robotics operations with Canadarm2, and internal maintenance tasks within the Destiny Laboratory and Harmony (Node 2). The return included undocking, a flyaround for photographic documentation, deorbit burn using the Orbital Maneuvering System, reentry managed by Johnson Space Center flight directors, and landing at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility.
STS-110 successfully installed the S0 truss, enabling later additions such as the S1 truss and P3/P4 truss segments that supported full solar array deployment and expanded station electrical capacity. The mission demonstrated refined techniques in robotics and EVA coordination that informed procedures used in STS-114 and the post‑Columbia return-to-flight program. S0 integration contributed to the eventual habitation and research expansion in facilities like Destiny, Kibo, and Columbus. Lessons learned influenced procurement and fabrication standards at contractors including Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Hamilton Sundstrand, and supported international cooperation frameworks among NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and the Canadian Space Agency. The mission remains a milestone in the International Space Station assembly sequence and a reference for subsequent human spaceflight assembly operations.