STS-122

STS-122
NASA · Public domain · source
Name	STS-122
Operator	NASA
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Atlantis
Launch	February 7, 2008
Landing	February 20, 2008
Mission duration	12 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes
Orbit	Low Earth orbit
Apsis	gee

STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis to deliver the European Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station. The mission involved international partners such as the European Space Agency and closely cooperated with the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency. The flight contributed to long-duration research aboard the International Space Station and included multiple extravehicular activitys and complex rendezvous and docking operations.

Mission overview

The mission launched on February 7, 2008, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A and landed at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility on February 20, 2008. Primary objectives centered on the installation of the Columbus laboratory built by the European Space Agency with contributions from national agencies including Arianespace partners and industrial contractors such as Thales Alenia Space and EADS Astrium. STS-122 operated within the ongoing assembly sequence of the International Space Station program, coordinating with Expedition 16 crew members aboard the station and supporting cross-agency logistics involving Roscosmos vehicles and SpaceX precursor cargo planning.

Crew

The seven-member crew combined NASA astronauts and an European Space Agency crewmember. Mission specialists, pilot, and commander roles included personnel with prior flights to the Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions and STS-100 heritage, integrating experience from other missions like STS-121 and STS-115. The flight engineer responsibilities overlapped with station operations carried out by Expedition 16 crew members such as Peggy Whitson and Yuri Malenchenko, enabling handover and activation tasks for the installed module.

Payload and objectives

The primary payload, the Columbus laboratory, was a major European contribution to the International Space Station's research capability, hosting experiments from organizations including the European Space Agency, DLR, CNES, UK Space Agency, and partner institutions like ESA/ESTEC centers. Secondary payloads included spare components for the station's Mobile Servicing System, logistics carriers, and science payloads such as experiments related to European Space Agency programs and hardware from NASA centers including Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center. Objectives included module integration, activation of life support interfaces with station systems provided by NASA and coordination with power and data networks managed by ISS Program partners.

Launch, rendezvous, and docking

Atlantis lifted off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A following launch processing at Vehicle Assembly Building and rollout operations coordinated with the Space Shuttle Program flow. After achieving low Earth orbit, the crew conducted phasing burns using the orbiter's orbital maneuvering system and performed rendezvous burns guided by navigation updates from Mission Control Center (Houston) and tracking from ground stations including White Sands Complex assets. Docking occurred at the Pressurized Mating Adapter on the Harmony (Node 2) module, coordinating with the station's motion control systems and communication links to Mission Control Center (Moscow), integrating procedures derived from previous assembly missions such as those for Destiny (ISS module) and Kibo operations.

Extravehicular activities

The mission included multiple extravehicular activities conducted by crew members trained at Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and supported by the Space Shuttle's airlock operations. EVAs addressed installation tasks for the Columbus module, outfitting external experiment packages, and routing power and data cables compatible with the station's Integrated Truss Structure interfaces previously used during STS-120 and STS-121 missions. Suit support and contingency procedures involved coordination with Extravehicular Activity Project teams at Johnson Space Center.

Return and landing

After successful module installation and activation tasks were completed, Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station and performed a flyaround photographic survey useful for inspection efforts similar to those after the Columbia disaster return-to-flight period. The orbiter executed deorbit burn sequences planned with support from Mission Control Center (Houston) and reentered over the Atlantic, landing at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility on February 20, 2008. Post-landing processing returned the crew to Astronaut Crew Quarters and initiated vehicle safing and processing for post-flight analysis led by Orbiter Project Office teams.

Mission aftermath and significance

The delivery of the Columbus laboratory significantly expanded the International Space Station's European research capabilities and strengthened cooperation among agencies such as European Space Agency, NASA, and Roscosmos. Scientific investigations conducted in Columbus supported experiments linked to microgravity research centers and European institutions including European Molecular Biology Laboratory affiliates. STS-122 represented a milestone in station assembly akin to earlier installations like Destiny (ISS module) and influenced later logistics and crew rotation missions, contributing to long-term objectives pursued by international partners including the European Space Agency's microgravity program and groundwork informing commercial cargo initiatives by companies like SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation.

Category:Space Shuttle missions Category:2008 in spaceflight