This article was accepted into the corpus but its outbound wikilinks were never NER-processed — typical at the deepest BFS hop or when the run's entity cap was reached. No expansion funnel to show.
| STS-45 | |
|---|---|
| Name | STS-45 |
| Mission type | Spacelab payload flight |
| Operator | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Cospar id | 1992-013A |
| Satcat | 21818 |
| Mission duration | 9 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes |
| Launch date | 24 March 1992 |
| Launch rocket | Atlantis (Space Shuttle) |
| Launch site | Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A |
| Landing date | 2 April 1992 |
| Landing site | Edwards Air Force Base (dry lakebed) |
| Orbit reference | Geocentric orbit |
| Orbit regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Apsis | gee |
STS-45 was a nine-day National Aeronautics and Space Administration mission flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis in March–April 1992, carrying the first flight of the Atmosphere Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-1) Spacelab pallet dedicated to atmospheric and solar research. The mission involved a multinational crew, a suite of experiments from agencies including the European Space Agency, and operational support from Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center. STS-45 contributed to studies relevant to the IPCC era atmospheric science, solar-terrestrial interactions, and instrument validation for future missions.
The flight was designated as an NASA Shuttle mission focused on the ATLAS series, specifically the first in the ATLAS program, featuring investigations into stratospheric chemistry, solar irradiance, and aeronomy. Managed by Johnson Space Center and developed with partners such as Goddard Space Flight Center and European Space Agency contractors, the mission built on prior payloads from Spacelab flights and collaborations with programs including UARS and instruments related to TOMS heritage. Objectives included characterizing atmospheric trace gases, measuring solar flux across wavelengths, and validating remote sensing techniques used by NOAA and NOAA satellites.
The seven-person crew blended command, science, and payload specialist roles drawn from NASA Astronaut Corps selections and international partnerships. Command and operations were coordinated through Mission Control Center teams at Johnson Space Center, including flight director shifts that interacted with ground networks at White Sands Complex and Goddard Space Flight Center. Crew training incorporated facilities at Kennedy Space Center, Johnson Space Center, and European training sites used by European Space Agency astronauts and payload specialists.
ATLAS-1 carried a Spacelab pallet populated with instruments from institutions such as Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Max Planck Society, CNES, DLR, and INPE. Key payload elements included solar irradiance radiometers, spectrometers, and atmospheric composition sensors tied to programs like UARS and heritage from the Nimbus series. Experiments addressed ozone chemistry involving species connected to the Montreal Protocol, aerosol optical depth studies relevant to Earth radiation budget research, and measurements supporting the Global Ozone Observing System. Instrument teams included principal investigators from Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, University of Colorado Boulder, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, University of Maryland, and University of Cambridge.
After launch, the crew deployed and activated ATLAS-1 instruments during the first day, initiating coordinated observations with UARS and ground stations in the Global Observing System. Mid-mission activities involved targeted solar pointing, nadir Earth observations over regions including the Amazon Rainforest, Antarctica, and the Sahara Desert, and time-critical observations linked to atmospheric events monitored by NOAA and ECMWF. Payload operations were supported by scheduled contacts with tracking stations such as those at Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex and Guam Tracking Station. The crew completed calibrations, performed instrument troubleshooting, and executed secondary payload tasks before preparing for deorbit.
Launch occurred from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A aboard Atlantis during a window managed by Launch Control Center teams. The ascent profile placed the orbiter into a low Earth orbit optimized for solar and nadir observations. After nine days on orbit, the crew conducted deorbit burn and reentry operations coordinated by Mission Control, culminating in a wheel-stop at Edwards Air Force Base on a dry lakebed runway operated by USAF recovery teams and NASA shuttle landing crews.
Results from ATLAS-1 provided critical solar irradiance reference spectra and atmospheric composition data that were incorporated into follow-on research at Goddard Space Flight Center, NOAA, European Space Agency, and university groups. The measurements aided validation efforts for UARS and improved inputs for atmospheric chemistry models discussed by the IPCC and the World Meteorological Organization. Instrument performance and cross-calibration fostered international data sharing among agencies such as NASA, ESA, CNES, DLR, and JAXA, influencing subsequent missions in the ATLAS series and contributing to terrestrial and space-based monitoring programs.
Category:Space Shuttle missions Category:1992 in spaceflight