A Satellite Rescue in Space
How do you catch a satellite that is circling Earth? In May 1992, a shuttle crew faced that tricky problem.
Space shuttle Endeavour launched on its first flight on May 7, 1992. The mission, called STS-49, had an important job: rescue a communications satellite called Intelsat VI. The satellite had been left in the wrong orbit, or path around Earth, after an earlier rocket launch. It needed a new rocket motor to reach its proper orbit.
The crew brought Endeavour close to the satellite. Astronauts Pierre Thuot and Richard Hieb went outside the shuttle on spacewalks and tried to attach a capture bar to it. The bar was meant to help them hold the satellite steady, but their first two attempts failed. The satellite moved when they pushed against it, making it difficult to secure.
The crew and teams on Earth worked out another plan. Three astronauts would go outside together and catch the satellite with their hands. On the third attempt, Thuot, Hieb, and Thomas Akers carefully grabbed the satellite and held it still. It was the first spacewalk with three astronauts at once.
- satellite:
- An object that travels around a planet or another object in space.
- communications:
- The sending and receiving of information.
- mission:
- An important job or task given to a person or group.
- capture:
- To catch and hold something.
- secure:
- To hold or fasten something firmly in place.
- intended:
- Planned or meant to happen.
- valuable:
- Important or worth a lot.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What was the main problem the STS-49 crew needed to solve?
- 2Why did Intelsat VI need a new rocket motor?
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About this explanatory article passage for 4th Grade
“A Satellite Rescue in Space” is a explanatory article reading passage about Space exploration, written for 4th Grade. It takes about 2 minutes to read (247 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.