View source for STS-46

{{Short description|1992 American crewed spaceflight to deploy EURECA and TSS-1}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name               = STS-46
| names_list         = [[Space Transportation System]]-46
| image              = STS-46 EURECA deployment.jpg
| image_caption      = ''Atlantis''{{'}}s [[Canadarm]] grapples the [[European Space Agency]]'s [[European Retrievable Carrier|EURECA]] satellite, prior to its deployment.
| mission_type       = [[European Retrievable Carrier|EURECA]] satellite deployment<br>[[Tethered Satellite System|TSS]]-1 operation<br>Technology research
| operator           = [[NASA]]
| mission_duration   = {{time interval|July 31, 1992, 13:56:48|August 8, 1992, 13:11:50|show=dhms|sep=,}}
| distance_travelled = {{cvt|5344643|km}}
| orbits_completed   = 127
| spacecraft         = {{OV|104}}
| launch_mass        = {{cvt|116134|kg}}
| landing_mass       = {{cvt|94676|kg}}
| payload_mass       = {{cvt|12164|kg}}
| crew_size          = 7
| crew_members       = {{Unbulleted list|[[Loren Shriver]]|[[Andrew M. Allen]]|[[Claude Nicollier]]|[[Marsha Ivins]]|[[Jeffrey A. Hoffman]]|[[Franklin Chang Díaz]]|[[Franco Malerba]]}}
| launch_date        = {{Start date text|July 31, 1992, 13:56:48|timezone=yes}}{{nbsp}}[[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]] (9:56:48{{nbsp}}am{{nbsp}}[[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]])
| launch_site        = [[Kennedy Space Center|Kennedy]], [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B|LC-39B]]
| launch_contractor  = [[Rockwell International]]
| landing_date       = {{End date text|August 8, 1992, 13:11:50|timezone=yes}}{{nbsp}}UTC (9:11:50{{nbsp}}am{{nbsp}}EDT)
| landing_site       = Kennedy, [[Shuttle Landing Facility|SLF&nbsp;Runway&nbsp;33]]
| orbit_reference    = [[Geocentric orbit]]
| orbit_regime       = [[Low Earth orbit]]
| orbit_periapsis    = {{cvt|425|km}}
| orbit_apoapsis     = {{cvt|437|km}}
| orbit_inclination  = 28.46°
| orbit_period       = 93.2 minutes
| apsis              = gee
| instruments        = {{ubl|Consortium for Materials Development in Space Complex Autonomous Payload (CONCAP II and CONCAP III)|Evaluation of Oxygen Integration with Materials/Thermal Management Processes (EOIM-III/TEMP 2A)|IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC)|Limited Duration Space Environment Candidate Materials Exposure (LDCE)|Pituitary Growth Hormone Cell Function (PHCF)|Ultraviolet Plume Instrument (UVPI)}}
| insignia           = Sts-46-patch.png
| insignia_caption   = STS-46 mission patch
| crew_photo         = Sts-46_crew.jpg
| crew_photo_caption = Standing: [[Marsha Ivins|Ivins]], [[Claude Nicollier|Nicollier]], [[Jeffrey A. Hoffman|Hoffman]], [[Franklin Chang-Díaz|Chang-Díaz]] and [[Franco Malerba|Malerba]]<br/>Seated: [[Andrew M. Allen|Allen]] and [[Loren Shriver|Shriver]]
| programme          = [[Space Shuttle program]]
| previous_mission   = [[STS-50]] (48)
| next_mission       = [[STS-47]] (50)
}}

'''STS-46''' was a [[NASA]] [[Space Shuttle]] mission using {{OV|Atlantis|full=no}} and was launched on July 31, 1992, and landed on August 8, 1992.

== Crew ==
{{Spaceflight crew
| terminology = Astronaut

| position1   = Commander
| crew1_up    = {{Flagicon|USA}} [[Loren Shriver]] 
| flights1_up = Third and last

| position2   = Pilot
| crew2_up    = {{Flagicon|USA}} [[Andrew M. Allen]]
| flights2_up = First

| position3   = Mission Specialist 1
| crew3_up    = {{Flagicon|CHE}} [[Claude Nicollier]]
| flights3_up = First
| agency3_up  = [[European Space Agency|ESA]]

| position4   = Mission Specialist 2<br>Flight Engineer
| crew4_up    = {{Flagicon|USA}} [[Marsha Ivins]]
| flights4_up = Second

| position5   = Mission Specialist 3
| crew5_up    = {{Flagicon|USA}} [[Jeffrey A. Hoffman]]
| flights5_up = Third

| position6   = Mission Specialist 4
| crew6_up    = {{Flagicon|USA}}/{{Flagicon|CRC}}<!--Chang-Díaz wore the US flag on his arm, so it should be listed first.--> [[Franklin Chang-Díaz]]
| flights6_up = Third

| position7   = Payload Specialist 1
| crew7_up    = {{Flagicon|ITA}} [[Franco Malerba]]
| flights7_up = Only
| agency7_up  = [[Italian Space Agency|ASI]]
|notes=[[Robert L. Gibson]] had originally been selected to command STS-46, however, after he was involved in an air-race collision, he was suspended from training for this mission.<ref>{{cite news |last=Harwood |first=William |date=July 9, 1990 |title=Two shuttle commanders disciplined, grounded |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/07/09/Two-shuttle-commanders-disciplined-grounded/8721647496000/ |access-date=January 18, 2022 |work=UPI Archive |quote=Gibson also was barred from T-38 jet trainer flights for one year while Walker was grounded for 60 days. Neither pilot will be eligible for reassignment to a shuttle mission until they are back on T-38 flight status.}}</ref> Gibson would fly again on [[STS-47]].}}
{{Spaceflight crew
| terminology = Astronaut
| crew        = backup

| position7   = Payload Specialist 1
| crew7_up    = {{Flagicon|ITA}} [[Umberto Guidoni]]
| agency7_up  = [[Italian Space Agency|ASI]]
}}
=== Crew seat assignments ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Seat<ref>{{cite web |title=STS-46 |url=http://spacefacts.de/mission/english/sts-46.htm |publisher=Spacefacts |access-date=March 4, 2014 }}</ref> 
! Launch
! Landing
|rowspan=8| [[File:Space Shuttle seating plan.svg|150px]]<br />Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck.<br />Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck.
|-
! 1
|colspan=2| Shriver
|-
! 2
|colspan=2| Allen
|-
! 3
| Nicollier
| Hoffman
|-
! 4
|colspan=2| Ivins
|-
! 5
| Hoffman
| Nicollier
|-
! 6
|colspan=2| Chang-Díaz 
|-
! 7
|colspan=2| Malerba
|}

== Mission highlights ==
{{Empty section|date=October 2024}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Sts046-99-039 - cropped.jpg|EURECA after deployment
File:STS-46 TSS-1.jpg|TSS-1 satellite
File:STS-46 TSS-1 tether close-up.jpg|TSS-1 tether close-up deployment
File:STS-46 TSS-1 fully extended.jpg|TSS-1 fully extended deployment
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [[List of human spaceflights]]
* [[List of Space Shuttle missions]]
* [[Outline of space science]]
* [[Space Shuttle]]
* [[STS-75]], a space shuttle mission with objectives similar to those of STS-46

== References ==
{{NASA}}
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-46/mission-sts-46.html NASA mission summary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527213345/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-46/mission-sts-46.html |date=May 27, 2010 }}

== External links ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQSvtbrgiCw STS-46 Post Flight Presentation] 

{{Space Shuttle Atlantis}}
{{European human spaceflight}}
{{All U.S. Space Shuttle Missions}}
{{Orbital launches in 1992}}

[[Category:Space Shuttle missions]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 1992]]