The R-bar pitch maneuver (RPM), popularly called the rendezvous pitch maneuver, was a maneuver performed by the space shuttle

Space Shuttle Orbiter

The Space Shuttle orbiter was the orbital spacecraft of the Space Shuttle program operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. The orbiter was a reusable winged "space-plane", a mixture of rockets, spacecraft, and aircraft...

 as it rendezvoused

Space rendezvous

A space rendezvous is an orbital maneuver during which two spacecraft, one of which is often a space station, arrive at the same orbit and approach to a very close distance . Rendezvous requires a precise match of the orbital velocities of the two spacecraft, allowing them to remain at a constant...

 with the International Space Station

International Space Station

The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...

 (ISS) prior to docking. The shuttle performed a backflip that exposed its heat-shield

Space Shuttle thermal protection system

The Space Shuttle thermal protection system is the barrier that protects the Space Shuttle Orbiter during the searing heat of atmospheric reentry...

 to the crew of the ISS that made photographs of it. Based on the information gathered during the rendezvous pitch maneuver, the mission team could decide that the orbiter was not safe for re-entry. They may have then decided either to wait on the ISS for a rescue mission or attempt extra-vehicular activity

Extra-vehicular activity

Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...

 to repair the heat shield and secure the safe re-entry of the orbiter. This was a standard procedure for all space shuttles docking to the International Space Station after the Columbia accident, caused by a damaged heat shield.

Maneuver description

The name of the maneuver was based on the R-bar and V-bar lines that are used in the approach of the space station. R-bar or Earth Radius Vector is an imaginary line connecting the space station to the center of the Earth. V-bar would be the velocity vector of the space station.
The shuttle approached the station along the R-bar line and at a small distance from the ISS, usually around 600 feet (180 meters), the shuttle performed a slow 360° pitch

Flight dynamics

Flight dynamics is the science of air vehicle orientation and control in three dimensions. The three critical flight dynamics parameters are the angles of rotation in three dimensions about the vehicle's center of mass, known as pitch, roll and yaw .Aerospace engineers develop control systems for...

, during which it exposed its underside, the heat shield, to the ISS. The crew inside the ISS visually inspected and photographed the heat shield to determine whether or not it had been damaged during liftoff and ascent. This maneuver required skilled piloting, as the shuttle commander

Commander

Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...

 must fly very close to the ISS without the station always in full view. After the maneuver is complete the shuttle flew from the R-bar to the V-bar, a 90 degree angle change as seen from ISS and then continued along the V-bar line to close in on the space station and eventually complete the docking.

The rendezvous pitch maneuver was developed by NASA engineers Steve Walker, Mark Schrock and Jessica LoPresti after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members...

. Columbia had sustained damage to its heat shield due to insulating foam breaking off the external tank and hitting the shield at liftoff. The damage was too great for the heat shield to protect the shuttle from the heat and structural strain of atmospheric reentry

Atmospheric reentry

Atmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,...

, causing it to break apart. For this reason, the integrity of the heat shield had been a critical concern of NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

 ever since. The maneuver was first performed by Mission Commander Eileen Collins

Eileen Collins

Eileen Marie Collins is a retired American astronaut and a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel. A former military instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle. She was awarded several medals for her work. Col. Collins has logged 38 days 8...

 on STS-114

STS-114

-Original crew:This mission was to carry the Expedition 7 crew to the ISS and bring home the Expedition 6 crew. The original crew was to be:-Mission highlights:...

, which was one of Space Shuttle Discovery's two "Return To Flight" missions after the Columbia STS-107 disaster.

STS-114

During STS-114

STS-114

-Original crew:This mission was to carry the Expedition 7 crew to the ISS and bring home the Expedition 6 crew. The original crew was to be:-Mission highlights:...

, the rendezvous pitch maneuver was performed shortly before docking with the ISS at 11:18 UTC on July 28, 2005, when Space Shuttle Discovery

Space Shuttle Discovery

Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...

 was photographed by Commander Sergei Krikalev

Sergei Krikalev

Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev is a Russian cosmonaut and mechanical engineer. As a prominent rocket scientist, he has been veteran of six space flights and currently has spent more time in space than any other human being.On August 16, 2005 at 1:44 a.m...

 and Flight Engineer John L. Phillips

John L. Phillips

John Lynch Phillips, PhD is a NASA astronaut. Phillips is also a retired Captain of the United States Navy Reserve. Phillips has received numerous awards and special honors. He is a National Merit Scholar, graduated 2nd in his class of 906 people at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1972...

, of the ISS Expedition 11

Expedition 11

Expedition 11 was the 11th expedition to the International Space Station, using the Soyuz TMA-6, which stayed during the expedition for emergency evacuation....

, using handheld Kodak 760 DCS digital cameras. On this occasion, astronaut Stephen Robinson

Stephen Robinson

Stephen Kern Robinson is a NASA astronaut. He was born October 26, 1955, in Sacramento, California.He enjoys flying, antique aircraft, swimming, canoeing, hiking, music, art, and stereo photography. He plays lead guitar in Max Q, a rock and roll band...

 undertook a precautionary spacewalk

Extra-vehicular activity

Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...

 to remove protruding gap fillers prior to re-entry.

STS-115

During STS-115

STS-115

Note:The P3/P4 Truss segment and batteries were so heavy that the crew count was reduced from seven to six.-Crew notes:...

, Atlantis

Space Shuttle Atlantis

The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...

' belly was photographed by the ISS Expedition 13

Expedition 13

Expedition 13 was the 13th expedition to the International Space Station , and launched at 02:30 UTC on 30 March 2006. The expedition used the Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft, which stayed at the station for the duration of the expedition for emergency evacuation....

.

STS-116

During STS-116

STS-116

-Crew notes:Originally this mission was to carry the Expedition 8 crew to the ISS. The original crew was to be:-Mission highlights:* The STS-116 mission delivered and attached the International Space Station's third port truss segment, the P5 truss....

, Discovery, commanded by Mark L. Polansky

Mark L. Polansky

Mark Lewis "Roman" Polansky is an American aerospace engineer and research pilot and a NASA astronaut. Polansky received the nickname "Roman" as a joke, because he shares a last name with director Roman Polanski. He has flown on three Space Shuttle missions: STS-98, STS-116, and...

, performed the RPM and was photographed by the ISS Expedition 14

Expedition 14

Expedition 14 was the 14th expedition to the International Space Station . Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, and flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 18 September 2006, 04:09 UTC, aboard Soyuz TMA-9. They joined Thomas Reiter, who had arrived at the ISS on 6 July 2006...

.

STS-117

During the RPM of STS-117

STS-117

- Crew Notes :The initial crew manifest before the Columbia accident was:Astronaut Mark Polansky was originally slated to pilot this mission, but was moved to STS-116, which he commanded...

 performed by mission commander Rick Sturckow, Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams is a United States Naval officer and a NASA astronaut. She was assigned to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14 and then joined Expedition 15...

 and another member of Expedition 15

Expedition 15

Expedition 15 was the 15th expedition to the International Space Station . Four crew members participated in the expedition, although for most of the expedition's duration only three were on the station at any one time...

 used 400mm and 800mm lenses for taking photos out of two windows of the ISS.

STS-118

During STS-118

STS-118

- Crew notes :Astronaut Clayton Anderson originally was slated to be launched to the ISS on this mission, but was moved to STS-117. His replacement was Alvin Drew....

 the RPM of Endeavour

Space Shuttle Endeavour

Space Shuttle Endeavour is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States. Endeavour was the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built, constructed as a replacement for Challenger...

 was photographed by Expedition 15

Expedition 15

Expedition 15 was the 15th expedition to the International Space Station . Four crew members participated in the expedition, although for most of the expedition's duration only three were on the station at any one time...

. The maneuver was videotaped by Clay Anderson and photographed by Fyodor Yurchikhin

Fyodor Yurchikhin

Fyodor Nikolayevich Yurchikhin , is a Russian cosmonaut and RSC Energia test-pilot who has flown on three spaceflights. His first spaceflight was a 10-day Space Shuttle mission STS-112. His second was a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station as a Flight Engineer for Expedition...

 and Oleg Kotov

Oleg Kotov

Oleg Valeriyevich Kotov was born October 27, 1965, in Simferopol, Crimean oblast in Ukrainian SSR. After a career as a military pilot, he joined the Russian cosmonaut corps. He has flown two long duration spaceflight on the International Space Station logging just short of a year in space...

 with 800mm and 400mm lenses. A Focused Inspection of a damaged portion of Endeavour's heat shield was performed by the STS-118 crew later in the mission after ground engineers reviewed the RPM photographs.

STS-120

Expedition 16

Expedition 16

Expedition 16 was the 16th expedition to the International Space Station .The first two crew members, Yuri Malenchenko and Peggy Whitson, launched on 10 October 2007, aboard Soyuz TMA-11, and were joined by spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, the first Malaysian in space.Expedition 15...

 crewmembers Clay Anderson and Yuri Malenchenko

Yuri Malenchenko

Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko is a Ukrainian-Russian cosmonaut. Malenchenko became the first person to marry in space, on 10 August 2003, when he married Ekaterina Dmitrieva, who was in Texas, while he was 240 miles over New Zealand, on the International Space Station...

 photographed and videotaped the RPM of Discovery during STS-120

STS-120

-Crew notes:As commander of STS-120, Pamela Melroy became the second woman to command a space shuttle mission. Additionally, the Expedition 16 crew that received STS-120 was commanded by Peggy Whitson, the first female ISS commander...

.

STS-121

During STS-121

STS-121

STS-121 was a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. The main purposes of the mission were to test new safety and repair techniques introduced following the Columbia disaster of February 2003 as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and...

, the rendezvous pitch maneuver was performed at 14:02 UTC on July 6, 2006, when Discovery was photographed by Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeffrey Williams of the ISS Expedition 13

Expedition 13

Expedition 13 was the 13th expedition to the International Space Station , and launched at 02:30 UTC on 30 March 2006. The expedition used the Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft, which stayed at the station for the duration of the expedition for emergency evacuation....

, using 400mm and 800mm lenses.

STS-122

The STS-122

STS-122

STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. STS-122 marked the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st space shuttle flight since STS-1....

 RPM occurred on February 9, 2008. From 16:24 to 16:31 UTC, Atlantis pilot Alan G. Poindexter

Alan G. Poindexter

Alan Goodwin "Dex" Poindexter is an American naval officer and a former NASA astronaut.-Personal:Poindexter was born to John Poindexter in Pasadena, California, and grew up in Rockville, Maryland, which he considers to be his hometown. He is married to the former Lisa A. Pfeiffer of Gulf Breeze,...

 performed the RPM. The RPM was photographed by Expedition 16 crew members Peggy Whitson

Peggy Whitson

Peggy Annette Whitson is an American biochemistry researcher, NASA astronaut, and NASA's Chief Astronaut. Her first space mission was in 2002, with an extended stay aboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 5. Her second mission launched October 10, 2007, as the first female...

 and Yuri Malenchenko with 400mm and 800mm lenses, respectively, from the Zvezda service module. Malenchenko had been directed to take extra images of the starboard OMS pod, so an "area of interest" on the thermal blanket can be evaluated. Some 300 images were expected to be captured.

External links

• NASA offers the video of the STS-121 backflip streamed in WMV and Real; and for download in mp4
• STS-135 performs the final RVM in shuttle history, Flash and mp4 from NASA