NASA STS-132 Mission – Launch Date, Status & Objectives

With more and more missions planned for the Moon, Mars, and even asteroids, NASA continues to lead the way in exploring deep space. Its work influences how countries around the world think about space, how we discuss environmental issues, and it inspires people to study and learn more – making NASA a fascinating topic from many different angles. In this detailed article, we will learn about the STS-132 mission which will travel to International Space Station (ISS), aiming to examine its operational features, onboard systems, and relevance for international collaboration.

• STS-132, launched on May 14, 2010, is expected to play a pivotal role in space research and technology.  
• Engineers and scientists have collaborated extensively to meet the missions key objective, which is to Deliver Rassvet module and cargo to ISS, requiring innovative technological solutions.  
• This particular mission was planned as a ISS assembly and resupply, marking an important step in our ongoing journey to explore space.  
• The huge size and complicated nature of the Space Shuttle Atlantis amazed everyone who got a close look at it. 
• The mission began with a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Launch Pad 39A. 
• 11 days, 18 hours, 29 minutes, 9 seconds marked the full span of the mission’s activity. 
• It was a project spearheaded by NASA, Energia. 
• The operation concluded as Completed. 
• With a budget of $450 million, NASA launched STS-132 to advance scientific understanding and explore new frontiers. 

Featuring Mini-Research Module 1 (Rassvet), ICC-VLD, STS-132 aims to collect unprecedented data and enable more autonomous mission operations.

STS-132 showcases Space Shuttle, Robotic Arms, Spacewalks, marking a significant step toward intelligent, self-directed exploration missions. This comprehensive article on NASA STS-132 Space mission helps UPSC aspirants understand the full life cycle of a modern space mission which is relevant for GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3, GS Paper 4, and Essay.

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NASA STS-132 Space Mission Overview 

STS-132 – Space Mission Profile for UPSC
Target Celestial Body	International Space Station (ISS)
Launch Date	May 14, 2010
Objective	Deliver Rassvet module and cargo to ISS
Mission Type	ISS assembly and resupply
Launch Vehicle	Space Shuttle Atlantis
Launch Site	Kennedy Space Center, Launch Pad 39A
Mission Duration	11 days, 18 hours, 29 minutes, 9 seconds
Agencies Involved	NASA, Energia
Mission Status	Completed
Estimated Cost	$450 million
Proposal Date	N/A
New Instruments/Payloads	Mini-Research Module 1 (Rassvet), ICC-VLD
Key Technologies Used	Space Shuttle, Robotic Arms, Spacewalks

Also, Checkout Sunita Williams’ Missions to the International Space Station

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STS-132 Space Mission Global Contributions

NASA partnered with Russia for STS-132, strengthening international efforts in robotic space exploration.

• NASA included Russian Rassvet Mini-Research Module 1 in STS-132 to demonstrate self-directed payload management in space. 

Global Collaboration & Strategic Impact
International Partners	Russia
Payload Contributions	Russian Rassvet Mini-Research Module 1
Commercial Involvement	N/A
Data Sharing Agreements	N/A
Impact on Global Space Policy	N/A

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Challenges & Risk in STS-132 Space Mission

Even with substantial challenges such as Paint peeling on MRM-1, SGANT installation gap, STS-132 was able to maintain operational continuity through rigorous diagnostics, system calibration, and expert mission control intervention.

• STS-132 navigated technical risks, including Foam liberation, pip pin concern before launch, by deploying robust backup protocols and hardware redundancy. 

Operational Risks, Environmental Impact & Challenges
Risk & Mitigation Log	Foam liberation, pip pin concern before launch
Environmental & Sustainability Footprint	N/A
Challenges Faced	Paint peeling on MRM-1, SGANT installation gap

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Mission Timeline of STS-132 NASA Space Mission

• The spacecraft achieved its landing/flyby on May 26, 2010, enabling high-resolution imaging and data collection from the target zone. 
• Although the primary mission officially ended on May 26, 2010, there was potential for continued data collection and extended operations. 

Mission Timeline & Key Milestones
Proposal Date	N/A
Critical Design Review (CDR) Date	N/A
Assembly Complete Date	N/A
Launch Date	May 14, 2010
Landing / Flyby Date	May 26, 2010
End of Primary Mission Date	May 26, 2010

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UPSC Relevance of STS-132

• UPSC Prelims tests awareness of global scientific milestones, with NASA missions serving as key examples of technological achievement.
• NASA’s exploration efforts, such as Mars and Psyche missions, can be cited in GS Paper 3 answers dealing with frontier technologies and research.
• NASA’s transparent communication about mission setbacks can be used in UPSC CSE GS Paper 4 (Ethics) to illustrate ethical behavior in maintaining public trust and institutional credibility.
• Optional papers such as Anthropology, Geography, and Philosophy can use NASA’s deep space missions to examine human adaptability, technological ethics, and questions of existential risk and sustainability in modern science.

Also, Learn about International Space Station (ISS)

Past UPCS Mains PYQs on NASA Space Missions

Q1. Launched on 25th December 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor space telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What potential benefits does it hold for the human race? (2022, GS Paper 3) 

Q2. How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth? (2017, GS Paper 1)

Q3. The safe landing of the ‘Curiosity’ Rover under NASA’s space programme has sparked many possibilities. What are those and how could humankind benefit from them? (2012, GS Paper 2)

Past UPCS Prelims PYQs on NASA Space Missions

Q1 [2022]: Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the “Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” often talked about in the media?

(a) A hypersonic missile is launched into space to counter the asteroid approaching the Earth and explode it in space.

(b) A spacecraft lands on another planet after making several orbital motions.

(c) A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.

(d) A spacecraft moves along a comet with the same speed and places a probe on its surface.

Answer: (c) A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.

Explanation: While this question pertains to a military concept, NASAs research into orbital mechanics and space trajectories contributes to the broader understanding of such technologies.

Q2 [2020]: “The experiment will employ a trio of spacecraft flying in formation in the shape of an equilateral triangle that has sides one million kilometres long, with lasers shining between the craft.” The experiment in question refers to:

(a) Voyager-2

(b) New Horizons

(c) Lisa Pathfinder

(d) Evolved LISA

Answer: (d) Evolved LISA

Explanation: Evolved LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) is a space-based gravitational wave observatory developed by ESA with contributions from NASA.

Q3 [2017]: What is the purpose of ‘evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA)’ project?

(a) To detect neutrinos

(b) To detect gravitational waves

(c) To detect the effectiveness of missile defence system

(d) To study the effect of solar flares on our communication systems

Answer: (b) To detect gravitational waves

Explanation: Evolved Laser Space Interferometer Space Antenna (ELISA) project was widely in the news due to the discovery of gravitational waves by the LIGO detector and the subsequent success of the LISA pathfinder project. The European Space Agency is leading the ELISA mission. The project is initiated to detect and accurately measure gravitational waves.

Q4 [2016]: What is ‘Greased Lightning-10 (GL-10)’, recently in the news?

(a) Electric plane tested by NASA

(b) Solar-powered two-seater aircraft designed by Japan

(c) Space observatory launched by China

(d) Reusable rocket designed by ISRO

Answer: (a) Electric plane tested by NASA
educationprovince.com

Explanation: GL-10 is a remotely piloted plane similar to an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). It is designed and developed in such a way that it can take off like a helicopter and fly like an airplane. It is a battery-powered 10-engine with a wingspan of 3.05 meters. Eight electric motors are mounted on the wings. 2 electric motors are mounted on the tail. It weighs a maximum of 28.1 kilograms at takeoff. Due to its versatile vertical takeoff and landing ability, it produces less noise. It can be used as a UAV for small package delivery or vertical takeoff and landing, as well as long-endurance surveillance for agriculture, mapping, and other applications. Its modified scaled-up version can be used as a persons air vehicle.

Q5 [2015]: The term ‘Goldilocks Zone’ is often seen in the news in the context of:

(a) The limits of habitable zone above the surface of the Earth

(b) Regions inside the Earth where shale gas is available

(c) Search for the Earth-like planets in outer space

(d) Search for meteorites containing precious metals

Answer: (c) Search for the Earth-like planets in outer space

Explanation: The Goldilocks Zone is the livable zone around a star where the temperature is not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to exist on a planet. It is a metaphor for the childrens story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which a young girl selects from sets of three objects, eschewing the extremes (such as those that are enormous or small, hot or cold) and fixing on the one that is just right in the middle. The Goldilocks zone of the Sun surrounds the Earth. All of Earths water would freeze if it were found where the dwarf planet Pluto is; however, all of Earths water would boil out if it were found where Mercury is.

Also, Get to Know What was NASA's Parker Solar Probe Mission

UPSC Practice Questions on NASA Space Missions

Q1. Cygnus spacecraft launched by NASA is seen recently in the context of
1. It uses solar power to enter into its desired orbit
2. It provides real-time portal for Mars exploration
3. It carry ingredients for experiments to grow plants without soil
4. It has been send to destroy targeted space debris

Answer: 3
Solution: NASA informed that supplies inside Cygnus spacecraft carry ingredients for experiments to grow plants without soil. Hence, option 3 is correct. Cygnus spacecraft, which is carrying a fresh supply of 8300 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo, has reached International Space Station on 21 February 2022, less than two days after it was launched. This is Northrop Grumman's 17th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft is named the S.S. Piers Sellers in honour of the late NASA astronaut who spent nearly 35 days across three missions helping to construct the space station.

Q2. Which of the following is the name of the NASA programme to land first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024?
1. Orion
2. Apollo
3. Artemis
4. Nike

Answer: 3
Solution: Artemis is an ongoing space mission run by NASA with the goal of landing the first female astronaut and next male astronaut on the Moon's South Pole by 2024. It is the US space agency's first crewed Moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. NASA is working on the Artemis program that aims to land humans on the moon by 2024. NASA's VIPER would land near the western edge of the Nobile Crater at the Moon's South Pole, one of the coldest areas in the solar system. VIPER stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover.

Q3. On 7 September 2021, NASA announced that the Perseverance rover has completed the collection of the first sample of _______ Mars.
1. soil
2. dust
3. rock
4. snow

Answer: 3
Solution: The Perseverance rover has collected 11 scientifically compelling rock core samples and one atmospheric sample. A core from Jezero Crater is slightly thicker than a pencil.

Q4. To study which one of the following was a spacecraft launched that would be farthest from the Sun and would run exclusively on solar power?
1. Jupiter's Trojan asteroids
2. Saturn's rings and moons
3. Mars' atmosphere
4. Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud

Answer: 1
Solution: Lucy is NASA's newly launched spacecraft, the US space agency's first-ever mission to explore distant asteroids and seek out the origin of our solar system. Lucy is the first space mission to study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids and would run exclusively on solar power.

Q5. Consider the following statements
1. The NewSpace India Limited is the commercial arm of the Department of Space
2. Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Center (IN-SPACe) will facilitate the participation of private sector

Which of the above is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: 3
Solution: The new Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Center (IN-SPACe), which is expected to be functional within six months, will assess the needs and demands of private players, including educational and research institutions, and explore ways to accommodate these requirements in consultation with ISRO. Existing ISRO infrastructure, both ground- and space-based, scientific and technical resources, and even data are planned to be made accessible to interested parties to enable them to carry out their space-related activities.

Q6. Hayabusa-2 space mission belongs to which space agency?
1. JAXA
2. NASA
3. C. N. S. A
4. ISRO

Answer: 1
Solution: The Hayabusa-2 space mission belongs to JAXA space agency. In December 2014, JAXA launched Hayabusa-2 to collect samples from Ryugu. Hayabusa-2 is a Japanese spacecraft that studied the asteroid Ryugu, took samples, and returned them to Earth for analysis.

Q7. According to ISRO, the X-ray spectrometer CLASS of the ______________ Orbiter has mapped an abundance of sodium on the moon for the first time in October 2022.
1. Chandrayaan-2
2. ASTROSAT
3. NISAR
4. Mangalyaan

Answer: 1
Solution: The X-ray spectrometer CLASS on the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter has mapped an abundance of sodium on the moon for the first time, according to ISRO. The findings of the spectrometer were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters in the last week of September 2022. The new findings will be helpful in the study of surface-exosphere interaction on the moon.

Q8. Where will NASA send its next-generation atomic clock in 2019?
1. Mars
2. Moon
3. North Pole
4. Space

Answer: 4
Solution: NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock has been pushing the timekeeping frontiers in space, hence the correct answer is option 4. The instrument is hosted on General Atomics' Orbital Test Bed spacecraft that was launched aboard the Department of Defense Space Test Program 2 mission on June 25, 2019. Its goal is to test the feasibility of using an onboard atomic clock to improve spacecraft navigation in deep space.

Q9. OneWeb will launch 36 satellites with which organization for low-orbit connectivity?
1. NASA
2. ISRO
3. ROSCOSMOS
4. CNSA

Answer: 2
Solution: OneWeb, the Low Earth orbit satellite company, will launch 36 satellites with Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO on 26 March 2023. The launch aims at completing the first-generation LEO constellation and enabling the initiation of global coverage in 2023.

Q10. Consider the following statements regarding the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution TEMPO mission:
1. It is a joint venture mission launched by NASA and the European space agency.
2. It will measure the pollution level across the world measuring levels of ozone, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and formaldehyde levels.
3. It is placed in the earth's Geostationary orbit.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
1. 1 and 3 only
2. 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: 2
Solution: The correct answer is 3 only. The Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution TEMPO mission is the first funded project of NASA's Earth Venture Instrument program, which includes small, targeted science investigations designed to complement NASA's larger research missions. It monitors the effects of everything from rush-hour traffic to pollution from forest fires and volcanoes. The present pollution-monitoring satellites are in low Earth orbit, but this new monitoring instrument is hosted in geostationary orbit.

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Also, Read about Axiom 4 Mission (Ax-4) for UPSC