NASA Photo ID: S92-41074           File Name: 10064816.jpg
  Film Type: 4x5                     Date Taken: 07/09/92
  Title: STS-46 Atlantis, OV-104, Tethered Satellite System (TSS) processing at KSC
  Description:
  STS-46 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, Tethered Satellite System (TSS)
  is mated to the satellite support assembly (SSA) during preflight
  processing  in the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's) Operations and Checkout
  (O&C) Building.  Clean-suited technicians and STS-46 Mission Specialist
  (MS) and Payload  Commander (PLC) Jeffrey A. Hoffman (far right) oversee
  the mating operation.   As the mating process proceeds the tether shown
  attached to the satellite, is  pulled.  The tether is a dielectric Kevlar
  cord roughly the diameter of a  pencil lead.  The SSA is attached to an
  unpressurized spacelab (SL) pallet  for installation in OV-104's payload
  bay (PLB).  Aeritalia built the research  satellite under contract to
  government space agency (ASI).  A joint endeavour  between Italy and the
  United States, the TSS experiments will be conducted  while the spacecraft
  is positioned some 12 miles above the orbiter.  View  provided by KSC with
  alternate KSC number KSC-92PC-201.         
  
  Subject terms:
  CHECKOUT                                
  KENNEDY SPACE CENTER                    
  PREFLIGHT OPERATIONS                    
  SPACECRAFT MAINTENANCE                  
  STS-46                                  
  TETHERED SATELLITES                     
  

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