Payload Assist Module

In today's world, Payload Assist Module is a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide spectrum of people. From professionals to amateurs, Payload Assist Module has captured the attention of millions around the world. Whether due to its impact on society, its relevance in the scientific field or its influence on popular culture, Payload Assist Module has become a recurring topic in daily conversations, academic debates and the media. In this article, we will explore in depth the different aspects related to Payload Assist Module, analyzing its importance, its implications and its evolution over time. Join us on this journey to discover more about Payload Assist Module and its impact on the world today!

PAM-D with the Phoenix spacecraft. The stage is successively spun, fired, yo-yo de-spun and jettisoned.

The Payload Assist Module (PAM) is a modular upper stage designed and built by McDonnell Douglas (Boeing), using Thiokol Star-series solid propellant rocket motors. The PAM was used with the Space Shuttle, Delta, and Titan launchers and carried satellites from low Earth orbit to a geostationary transfer orbit or an interplanetary course. The payload was spin stabilized by being mounted on a rotating plate.[1] Originally developed for the Space Shuttle, different versions of the PAM were developed:

  • PAM-A (Atlas class), development terminated; originally to be used on both the Atlas and Space Shuttle, designed for satellites up to 4,400 lb (2,000 kg)
  • PAM-D (Delta class), uses a Star-48B rocket motor, designed for satellites up to 2,750 lb (1,250 kg)[2]
  • PAM-DII (Delta class), uses a Star-63 rocket motor, designed for satellites up to 4,150 lb (1,880 kg)[2]
  • PAM-S (Special), uses a Star-48B as a kick motor for the space probe Ulysses[2]

The PAM-D module was used as an optional third stage of the classic Delta rocket. The PAM-D was discontinued after the Challenger accident. A simplified 3rd stage using the STAR-48 motor was employed on Delta II.

2001 re-entry incident

On January 12, 2001, a PAM-D module re-entered the atmosphere after a "catastrophic orbital decay".[3] The PAM-D stage, which had been used to launch the GPS satellite 2A-11 in 1993, crashed in the sparsely populated Saudi Arabian desert, where it was positively identified.[3]

  • PAM-D stage in assembly
    PAM-D stage in assembly
  • SBS-3 satellite with PAM-D stage being launched from Space Shuttle Columbia
    SBS-3 satellite with PAM-D stage being launched from Space Shuttle Columbia
  • Saudi officials inspect a PAM-D module that re-entered the atmosphere in 2001
    Saudi officials inspect a PAM-D module that re-entered the atmosphere in 2001
  • SATCOM KU-2 attached to a PAM-DII is being released from the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis during STS-61B
    SATCOM KU-2 attached to a PAM-DII is being released from the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis during STS-61B
  • Ulysses is mated with the PAM-S
    Ulysses is mated with the PAM-S

References

  1. ^ "Payload Assist Module (PAM)". Global Security. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Krebs, Gunter D. "PAM-D, PAM-D2, PAM-S". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  3. ^ a b "PAM-D Debris Falls in Saudi Arabia" (PDF). The Orbital Debris Quarterly News. 6 (2). NASA Johnson Space Center: 1. April 2001.
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