| Abstract |
EURECA was an ESA space environment exploration mission designed and developed to be recovered from orbit after completion of the mission and returned to Earth. The main objective of the recovery mission was the post-flight study of environmental effects (meteoroids and space debris impact) and wear-out mechanisms to the spacecraft and its payload.
· Launch of EURECA by Shuttle (Atlantis, STS-46, EURECA was part of the payload in the cargo bay) from KSC on July 31, 1992 (8 day mission).
The EURECA payload was deployed from the Shuttle on Aug. 2, 1992 using the RMS (Remote Manipulator System). Then EURECA performed a burn raising its orbit from 420 km to an operational altitude of 508 km. It began its scientific mission on August 7, 1992.
· Retrieval of EURECA by Shuttle (Endeavour) during the STS-57 mission (June 21 - July 1, 1993) using the Shuttle's RMS , also referred to as Canadarm. EURECA spent 11 months in a sun-pointing orbit.
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