NASA Develops Space Disaster Backup Plan

June 16, 2008 — -- Trapped in space on a crippled shuttle — it's every astronaut's and NASA's worst nightmare. That's why, when the shuttle Atlantis goes to repair the Hubble space telescope this fall, NASA has a backup plan: STS-400, the ultimate "what if" scenario.

When NASA launches the Hubble repair mission, STS-125, astronauts won't come anywhere close to the safe haven the International Space Station provides if a shuttle cannot safely land. Instead, they'll be on their own in high Earth orbit.

Atlantis will be commanded by astronaut Scott Altman along with six crew mates. If they cannot get Atlantis down, a second shuttle — designated STS-400 — would have to go rescue them. It is the mission NASA hopes never to fly. And it would be a race against time.

ABC News has obtained the flight plan for STS 400, which reveals the details of what would be a daring, but carefully planned, rescue to transfer the Atlantis crew to another shuttle before sending the multibillion-dollar Atlantis crash landing into the ocean below.

The mission to repair Hubble was planned for years but cancelled in 2003 after the Columbia accident. It was thought to be too dangerous because there would be no way to rescue the crew if Atlantis was damaged.

A visiting crew could stay on the space station for months, if necessary, until another space shuttle could come take them home. That would not be an option for the crew repairing the Hubble space telescope. Hubble and the space station are in very different orbits, and Atlantis could not get to the space station.

The STS-400 rescue flight plan outlines an eight-day mission that would be flown by four crew members on the shuttle Endeavour. Endeavour would be on its launch pad during Atlantis' flight and be ready to launch within days if needed.

The mission schedule would go like this:

Flight Day 1: Launch
Flight Day 2: Rendezvous and grapple Atlantis using both shuttles' robotic arms.
Flight Day 3: First spacewalk to string a tether between both shuttles.
Flight Day 4: Third and fourth spacewalks; release Atlantis, which would probably be sent to crash in the Pacific ocean.
Flight Day 5: Inspect Endeavour for damage
Flight Day 8: Deorbit and land