National Air and Space Museum Archives

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Drawings

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.2019.0051
Creators:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.)
United States. National Imagery and Mapping Agency. Geodesy & Geophysics
Dates:
1999
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.79 Cubic feet
Two letter boxes.
Repository:
This collection consists of drawings, inspection report sheets, and a manual relating to the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists the following relating to the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission: JPL inspection report sheets; the manual, "Cargo Systems Manual (CSM): Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)," which includes technical drawings of the antennas; and nineteen J size drawings of the SRTM.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Arrangement by type.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
In 2000, the Space Shuttle Endeavour carried the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) payload into orbit. Shuttle astronauts used the payload, manufactured by the AEC-Able Engineering Co., to map in high detail and three dimensions more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface--the most complete and accurate rendering of the planet's land masses ever attempted. To acquire this data, the SRTM used a novel hardware system that featured a main antenna located in the Shuttle payload bay, a folding mast (in the mast canister) that extended 60 meters from the Shuttle, and then another antenna system that was positioned at the end of the mast (the outboard structure). It was this dual antenna system — the largest rigid structure then flown in space — that produced, through interferometry (a technique for combining the information obtained from the two, separate antennas), a three-dimensional mapping of the Earth. The mission was a joint undertaking of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Department of Defense's National Imagery and Mapping Agency. The military will use the highest resolution data from SRTM for terrain navigation for planes and cruise missiles. A lower resolution data set will be made available to civilian scientists and other users.

Administration

Author
Patti Williams
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transfer from NASM Space History Department, 2019, NASM.2019.0051
Processing Information
Arranged, described, and encoded by Patti Williams, 2020.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Preferred Citation
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Drawings, NASM.2019.0051, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Space Shuttle Program (U.S.) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Topographical surveying Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Technical drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Technical manuals -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Astronautics, Military Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Air and Space Museum Archives
14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, VA 20151
NASMRefDesk@si.edu