Table of Contents

Role and Responsibilities

• Flight engineer (MS2)
  
  Julie Payette in the cockpit of a shuttle simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

  The Flight Engineer (or MS2 – Mission Specialist 2) onboard the Space Shuttle works closely with the Commander and Pilot throughout all the dynamic phases of flight (ascent, re-entry, orbital maneuvers, docking and undocking to the Space Station, flight control verifications).

  During these phases, the Flight Engineer monitors the spacecraft systems and the orbital trajectory together with the flight crew, computes flight data, crosschecks the pilots' selection and actions, and is responsible for helping with troubleshooting and suggesting solutions to in-flight emergencies and abnormal technical conditions.

  The Flight Engineer/MS2 sits in the middle of the Shuttle cockpit, in between and slightly aft of the Commander and Pilot seats.
  
  
  

  Video: In the Heart of the Action (video in french)
  
  
• Robotics operation
  
  The inspection boom at the tip of the shuttle's Canadarm.
  Illustration: MDA
  
  Video: Operating Canadarm2

  Mission STS-127 will be one of the most robotics-heavy missions of all times. Julie Payette will be operating three different robotic arms (Canadarm, Canadarm2 and the Japanese arm) as well as performing inspections of the Space Shuttle wings, leading edges and nose cap to ensure that there were no breach or damage to the thermal protection system (tiles) during ascent. These inspections are conducted using a Canadian-built extension boom attached to the tip of the Shuttle Canadarm and equipped with delicate sensing equipment.

• Rendezvous Mission Specialist
  

  Julie Payette will serve as rendezvous specialist during the docking and undocking of the Shuttle with the Station, notably responsible for monitoring flight data, managing systems, reading checklists, and supervising the rendezvous flow while the Commander manually flies the Space Shuttle from the aft flight deck.

  The Expedition 18 crew provided this overhead view of Space Shuttle Discovery during rendezvous and docking of the shuttle with the International Space Station on March 17, 2009.

• Responsible for on-board computers (Payload General Support Computers or PGSCs)

• Responsible for photo/TV operations and equipment

• Other responsibilities

  • will operate the berthing mechanism (EFBM) from the Japanese Kibo module that will allow permanent attachment of the Kibo external platform
  • will perform Japanese payload transfers using the Japanese Robotic Arm and will operate the payload attachment mechanisms from inside Kibo.