imported>JJMC89 bot III: Removing :Category:Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Memorial Award winners per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2025 March 18#Category:Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Memorial Award winners

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Removing Category:Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Memorial Award winners per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2025 March 18#Category:Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Memorial Award winners

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{{Short description|Single-stage solid-fueled booster stage}}
[[Image:PAM-D 1920x1080.ogv|thumb|225px|PAM-D with the ''[[Phoenix (spacecraft)|Phoenix]]'' spacecraft. The stage is successively [[spin-stabilisation|spun]], fired, [[Yo-yo de-spin|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 (rocket family)|Delta]], and [[Titan (rocket family)|Titan]] launchers and carried [[satellite]]s 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/pam.htm |title=Payload Assist Module (PAM) |publisher=Global Security |access-date=June 8, 2012}}</ref> Originally developed for the Space Shuttle, different versions of the PAM were developed:
* PAM-A ([[Atlas (rocket family)|Atlas]] class), development terminated; originally to be used on both the Atlas and Space Shuttle, designed for satellites up to {{convert|4400|lb|abbr=on}}
* PAM-D ([[Delta (rocket family)|Delta]] class), uses a [[Star 48#Star 48B|Star-48B]] rocket motor, designed for satellites up to {{convert|2750|lb|abbr=on}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Krebs |first=Gunter D. |title=PAM-D, PAM-D2, PAM-S |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_stage/pam-d.htm |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Gunter's Space Page}}</ref>
* PAM-DII (Delta class), uses a [[Star (rocket stage)#Star 63|Star-63]] rocket motor, designed for satellites up to {{convert|4150|lb|abbr=on}}<ref name=":0" />
* PAM-S (Special), uses a Star-48B as a kick motor for the space probe [[Ulysses (spacecraft)|''Ulysses'']]<ref name=":0" />

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".<ref name="orb_debris">{{cite journal |url=https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv6i2.pdf|title=PAM-D Debris Falls in Saudi Arabia |journal=The Orbital Debris Quarterly News |publisher=NASA [[Johnson Space Center]] |volume=6 |issue=2 |page=1 |date=April 2001}}</ref> The PAM-D stage, which had been used to launch the [[Global Positioning System|GPS satellite]] [[USA-91|2A-11]] in 1993, crashed in the sparsely populated [[Saudi Arabia]]n desert, where it was positively identified.<ref name="orb_debris"/>

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed" align="left" heights="150">
File:PAM-D rocket stage.jpg|PAM-D stage in assembly
File:SBS-3 with PAM-D stage.jpg|SBS-3 satellite with PAM-D stage being launched from {{OV|102}}
File:PAM-D module crash in Saudi Arabian desert.png|Saudi officials inspect a PAM-D module that re-entered the atmosphere in 2001
File:STS-61-B SATCOM Ku-2 deployment.jpg|SATCOM KU-2 attached to a PAM-DII is being released from the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis during STS-61B
File:Ulysses is mated with the PAM-S.jpg|Ulysses is mated with the PAM-S
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Payload Assist Module}}
* [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/carriers.html#pam-d Payload Assist Module] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221070222/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/carriers.html#pam-d |date=2016-12-21 }} at the NASA Shuttle Reference Manual
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/pam.htm Payload Assist Module] at GlobalSecurity.org

{{USAF space vehicles}}
{{Upper stages}}
{{Space Shuttle}}

[[Category:Solid-fuel rockets]]
[[Category:Rocket stages]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]

Payload Assist Module - Revision history

imported>JJMC89 bot III: Removing :Category:Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Memorial Award winners per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2025 March 18#Category:Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Memorial Award winners