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Mission: First Shuttle Mission/Shuttle Systems Test Flight
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: April 12, 1981 at 7:00:03 a.m. EST
Launch Weight: 219,258 pounds
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: April 14, 1981 at 10:20:57 a.m. PST
Runway: 23
Rollout Distance: 8,993 feet
Rollout Time: 60 seconds
Revolution: 37
Mission Duration: 2 days, 6 hours, 20 minutes, and 53 seconds
Returned to KSC: April 28, 1981
Orbit Altitude: 166 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 40.3 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.074 million

Crew Members

Commander John W. Young and Pilot Robert L. Crippen.

Mission Objectives

Demonstrate safe launch into orbit and safe return of the orbiter and crew. Verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle - orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank.

Payloads included the Developmental Flight Instrumentation (DFI) and the Aerodynamic Coefficient Identifications Package (ACIP) pallet containing equipment for recording temperatures, pressures and acceleration levels at various points on the vehicle.

Mission Highlights

Major systems tested successfully on first flight of Space Transportation System. Orbiter sustained tile damage on launch and from overpressure wave created by the solid rocket boosters. Subsequent modifications to the water sound suppression system eliminated the problem. A total of sixteen tiles were lost and 148 tiles were damaged.

Mission: Second Shuttle Mission/Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-1 (OSTA-1)
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: Nov. 12, 1981 at 10:09:59 a.m. EST
Launch Weight: 320,708 pounds
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Nov. 14, 1981 at 1:23:11 p.m. PST
Runway: 23
Rollout Distance: 7,711 feet
Rollout Time: 53 seconds
Revolution: 37
Mission Duration: 2 days, 6 hours, 13 minutes and 12 seconds
Returned to KSC: Nov. 25, 1981
Orbit Altitude: 157 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 38.0 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.075 million

Crew Members

Commander Joe H. Engle, Pilot Richard H. Truly and back up crew members, Thomas K. Mattingly II and Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr.

Mission Objectives

Demonstrate safe re-launch and safe return of the orbiter and crew. Verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle - orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank.

Payloads included the Orbital Flight Test Pallet consisting of the Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellite (MAPS) experiment, the Shuttle Multispectral Infrared Radiometer (SMIRR) experiment, the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A) experiment, the Features Identification and Location Experiment (FILE) and the Ocean Color Experiment (OCE). Also included was the 11,048 lb. Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) pallet, the Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP), the Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM) and the 5,395 lb. Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications Pallet (OSTA-1).

Mission Highlights

Launch originally set for Oct. 9 was rescheduled when a nitrogen tetroxide spill occurred during loading of the forward reaction control system. The launch scheduled for Nov. 4 delayed and then scrubbed when the countdown computer called for hold in the count due to an apparent low reading on fuel cell oxygen tank pressures. During the hold, high oil pressures were discovered in two of three auxiliary power units (APUs) that operate hydraulic system. APU gear boxes needed to be flushed and filters replaced, forcing the launch to reschedule. The launch on Nov. 12 delayed two hours, 40 minutes to replace the multiplexer/demultiplexer and additional nine minutes, 59 seconds to review systems status.

Modifications of the water sound suppression system at the pad to absorb the solid rocket booster overpressure wave during launch were effective -- no tiles were lost and only 12 were damaged.

The planned five-day mission was cut nearly three days due to failure of one of three fuel cells that produce electricity and drinking water, but 90 percent of mission objectives achieved, including first time remote manipulator system tests. Mission scientists were satisfied with data received from Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-1 (OSTA-1) Earth observation experiments mounted on Spacelab pallet in payload bay.

Mission: Third Shuttle Mission/Office of Space Science-1(OSS-1)
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: March 22, 1982 at 11:00:00 a.m. EST
Launch Weight: 235,415 pounds
Landing Site: White Sands, New Mexico
Landing: March 30, 1982 at 9:04:46 a.m. MST
Runway: 17 - Northrup Strip
Rollout Distance: 13,732 feet
Rollout Time: 83 seconds
Revolution: 130
Mission Duration: 8 days, 0 hours, 4 minutes and 46 seconds
Returned to KSC: April 6, 1982
Orbit Altitude: 147 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 38.0 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.335 million

Crew Members

Commander Jack R. Lousma Pilot C. Gordon Fullerton. Back-up crew members for this mission were, Thomas K. Mattingly II and Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr.

Mission Objectives

Demonstrate safe re-launch and safe return of the orbiter and crew. Verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle - orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank.

Payloads included the 8,740 lbs. Office of Space Science (OSS-1) Pallet consisting of the Plant Lignification Experiment, the Plasma Diagnostic Package (PDP), the Vehicle Charging and Potential (VCAP) experiment, the Space Shuttle Induced Atmosphere experiment, the Thermal Canister experiment, the Solar Flare X-Ray Polarimeter, the Solar Ultraviolet and Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM), the Contamination Monitor Package and the Foil Microabrasion Package. Also in the payload bay was the 11,048 lbs. Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) Pallet and the 448 lbs. Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP).

The crew compartment housed the Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR) experiment and the Heflex Bioengineering Test (HBT) experiment.

Mission Highlights

The launch was delayed one hour due to failure of a heater on the nitrogen gas ground support line.

Testing continued of space shuttle systems for qualification for operational flights. Testing of remote manipulator system and measurements of thermal response of orbiter in various attitudes to sun conducted. Get Away Special test canister and Spacelab pallet-mounted experiments for NASA's Office of Space Science-1 (OSS-1) carried in payload bay. OSS-1 obtained data on near-Earth space environment, including contamination (gases, dust, etc.) introduced into space by orbiter itself. Other experiments: Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR), Electrophoresis Equipment Verification Test (EEVT), Heflex Bioengineering Test (HBT) and first Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiment. Problems encountered: space sickness, malfunctioning toilet, thermostat difficulty and unexplained static interfering with crew sleep. Auxiliary power unit registered overheating during ascent, but functioned properly during descent. Three communications links were lost.

Mission: Department of Defense/Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES)
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: June 27, 1982 at 11:00:00 a.m. EDT
Launch Weight: 241,664 pounds
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: July 4, 1982 at 9:09:31 a.m. PDT
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,878 feet
Rollout Time: 73 seconds
Revolution: 113
Mission Duration: 7 days, 1 hour, 9 minutes and 31 seconds
Returned to KSC: July 15, 1982
Orbit Altitude: 197 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Thomas K. Mattingly II and Pilot Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr.

Mission Highlights

The Final Space Transportation System research and development flight. In addition to classified Department of Defense payload, cargo included first Get Away Specials, (G-001) which contained nine experiments from Utah State University; first commercial experiment involving Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES); Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR); Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM), which was deployed, and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments. Crew performed medical experiments on themselves for two student projects, operated remote manipulator arm to swing IECM around orbiter, and took photos of lightning activity in Earth's atmosphere. Two solid rocket booster casings were lost when main parachutes failed and they impacted the water and sank. Some rainwater penetrated protective coating of several tiles while orbiter on pad. On orbit, affected area turned toward sun and water vaporized, preventing further tile damage from freezing water.

Mission: Commercial Communications Satellites (ANIK C-3)/Satellite Business Systems (SBS-C)
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: Nov. 11, 1982 at 7:19:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Nov. 16, 1982 at 6:33:26 a.m. PST
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,553 feet
Rollout Time: 63 seconds
Revolution: 82
Mission Duration: 5 days, 2 hours, 14 minutes and 26 seconds
Returned to KSC: Nov. 22, 1982
Orbit Altitude: 184 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Vance D. Brand, Pilot Robert F. Overmyer and Mission Specialists Joseph P. Allen and William B. Lenoir.

Mission Highlights

This first shuttle operational mission deployed two commercial communications satellites, ANIK C-3 for TELESAT Canada and SitS-C for Satellite Business Systems. Each satellite was equipped with a Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) solid rocket motor, which fired about 45 minutes after deployment, placing each satellite into a highly elliptical orbit. One Get Away Special and three Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments were conducted. The first scheduled space walk of the shuttle program was canceled due to a malfunction of the space suit.

Mission: Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-1 (TDRS-1)/First Shuttle Space Walk
Space Shuttle: Challenger
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: April 4, 1983 at 1:30:00 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: April 9, 1983 at 10:53:42 a.m. PST
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 7,244 feet
Rollout Time: 49 seconds
Revolution: 81
Mission Duration: 5 days, 0 hours, 23 minutes and 42 seconds
Returned to KSC: April 16, 1983
Orbit Altitude: 184 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Paul J. Weitz, Pilot Karol J. Bobko and Mission Specialists Donald H. Peterson and F. Story Musgrave.

Launch Information

The launch set for Jan. 20 was postponed due to a hydrogen leak into the number one main engine aft compartment which was discovered during the 20-second Flight Readiness Firing (FRF) on Dec. 18, 1982. Cracks in the number one main engine were confirmed to be the cause of the leak during a second FRF performed on Jan. 25, 1983. All three main engines were removed while the shuttle was on the pad and the fuel line cracks were repaired. Main engines two and three were reinstalled following extensive failure analysis and testing. The number one main engine was replaced. An additional delay was caused by contamination to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite- 1 (TDRS-1) during a severe storm. The launch on April 4 proceeded as scheduled.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload was the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-1(TDRS-1). A malfunction of the Inertial Upper Stage booster resulted in placement of the spacecraft into an improper but stable orbit. Additional propellant aboard the satellite was used over next several months to gradually place TDRS-1 into its properly circularized orbit. The first space walk of the Shuttle program performed by Astronauts Peterson and Musgrave, lasted about 4 hours and 17 minutes. Other payloads on this flight were: Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES), Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR), Radiation Monitoring Experiment (RME). Night/Day Optical Survey of Lightning (NOSL), and three Get Away Special canisters. This Mission used the first lightweight external tank and lightweight rocket booster casings.

Mission: Communications Satellite Launch/First U.S. Woman in Space
Space Shuttle: Challenger
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 249,178 pounds
Launched: June 18, 1983 at 7:33:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: June 24, 1983 at 6:56:59 a.m. PDT
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 10,450 feet
Rollout Time: 75 seconds
Revolution: 98
Mission Duration: 6 days, 2 hours, 23 minutes and 59 seconds
Returned to KSC: June 29, 1983
Orbit Altitude: 160-170 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert L. Crippen, Pilot Frederick H. Hauck and Mission Specialists John M. Fabian, Sally K. Ride and Norman E. Thagard.

Mission Highlights

Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space. Two communications satellites were deployed, ANIK C-2 for TELESAT Canada and PALAPA-B1 for Indonesia, both were attached to the Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) motors. Seven Get Away Special canisters in the cargo bay held a variety of experiments, including one studying affects of space on social behavior of an ant colony in zero gravity. Ten experiments were mounted on the Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS-01) and performed research in forming metal alloys in microgravity and the use of a remote sensing scanner. The orbiter's small control rockets were fired while SPAS-01 was held by the remote manipulator system to test the movement on an extended arm. Experiment 1: To investigate space sickness was carried out. Other payloads on this mission were: Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-2 (OSTA-2); Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES); Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR) and one Shuttle Student Involvement (SSIP) experiment.

Mission: Multipurpose Satellite/First Night Launch and Landing
Space Shuttle: Challenger
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 242,742 pounds
Launched: Aug. 30, 1983 at 2:32:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Sept. 5, 1983 at 12:40:43 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 203,945 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,371 feet
Rollout Time: 50 seconds
Revolution: 98
Mission Duration: 6 days, 1 hour, 8 minutes and 43 seconds
Returned to KSC: Sept. 9, 1983
Orbit Altitude: 191 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Richard H. Truly, Pilot Daniel C. Brandenstein and Mission Specialists Dale A. Gardner, Guion S. Bluford, Jr. and William E. Thornton.

Mission Highlights

Bluford became the first African-American to fly in space. INSAT-1B, a multipurpose satellite for India which was attached to the Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) motor, was deployed. The nose of orbiter was held away from the sun for 14 hours to test the flight deck area in extreme cold. For the Development Flight Instrumentation Pallet (DFI PLT), the crew filmed performance of an experimental heat pipe mounted in the cargo bay; also, the orbiter dropped to 139 miles altitude to perform tests on thin atomic oxygen to identify the cause of glow that surrounds parts of the orbiter at night. The remote manipulator system was tested to evaluate joint reactions to higher loads. The following biofeedback experiment was conducted: six rats were flown in the Animal Enclosure Module to observe animal reactions in space. Other payloads on this mission: Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES); Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSlP) experiment; Incubator-Cell Attachment Test (l CAT); Investigation of STS Atmospheric Luminosities (ISAL); Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME); and five Get Away Special experiment packages including eight cans of postal covers. Testing was conducted between the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-I (TDRS-1) and the orbiter using a Ku-band antenna, and investigations continued on the Space Adaptation Syndrome.

Mission: Orbital Laboratory and Observations Platform/First Spacelab Mission
First Rollback/First 6 Crew Member Flight
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 247,619 pounds
Launched: November 28, 1983 at 11:00:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: December 8, 1983 at 3:47:24 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 220,027 pounds
Runway: 17
Rollout Distance: 8,456 feet
Rollout Time: 53 seconds
Revolution: 167
Mission Duration: 10 days, 7 hours, 47 minutes and 24 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 15, 1983
Orbit Altitude: 155 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.3 million

Crew Members

Commander John W. Young, Pilot Brewster H. Shaw Jr., Mission Specialists Owen K. Garriott, Robert A. R. Parker and Payload Specialists Byron K. Lichtenberg and Ulf Merbold of the European Space Agency.

Launch/Landing Highlights

The launch set for Sept. 30 was delayed 28 days due to a suspect exhaust nozzle on the right solid rocket booster. The problem was discovered while the shuttle was on the launch pad. The shuttle returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and was demated. The suspect nozzle was replaced and the vehicle restacked. The countdown on Nov. 28 proceeded as scheduled.

The landing was delayed approximately eight hours to analyze problems when general purpose computers one and two failed and inertial measurement unit one failed. During landing, two of three auxiliary power units caught fire.

Mission Highlights

This flight carried first Spacelab mission and first astronaut to represent the European Space Agency (ESA), Ulf Merbold of Germany. ESA and NASA jointly sponsored the Spacelab-1 and conducted investigations which demonstrated the capability for advanced research in space. Spacelab is an orbital laboratory and contains an observations platform composed of cylindrical pressurized modules and U-shaped unpressurized pallets which remain in the orbiter's cargo bay during flight. Altogether 73 separate investigations were carried out in astronomy and physics, atmospheric physics, Earth observations, life sciences, materials sciences, space plasma physics and technology. This was the first time six persons were carried into space on a single vehicle.

Mission: WESTAR-VI, Manned Maneuvering Unit, PALAPA-B2, First KSC Landing
Space Shuttle: Challenger
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 250,452 pounds
Launched: February 3, 1984 at 8:00:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: February 11, 1984 at 7:15:55 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 201,238 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 10,815 feet
Rollout Time: 67 seconds
Revolution: 128
Mission Duration: 7 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes, 55 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 189 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Vance D. Brand, Pilot Robert L. Gibson, Mission Specialists Bruce McCandless II, Ronald E. McNair and Robert L. Stewart.

Mission Highlights

On this mission the first untethered space walks were carried out by McCandless and Stewart, using the manned maneuvering unit. The WESTAR-VI and PALAPA-B2 satellites were deployed, but failure of the Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) rocket motors left them in radical low-Earth orbits. The German-built Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS), originally flown on STS-7, became the first satellite refurbished and carried back into space. SPAS remained in the payload bay due to an electrical problem with Remote Manipulator System (RMS). The RMS manipulator foot restraints were first used to practice procedures performed for Solar Maximum satellite retrieval and repair planned for next mission. Integrated Rendezvous Target (IRT) failed due to an internal issue. Five Get Away Special canisters flown in the cargo bay and Cinema-360 camera were used by crew. Other payloads included: Acoustic Containerless Experiment System (ACES); Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR); Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME), and Isoelectric Focusing (IEF) payload.

Mission: Long Duration Exposure Facility deploy, first on-orbit spacecraft repair
Space Shuttle: Challenger
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 254,254 pounds
Launched: April 6, 1984 at 8:58:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: April 13, 1984 at 5:38:07 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 196,975 pounds
Runway: 17
Rollout Distance: 8,716 feet
Rollout Time: 49 seconds
Revolution: 108
Mission Duration: 6 days, 23 hours, 40 minutes, 7 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 313 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert L. Crippen, Pilot Francis R. Scobee, Mission Specialists Geroge D. Nelson, James D. A. Van Hoften and Terry J. Hart.

Mission Highlights

The first direct ascent trajectory for space shuttle. Using the manned maneuvering unit, astronauts replaced the altitude control system and coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box in the Solar Max satellite while it remained in orbit. The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was deployed, carrying 57 experiments which were left on orbit with an intention of retrieving them during a later mission. Other payloads on this mission were: IMAX camera; Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME); Cinema 360; Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSlP) experiment.

Mission: SBS-D; Satellite Business System SYNCOM IV-2; Solar Wing TELSTAR
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 263,477 pounds
Launched: August 30, 1984 at 8:41:50 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: September 5, 1984 at 6:37:54 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 201,674 pounds
Runway: 17
Rollout Distance: 10,275 feet
Rollout Time: 60 seconds
Revolution: 97
Mission Duration: 6 days, 0 hours, 56 minutes, 4 seconds
Returned to KSC: September 10, 1984
Orbit Altitude: 184 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr., Pilot Michael L. Coats, Mission Specialists Judith A. Resnick, Steven A. Hawley, Richard M. Mullane and Payload Specialist Charles D. Walker.

Mission Highlights

Three satellites deployed during this mission: Satellite Business System SBS-D, SYNCOM IV-2 (also known as LEASAT2) and TELSTAR. The 102-foot-tall, 13-foot-wide Office of Application and Space Technology (OAST-1) solar wing extended from the payload bay. The wing carried different types of solar cells and extended to its full height several times. It demonstrated large lightweight solar arrays for a future in building large facilities in space such as a space station. Other payloads included were: Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) Ill; Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME); Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiment; lMAX camera, being flown for a second time; and an Air Force experiment, Cloud Logic to Optimize Use of Defense Systems (CLOUDS).

Mission: Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-3
Space Shuttle: Challenger
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 242,780 pounds
Launched: October 5, 1984 at 7:03:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: October 13, 1984 at 12:26:38 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 202,266 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,565 feet
Rollout Time: 54 seconds
Revolution: 133
Mission Duration: 8 days, 5 hours, 23 minutes, 38 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 218 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert L. Crippen, Pilot Jon A. McBride, Mission Specialists Kathryn D. Sullivan, Sally K. Ride, David C. Leestma and Payload Specialists Marc Garneau and Paul D. Scully-Power.

Mission Highlights

This was the first flight to include two women, Ride and Sullivan. Sullivan was the first American woman to walk in space. The Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) was deployed less than nine hours into the flight. The Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-3 (OSTA-3) carried three experiments in the payload bay. Components of Orbital Refueling System (ORS) were connected, demonstrating it is possible to refuel satellites in orbit. Other Payloads were: Large Format Camera (LFC); IMAX Camera, flying for the third time; a package of Canadian Experiments (CANEX); Auroral Photography Experiment (APE); Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME); Thermoluminiscent Dosimeter (TLD); and eight Get Away Specials.

Mission: TELESAT-H, Canadian communications satellite, SYNCOM IV-1 defense communications satellite
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 263,324 pounds
Launched: November 8, 1984 at 7:15:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: November 16, 1984 at 6:59:56 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 207,505 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 9,454 feet
Rollout Time: 58 seconds
Revolution: 127
Mission Duration: 7 days, 23 hours, 44 minutes, 56 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 185 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Frederick H. Hauck, Pilot David M. Walker, Mission Specialists Anna L. Fisher, Dale A. Gardner and Joseph P. Allen.

Mission Highlights

The Canadian communications satellite TELESAT-H (ANIK), attached to Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) was deployed into geosynchronous orbit on flight day two. On the third day, the defense communications satellite SYNCOM IV-I (also known as LEASAT-1) was deployed. Allen and Gardner, wearing jet-propelled manned maneuvering units, retrieved two malfunctioning satellites: PALAPA-B2 and WESTAR-VI, both of these satellites were deployed on Mission 41-B. Fisher operated the remote manipulator system, grappling satellites and depositing them in the payload bay. Middeck payloads for this mission were: Diffusive Mixing of Organic Solutions (DMOS), and Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME).

Mission: Department of Defense
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 250,891 pounds
Launched: January 24, 1985 at 2:50:00 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: January 27, 1985 at 4:23:23 p.m. EST
Landing Weight: Classified
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 7,352 feet
Rollout Time: 50 seconds
Revolution: 49
Mission Duration: 3 days, 1 hour, 33 minutes, 23 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 220 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Thomas K. Mattingly, II, Pilot Loren J. Shriver, Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, James F. Buchli and Payload Specialist Gary E. Payton.

Launch Highlights

The launch scheduled for January 23 was scrubbed due to freezing weather conditions. (Orbiter Challenger was scheduled for Mission 51-C but thermal tile problems forced the substitution of Discovery.)

The countdown phase was completed satisfactorily, however, two minor orbiter problems were noted during that period. The first occurred during the T-3 hour hold and involved a force fight in the right inboard elevon actuator between channel 4 and channels 1, 2, and 3. The condition corrected itself within 22 seconds after the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) start up at T-5 minutes. A similar problem with the same channels in the same actuator occurred on STS 41-D (the first flight of this vehicle).

The second problem that was noted during the countdown phase was the high helium concentration in the orbiter mid-body. A pressure decay test showed no significant system leakage. The high helium concentration disappeared when the main propulsion system (MPS) gaseous helium system was pressurized to the flight level.

System operations were all nominal during the ascent phase. Solid rocket booster (SRB) motor performance was near the predicted levels and well within the allowed envelopes. The external tank and MPS performance was excellent with main engine cutoff (MECO) near the predicted time.

At external tank separation, the backup flight system (BFS) did not automatically proceed to major mode 104. The crew performed the necessary manual procedures, and the BFS operated satisfactorily until the deorbit maneuver when the BFS time for deorbit maneuver ignition was 8 seconds late. However, the BFS operated satisfactorily for entry.

Mission Highlights

This was the first mission dedicated to the Department of Defense. The U.S. Air Force Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster was deployed and met the mission objectives.

Mission: TELSAT-I, Communications Satellite SYNCOM IV-3
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 250,891 pounds
Launched: April 12, 1985 at 8:59:05 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: April 19, 1985 at 8:54:28 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 198,014 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,298 feet
Rollout Time: 63 seconds
Revolution: 110
Mission Duration: 6 days, 23 hours, 55 minutes, 23 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 285 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Karol J. Bobko, Pilot Donald E. Williams, Mission Specialists M. Rhea Seddon, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, S. David Griggs and Payload Specialists Charles D. Walker and Sen. E. Jake Garn.

Launch/Landing Highlights

The launch set for March 19 was rescheduled to March 28 due to remanifesting of payloads from canceled mission 51-E. The mission was delayed further due to damage to the orbiter's payload bay door when the facility access platform dropped. The launch on April 12 delayed 55 minutes when a ship entered the restricted solid rocket booster recovery area.

Extensive brake damage and a blown tire during the landing prompted the landing of future flights at Edwards Air Force Base until implementation of the nose wheel steering.

Mission Highlights

The TELESAT-l (ANIK C-1) communications satellite was deployed attached to the payload assist module (PAM-D) motor. SYNCOM IV-3 (also known as LEASAT-3) was also deployed but the spacecraft sequencer failed to initiate the antenna deployment, spin up and ignition of perigee kick motor. The mission was extended two days to make certain the sequencer start lever was in the proper position. Griggs and Hoffman performed a space walk to attach Flyswatter devices to the remote manipulator system. Seddon engaged LEASAT lever using the remote manipulator system but the post deployment sequence did not begin. Other payloads were: Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) III, flying for sixth time; two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments; American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE); two Get Away Specials; Phase Partitioning Experiments (PPE); astronomy photography verification test; medical experiments and toys in space, an informal study of the behavior of simple toys in weightless environment, with results to be made available to school students.

Mission: Spacelab-3
Space Shuttle: Challenger
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 246,880 pounds
Launched: April 29, 1985 at 12:02:18 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: May 6, 1985 at 9:11:04 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 212,465 pounds
Runway: 17
Rollout Distance: 8,317 feet
Rollout Time: 59 seconds
Revolution: 111
Mission Duration: 7 days, 0 hours, 8 minutes, 46 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 222 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert F. Overmyer, Pilot Frederick D. Gregory, Mission Specialists Don L. Lind, Norman E. Thagard, William E. Thornton and Payload Specialists Lodewijk van den Berg and Taylor G. Wang.

Launch/Landing Highlights

The flight was first manifested as 51-E but it was rolled back from pad due to a timing problem with the TDRS-B payload. Mission 51-E was cancelled and the orbiter was remanifested with 51-B payloads. The launch on April 29 was delayed two minutes, 18 seconds due to a launch processing system failure.

The orbiter made its first crosswind landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California and returned to Kennedy Space Center on May 11, 1985.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload was Spacelab-3. This was the first operational flight for the Spacelab orbital laboratory series developed by the European Space Agency. Spacelab includes five basic discipline areas: materials sciences, life sciences, fluid mechanics, atmospheric physics, and astronomy. The main mission objective with Spacelab-3 was to provide a high quality microgravity environment for delicate materials processing and fluid experiments. Two monkeys and 24 rodents were observed for the effects of weightlessness. Of the 15 Spacelab primary experiments conducted, 14 were considered successful. Two Get Away Specials were on board.

Mission: MORELOS-A, ARABSAT-A and TELSTAR-3D Communications Satellites
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 256,524 pounds
Launched: June 17, 1985 at 7:33:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: June 24, 1985 at 6:11:52 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 204,169 pounds
Runway: 23
Rollout Distance: 7,433 feet
Rollout Time: 42 seconds
Revolution: 112
Mission Duration: 7 days, 1 hour, 38 minutes, 52 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 209 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Daniel C. Brandenstein, Pilot John O. Creighton, Mission Specialists Shannon W. Lucid, John M. Fabian, Steven R. Nagel and Payload Specialists Patrick Baudry and Sultan Salman Al-Saud.

Mission Highlights

Three communications satellites, all attached to the Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) motors, were deployed: MORELOS-A, for Mexico; ARABSAT-A, for Arab Satellite Communications Organization; and TELSTAR-3D, for AT&T. Also flown: deployable/retrievable Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN-1); six Get Away Special canisters; Strategic Defense Initiative experiment called the High Precision Tracking Experiment (HPTE); a materials processing furnace called Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF); and two French biomedical experiments.

Mission: Spacelab-2
Space Shuttle: Challenger
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 252,855 pounds
Launched: July 29, 1985 at 5:00:00 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: August 6, 1985 at 12:45:26 p.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 204,169 pounds
Runway: 23
Rollout Distance: 8,569 feet
Rollout Time: 55 seconds
Revolution: 127
Mission Duration: 7 days, 22 hours, 45 minutes, 26 seconds
Returned to KSC: August 11, 1985
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 49.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Gordon Fullerton, Pilot Roy D. Bridges, Jr., Mission Specialists F. Story Musgrave, Anthony W. England, Karl G. Henize and Payload Specialists Loren W. Acton and John-David F. Bartoe.

Mission Objectives

The Spacelab-2 payload consisted of an igloo and three pallets in the payload bay, containing scientific instruments dedicated to life sciences, plasma physics, astronomy, high-energy astrophysics, solar physics, atmospheric physics and technology research.

A major objective of the mission was to verify the performance of the Spacelab systems with the orbiter as well as to measure the environment created by the vehicle in space.

Launch Highlights

The launch countdown July 12 halted at T-3 seconds after main engine ignition when a malfunction of the number two space shuttle main engine (SSME) coolant valve caused a shutdown of all three main engines. The launch on July 29 was delayed 1 hour, 37 minutes due to a problem with the table maintenance block update uplink. 5 minutes, 45 seconds into ascent, the number one main engine shutdown prematurely, resulting in an Abort To Orbit (ATO) trajectory.

Mission Highlights

Primary payload was Spacelab-2. Despite abort-to-orbit, which required mission replanning, mission declared success. Special part of modular Spacelab system, the Igloo, located at head of three-pallet train, provided on-site support to instruments mounted on pallets. Main mission objective was to verify performance of Spacelab systems and determine interface capability of orbiter, and measure environment induced by spacecraft. Experiments covered life sciences, plasma physics, astronomy, high-energy astrophysics, solar physics, atmospheric physics and technology research.

Mission: ASC-1/American Satellite Company, AUSSAT-1/Australian Communications Satellite, SYNCOM IV-4
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 262,309 pounds
Launched: Aug. 27, 1985 at 6:58:01 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Sept. 3, 1985 at 6:15:43 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 196,674 pounds
Runway: 23
Rollout Distance: 6,100 feet
Rollout Time: 47 seconds
Revolution: 112
Mission Duration: 7 days, 2 hours, 17 minutes, 42 seconds
Returned to KSC: Sept. 8, 1985
Orbit Altitude: 242 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Joe H. Engle, Pilot Richard O. Covey, and Mission Specialists James D. A. van Hoften, John M. Lounge and William F. Fisher.

Launch/Landing Highlights

The launch scheduled for August 24 was scrubbed at T-5 minutes due to thunderstorms in the vicinity. The launch scheduled for August 25 was delayed when the orbiter's number five on-board general purpose computer failed. The launch on August 27 was delayed three minutes, one second due to a combination of weather and an unauthorized ship entering the restricted solid rocket booster recovery area.

The mission shortened one day when the AUSSAT sunshield hung up on remote manipulator system camera and AUSSAT had to be deployed before scheduled.

Mission Highlights

Three communications satellites were deployed: ASC-1, for American Satellite Company; AUSSAT-1, an Australian Communications Satellite; and SYNCOM IV-4, the Synchronous Communications Satellite. ASC-1 and AUSSAT-1 both attached to Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) motors. SYNCOM IV-4 (also known as LEASAT-4) failed to function after reaching the correct geosynchronous orbit. Fisher and van Hoften performed two extravehicular activities (EVAs) totaling 11 hours, 51 minutes. Part of time spent retrieving, repairing and redeploying LEASAT-3, which had been deployed on Mission 51-D. Middeck Payload: Physical Vapor Transport Organic Solid Experiment (PVTOS).

Mission: Department of Defense
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: Classified
Launched: Oct. 3, 1985 at 11:15:30 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Oct. 7, 1985 at 10:00:08 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 190,400 pounds
Runway: 23
Rollout Distance: 8,056 feet
Rollout Time: 65 seconds
Revolution: 64
Mission Duration: 4 days, 1 hour, 44 minutes, 38 seconds
Returned to KSC: Oct. 11, 1985
Orbit Altitude: 319 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Karol J. Bobko, Pilot Ronald J. Grabe, Mission Specialists David C. Hilmers, Robert L. Stewart and William A. Pailes.

Mission Highlights

The launch was delayed 22 minutes, 30 seconds due to a main engine liquid hydrogen prevalve close remote power controller showing a faulty 'on' indication. This was the second mission dedicated to the Department of Defense.

Mission: D-1 Spacelab Mission (First German Dedicated Spacelab)
Space Shuttle: Challenger
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 243,762 pounds
Launched: October 30, 1985, 12:00:00 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: November 6, 1985, 9:44:53 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 214,171 pounds
Runway: 17
Rollout Distance: 8,304 feet
Rollout Time: 45 seconds
Revolution: 112
Mission Duration: 7 days, 0 hours, 44 minutes, 51 seconds
Returned to KSC: November 11, 1985
Orbit Altitude: 207 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees

Crew Members

Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr., Pilot Steven R. Nagel, Mission Specialists James F. Buchli, Guion S. Bluford, Bonnie J. Dunbar and Payload Specialists Reinhard Furrer, Ernst Messerschmid and Wubbo J. Ockels.

Mission Highlights

The dedicated German Spacelab (D-1) mission was conducted in a long module configuration, which featured a Vestibular Sled designed to give scientists data on the functional organization of human vestibular and orientation systems. Spacelab D-1 encompassed 75 numbered experiments, most performed more than once. The mission included basic and applied microgravity research in fields of materials science, life sciences and technology, and communications and navigation. Though the orbiter was controlled from Johnson Space Center, scientific operations were controlled from the German Space Operations Center at Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich. Other objectives: Global Low Orbiting Message Relay (GLOMR) satellite deployed from Get Away Special canister.

Mission: MORELOS-B; AUSSAT-2; SATCOM KU-2
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 261,455 pounds
Launched: November 26, 1985, 7:29:00 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: December 3, 1985, 1:33:49 p.m. PST
Landing Weight: 205,732 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 10,759 feet
Rollout Time: 78 seconds
Revolution: 109
Mission Duration: 6 days, 21 hours, 4 minutes, 49 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 7, 1985
Orbit Altitude: 225 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., Pilot Bryan D. O'Connor, Mission Specialists Mary L. Cleave, Sherwood C. Spring, Jerry L. Ross and Payload Specialists Rodolfo Neri Vela and Charles D. Walker.

Mission Highlights

Three communications satellites were deployed: MORE LOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Australia) and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). MORELOS-B and AUSSAT-2 were attached to the Payload Assist Module-D motors, SATCOM KU-2 to a PAM-D2 designed for heavier payloads. Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity (EASE) and Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure (ACCESS). The experiments required two space walks by Spring and Ross lasting five hours, 32 minutes, and six hours, 38 minutes, respectively. Middeck payloads: Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES); Diffusive Mixing of Organic Solutions (DMOS); Morelos Payload Specialist Experiments (MPSE) and Orbiter Experiments (OEX). In payload bay: Get Away Special and IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC).

Mission: SATCOM KU-1
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 256,003 pounds
Launched: January 12, 1986, 6:55:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: January 18, 1986, 5:58:51 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 210,161 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 10,202 feet
Rollout Time: 59 seconds
Revolution: 98
Mission Duration: 6 days, 2 hours, 3 minutes, 51 seconds
Returned to KSC: January 23, 1986
Orbit Altitude: 212 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert L. Gibson, Pilot Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Mission Specialists Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Steven A. Hawley, George D. Nelson and Payload Specialists Robert J. Cenker and Congressman Bill Nelson.

Launch/Landing Highlights

The launch set for December 18, 1985 was delayed one day when additional time needed to close out orbiter aft compartment. Another launch attempt on December 19 scrubbed at T- 14 seconds due to indication that the right solid rocket booster hydraulic power unit was exceeding the RPM redline speed limits. (This was later determined to be a false reading.) After an 18-day delay, a launch attempt January 6, 1986 halted at T-31 seconds due to the accidental draining of approximately 4,000 pounds of liquid oxygen from the external tank. The launch attempt January 7 scrubbed at T-9 minutes due to bad weather at both transoceanic abort landing sites (Moron, Spain and Dakar, Senegal). After a two-day delay, the launch set for January 9 was delayed due to the launch pad liquid oxygen sensor breaking off and lodging in the number two main engine prevalve. The launch set for January 10 was delayed two days due to heavy rains. The launch countdown on January 12 proceeded with no delays.

The planned landing at KSC, originally scheduled for January 17, moved to January 16 to save orbiter turnaround time. Landing attempts on January 16 and 17 were abandoned due to unacceptable weather at KSC. The landing set for January 18 at KSC but persisting bad weather forced a one revolution extension of mission and landing at Edwards.

Mission Highlights

The SATCOM KU-I (RCA Americom) satellite, attached to the Payload Assist Module-D2 (PAM-D2) motor, was deployed. Comet Halley Active Monitoring Program (CHAMP) experiment, a 35mm camera to photograph Comet Halley, did not function properly due to battery problems. Other payloads: Materials Science Laboratory-2 (MSL-2); Hitchhiker G-1; Infrared Imaging Experiment (IR-IE); Initial Blood Storage Experiment (IBSE); Hand-held Protein Crystal Growth (HPCG) experiment; three Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments and 13 Get Away Specials (GAS), 12 of them mounted on a special GAS Bridge Assembly.

The first shuttle liftoff scheduled from Pad B, STS-51L was beset by delays. Launch was originally set for 3:43 p.m. EST, Jan. 22, 1986, slipped to Jan. 23, then Jan. 24, due to delays in mission 61-C. Launch was reset for Jan. 25 because of bad weather at the transoceanic abort landing (TAL) site in Dakar, Senegal. To utilize Casablanca (not equipped for night landings) as alternate TAL site, T-zero was moved to a morning liftoff time. The launch postponed another day when launch processing was unable to meet the new morning liftoff time. Prediction of unacceptable weather at KSC led to the launch being rescheduled for 9:37 a.m. EST, Jan. 27. The launch was delayed 24 hours again when the ground servicing equipment hatch closing fixture could not be removed from the orbiter hatch. The fixture was sawed off and an attaching bolt drilled out before closeout was completed. During the delay, cross winds exceeded return-to-launch-site limits at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. The launch Jan. 28, 1986, was delayed two hours when a hardware interface module in the launch processing system, which monitors the fire detection system, failed during liquid hydrogen tanking procedures.

Just after liftoff at .678 seconds into the flight, photographic data shows a strong puff of gray smoke was spurting from the vicinity of the aft field joint on the right solid rocket booster. Computer graphic analysis of the film from the pad cameras indicated the initial smoke came from the 270 to 310-degree sector of the circumference of the aft field joint of the right solid rocket booster. This area of the solid booster faces the external tank. The vaporized material streaming from the joint indicated there was not a complete sealing action within the joint.

Eight more distinctive puffs of increasingly blacker smoke were recorded between .836 and 2.500 seconds. The smoke appeared to puff upwards from the joint. While each smoke puff was being left behind by the upward flight of the shuttle, the next fresh puff could be seen near the level of the joint. The multiple smoke puffs in this sequence occurred at about four times per second, approximating the frequency of the structural load dynamics and resultant joint flexing. As the shuttle increased its upward velocity, it flew past the emerging and expanding smoke puffs. The last smoke was seen above the field joint at 2.733 seconds.

The black color and dense composition of the smoke puffs suggest that the grease, joint insulation and rubber O-rings in the joint seal were being burned and eroded by the hot propellant gases.

At approximately 37 seconds, Challenger encountered the first of several high-altitude wind shear conditions, which lasted until about 64 seconds. The wind shear created forces on the vehicle with relatively large fluctuations. These were immediately sensed and countered by the guidance, navigation and control system. The steering system (thrust vector control) of the solid rocket booster responded to all commands and wind shear effects. The wind shear caused the steering system to be more active than on any previous flight.

Both the shuttle main engines and the solid rockets operated at reduced thrust approaching and passing through the area of maximum dynamic pressure of 720 pounds per square foot. The main engines had been throttled up to 104 percent thrust and the solid rocket boosters were increasing their thrust when the first flickering flame appeared on the right solid rocket booster in the area of the aft field joint. This first very small flame was detected on image enhanced film at 58.788 seconds into the flight. It appeared to originate at about 305 degrees around the booster circumference at or near the aft field joint.

One film frame later from the same camera, the flame was visible without image enhancement. It grew into a continuous, well-defined plume at 59.262 seconds. At about the same time (60 seconds), telemetry showed a pressure differential between the chamber pressures in the right and left boosters. The right booster chamber pressure was lower, confirming the growing leak in the area of the field joint.

As the flame plume increased in size, it was deflected rearward by the aerodynamic slipstream and circumferentially by the protruding structure of the upper ring attaching the booster to the external tank. These deflections directed the flame plume onto the surface of the external tank. This sequence of flame spreading is confirmed by analysis of the recovered wreckage. The growing flame also impinged on the strut attaching the solid rocket booster to the external tank.

The first visual indication that swirling flame from the right solid rocket booster breached the external tank was at 64.660 seconds when there was an abrupt change in the shape and color of the plume. This indicated that it was mixing with leaking hydrogen from the external tank. Telemetered changes in the hydrogen tank pressurization confirmed the leak. Within 45 milliseconds of the breach of the external tank, a bright sustained glow developed on the black-tiled underside of the Challenger between it and the external tank.

Beginning at about 72 seconds, a series of events occurred extremely rapidly that terminated the flight. Telemetered data indicated a wide variety of flight system actions that support the visual evidence of the photos as the shuttle struggled futilely against the forces that were destroying it.

At about 72.20 seconds the lower strut linking the solid rocket booster and the external tank was severed or pulled away from the weakened hydrogen tank permitting the right solid rocket booster to rotate around the upper attachment strut. This rotation is indicated by divergent yaw and pitch rates between the left and right solid rocket boosters.

At 73.124 seconds, a circumferential white vapor pattern was observed blooming from the side of the external tank bottom dome. This was the beginning of the structural failure of hydrogen tank that culminated in the entire aft dome dropping away. This released massive amounts of liquid hydrogen from the tank and created a sudden forward thrust of about 2.8 million pounds, pushing the hydrogen tank upward into the intertank structure. At about the same time, the rotating right solid rocket booster impacted the intertank structure and the lower part of the liquid oxygen tank. These structures failed at 73.137 seconds as evidenced by the white vapors appearing in the intertank region.

Within milliseconds there was massive, almost explosive, burning of the hydrogen streaming from the failed tank bottom and liquid oxygen breach in the area of the intertank.

At this point in its trajectory, while traveling at a Mach number of 1.92 at an altitude of 46,000 feet, Challenger was totally enveloped in the explosive burn. The Challenger's reaction control system ruptured and a hypergolic burn of its propellants occurred as it exited the oxygen-hydrogen flames. The reddish brown colors of the hypergolic fuel burn are visible on the edge of the main fireball. The orbiter, under severe aerodynamic loads, broke into several large sections which emerged from the fireball. Separate sections that can be identified on film include the main engine/tail section with the engines still burning, one wing of the orbiter, and the forward fuselage trailing a mass of umbilical lines pulled loose from the payload bay.

The explosion 73 seconds after liftoff claimed crew and vehicle. The cause of explosion was determined to be an o-ring failure in the right solid rocket booster. Cold weather was determined to be a contributing factor.

Mission Highlights (Planned)

The planned orbital activities of the Challenger 51-L mission were as follows:

On Flight Day 1, after arriving into orbit, the crew was to have two periods of scheduled high activity. First they were to check the readiness of the TDRS-B satellite prior to planned deployment. After lunch they were to deploy the satellite and its Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster and to perform a series of separation maneuvers. The first sleep period was scheduled to be eight hours long starting about 18 hours after crew wakeup the morning of launch.

On Flight Day 2, the Comet Halley Active Monitoring Program (CHAMP) experiment was scheduled to begin. Also scheduled were the initial "teacher in space" (TISP) video taping and a firing of the orbital maneuvering engines (OMS) to place Challenger at the 152-mile orbital altitude from which the Spartan would be deployed.

On Flight Day 3, the crew was to begin pre-deployment preparations on the Spartan and then the satellite was to be deployed using the remote manipulator system (RMS) robot arm. Then the flight crew was to slowly separate from Spartan by 90 miles.

On Flight Day 4, the Challenger was to begin closing on Spartan while Gregory B. Jarvis continued fluid dynamics experiments started on day two and day 3. Live telecasts were also planned to be conducted by Christa McAuliffe.

On Flight Day 5, the crew was to rendezvous with Spartan and use the robot arm to capture the satellite and re-stow it in the payload bay.

On Flight Day 6, re-entry preparations were scheduled. This included flight control checks, test firing of maneuvering jets needed for re-entry, and cabin stowage. A crew news conferences was also scheduled following the lunch period.

On Flight Day 7, the day would have been spent preparing the Space Shuttle for deorbit and entry into the atmosphere. The Challenger was scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Center 144 hours and 34 minutes after launch.

Mission: TDRS-C
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 254,606 pounds
Launched: Sept. 29, 1988, 11:37:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: October 3, 1988, 9:37:11 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 194,184 pounds
Runway: 17
Rollout Distance: 7,451 feet
Rollout Time: 46 seconds
Revolution: 64
Mission Duration: 4 days, 1 hour, 0 minutes, 11 seconds
Returned to KSC: Oct. 8, 1988
Orbit Altitude: 203 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Frederick H. Hauck, Pilot Richard O. Covey, Mission Specialists John M. Lounge, George D. Nelson and David C. Hilmers.

Launch Highlights

The launch was delayed 1 hour, 38 minutes to replace fuses in the cooling system of two of the crew's flight pressure suits, and due to lighter than expected upper atmospheric winds. The suit repairs were successful and the countdown continued after a waiver of wind condition constraint was issued.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload, NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-3 (TDRS-3) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), became the second TDRS deployed. After deployment, IUS propelled the satellite to a geosynchronous orbit. Secondary payloads: Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids (PVTOS); Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); Infrared Communications Flight Experiment (IRCFE); Aggregation of Red Blood Cells (ARC); Isoelectric Focusing Experiment (IFE); Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE); Phase Partitioning Experiment (PPE); Earth-Limb Radiance Experiment (ELRAD); Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF) and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments. Orbiter Experiments Autonomous Supporting Instrumentation System-I (OASIS-I) recorded variety of environmental measurements during various inflight phases of orbiter.

Ku-band antenna in the payload bay was deployed; however, the dish antenna command and actual telemetry did not correspond. Also, the orbiter cabin Flash Evaporator System iced up, raising crew cabin temperature to the mid-80s.

Mission: Department of Defense
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: Classified
Launched: Dec. 2, 1988, 9:30:34 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Dec. 6, 1988, 3:36:11 p.m. PST
Landing Weight: 190,956 pounds
Runway: 17
Rollout Distance: 7,123 feet
Rollout Time: 43 seconds
Revolution: 68
Mission Duration: 4 days, 9 hours, 5 minutes, 37 seconds
Returned to KSC: Dec. 13, 1988
Orbit Altitude: Classified
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert L. Gibson, Pilot Guy S. Gardner, Mission Specialists Richard Mullane, Jerry L. Ross and William M. Shepherd .

Launch Highlights

The launch set for December 1 during a classified window lying within a launch period between 6:32 a.m. and 9:32 a.m., was postponed due to unacceptable cloud cover and wind conditions and reset for the same launch period on December 2.

Mission Highlights

Third mission dedicated to the Department of Defense.

Mission: Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-4 (TDRS-4)
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 256,357 pounds
Launched: March 13, 1989, 9:57:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: March 18, 1989, 6:35:50 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 194,789 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,339 feet
Rollout Time: 53 seconds
Revolution: 80
Mission Duration: 4 days, 23 hours, 38 minutes, 50 seconds
Returned to Kennedy Space Center: March 24, 1989
Orbit Altitude: 184 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2 million

Crew Members

Commander Michael L. Coats, Pilot John E. Blaha, Mission Specialists James P. Bagian, James F. Buchli and Robert C. Springer.

Launch Highlights

The launch manifested for February 18 was reassessed for a late February/early March launch to replace suspect liquid oxygen turbopumps on Discovery's three main engines and faulty master events controller. The launch on March 13 was delayed 1 hour, 50 minutes due to morning ground fog and upper winds.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-4 (TDRS-4) which was attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), became the third TDRS to be deployed. After deployment, the IUS propelled the satellite to a geosynchronous orbit. Secondary payloads: Orbiter Experiments Autonomous Supporting Instrumentation System-1 (OASIS-1); Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced Radiator Experiment (SHARE); Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); Chromosomes and Plant Cell Division (CHROMEX); two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments; and Air Force experiment using orbiter as calibration target for ground-based experiment for Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) in Hawaii. Crew also photographed Earth with a hand-held IMAX camera.

Mission: Magellan
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 261,118 pounds
Launched: May 4, 1989, 2:46:59 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: May 8, 1989, 12:43:26 p.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 194,789 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 10,295 feet
Rollout Time: 64 seconds
Revolution: 65
Mission Duration: 4 days, 0 hours, 56 minutes, 27 seconds
Returned to KSC: May 15, 1989
Orbit Altitude: 184 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.8 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.7 million

Crew Members

Commander David M. Walker, Pilot Ronald J. Grabe, Mission Specialists Norman E. Thagard, Mary L. Cleave and Mark C. Lee.

Launch Highlights

The launch scheduled for April 28 was scrubbed at T-31 seconds due to a problem with the liquid hydrogen recirculation pump on the number one main engine and a vapor leak in a four-inch liquid hydrogen recirculation line between the orbiter and the external tank. The repairs were made and launch was reset for May 4. Liftoff was delayed until the last five minutes of a 64 minute window opening at 1:48 a.m. EDT due to cloud cover and high winds at KSC shuttle runway, violating return-to-launch-site limits.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload, a Magellan/Venus radar mapper spacecraft and attached Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), was deployed six hours, 14 minutes into flight. The IUS first and second stage fired as planned, boosting the Magellan spacecraft on a proper trajectory for a 15-month journey to Venus.

Secondary payloads were: Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE), microgravity research with Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA), and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

One of five General Purpose Computers (GPC) failed and had to be replaced with a sixth onboard hardware spare. This is the first time a GPC was switched on orbit.

Mission: Department of Defense
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: Classified
Launched: August 8, 1989, 8:37:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: August 13, 1989, 6:37:08 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 190,956 pounds
Runway: 17
Rollout Distance: 6,015 feet
Rollout Time: 46 seconds
Revolution: 81
Mission Duration: 5 days, 1 hour, 0 minutes, 8 seconds
Returned to KSC: August 21, 1989
Orbit Altitude: Classified
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Brewster H. Shaw Jr., Pilot Richard N. Richards, Mission Specialists James C. Adamson, David C. Leestma and Mark N. Brown.

Launch Highlights

Liftoff occurred during a classified launch window lying within a launch period extending from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT, Aug. 8.

Mission Highlights

Fourth mission dedicated to the Department of Defense, and first flight of Columbia since Mission 61-C.

Mission: Galileo; Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Experiment
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 257,569 pounds
Launched: October 18, 1989, 12:53:40 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: October 23, 1989, 9:33:01 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 195,954 pounds
Runway: 23
Rollout Distance: 9,677 feet
Rollout Time: 60 seconds
Revolution: 79
Mission Duration: 4 days, 23 hours, 39 minutes, 21 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 29, 1989
Orbit Altitude: 185 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 34.3 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2 million

Crew Members

Commander Donald E. Williams, Pilot Michael J. McCulley, Mission Specialists Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Shannon W. Lucid and Ellen S. Baker.

Launch Highlights

The launch set for October 12 was rescheduled due to a faulty main engine controller on number the two main engine. The launch set for October 17 was rescheduled due to weather constraints for a return-to-launch-site landing at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload, Galileo/Jupiter spacecraft and attached Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), was deployed six hours, 30 minutes into the flight. IUS stages fired, placing Galileo on trajectory for six-year trip to Jupiter via gravitational boosts from Venus and Earth and possible observational brushes with asteroids Gaspra and Ida. Secondary payloads included Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) experiment carried in cargo bay, and in crew cabin, Growth Hormone Crystal Distribution (GHCD); Polymer Morphology (PM), Sensor Technology Experiment (STEX); Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE); IMAX camera; Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiment that investigated ice crystal formation in zero gravity; and ground-based Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

Mission: Department of Defense
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: Classified
Launched: November 22, 1989, 7:23:30 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: November 27, 1989, 4:30:18 p.m. PST
Landing Weight: 194,282 pounds
Runway: 4
Rollout Distance: 7,764 feet
Rollout Time: 46 seconds
Revolution: 79
Mission Duration: 5 days, 0 hours, 6 minutes, 48 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 4, 1989
Orbit Altitude: 302 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Frederick D. Gregory, Pilot John E. Blaha, Mission Specialists F. Story Musgrave, Manley L. Carter, Jr. and Kathryn C. Thornton.

Launch Highlights

The launch set for November 20 was rescheduled to allow changeout of suspect integrated electronics assemblies on the twin solid rocket boosters.

Mission Highlights

Fifth mission dedicated to the Department of Defense.

Mission: SYNCOM IV-F5; LDEF Retrieval
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 255,994 pounds
Launched: January 9, 1990, 7:35:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: January 20, 1990, 1:35:36 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 228,335 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 10,096 feet
Rollout Time: 62 seconds
Revolution: 172
Mission Duration: 10 days, 21 hours, 0 minutes, 36 seconds
Returned to KSC: January 26, 1990
Orbit Altitude: 178 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Daniel C. Brandenstein, Pilot James D. Wetherbee, Mission Specialists Bonnie J. Dunbar, G. David Low and Marsha S. Ivins.

Launch Highlights

The launch scheduled for December 18, 1989 was postponed to complete and verify modifications to Pad A, being used for first time since January 1986. The launch scheduled for January 8, 1990 scrubbed due to weather conditions.

Mission Highlights

Objectives were deployment of SYNCOM IV-F5 defense communications satellite and retrieval of NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). SYNCOM IV-F5 (also known as LEASAT 5) deployed first, and third stage Minuteman solid perigee kick motor propelled the satellite to geosynchronous orbit. LDEF was retrieved on flight day four using the remote manipulator system. Middeck payloads: Characterization of Neurospora Circadian Rhythms (CNCR); Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); Fluid Experiment Apparatus (FEA); American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE); Latitude /Longitude Locator (L3); Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE); IMAX camera; and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

Mission: Department of Defense
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: Classified
Launched: February 28, 1990, 2:50:22 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: March 4, 1990, 10:08:44 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 87,200 pounds
Runway: 23
Rollout Distance: 7,900 feet
Rollout Time: 53 seconds
Revolution: 72
Mission Duration: 4 days, 10 hours, 18 minutes, 22 seconds
Returned to KSC: March 13, 1990
Orbit Altitude: 132 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 62 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.9 million

Crew Members

Commander John O. Creighton, Pilot John H. Casper, Mission Specialists Richard M. Mullane, David C. Hilmers and Pierre J. Thuot.

Launch Highlights

The launch set for February 22 was postponed to February 23, February 24, and February 25 due to illness of the crew commander and weather conditions. It was the first time since Apollo 13 in 1970 that a manned space mission was affected by the illness of a crew member. The launch was set for February 25 and scrubbed due to a malfunction of a range safety computer. The launch was reset for February 26 and scrubbed again due to weather conditions (Note: external tank loaded only for launch attempts on February 25 and 26, and launch on February 28). The launch on February 28 was set for a classified window lying within a launch period extending from 12 midnight to 4 a.m. EST.

Mission Highlights

Sixth mission dedicated to the Department of Defense.

Mission: Hubble Space Telescope Deploy
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 249,109 pounds
Launched: April 24, 1990, 8:33:51 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: April 29, 1990, 6:49:57 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 189,118 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 8,874 feet
Rollout Time: 61 seconds
Revolution: 80
Mission Duration: 5 days, 1 hour, 16 minutes, 6 seconds
Returned to KSC: May 7, 1990
Orbit Altitude: 330 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Loren J. Shriver, Pilot Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Mission Specialists Steven A. Hawley, Bruce McCandless II and Kathryn D. Sullivan.

Launch Highlights

The launch was scheduled for April 18, then April 12, then April 10, following the Flight Readiness Review (FRR). The first date set at FRR was earlier than that shown on previous planning schedules. The launch scheduled for April 10 was scrubbed at T-4 minutes due to a faulty valve in auxiliary power unit (APU) number one. The APU was replaced and payload batteries recharged. Countdown briefly halted at T-31 seconds when computer software failed to shut down a fuel valve line on ground support equipment. Engineers ordered valve to shut and countdown continued.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload, Hubble Space Telescope, deployed in a 380-statute-mile orbit. Secondary payloads: IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC) to document operations outside crew cabin and hand-held IMAX camera for use inside crew cabin; Ascent Particle Monitor (APM) to detect particulate matter in payload bay; Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) to provide data on growing protein crystals in microgravity; Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME III) to measure gamma ray levels in crew cabin; Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP) to determine porosity control in microgravity environment; Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiment to study effects of near-weightlessness on electrical arcs, and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

Mission: Ulysses; SSBUV; ISAC
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 259,593 pounds
Launched: Oct. 6, 1990, 7:47:15 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Oct. 10, 1990, 6:57:19 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 196,869 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 8,532 feet
Rollout Time: 49 seconds
Revolution: 66
Mission Duration: 4 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes, 4 seconds
Returned to KSC: Oct. 16, 1990
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Richard N. Richards, Pilot Robert D. Cabana, Mission Specialists William M. Shepherd, Bruce E. Melnick and Thomas D. Akers.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload, ESA-built Ulysses spacecraft to explore polar regions of Sun, deployed. Two upper stages, Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) and a mission-specific Payload Assist Module-S (PAM-S), combined together for first time to send Ulysses toward out-of-ecliptic trajectory. Other payloads and experiments: Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) experiment; INTELSAT Solar Array Coupon (ISAC); Chromosome and Plant Cell Division Experiment (CHROMEX); Voice Command System (VCS); Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE), Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP); Physiological Systems Experiment (PSE); Radiation Monitoring Experiment III (RME III); Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

Mission: Department of Defense
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: classified
Launched: November 15, 1990, 6:48:15 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Shuttle Landing Facility, Kennedy Space Center
Landing: November 20, 1990, 4:42:46 p.m. EST
Landing Weight: 191,091 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,0003 feet
Rollout Time: 56 seconds
Revolution: 79
Mission Duration: 4 days, 21 hours, 54 minutes, 31 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 142 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2 million

Crew Members

Commander Richard O. Covey, Pilot Frank L. Culbertson Jr., Mission Specialists Robert C. Springer, Carl J. Meade and Charles D. Gemar.

Launch Highlights

The launch was originally scheduled for July 1990. However, a liquid hydrogen leak found on the orbiter Columbia during the STS-35 countdown prompted three precautionary tanking tests on Atlantis at the pad on June 29, July 13 and July 25. Tests confirmed a hydrogen fuel leak on external tank side of external tank/orbiter 17-inch quick disconnect umbilical. This could not be repaired at the pad and Atlantis rolled back to the VAB on August 9, was demated and transferred to the OPF. During rollback, the vehicle parked outside the VAB about a day while COLUMBIA/STS-35 stack was transferred to the pad for launch. Outside, Atlantis suffered minor hail damage to tiles during a thunderstorm. After repairs were made in the OPF, Atlantis was transferred to the VAB for mating on October 2. During hoisting operations, a platform beam that should have been removed from aft compartment fell and caused minor damage which was repaired. Vehicle rolled out to Pad A on October 12. Fourth mini-tanking test performed October 24, with no excessive hydrogen or oxygen leakage detected. At Flight Readiness Review, launch date was set for November 9. Launch was reset for November 15 due to payload problems. Liftoff occurred during a classified launch window lying within a launch period extending from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. EST, November 15, 1990.

Mission Highlights

Seventh mission dedicated to Department of Defense.

Mission: ASTRO-1
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 256,385 pounds
Launched: December 2, 1990, 1:49:01 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: December 10, 1990, 9:54:09 p.m. PST
Landing Weight: 225,329 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 10,566 feet
Rollout Time: 58 seconds
Revolution: 144
Mission Duration: 8 days, 23 hours, 5 minutes, 8 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 190 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Vance D. Brand, Pilot Guy S. Gardner, Mission Specialists Jeffrey A. Hoffman, John M. Lounge, Robert A. Parker and Payload Specialists Samuel T. Durrance and Ronald A. Parise.

Launch Highlights

The launch was first scheduled for May 16, 1990. Following the Flight Readiness Review (FRR), announcement of a firm launch date was delayed to change out a faulty freon coolant loop proportional valve in orbiter's coolant system. At subsequent Delta FRR, date set for May 30. Launch on May 30 scrubbed during tanking due to minor hydrogen leak in tail service mast on mobile launcher platform and major leak in external tank/orbiter 17-inch quick disconnect assembly. Hydrogen also detected in orbiter's aft compartment believed associated with leak involving 17-inch umbilical assembly.

Leakage at 17-inch umbilical confirmed by mini-tanking test June 6. Could not repair at pad and orbiter returned to VAB June 12, demated and transferred to OPF. Changeout of orbiter- side 17-inch umbilical assembly made with one borrowed from orbiter Endeavour; external tank fitted with new umbilical hardware. ASTRO-1 payload reserviced regularly and remained in Columbia's cargo bay during orbiter repairs and reprocessing.

Columbia rolled out to Pad A for second time August 9 to support a September 1 launch date. Two days before launch, avionics box on BBXRT portion of ASTRO-1 payload malfunctioned and had to be changed out and retested. Launch rescheduled for September 6. During tanking, high concentrations of hydrogen detected in orbiter's aft compartment, forcing another postponement. NASA managers concluded that Columbia had experienced separate hydrogen leaks from beginning: one of umbilical assembly (now replaced) and one or more in aft compartment which had resurfaced. Suspicion focused on package of three hydrogen recirculation pumps in aft compartment. These were replaced and retested. Damaged Teflon cover seal in main engine number three hydrogen prevalve replaced. Launch rescheduled for September 18. Fuel leak in aft compartment resurfaced during tanking and mission scrubbed again. STS-35 mission put on hold until problem resolved by special tiger team assigned by the space shuttle director.

Columbia transferred to Pad B October 8 to make room for Atlantis on Mission STS-36. Tropical storm Klaus forced rollback to VAB October 9. Vehicle transferred to Pad B again October 14. Mini-tanking test conducted October 30, using special sensors and video cameras and employing a see-through Plexiglas aft compartment door. No excessive hydrogen leakage detected. Liftoff December 2 delayed 21 minutes to allow Air Force range time to observe low-level clouds that might impede tracking of the shuttle ascent.

Mission Highlights

The primary objectives were round-the-clock observations of celestial sphere in ultraviolet and x-ray astronomy with ASTRO-1 observatory consisting of four telescopes: Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). Ultraviolet telescopes mounted on Spacelab elements in cargo bay were to be operated in shifts by flight crew. Loss of both data display units (used for pointing telescopes and operating experiments) during mission impacted crew-aiming procedures and forced ground teams at Marshall Space Flight Center to aim ultraviolet telescopes with fine-tuning by flight crew. BBXRT, also mounted in cargo bay, was directed from outset by ground-based operators at Goddard Space Flight Center and not affected. Other experiments: Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-2 (SAREX-2); ground-based experiment to calibrate electro-optical sensors at Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) in Hawaii; and crew conducted Space Classroom Program: Assignment: The Stars, to spark student interest in science, math and technology. Crew experienced trouble dumping waste water due to clogged drain, but managed using spare containers. Mission cut short one day due to impending bad weather at primary landing site, Edwards Air Force Base, CA. Science teams at Marshall and Goddard Space Flight Centers estimated 70 percent of planned science data achieved.

Mission: Gamma Ray Observatory
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 255,824 pounds
Launched: April 5, 1991, 9:22:44 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: April 11, 1991, 6:55:29 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 190,098 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 6,364 feet
Rollout Time: 54 seconds
Revolution: 93
Mission Duration: 5 days, 23 hours, 32 minutes, 44 seconds
Return to KSC: April 18, 1991
Orbit Altitude: 248 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Steven R. Nagel, Pilot Kenneth D. Cameron, Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross, Jay Apt and Linda M. Godwin.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload, Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO), was deployed on flight day three. The GRO high-gain antenna failed to deploy on command; it was finally freed and manually deployed by Ross and Apt during an unscheduled contingency space walk, the first since April 1985. The following day, two astronauts performed the first scheduled space walk since November 1985 to test means for astronauts to move themselves and equipment about while maintaining planned Space Station Freedom. The GRO science instruments were Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) and Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSEE). Secondary payloads included Crew and Equipment Translation Aids (CETA), which involved scheduled six-hour space walk by astronauts Ross and Apt (see above); Ascent Particle Monitor (APM); Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREX II); Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); Bioserve/instrumentation Technology Associates Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA); Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME Ill); and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

Mission: Department of Defense, AFP-675; IBSS; SPAS-II
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 247,373 pounds
Launched: April 28, 1991, 7:33:14 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: May 6, 1991, 2:55:37 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,512 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 9,235 feet
Rollout Time: 56 seconds
Revolution: 134
Mission Duration: 8 days, 7 hours, 22 minutes, 23 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 190 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Michael L. Coats, Pilot L. Blaine Hammond, Mission Specialists Guion S. Bluford Jr., Gregory J. Harbaugh, Richard J. Hieb, Donald R. McMonagle and Charles L. Veach.

Launch Highlights

The launch was originally scheduled for March 9, but during processing work at Pad A, significant cracks were found on all four lug hinges on the two external tank umbilical door drive mechanisms. NASA managers opted to roll back the vehicle to the VAB on March 7, and then to OPF for repair. Hinges were replaced with units taken from orbiter Columbia, and reinforced. Discovery returned to the pad on April 1, launch was re-set for April 23. The mission was again postponed when, during prelaunch external tank loading, a transducer on the high-pressure oxidizer turbopump for main engine number three showed readings out of specification. The transducer and its cable harness were replaced and tested. Launch was rescheduled for April 28.

Mission Highlights

Dedicated Department of Defense mission. An unclassified payload included Air Force Program-675 (AFP675); Infrared Background Signature Survey (IBSS) with Critical Ionization Velocity (CIV), Chemical Release Observation (CRO) and Shuttle Pallet Satellite-II (SPAS-II) experiments; and Space Test Payload-1 (STP-1). Classified payload consisted of Multi-Purpose Release Canister (MPEC). Also on board was Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME III) and Cloud Logic to Optimize Use of Defense Systems-IA (CLOUDS-I).

Mission: Spacelab Life Sciences-1
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 251,970 pounds
Launched: June 5, 1991, 9:24:51 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: June 14, 1991, 8:39:11 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 226,535 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,438 feet
Rollout Time: 55 seconds
Revolution: 146
Mission Duration: 9 days, 2 hours, 14 minutes, 20 seconds
Returned to KSC: June 21, 1991
Orbit Altitude: 157 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 39 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Bryan D. O'Connor, Pilot Sidney M. Gutierrez, Mission Specialists James P. Bagian, Tamara E. Jernigan, M. Rhea Seddon, F. Drew Gaffney and Millie Hughes-Fulford.

Launch Highlights

The launch was originally set for May 22, 1991. The mission was postponed less than 48 hours before launch when it became known that a leaking liquid hydrogen transducer in the orbiter main propulsion system, which was removed and replaced during leak testing in 1990, had failed an analysis by the vendor. Engineers feared that one or more of the nine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen transducers protruding into fuel and oxidizer lines could break off and be ingested by the engine turbopumps, causing engine failure.

In addition, one of the orbiter five general purpose computers failed completely, along with one of the multiplexer demultiplexers that control orbiter hydraulics ordinance and orbiter maneuvering system/reaction control system functions in the aft compartment.

A new general purpose computer and multiplexer demultiplexer were installed and tested. One liquid hydrogen and two liquid oxygen transducers were replaced upstream in the propellant flow system near the 17-inch disconnect area, which is protected by internal screen. Three liquid oxygen transducers replaced at engine manifold area, while three liquid hydrogen transducers here were removed and openings plugged. Launch reset for 8 a.m. EDT, June 1, but postponed again after several attempts to calibrate inertial measurement unit 2 failed. Unit was replaced and retested, and launch was rescheduled for June 5.

Mission Highlights

The fifth dedicated Spacelab mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1, and first mission dedicated solely to life sciences, using the habitable module. The mission featured the most detailed and interrelated physiological measurements in space since 1973-1974 Skylab missions. Subjects were humans, 30 rodents and thousands of tiny jellyfish. Primarily the SLS-1 experiments studied six body systems; of 18 investigations, ten involved humans, seven involved rodents, and one used jellyfish.

The six body systems investigated were cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary (heart, lungs and blood vessels); renal/endocrine (kidneys and hormone-secreting organs and glands); blood (blood plasma); immune system (white blood cells); musculoskeletal (muscles and bones); and neurovestibular (brains and nerves, eyes and inner ear). Other payloads included twelve Get Away Special (GAS) canisters installed on the GAS bridge in the cargo bay for experiments in materials science, plant biology and cosmic radiation; Middeck Zero-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE); and seven Orbiter Experiments (OEX).

Mission: TDRS-E; SSBUV-03; SHARE-II
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 259,374 pounds
Launched: August 2, 1991, 11:01:59 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: August 11, 1991, 8:23:25 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 196,088 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 9,890 feet
Rollout Time: 59 seconds
Revolution: 142
Mission Duration: 8 days, 21 hours, 21 minutes, 25 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 174 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.7 million

Crew Members

Commander John E. Blaha, Pilot Michael E. Baker, Mission Specialists Shannon W. Lucid, James C. Adamson and G. David Low.

Launch Highlights

The launch was originally set for July 23, but was moved to July 24 to allow time to replace a faulty integrated electronics assembly that controls orbiter/external tank separation. The mission was postponed again about five hours before liftoff on July 24 due to a faulty main engine controller on the number three main engine. The controller was replaced and retested; launch was reset for August 1. Liftoff set for 11:01 a.m. delayed due to cabin pressure vent valve reading and postponed at 12:28 p.m. due to unacceptable return-to-launch site weather conditions. Launch reset for August 2.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-5 (TDRS-5) was attached to an inertial Upper Stage (IUS), and deployed about six hours into flight, the IUS propelled the satellite into geosynchronous orbit; TDRS-5 becomes the fourth member of the orbiting TDRS cluster. Secondary payloads were Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced Radiator Element II (SHARE II); Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultra-Violet (SSBUV) instrument; Tank Pressure Control Equipment (TPCE) and Optical Communications Through Windows (OCTW). Other experiments included Auroral Photography Experiment (APE-B) Protein Crystal Growth Ill (PCG Ill); Bioserve / Instrumentation Technology Associates Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA); Investigations Into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP); Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS); Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE); Ultraviolet Plume imager (UVPI); and the Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

Mission: UARS
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 240,062 pounds
Launched: September 12, 1991, 7:11:04 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: September 18, 1991, 12:38:42 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 192,780 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,513 feet
Rollout Time: 50 seconds
Revolution: 81
Mission Duration: 5 days, 8 hours, 27 minutes, 38 seconds
Returned to KSC: September 26, 1991
Orbit Altitude: 313 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.2 million

Crew Members

Commander John O. Creighton, Pilot Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr., Mission Specialists Mark N. Brown, Charles D. Gemar and James F. Buchli.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload, the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), was deployed on the third day of the mission. During its planned 18-month mission, the 14,500-pound observatory will make the most extensive study ever conducted of the Earth's troposphere, the upper level of the planet's envelope of life sustaining gases which also include the protective ozone layer. UARS has ten sensing and measuring devices: Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES); Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS); Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS); Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE); High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI); Wind Imaging Interferometer (WlNDII); Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM); Solar/Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE); Particle Environment Monitor (PEM) and Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM II).

The secondary payloads were: Ascent Particle Monitor (APM); Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE); Shuttle Activation Monitor (SAM); Cosmic Ray Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM); Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE); Protein Crystal Growth II-2 (PCG II-2); Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP); and the Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

Mission: DOD; DSP
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 259,629 pounds
Launched: November 24, 1991, 6:44:00 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: December 1, 1991, 2:34:44 p.m. PST
Landing Weight: 193,825 pounds
Runway: 5
Rollout Distance: 11,191 feet
Rollout Time: 107 seconds
Revolution: 110
Mission Duration: 6 days, 22 hours, 50 minutes, 44 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 8, 1991
Orbit Altitude: 197 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Frederick D. Gregory, Pilot Terence T. Henricks, Mission Specialists Mario Runco, Jr., James S. Voss, F. Story Musgrave and Thomas J. Hennen.

Launch Highlights

The launch set for November 19 was delayed due to a malfunctioning redundant inertial measurement unit on the Inertial Upper Stage booster attached to the Defense Support Program satellite. The unit was replaced and tested. The launch was reset for November 24, delayed 13 minutes to allow an orbiting spacecraft to pass and allow external tank liquid oxygen replenishment after minor repairs to the valve in the liquid oxygen replenishment system in the mobile launcher platform.

Mission Highlights

A dedicated Department of Defense mission. The unclassified payload included a Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite and attached Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), which were deployed on flight day one. Cargo bay and middeck payloads: Interim Operational Contamination Monitor (IOCM); Terra Scout; Military Man in Space (M88-1); Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS); Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM); Shuttle Activation Monitor (SAM); Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME III); Visual Function Tester-1 (VFT-1); Ultraviolet Plume Instrument (UVPI). Bioreactor Flow and Particle Trajectory experiment; and Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project, a series of investigations in support of Extended Duration Orbiter.

Mission: IML-1
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 243,396 pounds
Launched: January 22, 1992, 9:52:33 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: January 30, 1992, 8:07:17 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 1,218,016 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,841 feet
Rollout Time: 58 seconds
Revolution: 129
Mission Duration: 8 days, 1 hour, 14 minutes, 44 seconds
Returned to KSC: February 16, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 163 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Ronald J. Grabe, Pilot Stephen S. Oswald, Mission Specialists Norman E. Thagard, David C. Hilmers, William F. Readdy and Payload Specialists Roberta L. Bondar and Ulf D. Merbold.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload was the International Microgravity Laboratory-1 (IML-1), making its first flight and using the pressurized Spacelab module. The International crew was divided into two teams for around-the-clock research on the human nervous system's adaptation to low gravity and the effects of microgravity on other life forms such as shrimp eggs, lentil seedlings, fruit fly eggs, and bacteria. Materials processing experiments were also conducted, including crystal growth from variety of substances such as enzymes, mercury iodide and a virus. On flight day six, mission managers concluded enough onboard consumables remained to extend the mission one day to continue science experiments.

Secondary payloads were: 12 Get Away Special (GAS) canisters attached to a GAS Bridge Assembly in the cargo bay and containing a variety of U.S. and international experiments.

In middeck: Gelation of Sols: Applied Microgravity Research-1 (GOSAMR-1); IMAX camera; Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP); Radiation Monitoring Experiment III (RME III); and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments.

Mission: ATLAS-1
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 233,650 pounds
Launched: March 24, 1992, 8:13 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: April 2, 1992, 6:23 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 205,042 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,227 feet
Rollout Time: 60 seconds
Revolution: 143
Mission Duration: 8 days, 22 hours, 9 minutes 28 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 8, 1991
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.2 million

Crew Members

Commander Charles F. Bolden Jr., Pilot Brian Duffy, Mission Specialists Kathryn D. Sullivan, David C. Leestma, C. Michael Foale and Payload Specialists Byron K. Lichtenberg and Dirk D. Frimout.

Launch Highlights

The launch was originally scheduled for March 23, but was delayed one day because of higher than allowable concentrations of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the orbiter's aft compartment during tanking operations. During troubleshooting, the leaks could not be reproduced, leading engineers to believe that they were the result of plumbing in the main propulsion system not thermally conditioned to the super cold propellants. Launch was rescheduled for March 24.

Mission Highlights

The mission carried the first Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-1) on Spacelab pallets mounted in the orbiter's cargo bay. The non-deployable payload, equipped with 12 instruments from the U.S., France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Japan, conducted studies in atmospheric chemistry, solar radiation, space plasma physics and ultraviolet astronomy. ATLAS-1 instruments were: Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS); Grille Spectrometer; Millimeter Wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS); Imaging Spectrometric Observatory (ISO); Atmospheric Lyman-Alpha Emissions (ALAE); Atmospheric Emissions Photometric Imager (AEPI); Space Experiments with Particle Accelerators (SEPAC); Active Cavity Radiometer (ACR); Measurement of Solar Constant (SOLCON); Solar Spectrum (SOLSPEC); Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM); and Far Ultraviolet Space Telescope (FAUST). Other payloads included Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) experiment, one get-away Special (GAS) experiment and six mid-deck experiments.

Mission: Intelsat VI Repair
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 256,597 pounds
Launched: May 7, 1992, 7:40 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: May 16, 1992, 1:57:38 p.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 201,649 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,490 feet
Rollout Time: 58 seconds
Revolution: 141
Mission Duration: 8 days, 21 hours, 17 minutes, 38 seconds
Returned to KSC: May 30, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 195 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.35 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Daniel C. Brandenstein, Pilot Kevin P. Chilton, Mission Specialists Pierre J. Thuot, Kathryn C. Thornton, Richard J. Hieb, Thomas D. Akers and Bruce E. Melnick.

Launch Highlights

The first flight of orbiter Endeavour. The launch was originally scheduled for May 4 at 8:34 p.m. EDT, but was moved to May 7 for an earlier launch window opening at 7:06 p.m. EDT which provided better lighting conditions for photographic documentation of vehicle behavior during the launch phase. Launch was delayed 34 minutes due to TAL site weather conditions.

Mission Highlights

The INTELSAT VI (F-3) satellite, stranded in an unusable orbit since its launch aboard a Titan vehicle in March 1990, was captured by crewmembers during an EVA (extravehicular activity) and equipped with a new perigee kick motor. The satellite was subsequently released into orbit and the new motor fired to put the spacecraft into a geosynchronous orbit for operational use.

The capture required three EVAs: a planned one by astronaut Pierre J. Thuot and Richard J. Hieb who were unable to attach a capture bar to the satellite from a position on the RMS; a second unscheduled but identical attempt the following day; and finally an unscheduled but successful hand capture by Pierre J. Thuot and fellow crewmen Richard J. Hieb and Thomas D. Akers as Commander Daniel C. Brandenstein delicately maneuvered the orbiter to within a few feet of the 4.5 ton communications satellite. An ASEM structure was erected in the cargo bay by the crew to serve as a platform to aid in the hand capture and subsequent attachment of the capture bar.

A planned EVA also was performed by astronauts Kathryn C. Thornton and Thomas D. Akers as part of the Assembly of Station by EVA Methods (ASEM) experiment to demonstrate and verify maintenance and assembly capabilities for Space Station Freedom. The ASEM space walk, originally scheduled for two successive days, was cut to one day because of the lengthy INTELSAT retrieval operation.

Other "payloads of opportunity" experiments conducted included: Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Ultraviolet Plume Imager (UVPI) and the Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) investigation. The mission was extended two days to complete all of the objectives.

The following records were set during the STS-49 mission:

First EVA involving three astronauts. First and second longest EVA to date: 8 hours and 29 minutes and 7 hours and 45 minutes. First shuttle mission to feature four EVAs. EVA time for a single shuttle mission: 25 hours and 27 minutes, or 59:23 person hours. First shuttle mission requiring three rendezvous with an orbiting spacecraft. First attachment of a live rocket motor to an orbiting satellite. First use of a-drag chute during a shuttle landing.

Mission: USML-1
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 257,265 pounds
Launched: June 25, 1992, 12:12:23 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: July 9, 1992, 7:42:27 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 228,127 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,674 feet
Rollout Time: 59 seconds
Revolution: 221
Mission Duration: 13 days, 19 hours, 30 minutes, 04 seconds
Returned to KSC: May 30, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 5.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Richard N. Richards, Pilot Kenneth D. Bowersox, Mission Specialists Bonnie J. Dunbar, Ellen S. Baker, Carl J. Meade and Payload Specialists Lawrence J. DeLucas and Eugene H. Trinh.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload was the United States Microgravity Laboratory-I (USML-1), a manned Spacelab module with a connecting tunnel to the orbiter crew compartment. USML-1 was a national effort to advance microgravity research in a broad number of disciplines. The 13 day mission, the first Extended Duration Orbiter flight and the longest space shuttle mission to date, also provided new information on the effects of long-term human stay in space. Experiments conducted were: Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF), Drop Physics Module (DPM), Surface Tension Driven Convection Experiment (STDCE), Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG), Protein Crystal Growth (PCG), Glovebox Facility (GBX), Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (GBA), Astroculture-1 (ASC), Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project (EDOMP), and Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE).

Secondary experiments included Investigation in Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP), Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREX-II), and Ultraviolet Plume Instrument (UVPI).

Mission: TSS-1; EURECA Deploy
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 256,031 pounds
Launched: July 31, 1992, 9:56:48 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: August 8, 1992, 9:11:51 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 208,806 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,860 feet
Rollout Time: 66 seconds
Revolution: 127
Mission Duration: 7 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes, 3 seconds
Returned to KSC: May 30, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 230 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Loren J. Shriver, Pilot Andrew M. Allen, Mission Specialists Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Claude Nicollier, Marsha S. Ivins and Payload Specialist Franco Malerba.

Mission Highlights

The primary objective was deployment of the European Space Agency's European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) and operation of the joint NASA/Italian Space Agency Tethered Satellite System (TSS). The mission was extended one day to complete the science objectives. EURECA deployed one day later than scheduled because of problem with its data handling system. After deployment, the spacecraft's thrusters were fired to boost EURECA to its planned operating altitude of about 310 statute miles (499 kilometers). However, the thruster firing was cut to six minutes instead of the planned 24 minutes because of unexpected attitude data from EURECA. The problem resolved and EURECA was boosted to operational orbit on the sixth day of the mission. The payload was to be retrieved on STS-57 in 1993.

TSS deployment was also delayed one day because of EURECA. During TSS deployment, the satellite reached a maximum distance of only 840 feet (256 meters) from orbiter instead of planned 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) because of a jammed tether line. After numerous attempts over several days to free the tether, TSS operations were curtailed and satellite was stowed for return to Earth.

Secondary payloads were: Evaluation of Oxygen Integration with Materials/Thermal Management Processes (EOIM-III/TEMP 2A-3); Consortium for Materials Development in Space Complex Autonomous Payload (CONCAP II and CONCAP III); IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC); Limited Duration Space Environment Candidate Materials Exposure (LDCE); Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS); Pituitary Growth Hormone Cell Function (PHCF); and Ultraviolet Plume Instrument (UVPI).

Mission: Spacelab-J
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 258,679 pounds
Launched: September 12, 1992, 10:23:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: September 20, 1992, 8:53:23 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 218,854 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,567 feet
Rollout Time: 51 seconds
Revolution: 126
Mission Duration: 7 days, 22 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds
Returned to KSC: May 30, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 166 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert L. Gibson, Pilot Curtis L. Brown Jr., Mission Specialists Mark C. Lee, N. Jan Davis, Jay Apt, Mae C. Jemison and Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri.

Mission Highlights

Spacelab-J -- a joint NASA and National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) mission utilizing a manned Spacelab module -- conducted microgravity investigations in materials and life sciences. The international crew, consisting of the first Japanese astronaut to fly aboard the shuttle, the first African-American woman to fly in space and the first married couple to fly on the same space mission, was divided into red and blue teams for around the clock operations. Spacelab-J included 24 materials science and 20 life sciences experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA and two collaborative efforts.

Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs.

Twelve Get Away Special (GAS) canisters (10 with experiments, 2 with ballast) were carried in the payload bay. Middeck experiments were: Israeli Space Agency Investigation About Hornets (ISAIAH), Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE), Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX II), Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS), and Ultraviolet Plume Imager (UVPI).

Mission: USMP-1; LAGEOS II
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 250,130 pounds
Launched: October 22, 1992, 1:09:39:33 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: November 1, 1992, 9:05:52 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 215,114 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,708 feet
Rollout Time: 63 seconds
Revolution: 159
Mission Duration: 9 days, 20 hours, 56 minutes and 13 seconds
Returned to KSC: May 30, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 163 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander James D. Wetherbee, Pilot Michael A. Baker, Mission Specialists Charles L. Veach, William M. Shepherd, Tamara E. Jernigan and Payload Specialist Steven A. MacLean.

Mission Highlights

The primary mission objectives were the deployment of the Laser Geodynamic Satellite II (LAGEOS-II) and operation of the U.S. Microgravity Payload-1 (USMP-1). LAGEOS-II, a joint effort between NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), was deployed on day two and boosted into an initial elliptical orbit by ASI's Italian Research Interim Stage (IRIS). The spacecraft's apogee kick motor later circularized LAGEOS orbit at its operational altitude of 3,666 miles. The USMP-1, which was activated on day one, included three experiments mounted on two connected Mission Peculiar Equipment Support Structures (MPESS) mounted in the orbiter's cargo bay. USMP-1 experiments were: Lambda Point Experiment; Materiel Pour L'Etude Des Phenomenes Interessant La Solidification Sur Et En Orbite (MEPHISTO), sponsored by the French agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales; and Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS).

Secondary payloads: (1) Canadian experiment, CANEX-2, located in both the orbiter's cargo bay and middeck and which consisted of Space Vision System (SVS); Materials Exposure in Low-Earth Orbit (MELEO); Queen's University Experiment in Liquid-Metal Diffusion (QUELD); Phase Partitioning in Liquids (PARLIQ); Sun Photospectrometer Earth Atmosphere Measurement-2 (SPEAM-2); Orbiter Glow-2 (OGLOW-2); and Space Adaptation Tests and Observations (SATO). A small, specially marked satellite, the Canadian Target Assembly, was deployed on day nine, to support SVS experiments. (2) ASP, featuring three independent sensors mounted on a Hitchhiker plate in the cargo bay -, Modular Star Sensor, Yaw Earth Sensor and Low Altitude Conical Earth Sensor, all provided by the European Space Agency.

Other middeck payloads: Commercial Materials Dispersion Apparatus Instrument Technology Associates Experiments; Commercial Protein Crystal Growth experiment; Chemical Vapor Transport Experiment; Heat Pipe Performance Experiment; Physiological Systems Experiment (involving 12 rodents); and Shuttle Plume Impingement Experiment. The orbiter also was used as a reference point for calibrating an Ultraviolet Plume Instrument on an orbiting Strategic Defense Initiative Organization satellite.

The Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Thermal Phenomena (TPCE/TP) was contained in a Getaway Special (GAS) canister in the orbiter's cargo bay.

Mission: DOD; ODERACS
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 243,952 pounds
Launched: December 2, 1992, 8:24 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: December 9, 1992, 12:43:47 p.m. PST
Landing Weight: 193,215 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 10,165 feet
Rollout Time: 73 seconds
Revolution: 116
Mission Duration: 7 days, 7 hours, 19 minutes, 47 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 18, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 174 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander David M. Walker, Pilot Robert D. Cabana, Mission Specialists Guion S. Bluford, Jr., James S. Voss and Michael R. Clifford.

Mission Highlights

A classified Department of Defense primary payload, plus two unclassified secondary payloads and nine unclassified middeck experiments.

Secondary payloads contained in or attached to Get Away Special (GAS) hardware in the cargo bay included the Orbital Debris Radar Calibration Spheres (ODERACS) the combined Shuttle Glow Experiment/Cryogenic Heat Pipe Experiment (GCP).

Middeck experiments included Microcapsules in Space (MIS-l); Space Tissue Loss (STL); Visual Function Tester (VFT-2); Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM); Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME-III); Fluid Acquisition and Resupply Experiment (FARE); Hand-held, Earth-oriented, Real-time, Cooperative, User-friendly, Location-targeting and Environmental System (HERCULES); Battlefield Laser Acquisition Sensor Test (BLAST); and the Cloud Logic to Optimize Use of Defense Systems (CLOUDS).

Mission: TDRS-F; DXS
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 243,952 pounds
Launched: January 13, 1993, 8:59:30 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: January 19, 1993, 8:37:49 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 193,215 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,724 feet
Rollout Time: 49 seconds
Revolution: 96
Mission Duration: 5 days 23 hours 38 minutes 19 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 18, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 165 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander John H. Casper, Pilot Donald R. McMonagle, Mission Specialists Mario Runco, Jr., Gregory J. Harbaugh and Susan J. Helms.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload was the fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-F) which was deployed on day one of the mission. It was later successfully transferred to its proper orbit by the Inertial Upper Stage booster.

Also carried into orbit in the payload bay was a Hitchhiker experiment called the Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer (DXS). This instrument collected data on X-ray radiation from diffuse sources in deep space.

Other middeck payloads to test the effects of microgravity included the Commercial General Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGPA) for-life sciences research; the Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space Experiment (CHROMEX) to-study plant growth; the Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE) to examine the skeletal system and the adaptation of bone to space flight; the Space Acceleration Measurement Equipment (SAMS) to measure and record the microgravity acceleration environment of middeck experiments; and the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE) to measure the rate of flame spread and temperature of burning filter paper.

Also, on day five, mission specialists Mario Runco and Greg Harbaugh spent nearly 5 hours in the open cargo bay performing a series of space-walking tasks designed to increase NASA's knowledge of working in space. They tested their abilities to move about freely in the cargo bay, climb into foot restraints without using their hands and simulated carrying large objects in the microgravity environment.

Mission: ATLAS-2; SPARTAN-201
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 236,659 pounds
Launched: April 8, 1993, 1:29:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: April 17, 1993, 7:37:24 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 206,855 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,530 feet
Rollout Time: 63 seconds
Revolution: 148
Mission Duration: 9 days, 6 hours, 8 minutes, 24 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 18, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Kenneth D. Cameron, Pilot Stephen S. Oswald, Mission Specialists C. Michael Foale, Kenneth D. Cockrell and Ellen Ochoa.

Launch Highlights

First launch attempt on April 6 was halted at T-11 seconds by orbiter's computers when instrumentation on the liquid hydrogen high point bleed valve in main propulsion system indicated off instead of on. Later analysis indicated valve was properly configured; 48-hour scrub turnaround procedures implemented. Final countdown on April 8 proceeded smoothly.

Mission Highlights

The primary payload of the flight was the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-2 (ATLAS-2), designed to collect data on relationship between sun's energy output and Earth's middle atmosphere and how these factors affect ozone layer. Included six instruments mounted on Spacelab pallet in cargo bay, with seventh mounted on wall of bay in two Get Away Special canisters. Atmospheric instruments were Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) experiment; Millimeter Wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS); and Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet/A (SSBUV/A) spectrometer (on cargo bay wall). Solar science instruments were Solar Spectrum Measurement (SOLSPEC) instrument; Solar Ultraviolet Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM); and Active Cavity Radiometer (ACR) and Solar Constant (SOLCON) experiments.

ATLAS-2 is one element of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. All seven ATLAS-2 instruments first flew on ATLAS-I during STS-45, and will fly a third time in late 1994.

On April 11, crew used remote manipulator arm to deploy Shuttle Point Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy-201 (SPARTAN-201), a free-flying science instrument platform designed to study velocity and acceleration of solar wind and observe sun's corona. Collected data was stored on tape for playback after return to Earth. SPARTAN-201 retrieved on April 13.

Crew also made numerous radio contacts to schools around world using Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREX II), including a brief radio contact with Russian Mir space station, first such contact between Shuttle and Mir using amateur radio equipment.

Other cargo bay payloads: Solar Ultraviolet Experiment (SUVE), sponsored by Colorado Space Grant Consortium, and located in Get Away Special canister on cargo bay wall.

Middeck payloads: Commercial Materials Dispersion Apparatus Instrumentation Technology Associates Experiment (CMIX); Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE); Space Tissue Loss (STL-1); Cosmic Ray Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM) experiment; Hand-held, Earth-oriented, Real-time, Cooperative, User-friendly, Location-targeting and Environmental System (HERCULES); Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RE III); and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) calibration test.

Mission: D-2 Spacelab Mission
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 236,659 pounds
Launched: April 26, 1993, 10:50 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: May 6, 1993, 7:29:59 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 244,400 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 10,125 feet
Rollout Time: 61 seconds
Revolution: 160
Mission Duration: 9 days, 23 hours, 39 minutes, 59 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 18, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 163 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.2 million

Crew Members

Commander Steven R. Nagel, Pilot Terence T. Henricks, Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross, Charles J. Precourt, Bernard A. Harris, Jr. and Payload Specialists Ulrich Walter and Hans Schlegel.

Launch Highlights

The launch was first set for late February and slipped to early March after questions arose about the turbine blade tip seal retainers in the high pressure oxidizer turbopumps on the orbiter main engines. When engineers could not verify whether old or new retainers were on Columbia, NASA opted to replace all three turbopumps at the pad as a precautionary measure.

The launch date of March 14 slipped again after a hydraulic flex hose burst in the aft compartment during the Flight Readiness Test. All 12 hydraulic lines in the aft were removed and inspected; nine lines were re-installed and three new lines were put in.

Launch was reset for March 21 and pushed back 24 hours due to range conflicts caused by a Delta II one-day launch delay. The liftoff attempt on March 22 was aborted at T-3 seconds by the orbiter computers due to an incomplete ignition of the number three main engine. The liquid oxygen preburner check valve leaked internally, causing overpressurized purge system which in turn precluded full engine ignition. This was the first on-the-pad main engine abort since return-to-flight, and third in program history (51-F and 41-D other two). The valve leak was later traced to contamination during manufacturing. NASA decided to replace all three main engines on Columbia with spares.

The launch was reset for April 24, but scrubbed early launch morning when one of the three inertial measurement units (IMUs) on the orbiter gave a possible faulty reading. The liftoff was postponed 48 hours to allow for removal and replacement of the IMU. The final launch countdown on April 26 proceeded smoothly. This was the last launch scheduled from Pad A until February 1994 to allow for pad refurbishment and modification.

Mission Highlights

D-2 became the second Spacelab flight under German mission management; around-the-clock operations performed by crew, divided into two teams. Some 88 experiments were conducted, covering materials and life sciences, technology applications, Earth observations, astronomy and atmospheric physics. Material science investigations were: Material Science Experiment Double Rack for Experiment Modules and Apparatus (MEDEA); Werkstofflabor (WL); Holographic Optics Laboratory (HOLOP); and on Unique Support Structure (USS) located aft of D-2 in cargo bay, Material Science Autonomous Payload (MAUS), and Atomic Oxygen Exposure Tray (AOET). Also located on USS, Radiation Detectors (RD) experiments. One crystal growth experiment yielded 0.78-inch (20-mm) crystal of gallium arsenide, largest produced in space to date.

Life science research performed with Anthrorack (AR); Biolabor (BB); and Baroreflex (BA). Anthrorack, advanced mini-diagnostic laboratory, allowed most comprehensive medical screening to date of human adaptation to weightlessness. Harris, a medical doctor, set up first I.V. (intravenous) line in space, injecting Schlegel with saline as part of study to replace body fluids lost during adaptation to weightlessness. Other payload crew members also participated.

Tests with Robotics Experiment (ROTEX), an advanced robotic assembly provided by Germany, were highly successful. ROTEX robotic arm performed first by capturing free-floating object in space via remote control from Earth. Crew achieved two-way communications with Crew Telesupport Experiment, which featured onboard Macintosh computer to establish data link with ground control. Five crew members communicated with school children worldwide through Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX); Nagel also made contact with Russian cosmonauts aboard the Mir space station.

Problems encountered were an overheating orbiter refrigerator/freezer unit in middeck which forced reliance on backup to store experiment samples, and a leaking nitrogen line in wastewater tank which required an on-orbit fix. Communications with Columbia was lost for about an hour and a half on May 4 due to errant command from Mission Control in Houston. On May 2, mission managers determined enough electrical power remained to extend the flight by one day.

Mission: SPACEHAB-1; EURECA Retrieval
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 236,659 pounds
Launched: June 21, 1993, 9:07 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: July 1, 1993, 8:52 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 244,400 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,954 feet
Rollout Time: 65 seconds
Revolution: 155
Mission Duration: 9 days, 23 hours, 44 minutes, 54 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 18, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 252 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Ronald J. Grabe, Pilot Brian Duffy, Payload Commander G. David Low and Mission Specialists Nancy J. Sherlock, Peter J. Wisoff and Janice E. Voss.

Launch Highlights

The launch originally targeted for mid-May was rescheduled to June to allow both liftoff and landing to occur in daylight. Liftoff was reset for June 3 but slipped when managers decided to replace the high pressure oxidizer turbopump on main engine number two, after concerns arose over misplaced inspection stamp (penetration verification stamp) on spring in pump. Additional time also allowed for an investigation of an inexplicable loud noise heard after the shuttle arrived at the launch pad; "big bang" was eventually attributed to a ball strut tie-rod assembly inside 17-inch (43- centimeter) liquid hydrogen line. The launch attempt on June 20 was scrubbed at T-5 minutes due to low clouds and rain at the return-to-launch site at KSC, and weather concerns at all three transoceanic abort landing sites. Launch countdown was the longest since return to flight to allow for servicing of payloads at pad.

Mission Highlights

STS-57 marked the first flight of the commercially-developed SPACEHAB, a pressurized laboratory designed to more than double pressurized workspace for crew-tended experiments. Altogether 22 experiments were flown, covering materials and life sciences, and wastewater recycling experiment for space station.

On June 24 at 12:36 p.m. EDT, the crew captured and stowed the approximately 9,424-pound (4,275-kilogram) European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) deployed on Mission STS-46. However, EURECA ground controllers were unable to stow the spacecraft's two antennas, and on June 25, Low and Wisoff spent the beginning of the scheduled extravehicular activity (EVA) manually folding the antennas. The remainder of the 5-hour, 50-minute EVA was spent on planned tasks; this was the second in a series of generic EVAs this year.

On June 22, all six crew members talked with President Clinton.

Other cargo bay payloads: Get Away Special (GAS) bridge assembly holding one ballast can and 11 GAS can payloads, including Complex Autonomous Payload called Consortium for Materials Development in Space-IV (CONCAP-IV) and CAN DO experiment designed by Charleston, South Carolina school district; also Super Fluid Helium On Orbit Transfer (SHOOT) experiment to investigate resupply of liquid helium containers in space.

Middeck payloads: Fluid Acquisition and Resupply Experiment (FARE); Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II (SAREX-II). No hardware required for Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) calibration test.

Mission: ACTS/TOS; ORFEUS-SPAS
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 236,659 pounds
Launched: September 12, 1993, 7:45 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: September 22, 1993, 3:56 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 206,438 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 8,271 feet
Rollout Time: 50 seconds
Revolution: 157
Mission Duration: 9 days, 20 hours, 11 minutes, 11 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 18, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Frank L. Culbertson Jr., Pilot William F. Readdy Mission Specialists James H. Newman, Daniel W. Bursch and Carl E. Walz.

Launch Highlights

Officials decided to scrub Discovery's mission Saturday, July 17, at about 8:52 a.m. EDT because all eight of the solid rocket booster hold down bolts and the T-0 liquid hydrogen vent arm, located on the side of the external tank, were prematurely charged with current. This charge is normally initiated at the T-18 second mark in the countdown. The problem circuit card in the pyrotechnic initiator controller (PIC) which caused the launch scrub on Saturday has been replaced on the mobile launcher platform. Efforts to duplicate the problem on the suspect card were successful at KSC's malfunction laboratory. A thermally unstable circuit was the culprit. The problem was narrowed down to a prematurely charged capacitor in the firing circuit of all eight solid rocket booster hold down posts and the T-0 liquid hydrogen vent arm, located on the side of the external tank.

Launch was delayed on Saturday, July 24, due to a problem with the right hand solid rocket booster (SRB). The ground launch sequencer detected an unacceptably slow speed rate of a hydraulic power unit located inside the shuttle's right hand solid rocket booster. The hydraulic power unit (HPU) was replaced and retested.

Launch was again delayed until 9:10 a.m. EDT on August 12 due to concerns about the Perseid meteor shower which is expected to peak on the evening of August 11. The Perseid event, which happens each August, is one of about a dozen such occasions each year that are the result of a comet's nucleus shedding debris along its orbital path as it approaches the Sun. When Earth's orbit passes through the debris field it causes meteor showers activity or "shooting stars." The concern with the Perseid event was that the activity is expected to be extremely heavy this year and thus there was an increased chance that a spacecraft in Earth orbit could be damaged by a piece of the debris.

Launch on August 12 was scrubbed at the T-3 second mark following a redundant set launch sequencer (RSLS) abort. The cause for the RSLS abort was a faulty sensor that monitors fuel flow through main engine #2. Engine cutoff occurred at 9:12:32 a.m. EDT. There are two sensors which are part of the flow meter that monitor the flow of hydrogen through the main engine. Each sensor has a Channel A and Channel B for a total of four readings. These sensors are monitoring the fuel flow from main engine ignition through main engine cutoff.

The sensors are redundant so that all four channels must report an acceptable fuel flow rate prior to liftoff. Data indicates that Channel A on the number two sensor failed. There was no electrical output at all from this sensor while the others were found to have operated normally. A completely redundant set of measurements is required to commit to flight. All three of Discovery's main engines were removed and replaced with a set from Endeavour at the Pad. Tests conducted under cryogenic conditions were successful in duplicating the sensor failure that caused the launch scrub.

On September 9, the pickup of the launch count was delayed pending the outcome of the ACTS Independent Review Team. This team met to review the design of the ACTS spacecraft in light of the recent loss of contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft and the failure of the NOAA-13 weather satellite. All three spacecraft are manufactured by Martin Marietta. TOS contains two transistors manufactured in the same manner as those made by Unitrode that are suspected in the failure of Mars Observer.

Mission Highlights

One of two primary payloads, Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS), deployed on flight day one. About 45 minutes after ACTS deploy, attached Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) booster - flying on the shuttle for the first time - fired to propel pioneering communications technology spacecraft to geosynchronous transfer orbit.

On flight day two, crew deployed second primary payload, Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (OERFEUS- SPAS), first in series of ASTRO-SPAS astronomical missions. Extensive footage of orbiter recorded by IMAX camera mounted on SPAS. Joint German-U.S. astrophysics payload was controlled via SPAS Payload Operations Control Center (SPOC) at KSC, becoming first shuttle payload to be managed from Florida. After six days of data collection, ORFEUS-SPAS retrieved with remote manipulator system arm and returned to cargo bay.

On Sept. 16, Mission Specialists Newman and Walz performed extravehicular activity (EVA) lasting seven hours, five minutes and 28 seconds. Final in series of generic space walks begun earlier in year. Astronauts also evaluated tools, tethers and foot restraint platform intended for the upcoming Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission.

Other cargo bay payloads: Limited Duration Space Environment Candidate Material Exposure (LDCE). Middeck payloads: IMAX 70 mm camera; Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) Block II; Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space (CHROMEX-04); High Resolution Shuttle Glow Spectroscopy (HRSGS-A); Aurora Photography Experiment (APE- B); Investigation into Polymer Membranes Processing (IPMP); and Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME III); Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) calibration test also performed.

Mission: SLS-2
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launched: October 18, 1993 10:53 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: November 1, 1993. 07:05:42 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 229,753 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,640 feet
Rollout Time: 61 seconds
Revolution: 225
Mission Duration: 14 days, 0 hours, 12 minutes, 32 seconds
Returned to KSC: November 9, 1993
Orbit Altitude: 155 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 39 degrees
Miles Traveled: 5.8 million

Crew Members

Commander John E. Blaha, Pilot Richard A. Searfoss Mission Specialists M. Rhea Seddon, William S. McArthur, Jr., David A. Wolf, Shannon W. Lucid and Payload Specialist Martin Fettman.

Launch Highlights

First launch attempt on Oct. 14 was scrubbed at the T-31 second mark due to a failed range safety computer. Second launch attempt on Oct. 15 scrubbed at the T-9 minute mark due to a failed S-band transponder on the orbiter. The launch was reset for Oct. 18. Countdown proceeded smoothly to liftoff, delayed only by several seconds because of an aircraft in launch zone.

Mission Highlights

Second dedicated Spacelab Life Sciences mission (SLS- 2). Fourteen experiments conducted in four areas: regulatory physiology, cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal and neuroscience. Eight of the experiments focused on crew; six on 48 rodents. Crew collected more than 650 different samples from themselves and rodents, increasing statistical base for life sciences research. Combined data from SLS-1 and SLS-2 will help build comprehensive picture of how humans and animals adapt to weightlessness.

Cardiovascular investigations: Inflight Study of Cardiovascular Deconditioning; Cardiovascular Adaptation to Zero Gravity; Pulmonary Function during Weightlessness. Regulatory physiology investigations: Fluid Electrolyte Regulation during Space flight; Regulation of Blood Volume during Space flight; Regulation of Erythropoiesis in Rats during Space flight; Influence of Space flight on Erythrokinetics in Man. Musculoskeletal investigations: Protein Metabolism during Space flight; Effects of Zero Gravity on the Functional and Biochemical Properties of Antigravity Skeletal Muscle; Effects of Microgravity on the Electron Microscopy, Histochemistry and Protease Activities of Rat Hindlimb Muscles; Pathophysiology of Mineral Loss during Space flight; Bone, Calcium and Spaceflight. Neuroscience investigations: Study of the Effects of Space Travel on Mammalian Gravity Receptors; Vestibular Experiments in Spacelab.

For one of the neurovestibular experiments, the Rotating Dome Experiment, crew worked with first flight prototype of Astronaut Science Advisor (ASA), a laptop computer designed to assist astronauts conducting experiments; also called "principal investigator in a box" because it can increase efficiency of experiment activities.

Six rodents were killed and dissected during mission, yielding first tissue samples collected in space and not altered by re-exposure to Earth's gravity.

Other experiments: Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE); Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX). Also performed: Pilot Inflight Landing Operations Trainer (PILOT), portable laptop computer simulator to allow pilot and commander to maintain proficiency for approach and landing during longer missions.

With completion of her fourth space flight, Lucid accumulated most flight time for a female astronaut on the shuttle, 838 hours.

Mission: First Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 250,314 pounds
Launched: December 2, 1993 4:27:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: December 13, 1993, 12:25:37 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 7,922 feet
Rollout Time: 53 seconds
Revolution: 163
Mission Duration: 10 days, 19 hours, 58 minutes, 37 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 321 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.4 million

Crew Members

Commander Richard O. Covey, Pilot Kenneth D. Bowersox, Payload Commander F. Story Musgrave and Mission Specialists Kathryn C. Thornton, Claude Nicollier, Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Tom Akers.

Launch Highlights

Launch originally scheduled to occur from Launch Pad 39A, but after rollout, contamination was found in the Pad 39A Payload Changeout Room and a decision was made to move the shuttle and payloads to Pad 39B. Rollaround occurred on Nov. 15. The first launch attempt on Dec. 1 was scrubbed due to out-of-limit weather conditions at the Shuttle Landing Facility in the event of a return-to-launch-site contingency. Launch on Dec. 2 occurred on schedule.

Mission Highlights

The final shuttle flight of 1993 was one of most challenging and complex manned missions ever attempted. During a record five back-to-back space walks totaling 35 hours and 28 minutes, two teams of astronauts completed the first servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). In many instances, tasks were completed sooner than expected and a few contingencies that did arise were handled smoothly.

Hubble rendezvous, grapple and berthing occurred on flight day three, with Nicollier using the remote manipulator system arm to position the 43-foot (13-meter) long Hubble upright in payload bay. Throughout mission, commands to Hubble issued from Space Telescope Operations Control Center (STOCC) at Goddard Space Flight Center. After each servicing task completed, STOCC controllers verified electrical interfaces between replacement hardware and telescope.

On flight day four, first EVA team of Musgrave and Hoffman performed EVA #1, replacing two Rate Sensing Units (RSUs), each housing pair of gyroscopes; two Electronic Control Units which direct the RSUs; and eight electrical fuse plugs. Only unexpected problem occurred when Hoffman and Musgrave had difficulty closing compartment doors after replacing RSUs. Seven-hour, 54-minute space walk second longest in U.S. history to date, topped only by STS-49 EVA lasting eight hours, 29 minutes. During EVAs, Nicollier operated robot arm carrying one of two EVA crew members.

One of primary servicing goals -- installation of new solar arrays -- accomplished during EVA #2, performed on flight day five by Thornton and Akers and lasting six hours, 35 minutes. Timeline was re-worked to accommodate jettison of one of two original solar arrays, which could not be fully retracted due to kink in framework. Other solar array stowed in payload bay and replacement pair -- set of modified spares -- were installed without difficulty.

Expected four-hour replacement of one of Hubble's five scientific instruments, Wide Field/Planetary Camera (WF/PC), completed in about 40 minutes by Hoffman and Musgrave during EVA #3 on flight day six. WF/PC II is upgraded spare modified to compensate for flaw in HST primary mirror. Also, two new magnetometers installed at top of telescope during the six-hour, 48-minute EVA.

EVA #4 performed on flight day seven by Thornton and Akers. High-Speed Photometer, one of Hubble scientific instruments, removed and replaced with Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) unit. Task took less time to complete than expected. COSTAR designed to redirect light to three of four remaining Hubble instruments to compensate for flaw in primary mirror of telescope. Thornton and Akers also installed co-processor to enhance memory and speed of Hubble computer. During six-hour, 50- minute EVA, Akers set new U.S. space-walking record of 29 hours, 39 minutes, topping Eugene Cernan's 20-year-old record of 24 hours, 14 minutes. Thornton is leading U.S. female space walker with total of 21 hours, 10 minutes.

Final EVA performed by Hoffman and Musgrave on flight day eight. During seven-hour, 21-minute-long EVA #5, Hoffman and Musgrave replaced Solar Array Drive Electronics (SADE) unit and installed Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph Redundancy (GHRS) kit; also installed two protective covers over original magnetometers. After space walk completed, the new solar arrays and two high-gain antennas were deployed by STOCC. HST was also re-boosted to a slightly higher orbit of 321 nautical miles (595 kilometers) on flight day eight prior to the last EVA.

Hubble was redeployed on flight day nine. Release was delayed several hours to allow troubleshooting of erratic data telemetry from Hubble subsystems monitor; problem had occurred before and was not related to servicing. President Clinton and Vice President Gore congratulated crew, and Swiss minister of internal affairs called the following day to congratulate Nicollier.

Mission: WSF-1; SPACEHAB-2
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: February 3, 1994, 7:10:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: February 11, 1994, 2:19:22 p.m. EST
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 7,771 feet
Rollout Time: 50 seconds
Revolution: 130
Mission Duration: 8 days, 7 hours, 9 minutes, 22 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 191 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.4 million

Crew Members

Commander Charles F. Bolden Jr., Pilot Kenneth F. Reightler Jr. and Mission Specialists N. Jan Davis, Ronald M. Sega, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz and Sergei K. Krikalev.

Mission Highlights

First shuttle flight of 1994 marked the first flight of Russian cosmonaut on U.S. space shuttle as first element in implementing Agreement on NASA/Russian Space Agency Cooperation in Human Space Flight. Mission also marked second flight of SPACEHAB pressurized module and 100th Get Away Special payload to fly in space. Also on board was Wake Shield Facility-1 (WSF-1), making first in a planned series of flights.

SPACEHAB-2 activated shortly after reaching orbit. Taking up about one quarter of payload bay, the 1,100 cubic foot (31 cu.m.) module carried 12 experiments. Four of these involved materials science topics, seven life sciences investigations, and a space dust collection experiment.

On flight day three, crew made first attempt to deploy WSF-1 using remote manipulator system arm. WSF-1 is deployable/retrievable experiment platform designed to leave a vacuum wake in low earth orbit that is 10,000 times greater than achievable on Earth. In this ultra-vacuum environment, defect-free thin-film layers of gallium arsenide and other semiconductor materials can be grown. First deploy attempt waved off due to radio interference and difficulty reading status signs on WSF-1. After second deploy attempt on flight day four waved off due to problems with WSF-1 attitude control system, five out of seven planned films grown with WSF-1 platform suspended at end of RMS arm. WSF-1 berthed in cargo bay on flight day six.

Crew also conducted first NASA-Russian Space Agency joint in-flight medical and radiological investigations. Krikalev communicated with amateur radio operators in Moscow using Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) equipment. On Feb. 7, crew talked with President Clinton during latter's tour of Mission Control in Houston, and on Feb. 9 Bolden and Krikalev talked with Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, calling from Mission Control in Moscow.

Crew also deployed two payloads from Get Away Special canisters mounted on GAS bridge assembly in payload bay: six Orbital Debris Radar Calibration Spheres (ODERACS) ranging in size from two to six inches (5-15 centimeters) to aid calibration of radar tracking systems worldwide, and University of Bremen's BREMSAT, which measured conditions such as acceleration forces affecting satellite.

Other payloads: Capillary Pumped Loop Experiment (CAPL) mounted on top of GAS Bridge Assembly; three additional GAS experiments; and Auroral Photography Experiment-Phase B (APE-B).

Mission: USMP-2; OAST-2
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: March 4, 1994; 8:53:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: March 18, 1994 at 8:09:41 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,151 feet
Rollout Time: 55 seconds
Revolution: 224
Mission Duration: 13 days, 23 hours, 16 minutes, 41 seconds
Returned to KSC: December 18, 1992
Orbit Altitude: 163 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 39 degrees
Miles Traveled: 5.8 million

Crew Members

Commander John H. Casper, Pilot Andrew M. Allen and Mission Specialists Pierre J. Thuot, Charles D. Gemar and Marsha S. Ivins.

Launch Highlights

The launch originally set for March 3 was postponed at the T-11 hour mark due to predicted unfavorable weather in the KSC area. The countdown March 4 proceeded smoothly. The only deviation to normal operating procedures was a delay in deploying the solid rocket booster recovery ships because of high seas. Recovery ships left port on launch day, and recovered the boosters and their parachutes on March 6.

Mission Highlights

Primary payloads were U.S. Microgravity Payload-2 (USMP- 2) and Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology-2 (OAST- 2). USMP-2 included five experiments investigating materials processing and crystal growth in microgravity, while OAST-2 featured six experiments focusing on space technology and spaceflight. Both payloads were located in the payload bay, activated by crew and operated by teams on the ground. USMP-2 experiments received emphasis at beginning of flight; later in mission Columbia's orbit lowered about 20 nautical miles to facilitate OAST-2 experiments.

Crew worked with experiments located both in middeck and payload bay. These included Dexterous End Effector (DEE), a new magnetic end effector and grapple fixture design being tested for use on remote manipulator system arm; Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet/A (SSBUV/A) and Limited Duration Space Environment Candidate Material Exposure (LDCE), all in payload bay. Middeck experiments were Advanced Protein Crystal Growth; Physiological Systems Experiment (PSE); Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG); Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA); Middeck 0- Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE); Bioreactor Demonstration Systems (BDS); Auroral Photography Experiment (APE-B). Air Force Maui Optical Site Calibration Test (AMOS) requires no onboard hardware.

Crew also conducted number of biomedical activities aimed at better understanding and countering effects of prolonged spaceflight.

Mission: Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-1)
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: April 9, 1994 at 7:05 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: April 20, 1994, 9:54:30 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 10,691 feet
Rollout Time: 54 seconds
Revolution: 183
Mission Duration: 11 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, 30 seconds
Returned to KSC: May 2, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 121 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Sidney M. Gutierrez, Pilot Kevin P. Chilton, Payload Commander Linda M. Godwin and Mission Specialists Jay Apt, Michael R. Clifford and Thomas D. Jones.

Launch Highlights

Launch originally set for April 7 was postponed at the T-27 hour mark for one day to allow for additional inspections of metallic vanes in the space shuttle main engine (SSME) high pressure oxidizer preburner pumps. Launch on April 8 scrubbed due to weather, high crosswinds and low clouds at Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) and clouds at launch pad. Countdown April 9 proceeded smoothly.

Mission Highlights

Primary payload was the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-1), located in payload bay; activated by crew and operated by teams on ground. SRL-1 included the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C and the X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) and an atmospheric instrument called Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS). The German Space Agency (DARA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) provided the X-SAR instrument. SIR-C/X-SAR covered approximately 38.5 million miles of the Earth, the equivalent of 20 percent of the planet. More than 400 sites were imaged, including 19 primary observation sites (supersites) in Brazil, Michigan, North Carolina and Central Europe. Thirteen countries were represented in the project with 49 principal investigators and more than 100 scientists, coordinated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Some 133 hours of data were collected. The MAPS experiment measured the global distribution of carbon monoxide in the troposphere, or lower atmosphere.

Get-Away Special (GAS) experiments were sponsored by New Mexico State University, Matra Marconi Space (France), and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies.

Consortium for Materials Development in Space Complex Autonomous Payload-IV (CONCAP IV), carried in GAS hardware in the payload bay, was developed by the University of Alabama-Huntsville. It produced crystals and thin films through physical vapor transportation.

Middeck experiments included Visual Function Tester-4 (VFT-4), Space Tissue Loss-4 and -5; and Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX).

Mission also marked first flight of Toughened Uni-Piece Fibrous Insulation, known as TUFI, an improved thermal protection tile. Several test tiles were placed on orbiter's base heat shield between three main engines.

Mission: International Microgravity Library (IML-2)
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: July 8, 1994 at 12:43:00.069 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: July 23, 1994 at 6:38:00 a.m. EDT
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,211 feet
Rollout Time: 68 seconds
Revolution: 235
Mission Duration: 14 days, 17 hours, 55 minutes, 00 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 6.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert D. Cabana, Pilot James D. Halsell Jr., Payload Commander Richard J. Hieb and Mission Specialists Carl E. Walz, Leroy Chiao and Donald A. Thomas and Payload Specialists Chiaki Naito-Mukai and.

Mission Highlights

Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai became the first Japanese woman to fly in space; she also set the record for the longest flight to date by a female astronaut.

STS-65 marked second flight of International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2), carrying more than twice the number of experiments and facilities as IML-1. Crew split into two teams to perform around-the-clock research. More than 80 experiments, representing more than 200 scientists from six space agencies, were located in Spacelab module in payload bay (one piece of equipment stowed in middeck lockers). Fifty of the experiments delved into life sciences, including bioprocessing, space biology, human physiology and radiation biology. Some of the equipment used for these investigations had flown on previous Spacelab flights, such as European Space Agency's Biorack, making its third flight. IML-2 Biorack housed 19 experiments featuring chemicals and biological samples such as bacteria, mammalian and human cells, isolated tissues and eggs, sea urchin larvae, fruit flies and plant seedlings. Over the course of a single mission, specimens can evolve through several stages of life cycles, allowing study of effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on living tissues.

The German Space Agency (DARA) provided the NIZEMI, a slow rotating centrifuge that allowed study of how organisms react to different gravity levels. Samples studied included jellyfish and plants. For the first time, researchers were able to determine how organisms react to forces one-and-a-half times Earth's gravity.

Nearly 30 experiments in materials processing were conducted with nine different types of science facilities. DARA provided the TEMPUS, flying for first time on IML-2, designed to allow study of solidification of materials from liquid state in a containerless environment. Solidification phenomena are of great interest to science and also used in many industrial processes. Science teams detected for first time a phase in a nickel-niobium sample that is masked by other forces on Earth.

Another facility, Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility developed by European Space Agency, was flying for second time. Housed in two middeck lockers, it operated autonomously after being activated on first flight day. Some 5,000 video images were made of crystals grown during flight.

The mission further advanced the concept of telescience, where researchers on the ground can monitor in realtime experiments on board the orbiter. This flight set a new record of more than 25,000 payload commands issued from Spacelab Mission Operations Control at Huntsville, Ala.

In addition to IML-2 investigations, following payloads also were flown: Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE); Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG); Military Application of Ship Tracks (MAST); Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX); and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS), which does not require onboard equipment.

The flight marked the first time liftoff and reentry as experienced from the crew cabin were captured on videotape. Crew took time during mission to honor 25th anniversary of Apollo 11, noting it also featured a spacecraft named Columbia.

Only orbiter-related glitch experienced was an occurrence of transient spikes in Inertial Measurement Unit 1.

Mission: LITE; SPARTAN-201
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: September 9, 1994, 6:22:55 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: September 20, 1994, 5:12:52 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 04
Rollout Distance: 9,656 feet
Rollout Time: 60 seconds
Revolution: 176
Mission Duration: 10 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes, 57 seconds
Returned to KSC: September 27, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 140 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Richard N. Richards, Pilot L. Blaine Hammond Jr., Mission Specialists Jerry M. Linenger, Susan J. Helms, Carl J. Meade and Mark C. Lee.

Mission Highlights

STS-64 marked first flight of Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) and first untethered U.S. extravehicular activity (EVA) in 10 years. LITE payload employs lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging, a type of optical radar using laser pulses instead of radio waves to study Earth's atmosphere. First spaceflight of lidar was highly successful technology test. LITE instrument operated for 53 hours, yielding more than 43 hours of high-rate data. Unprecedented views were obtained of cloud structures, storm systems, dust clouds, pollutants, forest burning and surface reflectance. Sites studied included atmosphere above northern Europe, Indonesia and the south Pacific, Russia and Africa. Sixty-five groups from 20 countries are making validation measurements with ground-based and aircraft instruments to verify LITE data. LITE science program is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth.

Mission Specialists Lee and Meade completed the 28th EVA of the Space Shuttle Program on Sept. 16. During six-hour, 15- minute EVA, they tested new backpack called Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER), designed for use in event crew member becomes untethered while conducting an EVA.

On fifth day of the mission, the Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy-201 (SPARTAN-201) free flyer was released using Remote Manipulator System arm. Making its second flight on the shuttle, SPARTAN-201 was designed to collect data about acceleration and velocity of solar wind and to measure aspects of sun's corona. Data recorded for playback after return to Earth. SPARTAN-201 retrieved after two days of data collection.

Other cargo bay payloads: Shuttle Plume Impingement Flight Experiment (SPIFEX), a 33-foot (10-meter) long instrumented extension for the shuttle robot arm. SPIFEX designed to collect data about orbiter Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters to aid understanding about potential effects of thruster plumes on large space structures, such as Mir space station or planned international space station. Robot Operated Processing System (ROMPS) was first U.S. robotics system operated in space, mounted in two Get Away Special (GAS) canisters attached to cargo bay wall. A GAS bridge assembly in cargo bay carried 12 cans, 10 holding self-contained experiments.

Middeck experiments included: Biological Research in Canister (BRIC) experiment to investigate effects of spaceflight on plant specimens; Military Application of Ship Tracks (MAST) to take high-resolution imagery of ship tracks and to analyze wake formation and dissipations; Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE) to supply information on flame propagation over fuels in space; Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME III) to measure ionizing radiation; Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREX II) to demonstrate feasibility of short-wave radio contacts between orbiter and ground-based amateur radio operators; and Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) test, which required no onboard hardware.

Mission: Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-2)
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: September 30, 1994, 7:16:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: October 11, 1994, 10:02:08 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 8,495 feet
Rollout Time: 60 seconds
Revolution: 182
Mission Duration: 11 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes, 8 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 120 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Michael A. Baker, Pilot Terrence W. Wilcutt, Payload Commander Thomas D. Jones, Mission Specialists Steven L. Smith, Daniel W. Bursch and Peter J. K. Wisoff.

Mission Highlights

STS-68 marked second flight in 1994 of Space Radar Laboratory (first flight was STS-59 in April), part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. Flying SRL during different seasons allowed comparison of changes between first and second flights. SRL-2 was activated on flight day one, and around-the-clock observations conducted by astronauts split into two teams. Besides repeating data takes over same locations as on first flight, unusual events also imaged, including erupting volcano in Russia and islands of Japan after earthquake there. Also tested was ability of SRL-2 imaging radars, Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) and X- band Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR), to discern difference between such human-induced phenomena as an oil spill in the ocean and naturally occurring film.

Mission also took advantage of opportunity to study fires set in British Columbia, Canada, for forest management purposes. Special readings were taken with another SRL element, Measurement of Air Pollution from satellites (MAPS), to gain better understanding of carbon monoxide emissions from burning forest. Flying for fourth time on the shuttle, MAPS is designed to measure global distribution of carbon monoxide.

On flight day six, mission extended one day by Mission Management Team. The maneuvering capability of the orbiter was demonstrated anew in the latter half of mission, when different data-gathering method was tried. Called interferometry, it required repeated, nearly coincidental imaging passes with SIR-C/X-SAR over target sites. In one instance, Endeavour piloted to within 30 feet (nine meters) of where it was flown on first flight in April. Collected data can be transcribed into detailed topographic images showing elevation and other features. Interferometric passes completed over central North America, Amazon forests of central Brazil, and volcanoes of Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. Such images, if produced regularly over long term, could provide information on the movements of Earth's surface as small as fraction of an inch, which could be invaluable in detecting pre-eruptive changes in volcanoes and movements in fault lines before earthquakes.

Other cargo bay payloads included five Get Away Specials (GAS): two sponsored by university student groups, one by Swedish Space Corp., and two by U.S. Postal Service holding 500,000 commemorative stamps honoring 25th anniversary of Apollo 11.

Middeck payloads: Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) to study dynamics of protein crystallization and also to obtain protein crystals large enough to allow structural analysis; Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC-01), flying for first time and holding gypsy moth eggs to determine how microgravity affects moth development; CHROMEX-05, fifth in series designed to examine effects of microgravity on physiological processes in plants. Previous CHROMEX flights have shown that plants grown in space may not produce seed embryos; CHROMEX-05 designed to show whether infertility is due to microgravity or another environmental factor. Also in middeck: Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM), to collect data on cosmic rays; and Military Applications of Ship Tracks (MAST), part of five-year Navy effort to study effects of ships on marine environment.

Problems included a missing tile around overhead window; suspect temperature sensor on the orbiter Reaction Control System (RCS) vernier thruster, which led to temporary cessation of SRL-2 radar observations; and failed primary RCS thruster.

Mission: ATLAS-3; CRISTA-SPAS
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: November 3, 1994, 11:59:43 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: November 14, 1994, 7:33:45 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 7,657 feet
Rollout Time: 49 seconds
Revolution: 174
Mission Duration: 10 days, 22 hours, 34 minutes, 2 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 164 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Donald R. McMonagle, Pilot Curtis L. Brown Jr., Payload Commander Ellen Ochoa, Mission Specialists Scott E. Parazynski, Joseph R. Tanner and Jean-Francois Clervoy.

Launch Highlights

Launch set for 11:56 a.m. was delayed slightly while shuttle managers assessed weather at the transoceanic abort landing sites. Liftoff was Atlantis' first since an extended checkout and modification period at Rockwell plant in Palmdale (departed KSC October 1992 and returned May 1994). Orbiter returned to KSC outfitted with improved nosewheel steering, internal plumbing and electrical connections to accommodate an Extended Duration Orbiter pallet, and electrical wiring to enable OV-104 to be fitted with Orbiter Docking System for docking with Russian Space Station Mir.

Mission Highlights

STS-66 further advanced comprehensive effort to collect data about sun's energy output, chemical makeup of the Earth's middle atmosphere, and how these factors affect global ozone levels. Seven instruments on the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-3 (ATLAS-3) also flew on first two ATLAS flights. No other collection of space-based instruments provides same extensive range of atmospheric measurements. Also considered a primary payload was the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (CRISTA-SPAS), continuing joint NASA-German Space Agency (DARA) series of scientific missions. ATLAS-3 and CRISTA-SPAS considered as joint mission with single set of science objectives. During mission, crew divided into two teams for around-the-clock research.

ATLAS-3 instruments, mounted on a Spacelab pallet in cargo bay, included Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS), which collected more data on trace gases in the atmosphere than on all three of its previous flights combined; Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (SSBUV), which took ozone measurements to calibrate ozone monitor on aging NOAA-9 satellite as well as cooperative measurements with other ATLAS-3 instruments; Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM), which took extremely precise measurements of the sun's total radiation for 30 orbits as calibration reference for sister instrument on Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) launched in 1991; Measurement of the Solar Constant (SOLCON), provided by Belgium, which also measured solar radiation but as reference point to track changes over years; Solar Spectrum Measurement (SOLSPEC), French instrument, measured sun's radiation as function of wavelength; and Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM), which collected its highest precision solar ultraviolet radiation measurements in its 15-year lifetime. Millimeter Wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS), collected nine hours of observations, measuring distribution of water vapor, chlorine monoxide and ozone at altitudes between 12 and 60 miles (20-100 kilometers), before computer malfunction halted instrument operations.

CRISTA-SPAS released from orbiter's Remote Manipulator System arm on second day of mission. Flying at distance of about 25-44 miles (40-70 kilometers) behind the shuttle, payload collected data for more than eight days before being retrieved and returned to cargo bay. CRISTA instrument gathered first global information about medium- and small- scale disturbances in trace gases in middle atmosphere, which could lead to better models of the atmosphere and Earth's energy balance. Second CRISTA-SPAS instrument, the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) measured amounts of ozone-destroying hydroxyl and nitric oxide in the middle atmosphere and lower thermosphere from 24-72 miles (40-120 kilometers). MAHRSI yielded first complete global maps of hydroxyl in atmosphere.

For retrieval of CRISTA-SPAS, different approach method to spacecraft was successfully tested as prelude to upcoming U.S. Shuttle/Russian Space Station Mir docking flights. Called R-Bar approach, it is expected to save propellant while reducing risk of contamination to Mir systems from orbiter thruster jet firings.

Mission: SPACEHAB-3
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: February 3, 1995, 12:22:04 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: February 11, 1995, 6:50:19 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 11,008 feet
Rollout Time: 80 seconds
Revolution: 129
Mission Duration: 8 days, 6 hours, 28 minutes, 15 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 213 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.0 million

Crew Members

Commander James D. Wetherbee, Pilot Eileen M. Collins, Missions Specialists C. Michael Foale, Janice E. Voss, Bernard A. Harris, Jr. and Vladimar G. Titov.

Launch Highlights

Adjustments made to countdown sequence to better accommodate short five-minute window required for rendezvous with Mir, including adding more hold time at T-6 hours and T-9 minutes. Launch first scheduled for Feb. 2 postponed at L-1 when one of three inertial measurement units on orbiter failed. Countdown Feb. 3 proceeded so smoothly there was extra time left in T-9 minute hold. Launch marked first at 51.6-degree inclination to the equator to put orbiter in line with Mir, also at 51.6-degree inclination.

Mission Highlights

First shuttle flight of 1995 included several history- making achievements: First flight of a female shuttle pilot and, as part of Phase I of International Space Station Program, second flight of Russian cosmonaut on shuttle and first approach and flyaround by shuttle with Russian space station Mir.

Beginning on flight day one, series of thruster burns performed daily to bring Discovery in line with Mir. Original plan called for orbiter to approach to no closer than 10 meters, or 32.8 feet, from Mir, and then complete flyaround of Russian space station. However, three of 44 orbiter Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters -- small firing jets used for on-orbit maneuvering -- sprang leaks prior to rendezvous. Shortly after main engine cutoff, two leaks occurred in aft primary thrusters, one of which -- called R1U -- was key to rendezvous. Third leak occurred later in flight in forward primary thruster, but crew was able to fix problem.

After extensive negotiations and technical information exchanges between U.S. and Russian space teams, Russians concluded close approach could be safely achieved and STS-63 crew was given 'go' to proceed. R1U thruster manifold was closed and backup thruster selected for approach. Ship-to-ship radio contact with Mir achieved well ahead of time, and Titov, who lived on Mir for more than a year, communicated excitedly with three cosmonauts aboard space station: Mir 17 Commander Alexander Viktorenko; Flight Engineer Elena Kondakova; and Valery Polyakov, a physician who has broken Titov's record for extended time in space. After stationkeeping at a distance of 400 feet (122 meters) from Mir and with Wetherbee manually controlling orbiter, Discovery flown to 37 feet from Russian space station. "As we are bringing our spaceships closer together, we are bringing our nations closer together," Wetherbee said after Discovery was at point of closest approach. "The next time we approach, we will shake your hand and together we will lead our world into the next millennium."

"We are one. We are human," Viktorenko responded. Wetherbee then backed away to 400 feet (122 meters) and performed one and a quarter-loop flyaround of Mir while station was filmed and photographed. The Mir crew reported no vibrations or solar array movement as result of the approach.

Crew also worked extensively with payloads aboard Discovery. Flying in forward payload bay and activated on flight day one was SPACEHAB-3. The commercially-developed module was making its third flight on the shuttle and carried 20 experiments: 11 biotechnology experiments; three advanced materials development experiments; four technology demonstrations; and two pieces of supporting hardware measuring on-orbit accelerations. Improvements made to SPACEHAB system to reduce demand on crew time. New video switch added to lessen need for astronaut involvement in video operations, and experiment interface added to telemetry system to allow experiment investigator to link directly via computer with onboard experiment to receive data and monitor status. Charlotte, an experimental robotic device being flown for first time, also will reduce crew workload by taking over simple tasks such as changing experiment samples.

Among plant growth experiments were Astroculture, flying for fourth time on shuttle. Objective of Astroculture is to validate performance of plant growth technologies in microgravity environment of space for application to a life support system in space. Investigation has applications on Earth, since it covers such topics as energy-efficient lighting and removal of pollutants from indoor air. One of the pharmaceutical experiments, Immune, also has Earth applications. Exploiting known tendency of spaceflight to suppress immune system, Immune experiment tested ability of a particular substance to prevent or reduce this suppression. Clinical applications could include treatment of individuals suffering from such immunosuppressant diseases as AIDS.

On flight day two, crew deployed Orbital Debris Radar Calibration System-II (ODERACS-II) to help characterize orbital debris environment for objects smaller than 10 centimeters (about four inches) in diameter. Complement of six target objects of known dimensions and with limited orbital lifespans released into orbit and tracked by ground- based radars, allowing precise calibration of radars so they can more accurately track smaller pieces of space debris in low Earth orbit.

Also on flight day two, crew lifted with orbiter remote manipulator system arm the SPARTAN-204 from its support structure in payload bay. SPARTAN remained suspended on arm for observation of orbiter glow phenomenon and thruster jet firings. SPARTAN-204 later released from arm to complete about 40 hours of free-flight, during which time its Far Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph instrument studied celestial targets in the interstellar medium, the gas and dust which fills the space between the stars and which is the material from which new stars and planets are formed.

SPARTAN-204 also used for extravehicular activity (EVA) near end of flight. Foale and Harris began EVA suspended at end of robot arm, away from payload bay, to test modifications to their spacesuits to keep spacewalkers warmer in extreme cold of space. Two astronauts were then scheduled to practice handling approximately 2,500-pound (1,134-kilogram) SPARTAN to rehearse space station assembly techniques, but both astronauts reported they were becoming very cold -- this portion of walk performed during a night pass -- and mass handling curtailed. 29th shuttle spacewalk lasted 4 hours, 38 minutes. Harris first African-American to walk in space.

Other payloads: Along with ODERACS-II, Cryo System Experiment (CSE) and Shuttle Glow (GLO-2) payloads were mounted on Hitchhiker support assembly in cargo bay; an IMAX camera also located here. In middeck, Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE) flew for eighth time. Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) test requires no onboard hardware.

Mission: ASTRO-2
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: March 2, 1995. 1:38:13 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: March 18, 1995 at 1:47:01 p.m. PST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,975 feet
Rollout Time: 59 seconds
Revolution: 262
Mission Duration: 16 days, 15 hours, 08 minutes, 48 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 187 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 6.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Stephen S. Oswald, Pilot William G. Gregory, Payload Commander Tamara E. Jernigan, Mission Specialist John M. Grunsfeld, Wendy B. Lawrence and Payload Specialists Ronald A. Parise, and Samuel T. Durrance.

Mission Highlights

Endeavour logged 6.9 million miles (11 million kilometers) in completing the longest shuttle flight to date, allowing sustained examination of the "hidden universe" of ultraviolet light. Primary payload, Astro Observatory, flown once before -- on STS-35 in December 1990 -- but second flight had almost twice the duration. Planned Astro-2 observations built on discoveries made by Astro-1, as well as seeking answers to other questions.

Astro-2 marked the second flight of three ultraviolet telescopes flown on Astro-1, mounted on Instrument Pointing System on Spacelab pallet in cargo bay. Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), developed at the Johns Hopkins University, performs spectroscopy in far ultraviolet region of spectrum to identify physical processes and chemical composition of a celestial object. Improvements made to HUT after Astro-1 made it three times more sensitive. Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), built at the University of Wisconsin, measures photometry and polarization of ultraviolet radiation from astronomical objects. Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), sponsored by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, takes wide-field photographs of objects in ultraviolet light.

Crew began activating Astro-2 only hours after liftoff for around-the-clock observations. Observational sequences planned on daily basis in two-orbit, or three-hour blocks, with one telescope assigned priority. Astro-2 demonstrated benefits of human interaction in on-orbit astronomy. Besides being able to position orbiter most advantageously for observations, crew members also could manually acquire observation target if desired.

Astro-2 program aimed at exploring 23 different science programs, and all were achieved. HUT, considered complement to Hubble Space Telescope, completed more than 200 separate observations of more than 100 celestial objects. Investigators believed telescope collected enough data to meet its primary mission objective: detecting presence of intergalactic helium, telltale remnant of theoretical Big Bang explosion that began universe. HUT, in conjunction with Hubble telescope, took ultraviolet measurements of Jupiter's aurora; also studied Jupiter's moon Io, and Venusian and Martian atmospheres.

UIT cameras imaged about two dozen large spiral galaxies for inclusion in atlas of such galaxies, and made first ultraviolet images of entire moon. Also studied rare, hot stars that are 100 times as hot as sun; elliptical galaxies and some of faintest galaxies in universe. Investigators were disappointed upon developing UIT film to learn that one of its two cameras had malfunctioned undetected on orbit, but an initial assessment showed that 80 percent of science objectives still would be met.

WUPPE yielded a "treasure chest of data," according to its principal investigator, greatly expanding database on ultraviolet spectropolarimetry. Targets for study of interstellar medium included dust clouds in Milky Way and nearby galaxy, Large Magellanic Cloud. WUPPE also studied several types of stars, including Wolf-Rayet and Be stars. Also able to capitalize on opportunity to study three recently exploding novae.

STS-67 became first advertised shuttle mission connected to the Internet. Users of more than 200,000 computers from 59 countries logged on to Astro-2 home page at Marshall Space Flight Center; more than 2.4 million requests were recorded during mission, many answered by crew on-orbit.

Other payloads: Two Get Away Special canisters located in payload bay held Australian-built Endeavour telescope; also built to study ultraviolet realm, it achieved one hundred percent of pre-mission objectives. In-cabin payloads were Commercial Materials Dispersion Apparatus Instrumentation Technology Associates Experiments-03 (CMIX-03), which featured an array of biomedical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, cell biology, crystal growth and fluids science investigations, including one with potential for anti-colon cancer treatment. Protein Crystal Growth experiments included two setups in middeck lockers. Also flown was Middeck Active Control Experiment (MACE) to study how disturbances caused by a payload impacts another payload attached to same support structure.

Only on-orbit problem of note included a leaking Reaction Control System thruster that briefly delayed Astro-2 activities.

Mission: First Shuttle-Mir Docking
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: June 27, 1995, 3:32:19.044 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: July 7, 1995, 10:54:34 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 8,364 feet
Rollout Time: 51 seconds
Revolution: 153
Mission Duration: 9 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, 17 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 170 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert L. Gibson, Pilot Charles J. Precourt, Mission Specialists Ellen S. Baker, Bonnie J. Dunbar, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Mir 19 Crew (upload) Anatoly Solovyev, Nikolai Budarin and Mir 18 Crew (download) Norman E. Thagard, Vladimir Dezhurov and Gannady Strekalov.

Launch Highlights

Launch was originally targeted for late May, but slipped into June to accommodate Russian space program activities necessary for the first space shuttle/Mir Space Station docking, including series of spacewalks to reconfigure station for docking and launch of new Spektr module to Mir containing U.S. research hardware. The launch set for June 23 scrubbed when rainy weather and lightning prevented loading of the external tank earlier that day. A second try on June 24 scrubbed at the T-9-minute mark, again due to persistent stormy weather in central Florida, coupled with short 10-minute launch window. Liftoff reset for June 27, and final countdown proceeded smoothly.

Mission Highlights

STS-71 marked a number of historic firsts in human spaceflight: 100th U.S. human space launch conducted from the Cape; first U.S. space shuttle-Russian Space Station Mir docking and joint on-orbit operations; largest spacecraft ever in orbit; and first on-orbit changeout of shuttle crew.

Docking occurred at 9 a.m. EDT, June 29, using R-Bar or Earth radius vector approach, with Atlantis closing in on Mir from directly below. R-bar approach allows natural forces to brake orbiter's approach more than would occur along standard approach directly in front of the space station; also, R-bar approach minimizes number of orbiter jet firings needed for approach. Manual phase of docking began with Atlantis about a half-mile below Mir, with Gibson at controls on aft flight deck. Stationkeeping performed when orbiter was about 250 feet from Mir, pending approval from Russian and U.S. flight directors to proceed. Gibson then maneuvered orbiter to a point at about 30 feet from Mir before beginning final approach to station. Closing rate was close to targeted 0.1 feet per second and closing velocity was approximately 0.107 feet per second at contact. Interface contact was nearly flawless: less than one inch lateral misalignment and an angular misalignment of less than 0.5-degrees per axis. Docking occurred about 216 nautical miles above Lake Baykal region of the Russian Federation. The Orbiter Docking System (ODS) with Androgynous Peripheral Docking System served as actual connection point to a similar interface on the docking port on Mir's Krystall module. ODS located in forward payload bay of Atlantis, performed flawlessly during docking sequence.

When linked, Atlantis and Mir formed largest spacecraft ever in orbit, with a total mass of almost one-half million pounds (about 225 tons) orbiting some 218 nautical miles above the Earth. After hatches on each side opened, STS-71 crew passed into Mir for welcoming ceremony. On same day, Mir 18 crew officially transferred responsibility for station to Mir 19 crew, and two crews switched spacecraft.

For next five days, about 100 hours total, joint U.S.-Russian operations conducted, including biomedical investigations, and transfer of equipment to and from Mir. Fifteen separate biomedical and scientific investigations were conducted, using Spacelab module installed in aft portion of Atlantis' payload bay, and covering seven different disciplines: cardiovascular and pulmonary functions; human metabolism; neuroscience; hygiene, sanitation and radiation; behavioral performance and biology; fundamental biology; and microgravity research. Mir 18 crew served as test subjects for investigations. Three Mir 18 crew members also carried out intensive program of exercise and other measures to prepare for re-entry into gravity environment after more than three months in space.

Numerous medical samples as well as disks and cassettes transferred to Atlantis from Mir, including more than 100 urine and saliva samples, about 30 blood samples, 20 surface samples, 12 air samples, several water samples and numerous breath samples taken from Mir 18 crew members. Also moved into orbiter was a broken Salyut-5 computer. Transferred to Mir were more than 1,000 pounds of water generated by the orbiter for waste system flushing and electrolysis; specially designed spacewalking tools for use by the Mir 19 crew during a spacewalk to repair a jammed solar array on the Spektr module; and transfer of oxygen and nitrogen from the shuttle's environmental control system to raise air pressure on the station, requested by Russians to improve Mir consumables margin.

Spacecraft undocked on July 4, following a farewell ceremony, with Mir hatch closing at 3:32 p.m. EDT, July 3 and hatch on Orbiter Docking System shut 16 minutes later. Gibson compared separation sequence to a "cosmic" ballet: Prior to Mir-Atlantis undocking, Mir 19 crew temporarily abandoned station, flying away from it in their Soyuz spacecraft so they could record images of Atlantis and Mir separating. Soyuz unlatched at 6:55 a.m. EDT, and Gibson undocked Atlantis from Mir at 7:10 a.m. EDT.

Returning crew of eight equaled largest crew (STS-61A, October 1985) in shuttle history. To ease their re-entry into gravity environment after more than 100 days in space, Mir 18 crew members Thagard, Dezhurov and Strekalov lay supine in custom-made recumbent seats installed prior to landing in orbiter middeck.

Inflight problems included a glitch with General Purpose Computer 4 (GPC 4), which was declared failed when it did not synchronize with GPC 1; subsequent troubleshooting indicated it was an isolated event, and GPC 4 operated satisfactorily for remainder of mission.

Mission: TDRS-G
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: July 13, 1995 at 9:41:55.078 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: July 22, 1995 at 8:02 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,465 feet
Rollout Time: 57 seconds
Revolution: 143
Mission Duration: 8 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes, 5 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Terence T. Henricks, Pilot Kevin R. Kregel, Mission Specialists Nancy Jane Currie, Donald A. Thomas and Mary Ellen Weber.

Launch Highlights

Liftoff was first targeted for June 22, after STS-71 Shuttle-Mir docking mission scheduled earlier same month. However, due to Russian space program scheduling delays affecting STS-71, mission managers opted to flip-flop 70 and 71 launch dates, and accelerated processing flow to ready Discovery and her payloads for liftoff no earlier than June 8, with Atlantis to follow on STS-71 later in June. This schedule thrown off following extended Memorial Day holiday weekend, when Northern Flicker Woodpeckers at Pad 39B poked about 200 holes in foam insulation of Discovery's external tank. Attempts to repair damage at the pad were unsuccessful, and shuttle stack returned to VAB on June 8, with new launch date set for July 13. Holes ranged in size from large excavations about four inches (10 centimeters) to single pecks and claw marks. Countdown to July 13 liftoff proceeded smoothly; brief 55-second hold at T-31 seconds occurred when engineers had to verify signal from range safety system was being properly received by destruct device on external tank. Interval between landing of STS-71 on July 7 and launch of STS-70 six days later on July 13 marked quickest turnaround to date between shuttle missions. Post-landing inspections of STS-70 boosters showed gas path in right-hand solid rocket motor nozzle internal joint number 3, extending from the motor chamber to, but not past, the primary O-ring. STS-70 gas path similar to what was seen in nozzle joint number 3 post-flight on previous mission, STS-71. Gas paths or small air pockets are result of nozzle fabrication involving backfilling of the joint with insulation material. Similar paths had been expected and observed following previous flights, but Missions STS-71 and STS-70 marked first time slight heat effect was noted on the primary O-ring.

Mission Highlights

Primary objective of the mission accomplished when Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-G deployed from orbiter payload bay about six hours after liftoff. Approximately one hour after deployment, Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster attached to TDRS-G completed first of two scheduled burns to place TDRS-G in geosynchronous orbit. Once it completes on-orbit checkout, TDRS-G will become operational spare, completing existing TDRS network of advanced tracking and communications satellites.

During remainder of mission, five crew members completed variety of experiments. Biological Research in Canister (BRIC) experiments study effects of microgravity on wide range of physiological processes in plants, insects and small invertebrate animals. BRIC-4 examined how hormone system and muscle formation of tobacco hornworm affected by microgravity; BRIC-5 tested whether cell division changes in daylily are due to microgravity or other causes. Also, Bioreactor Development System (BDS), composed of device developed at Johnson Space Center, used colon cancer cells to test bioreactor performance in microgravity; this experiment worked extremely well, yielding tissue cultures better than any seen previously.

National Institutes of Health-R-2 featured suite of experiments examining how microgravity affects different aspects of rodent pre- and post-natal development.

Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) experiment featured Protein Crystallization Facility (PCF) on its eighth flight. Five of these flights have yielded space-grown protein crystals of superior X-ray quality. Human insulin crystals grown on SPACEHAB 1 and 2 missions yielded most detailed analysis ever made of this protein, which is key medication used to treat diabetes. Industry now using this structural information to develop new and improved time-release insulin formulation. On STS-70, crystals of alpha interferon protein -- used to treat human viral hepatitis B and C -- were grown.

Other experiments: Space Tissue Loss-B (STL-B), studying effect of microgravity on embryogenesis; and Hand-Held, Earth-Oriented, Cooperative, Real-Time, User-Friendly, Location Targeting and Environmental System (HERCULES), a space-based geolocating system that features video camera and electronic still camera to document locations on Earth and tag every frame with latitude and longitude to within three nautical miles. Crew had difficulty at first aligning HERCULES camera, but eventually obtained 95% of planned photographic targets.

Also, Microencapsulation in Space-B (MIS-B), making its second flight aboard the Shuttle. MIS-B designed to produce better microencapsulated antibiotic; this type of antibiotic has proven extremely effective in treating wound infections, as it releases antibiotic at precise and predictable rate to cure infection. First flight of MIS-B yielded purer microcapsules than could be obtained on Earth, but only a small quantity was produced. Researchers hoped second flight of MIS-B on STS-70 would yield greater quantity of antibiotic.

Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) required no onboard hardware; military MSX satellite used Shuttle during mission as tracking and calibration target. Military Applications of Ship Tracks (MAST) required crew to photograph ship tracks as part of effort to determine how pollutants generated by ships modify reflective properties of clouds. Radiation Monitoring Equipment-III (RME-III) is prototype dosimeter instrument which has been flying on shuttle since STS-31, and measures exposure to ionizing radiation on shuttle; data from RME-III is archived and used to update and refine models of space radiation environment in low-Earth orbit.

Objective of Window Experiment (WINDEX), another military experiment, is to gain understanding of chemistry and dynamics of low Earth orbit by collecting variety of data about such phenomena as shuttle thruster plumes, water dumps and atmospheric nightglow.

Visual Function Tester-4 (VFT-4) designed to gain better understanding of whether astronauts' vision is affected by microgravity. VFT-4 instrument measures eyesight at near- and close range to test theories on what happens to human eye in space. Astronauts since Gemini days in early '60s have noticed that in space it takes longer to adjust and focus on near objects, and STS-70 crew confirmed this observation.

Crew also spoke with ground radio operators as part of Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX), counting around 50 contacts a day for several days of flight.

No significant problems were experienced with the orbiter. STS-70 marked first flight of new Block I main engine featuring new high-pressure liquid oxidizer turbopump built by Pratt & Whitney. Engine 2036 flew in number one position; other two main engines were of existing Phase II design.

Mission: SPARTAN 201-03; WSF-2
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: September 7, 1995 at 11:09:00.052 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: September 18, 1995 at 7:37:56 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,230 feet
Rollout Time: 56 seconds
Revolution: 171
Mission Duration: 10 days, 20 hours, 28 minutes, 56 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 190 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.4 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.5 million

Crew Members

Commander David M. Walker, Pilot Kenneth D. Cockrell, Payload Commander James S. Voss, Mission Specialists James H. Newman and Michael L. Gernhardt.

Launch Highlights

Launch originally set for Aug. 5 postponed indefinitely to allow further review of solid rocket motor nozzle joint hardware from two previous missions, STS-70 and STS-71. Inspection team formed to assess significance of gas path in nozzle internal joint number 3, extending from insulation in the motor chamber to, but not past, primary O-ring seal. Team concluded nozzle joint design was sound and that gas paths were being created when insulation material, known as RTV or Room Temperature Vulcanizing, was applied. Small air pockets were forming in thermal insulation that could later become pathways for hot gas during motor operation. Attention then focused on developing procedures to allow Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) inspection of insulation at the pad and new launch date of Aug. 31 set. Nozzle joint insulation of boosters assigned to Missions STS-73 and STS-74 also repaired at KSC, but work did not impact schedule. Aug. 31 launch try was scrubbed about five and a half hours before liftoff due to failure of one of orbiter's three fuel cells. Fuel cell No. 2 indicated higher than allowable temperatures during activation as countdown proceeded. Fuel cell was removed and replaced. Liftoff on Sept. 7 was preceded by a smooth countdown.

Mission Highlights

STS-69 marked first time two different payloads were retrieved and deployed during the same mission. Also featured an extravehicular activity to practice for International Space Station activities and to evaluate space suit design modifications.

First of two primary payloads, Spartan 201-03, deployed on flight day two. This was the third Spartan 201 mission in planned series of four. Primary objective was to study outer atmosphere of sun and its transition into solar wind that constantly flows past Earth. Timing of Spartan 201-03 flight intended to coincide with passage of the Ulysses spacecraft over the sun's north polar region to expand range of data being collected about origins of solar wind. Spartan 201-03 configuration featured two scientific instruments, the Ultraviolet Coronal Spectrometer (UVCS) and the White Light Coronagraph (WLC). UVCS measured characteristics of light emitted by neutral hydrogen atoms in the solar corona, the outermost portion of the sun's atmosphere from which the solar wind evolves. The WLC imaged the changing shape and form of the corona.

Concerns arose about performance of the two instruments when Spartan was retrieved after about two days of data-gathering. As orbiter approached free-flying spacecraft, it was rotating slowly and located in a different attitude than expected for retrieval. However, later analysis confirmed UVCS and WLC operated smoothly, with WLC obtaining good data over 95 percent of planned observing sequence and UVCS preliminary data found to be excellent. Analysis was under way to determine why Spartan behaved as it did prior to retrieval.

Second primary payload, Wake Shield Facility-2 (WSF-2) deployed on flight day five and became first spacecraft to maneuver itself away from orbiter rather than other way around, by firing small cold gas nitrogen thruster to maneuver away from Endeavour. WSF-2 second in planned series of four flights. WSF is a 12-foot- (3.7-meter) diameter stainless steel disk designed to generate an ultravacuum environment in space within which to grow thin films for next generation advanced electronics.

Seven planned thin firm growth runs planned, but after three successful growths, WSF-2 placed itself in safe mode. Mission planners decided to extend WSF-2 flying time by about 24 hours to allow all seven thin film growths to be performed. However, as preparations began to resume operations after a 20-hour hiatus, payload controllers on the ground could not trigger the flow of thin film material and the WSF-2 was once again shut down. Film growth activities resumed after a six-hour cool-down of the WSF-2 instruments, and when spacecraft was retrieved on flight day eight, four successful thin film growth runs had been completed.

WSF-2 unberthed and hung over side of Endeavour's cargo bay one final time for Charging Hazards and Wake Studies (CHAWS) experiment, an Air Force-sponsored experiment to collect data on buildup of electrical fields around an orbiting space vehicle.

On flight day ten, Voss and Gernhardt conducted six-hour, 46-minute spacewalk, completing final primary objective of STS-69. They evaluated thermal improvements made to their extravehicular activity suits and reported they remained comfortable, and also tested variety of tools and techniques that may be used in assembly of International Space Station.

Additional payloads: International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker (IEH-1), to measure and monitor long-term variations in magnitude of absolute extreme ultraviolet flux coming from sun; Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker (SEH), to accurately measure solar flux in the extreme ultraviolet region of solar spectrum; and Consortium for Materials Development in Space Complex Autonomous Payload (CONCAP IV-3), third flight of an experiment that studies growth of organic nonlinear optical crystals and thin films.

Also shuttle GLO experiment (GLO-3) to study luminous shroud observed by astronauts on previous shuttle missions; Ultraviolet Spectrograph Telescope for Astronomical Research (UVSTAR), pair of telescopes that measure extreme ultraviolet and far ultraviolet emissions and complemented SEH described above; Capillary Pumped Loop/Get Away Special Bridge Assembly (CAPL-2/GBA) consisting of CAPL-2 Hitchhiker payload, Thermal Energy Storage-2 (TES-2) payload in a GAS container, as well as four other GAS experiments on single cross-bay structure.

In-cabin payloads included Space Tissue Loss/National Institutes of Health-Cells (STL-NIH-C); Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus-7 (CGBA); Biological Research in Canister (BRIC); Electrolysis Performance Improvement Concept Study (EPICS) and Commercial MDA ITA Experiments (CMIX-4).

STS-69 also was second flight of a "dog crew," a flight crew tradition that began on STS-53, on which both Walker and Voss flew. As the Dog Crew II, each STS-69 astronaut adopted a dogtag or nickname: Walker was Red Dog; Cockrell was Cujo; Voss, Dog Face; Newman, Pluto; and Gernhardt, Under Dog.

Mission: USML-2
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: October 20, 1995 at 9:53:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: November 5, 1995 at 6:45:21 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,032 feet
Rollout Time: 55 seconds
Revolution: 256
Mission Duration: 15 days, 21 hours, 52 minutes, 28 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 150 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 39 degrees
Miles Traveled: 6.6 million

Crew Members

Commander Kenneth D. Bowersox, Pilot Kent V. Rominger, Payload Commander Kathryn C. Thornton, Mission Specialists Catherine G. Coleman, Michael E. Lopez-Alegria, Payload Specialists Fred W. Leslie and Albert Sacco, Jr.

Launch Highlights

A successful launch after six scrubs tied STS-73 with STS 61-C (Jan. 12-18, 1986) for most number of launch scrubs. 1.) Liftoff originally set for Sept. 25 was scrubbed shortly after tanking began, when hydrogen leak was detected in main engine no. 1 main fuel valve. Valve replaced at pad. 2.) Launch re-set for Oct. 5, but weather effects due to Hurricane Opal led to L-1 day decision to postpone launch one day to Oct. 6. 3.) Oct. 6 launch attempt scrubbed prior to external tank loading when it was determined that hydraulic fluid had been inadvertently drained from hydraulic system 1 following the main engine no. 1 fuel valve replacement. Compressibility test demonstrated system was satisfactory for launch, and liftoff re-set to occur Oct. 7. 4.) Launch attempt Oct. 7 scrubbed at T-20 seconds when master events controller 1 (MEC 1) failed to operate properly and mission managers determined it needed to be replaced. Launch re-set for Oct. 14 was then 5.) re-scheduled to Oct. 15 to allow additional time to inspect the main engine oxidizer ducts as a result of finding a crack in a test engine oxidizer duct at Stennis. Also during this delay, a faulty general purpose computer 1 (GPC 1) had to be replaced. 6.) Launch attempt Oct. 15 postponed at T-5 minutes due to low clouds and rain. Launch tentatively reset to Oct. 19 pending successful Atlas launch Oct. 18; however, Atlas launch was delayed and STS-73 launch moved to Oct. 20. Countdown to liftoff Oct. 20 was delayed three minutes due to a range computer glitch.

Mission Highlights

STS-73 marked second flight of U.S. Microgravity Laboratory (USML) and built on foundation of its predecessor, which flew on Columbia during Mission STS-50 in 1992. Research during USML-2 concentrated within same overall areas of USML-1, with many experiments flying for second time. Crew divided into two teams to work around the clock in 23-foot (seven-meter) long Spacelab module located in Columbia's payload bay.

Research was conducted in five areas: Fluid physics; materials science; biotechnology; combustion science; and commercial space processing. USML-2 activities were directed by NASA's Spacelab Mission Operations Control facility at Marshall Space Flight Center.

Experiments went smoothly. In some cases, results re-confirmed existing theories, while in other cases results were new and unique. Highlights included unprecedented results from the Surface Tension Driven Convection Experiment, which flew for second time and studied in great detail basic fluid mechanics and heat transfer of thermocapillary flows, motions created within fluids by non-uniform heating of their free surfaces. Oscillations observed on USML-2 samples had never been observed on Earth, and researchers controlling experiment from the ground were able to pinpoint when fluid flows transitioned from stable to unstable. Research has direct applications on Earth, in that unwanted fluid flows during melting and resolidifying can create defects in high-tech crystals, metals, alloys and ceramics.

Flying for first time was Fiber Supported Droplet Combustion experiment. More than 25 droplets of variety of fuels were ignited, confirming theories about how fuels burn in microgravity. Results revealed larger droplet extension diameter -- size of drop as it burns out -- than are capable of being studied on Earth, with burning times 10 times longer. Data confirmed scientific predictions about burn rate and amount of fuel left over after fire goes out. This will allow investigators to refine theories and possibly develop new ones about byproducts such as soot and smog.

Five small potatoes were grown on-orbit from tubers in the Astroculture plant growth facility. USML-2 marked final test flight of Astroculture hardware, with unit set to become available commercially for sale or lease. Technologies incorporated in Astroculture hardware design already are finding application on Earth; for example, technology behind light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that provide high levels of light on-orbit within limited electrical power is finding its way into energy-efficient lighting systems for large-scale commercial plant nurseries. Successful on-orbit growth demonstrated Astroculture's usefulness as plant growth facility and showed edible foods could be grown in space.

Record number of Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) samples -- around 1,500 -- were flown on USML-2 and initial results indicated many had produced crystals which will be further studied after landing. Other crystal growth experiments were equally successful. In the Crystal Growth Furnace, which flew for first time on USML-1, a crystal was grown for first time as a liquid bridge to minimize contact with container wall, thus decreasing number of defects in crystal. Eight semiconductor crystals were grown, also a very thin crystal and two crystals which could lead to products such as computer chips that are faster and use less power than traditional computer chips.

Crew took time out from Spacelab work to tape ceremonial first pitch for Game Five of baseball World Series, marking first time the thrower was not actually in the ballpark for the pitch.

Orbiter Columbia performed without serious problems, with only notable glitch being two vernier thruster jets failing several times throughout mission; function was restored by cycling them on and off. Also, equipment failure at ground terminal for NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Communications (TDRS) satellites necessitated two extended communications outages between Columbia and Earth in order to perform repair.

Mission: Second Shuttle-Mir Docking
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: November 12, 1995 at 7:30:43.071 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: November 20, 1995 at 12:01:27 p.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,607 feet
Rollout Time: 57 seconds
Revolution: 129
Mission Duration: 8 days, 4 hours, 30 minutes, 44 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 213 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.4 million

Crew Members

Commander Kenneth D. Cameron, Pilot James D. Halsell Jr., Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross, William S. McArthur Jr. and Chris A. Hadfield.

Launch Highlights

Planned rendezvous with Mir necessitated brief launch window of about seven minutes. Liftoff originally set for Nov. 11 was scrubbed due to unacceptable weather at the Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) sites. Countdown following day proceeded smoothly to on-time liftoff.

Mission Highlights

STS-74 marked second docking of U.S. Space Shuttle to Russian Space Station Mir, continuing Phase I activities leading to construction of International Space Station later this decade. Mission illustrated international flavor of space station effort: shuttle crew included Hadfield, fourth Canadian to fly on shuttle but first Canadian mission specialist. Hardware in payload bay included Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm, U.S.-built Orbiter Docking System (ODS), Russian-built docking module and solar array and U.S.-Russian-built solar array. Awaiting Atlantis aboard Mir were two Russian cosmonauts and a German cosmonaut, along with Russian and European Space Agency research samples and equipment.

Unlike first docking flight during which crew exchange took place, second docking focused on delivery of equipment to Mir. Primary payload of mission was Russian-built Docking Module (DM), designed to become permanent extension on Mir to afford better clearances for Shuttle-Mir linkups. Two solar arrays were stowed on DM for later transfer to Mir by spacewalking cosmonauts.

On flight day three, Hadfield operated RMS robot arm to lift DM from stowed position in aft section of payload bay, rotated it to vertical, and moved it to within five inches above ODS in forward part of bay. ODS is being flown on all Shuttle-Mir docking flights and serves as passageway between two spacecraft. Cameron then fired downward steering jets to push Atlantis against DM. Once mating confirmed, robot arm ungrappled from DM, hatches between DM and ODS opened, and centerline camera mounted inside top hatch of DM.

On flight day four, Atlantis caught up with Mir. Terminal Phase Initiation (TI) burn started with Atlantis eight nautical miles (9.2 statute miles/14.8 kilometers) behind Mir to begin final phase of rendezvous. Air-to-air communications between Atlantis and Mir 20 crew began around this time also. Approach to Mir same as for STS-71, along the R-bar, with Atlantis closing in on station from directly below. Handheld lasers used by shuttle crew during final approach to supplement distance and closing rates made by orbiter navigational equipment.

Manual phase of rendezvous began when Atlantis was about half-mile (804.7 meters) from Mir, with Cameron taking control of orbiter using aft flight deck controls. At 170 feet (51.8 meters) from Mir, Cameron halted approach while Mir was maneuvered into alignment for docking. After go from flight directors in Moscow and Houston, Cameron moved Atlantis to 30 feet (9.1 meters) from Mir, and then halted momentarily again to make final adjustments. Key camera for final approach was elbow camera on RMS arm.

Hatches between Mir and Atlantis were opened at 4:02 a.m. EST, Nov. 15. Control of DM transferred to Mir 20 crew. During mated operations, nearly 1,000 pounds (453.6 kilograms) of water transferred to Mir. Numerous experiment samples, including blood, urine and saliva, were moved to orbiter for return to Earth. Shuttle crew also brought up gifts, including Canadian maple sugar candies and a guitar (second guitar on Mir). Lithium hydroxide canisters -- a late addition -- were transferred to Mir in case faulty environmental control system failed again and station's air needed to be "scrubbed."

Two spacecraft separated at 4:15 a.m. EST, Nov. 18, after which flyaround of station was initiated when Atlantis was 400 feet (121.9 meters) away.

No significant problems occurred with orbiter or any of cargo bay equipment.

Mission: SFU; OAST-Flyer
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: January 11, 1996, 4:41:00 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: January 20, 1996, 2:41:41 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 8,770 feet
Rollout Time: 66 seconds
Revolution: 142
Mission Duration: 8 days, 22 hours, 1 minute, 47 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 250 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Brent W. Jett, Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao, Daniel T. Barry, Winston E. Scott and Koichi Wakata.

Launch Highlights

Countdown to first shuttle launch of year proceeded smoothly except for 23-minute delay due to communication glitches between various sites on ground, and to avoid potential collision with space debris.

Mission Highlights

First shuttle flight of 1996 highlighted by retrieval of a Japanese satellite, deployment and retrieval of a NASA science payload, and two spacewalks.

Mission Specialist Wakata operated remote manipulator system arm on flight day three to pluck Japanese Space Flyer Unit (SFU) from orbit, completing 10-month scientific mission involving almost a dozen experiments ranging from materials science to biological studies. SFU was launched aboard a Japanese H-2 rocket March 18, 1995 from Tanegashima Space Center. Both solar arrays on SFU had to be jettisoned prior to retrieval when sensors indicated improper latching following retraction.

On flight day four, Wakata again operated Endeavour's robot arm, this time to deploy Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology-Flyer (OAST-Flyer), sending experiment-laden platform on its way to a two-day free-flight at a distance of approximately 45 miles (72 kilometers) from the orbiter. OAST-Flyer comprised of Spartan platform holding four experiments: Return Flux Experiment (REFLEX) to test accuracy of computer models predicting spacecraft exposure to contamination; Global Positioning System (GPS) Attitude Determination and Control Experiment (GADACS), to demonstrate GPS technology in space; Solar Exposure to Laser Ordnance Device (SELODE) to test laser ordnance devices; and Spartan Packet Radio Experiment (SPRE), an amateur radio communications experiment. OAST-Flyer retrieved on flight day six, with Wakata again operating the remote manipulator system arm to retrieve the platform.

Two extravehicular activities (EVAs) conducted as part of continuing series to prepare for on-orbit construction of International Space Station. During first EVA on flight day five lasting 6 hours, nine minutes, Mission Specialists Chiao and Barry evaluated new portable work platform and a structure known as the rigid umbilical, which may be used on station to hold various fluid and electrical lines.

During second spacewalk on flight day seven, conducted by Chiao and Scott and lasting six hours, 53 minutes, portable work platform again evaluated. Also tested were a space station utility box designed to hold avionics and fluid line connects. Scott also tested spacesuit's warmth in severe cold up to minus 104 degrees F. (-75 degrees C.).

Additional cargo bay payloads: Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) instrument flying for eighth time and designed to measure ozone concentrations in atmosphere. Also a Hitchhiker carrier holding Shuttle Laser Altimeter-01 (SLA-01)/Get Away Special (GAS) payload. SLA-01 first of four planned remote sensing flights to accurately measure distance between Earth's surface and orbiter; five other GAS canisters held variety of experiments.

In-cabin payloads: Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment/National Institutes of Health-Rodents (PARE/NIH-R3), one in series of experiments designed to study effect of microgravity on rodent anatomy and physiology; Space Tissue Loss/National Institutes of Health- C (STL/NIH-C5) to validate models of microgravity's effects on bone, muscle and cells; Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure (PCG-STES) for growing high-quality protein crystals; and Commercial Protein Crystal Growth-8 (CPCG-8) payload, which featured crystal growth of new form of recombinant human insulin.

Mission: TSS-1R; USMP-3
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: February 22, 1996, 3:18:00 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: March 9, 1996, 8:58:21 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,459 feet
Rollout Time: 64 seconds
Revolution: 252
Mission Duration: 15 days, 17 hours, 41 minutes, 25 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 6.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Andrew M. Allen, Pilot Scott J. Horowitz, Payload Commander Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Mission Specialists Maurizio Cheli, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Claude Nicollier and Umberto Guidoni.

Launch Highlights

Liftoff occurred ontime following smooth countdown. Six seconds after liftoff, crew reported left main engine chamber pressure tape meter was reading only 40 percent thrust instead of 104 percent prior to throttle-down. Mission controllers in Houston reported telemetry showed all three engines were performing nominally and there was no effect on the ascent phase.

Mission Highlights

Reflight of U.S./Italian Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1R) marred by loss of satellite on flight day three, although valuable scientific data was still gathered. Other primary payload, U.S. Microgravity Payload-3 (USMP-3), performed nominally. TSS considered primary payload at beginning of mission and USMP-3 primary following TSS operations.

TSS flew previously on Mission STS-46 in June 1992, but experiment operations curtailed due to jammed tether. TSS concept designed to study electrodynamics of a tether system in electrically charged portion of Earth's atmosphere called the ionosphere. Satellite provided by Italy and tether/deployer assembly U.S.-built. Twelve investigations -- six NASA, five Italian Space Agency (ASI) and one U.S. Air Force -- planned. Deployment of TSS-1R on STS-75 delayed one day to allow troubleshooting of onboard TSS computers by flight crew. Excellent scientific data was being gathered when tether snapped on flight day three as satellite was just short of full deployment of about 12.8 miles (20.6 kilometers). Satellite immediately began speeding away from orbiter as a result of orbital forces and the crew was never in any danger. Reason for tether break not immediately clear and investigative board convened on ground to determine cause. Crew retracted deployer and remaining tether following day.

Meanwhile, scientists did gather useful data from curtailed deployment. Currents measured during deployment phase were at least three times greater than predicted by analytical modeling, and amount of power generated was directly proportional to the current. Tether voltages of as high as 3,500 volts were developed across the tether, and current levels of about 480 milliamps were achieved. Researchers also able to study how gas from satellite's thrusters interacts with ionosphere. Also collected first-time measurements of ionized shock wave around the TSS satellite, a phenomenon that cannot be studied in the laboratory and is difficult to mathematically model. Another first was collection of data on the plasma wakes created by moving body through electrically-charged ionosphere. Some experiments conducted using free- flying satellite and attached tether before it re-entered Earth's atmosphere and broke up.

USMP-3, flying on shuttle for third time, included U.S. and international experiments, all of which had flown at least once before: Advanced Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (AADSF), a crystal growth facility; Critical Fluid Light Scattering Experiment (Zeno), to study element Xenon at its critical point; Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE), to study formation of dendrites, tree-shaped crystals that in metals manufacturing dictate final properties of material; and Materials for the Study of Interesting Phenomena of Solidification on Earth and in Orbit (MEPHISTO) to study how metals solidify in microgravity using a furnace.

USMP-3 experiments conducted primarily through telescience, where principal investigators could control research from Marshall Space Flight Center's Spacelab Mission Operations Control Center. In MEPHISTO investigation, changes in microgravity environment caused by orbiter thruster firings were correlated with fluid flows in crystal sample. Also able to monitor point at which crystal sample underwent critical change during solidification process. Sample used was a tin-bismuth mixture representative of alloys found in airplane turbine blades, electronic materials and many other products.

In AADSF, three lead-tin-telluride crystals grown while orbiter flown at three different attitudes to determine effect on crystal growth. Also collected data on crystal’s freezing point. Lead-tin-telluride used in infrared detectors and lasers.

IDGE experiment yielded twice expected amount of data. Best images ever transmitted of dendrites were gathered. This also was first shuttle experiment controlled by principal investigator at a remote non-NASA site, foreshadowing types of research which will be conducted on International Space Station, where researchers could be based at universities.

Zeno allowed investigators to observe with unprecedented clarity behavior of xenon at critical point, when it exists as both gas and liquid. Such phase change phenomena common to many different materials and knowledge gained from Zeno could apply to such fields as liquid crystal growth and superconductor research.

Space Acceleration Measurement Systems (SAMS) and Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE), both of which have flown previously, provided data about on-orbit environment. In middeck, crew worked with Middeck Glovebox Facility (MGBX) featuring three combustion experiments, all of which were successful. Glovebox and Forced Flow Flamespreading Test experiment, both slated to fly on Russian Space Station Mir later this year, and glovebox also will fly on International Space Station. Also flying in middeck was Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG-09) experiment to process nine proteins into crystals to better understand their molecular structure.

Mission: Third Shuttle-Mir Docking; SPACEHAB
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: March 22, 1996, 3:13:04 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: March 31, 1996, 5:28:57 a.m. PST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 8,367 feet
Rollout Time: 55 seconds
Revolution: 145 (estimated)
Mission Duration: 9 days, 5 hours, 15 minutes, 53 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 56.1 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.8 million (estimate)

Crew Members

Commander Kevin P. Chilton, Pilot Richard A. Searfoss, Mission Specialists Shannon W. Lucid, Linda M. Godwin, Michael R. Clifford, Ronald M. Sega.

Launch Highlights

The launch was set for March 21 pending the resolution of an issue concerning wiper O-rings on the nozzle-to-case joints on both Redesigned Solid Rocket Motors (RSRMs) flown on the previous mission, STS-75. A different situation from STS-71/STS-70 the O-ring issue that occurred in 1995 and affected the nozzle internal joint. STS-75 gas paths went through polysulfide adhesive to, but not past, wiper O-ring on nozzle-to-case joints. Similar gas paths were observed on previous missions, but STS-75 marked the first time two different gas paths were observed in one nozzle-to-case joint, and on both RSRMs. After review, managers concluded nozzle-to-case joint design was robust and safe to fly, and launch preparations proceeded. First launch attempt set for March 21 scrubbed prior to commencement of tanking operations March 20, due to concerns about high winds. Launch reset for March 22 proceeded smoothly to an on-time liftoff. During ascent, leak occurred in hydraulic system powered by Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) number 3. Leak stopped after hydraulic system shutdown on-orbit. Mission managers concluded system would remain stable and proceeded with plans for full-duration mission.

Mission Highlights

Third linkup between U.S. space shuttle and Russian Space Station Mir highlighted by transfer of veteran astronaut Shannon Lucid to Mir to become first American woman to live on station. Her approximately four-and-a-half month stay also will eclipse long-duration U.S. spaceflight record set by first American to live on Mir, Norm Thagard. Lucid will be succeeded by astronaut John Blaha during STS-79 in August, giving her distinction of membership in four different flight crews -- two U.S. and two Russian -- and her stay on Mir kicks off continuous U.S. presence in space for next two years.

Payload bay configuration included Orbiter Docking System in forward area and SPACEHAB single module toward the aft. STS-76 marked first flight of SPACEHAB pressurized module to support shuttle-Mir dockings; single module primarily served as stowage area for large supply of equipment slated for transfer to space station, but also carried European Space Agency’s Biorack experiment rack for on-orbit research.

Atlantis hooked up with Mir on flight day 3, following same R-bar approach employed on STS-74. Actual connection between Orbiter Docking System and Docking Module attached to Kristall module docking port occurred at 9:34 p.m. EST, March 24. Hatches opened a little less than two hours later. Awaiting Atlantis' arrival were Mir 21 Commander Yuri Onufrienko and Flight Engineer Yuri Usachev, who were launched to Mir on Feb. 21. In July, they will be joined by Mir 22 Commander Gennady Manakov, Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov and French Space Agency cosmonaut researcher Claudie Andre-Deshays. After two-week stay Andre-Deshays will return to Earth with Onufrienko and Usachev while Manakov and Vinogradov remain on board with Lucid.

During five days of docked operations, about 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) of water and two tons of scientific equipment, logistical material and resupply items transferred to Mir; experiment samples and miscellaneous equipment brought over to orbiter. In Biorack, 11 separate scientific investigations were conducted. Study topics included effect of microgravity and cosmic radiation on plants, tissues, cells, bacteria and insects and effects of microgravity on bone loss. Also transferred to station were Mir Glovebox Stowage (MGBX) equipment to replenish glovebox already on station; Queen’s University Experiment in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD) flown in orbiter middeck locker; and High Temperature Liquid Phase Sintering (LPS) experiment.

On flight day six, Godwin and Clifford conducted first U.S. extravehicular activity (EVA) around two mated spacecraft. During six-hour, two-minute, 28-second EVA, they attached four Mir Environmental Effects Payload (MEEP) experiments to station’s Docking Module. Experiments designed to characterize environment around Mir over an 18-month period. Two spacewalkers wore Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER) propulsive devices first flight-tested during STS-64.

Other payloads: Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX); KidSat, a project that gives middle school students opportunity to participate in space exploration; and Trapped Ions in Space (TRIS), a Naval Research Laboratory experiment flown in Get Away Special canister in cargo bay.

Mission: SPACEHAB; SPARTAN (IAE)
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: May 19, 1996, 6:30:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: May 29, 1996, 7:09:18 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,291 feet
Rollout Time: 42 seconds
Revolution: 161
Mission Duration: 10 days, 0 hours, 39 minutes, 18 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 153 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 39 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander John H. Casper, Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Jr., Mission Specialists Daniel W. Bursch, Mario Runco, Jr., Marc Garneau and Andrew S. W. Thomas.

Mission Highlights

The fourth shuttle flight of 1996 highlighted by four rendezvous activities with two different payloads. Primary payloads, all located in the cargo bay, were the SPACEHAB-4 pressurized research module; the Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE) mounted on Spartan 207 free-flyer; and a suite of four technology demonstration experiments known as Technology Experiments for Advancing Missions in Space (TEAMS). More than 90 percent of the payloads were sponsored by NASA’s Office of Space Access and Technology.

SPACEHAB-4 single module carried nearly 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms) of support equipment and variety of experiments covering such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, polymers and agriculture, including: Advanced Separation Process for Organic Materials (ADSEP); Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA); Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (PGBA); Fluids Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus-2 (FGBA-2); Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG); Gas Permeable Polymer Membrane (GPPM); Handheld Diffusion Test Cell (HHDTC); Commercial Float Zone Furnace (CFZF); and the Space Experiment Facility (SEF). Also considered part of SPACEHAB payload complement but located in middeck lockers were IMMUNE-3 and NIH-C7 payloads. CFZF, sponsored by NASA and the German and Canadian space agencies, was considered top priority SPACEHAB-4 payload; designed to produce large, ultra-pure crystals of such semiconductor materials as gallium arsenide. FGBA-2, an on-orbit soft-drink dispenser, required some troubleshooting, and SEF experiment declared failed when command problems with payload could not be fixed.

Spartan free-flyer deployed on flight day two using orbiter Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm. The 132-pound (60-kilogram) IAE antenna structure, mounted on three struts, was inflated to its full size of 50 feet (15 meters) in diameter, about the size of a tennis court. Potential benefits of inflatable antennas over conventional rigid structures include their lower development costs, greater reliability, and lower mass and volume requiring less stowage space and potentially a smaller launch vehicle. Actual on-orbit performance of the antenna -- its surface smoothness -- documented with cameras and sensors for later analysis. Deploy and inflation proceeded smoothly and IAE jettisoned 90 minutes later. On flight day three, Spartan 207 pallet returned to orbiter cargo bay.

Satellite deploy and rendezvous activities also conducted with Passive Aerodynamically- Stabilized Magnetically-Damped Satellite (PAMS), one of four Technology Experiments for Advancing Missions in Space (TEAMS) research payloads. TEAMS payloads located in Hitchhiker carrier in payload bay. Satellite Test Unit (STU) on PAMS deployed on flight day four. Three orbiter rendezvous conducted with satellite from a distance of 2,000-2,300 feet (610-701 meters) away to acquire satellite attitude information. STU relied on aerodynamic stabilization rather than attitude control propellants to properly orient itself. After some difficulty, Attitude Measurement System (AMS) in payload bay successfully locked onto satellite and began accurately tracking it, with initial indications showing that concept of propellant-free aerodynamic stabilization works.

Other TEAMS experiments were Global Positioning System (GPS) Attitude and Navigation Experiment (GANE); Vented Tank Resupply Experiment (VTRE) and Liquid Metal Thermal Experiment (LMTE).

Secondary experiments included Brilliant Eyes Ten Kelvin Sorption Cryocooler Experiment (BETSCE), an instrument designed to supercool infrared and other sensors through cyclical release and absorption of hydrogen; Aquatic Research Facility (ARF), a joint Canadian Space Agency/NASA project that allows investigation of wide range of small aquatic species, including starfish, mussels and sea urchins; Biological Research in a Canister (BRIC 07) to study endocrine functioning; Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Reduced Fill Level (TPCE/RFL) to develop pressure control for cryogenic tankage; and series of experiments flying in Get Away Special canisters.

Casper spoke with Mir cosmonaut and U.S. astronaut Shannon Lucid, who was entering her 65th day aboard the Mir space station.

No significant on-orbit problems with the orbiter were reported.

Mission: LMS
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: June 20, 1996, 10:49:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: July 7, 1996, 8:36:45 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,339 feet
Rollout Time: 45 seconds
Revolution: 272
Mission Duration: 16 days, 21 hours, 47 minutes, 45 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 39 degrees
Miles Traveled: 7 million

Crew Members

Commander Terence T. Henricks, Pilot Kevin R. Kregel, Flight Engineer Susan J. Helms, Mission Specialists Richard M. Linnehan, Charles E. Brady, Jr., Payload Specialists Jean-Jacques Favier and Robert Brent Thirsk.

Launch Highlights

Liftoff proceeded on time. In-cabin camera provided first video images from flight deck, beginning with crew ingress and continuing through main engine cutoff. Post-launch assessment of spent solid rocket boosters revealed hot gas path in motor field joints to, but not past capture feature O-ring. This marked first occurrence of combustion product penetration into the J-joint of redesigned solid rocket motor (RSRM). Flight safety was not compromised, and motor performance met design specification requirements. Probable cause attributed to new, more environmentally friendly adhesive and cleaning fluid.

Mission Highlights

Five space agencies (NASA/USA; European Space Agency/Europe; French Space Agency/France; Canadian Space Agency/Canada; and Italian Space Agency/Italy) and research scientists from 10 countries worked together on primary payload of STS-78, Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS). More than 40 experiments flown were grouped into two areas: life sciences, which included human physiology and space biology, and microgravity science, which included basic fluid physics investigations, advanced semiconductor and metal alloy materials processing, and medical research in protein crystal growth.

LMS investigations conducted via most extensive telescience to date. Investigators located at four remote European and four remote U.S. locations, similar to what will happen with International Space Station. Mission also made extensive use of video imaging to help crew members perform inflight maintenance procedures on experiment hardware.

Previous life science investigations have delved into what physiological changes take place in microgravity environment; integrated LMS experiments explored why these changes occur. Most extensive studies ever conducted on bone and muscle loss in space. STS-78 marked first time researchers collected muscle tissue biopsy samples both before and after flight. Crew members also were scheduled to undergo Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans almost immediately after landing. Findings from comparison of the biopsy samples, along with various musculoskeletal tests conducted during mission, could lead to effective countermeasures to reduce inflight muscle atrophy.

Other life science investigations: First ever comprehensive study of sleep cycles, 24-hour circadian rhythms and task performance in microgravity. Spacecraft orbiting Earth pass through 16 sunrises and sunsets in single 24-hour period, which could disrupt normal body rhythms. During two 72-hour time blocks, crew members completed questionnaires and measured such functions as eye movement and muscle activity during sleep. In the Performance Assessment Work Station, crew members performed series of drills involving math problems and other mental tests to measure microgravity effects on cognitive, or thinking, skills.

Microgravity science investigations included Advanced Gradient Heating Facility, in which samples of pure aluminum containing zirconia particles were solidified. Could lead to more inexpensive ways to make mixtures of metals and ceramics, particularly useful to the metal casting industry. The Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility is first ever designed to use three methods for growing protein crystals. In Electrohydrodynamics of Liquid Bridges, which focused on changes that occur in a fluid bridge suspended between two electrodes. This research could finds applications in industrial processes where control of a liquid column or spray is used, including in ink-jet printing.

Crew performed in-flight fixes to problem hardware on the Bubble, Drop and Particle Unit (BDPU), designed to study fluid physics.

Orbiter itself played key part in test that could help raise Hubble Space Telescope to higher orbit in 1997 during second servicing mission. Columbia's vernier Reaction Control System jets were gently pulsed to boost orbiter's altitude without jarring payloads. Same exercise could be conducted with orbiter Discovery during Mission STS-82 to raise HST's orbit without impacting its solar arrays.

No significant in-flight problems experienced with orbiter.

Mission: Fourth Shuttle-Mir Docking
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: September 16, 1996, 4:54:49 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: September 26, 1996, 8:13:15 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 10,981 feet
Rollout Time: 62 seconds
Revolution: 160
Mission Duration: 10 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes, 26 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 196-245 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.9 million

Crew Members

Commander William F. Readdy, Pilot Terrence W. Wilcutt, Mission Specialists Thomas D. Akers, John E. Blaha, Jay Apt and Carl E. Walz.

Launch Highlights

Launch originally set for July 31 slipped when mission managers decided to switch out Atlantis' twin solid rocket boosters. STS-79 boosters assembled using same new adhesive as boosters flown on previous mission, STS-78, in which hot gas path into J-joints of motor field joints was observed post-retrieval. Although managers concluded original STS-79 boosters were safe to fly, they decided to replace them with a set slated for STS-80 that used original adhesive. Booster changeout took place after Atlantis was already back in Vehicle Assembly Building due to threat from Hurricane Bertha. New launch date of Sept. 12 targeted and Atlantis returned to pad. Launch date delayed to Sept. 16 when shuttle was returned to the VAB due to threat from Hurricane Fran, marking first time shuttle rolled back twice in single processing flow due to hurricane threats. Countdown proceeded smoothly to ontime liftoff Sept. 16. Approximately 13 minutes into flight, auxiliary power unit no. 2 went down prematurely. After review and analysis, the Mission Management Team concluded mission could proceed to nominal end-of-mission as planned.

Mission Highlights

STS-79 highlighted by return to Earth of U.S. astronaut Lucid after 188 days in space, first U.S. crew exchange aboard Russian Space Station Mir, and fourth Shuttle-Mir docking. Lucid’s long-duration spaceflight set new U.S. record as well as world record for a woman. She embarked to Mir March 22 with STS-76 mission. Succeeding her on Mir for an approximately four-month stay is Blaha, who will return in January 1997 with STS-81 crew; U.S. astronaut Jerry Linenger will replace him.

STS-79 also marked second flight of SPACEHAB module in support of Shuttle-Mir activities and first flight of SPACEHAB Double Module configuration. Shuttle-Mir linkup occurred at 11:13 p.m. EDT, Sept. 18, following R-bar approach. Hatches opened at 1:40 a.m., Sept. 19, and Blaha and Lucid exchanged places at 7 a.m. EDT. Awaiting Blaha on Mir were Valery Korzun, Mir 22 commander, and Alexander Kaleri, flight engineer.

During five days of mated operations, two crews transferred more than 4,000 pounds (1,814 kilograms) of supplies to Mir, including logistics, food and water generated by orbiter fuel cells. Three experiments also were transferred: Biotechnology System (BTS) for study of cartilage development; Material in Devices as Superconductors (MIDAS) to measure electrical properties of high-temperature superconductor materials; and Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA), containing several smaller experiments, including self-contained aquatic systems.

About 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of experiment samples and equipment transferred from Mir to Atlantis; total logistical transfer to and from station of more than 6,000 pounds (2,722 kilograms) was most extensive to date. During her approximately six-month stay on Mir, Lucid conducted research in following fields: advanced technology, Earth sciences, fundamental biology, human life sciences, microgravity research and space sciences. Specific experiments included: Environmental Radiation Measurements to ascertain ionizing radiation levels aboard Mir; Greenhouse-Integrated Plant Experiments, to study effect of microgravity on plants, specifically dwarf wheat; and Assessment of Humoral Immune Function During Long-Duration Space Flight, to gather data on effect of long-term spaceflight on the human immune system and involving collection of blood serum and saliva samples. Some research conducted in newest and final Mir module, Priroda, which arrived at station during Lucid's stay.

Three experiments remained on Atlantis: Extreme Temperature Translation Furnace (ETTF), a new furnace design allowing space-based processing up to 871 degrees Fahrenheit (1,600 degrees Centigrade) and above; Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) complement of 128 individual samples involving 12 different proteins; and Mechanics of Granular Materials, designed to further understanding of behavior of cohesionless granular materials, which could in turn lead to better understanding of how Earth's surface responds during earthquakes and landslides.

As with all Shuttle-Mir flights, risk-mitigation experiments were conducted to help reduce development risk for the International Space Station. Flying for first time was the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS), an experiment rack designed to cushion payloads from vibration and other disturbances.

Conducted near end of flight was test using orbiter's small vernier jets to lower Atlantis' orbit. A similar maneuver may be employed at the end of the second Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, STS-82, to re-boost Hubble to a higher orbit while still in the orbiter payload bay.

Mission: ORFEUS-SPAS II; WSF-3
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: November 19, 1996, 2:55:47 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: December 7, 1996, 6:49:05 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,721 feet
Rollout Time: 62 seconds
Revolution: 279
Mission Duration: 17 days, 15 hours, 53 minutes, 18 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 218 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 7 million

Crew Members

Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell, Pilot Kent V. Rominger, Mission Specialists Tamara E. Jernigan, Thomas D. Jones and F. Story Musgrave.

Launch Highlights

Launch date of Oct. 31 first threatened by changeout of STS-79 boosters with those slated to fly on STS-80 and delay of STS-79 liftoff. Hurricane preparations because of Hurricane Fran in early September halted STS-80 booster stacking operations in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), prompting mission managers to reschedule launch date to Nov. 8. At Flight Readiness Review (FRR) Oct. 28, mission managers declined to formalize launch date pending analysis of erosion in STS-79 booster nozzles. At Delta FRR Nov. 4, launch date changed to no earlier than Nov. 15 to allow engineers more time to complete study of nozzle erosion. At follow-up FRR Nov. 11, Nov. 15 set as official launch date, pending a commercial Atlas launch Nov. 13, and launch countdown began. Just two days later, launch postponed to Nov. 19 due to scrub of Atlas launch and predicted bad weather in KSC vicinity for period of several days, and count remained in an extended hold. Launch Nov. 19 occurred about three minutes after scheduled opening of window due to hold at T-31 seconds to assess hydrogen concentrations in aft engine compartment. Initial post-retrieval inspection of STS-80 nozzles indicated pocketing and wash erosion, but less extensive than that which was noted on STS-79 nozzles; analysis was continuing.

Mission Highlights

Final shuttle flight of 1996 was highlighted by the successful deployment, operation and retrieval of two free-flying research spacecraft. The two planned extravehicular activities (EVAs) were canceled.

Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer-Shuttle Pallet Satellite II (ORFEUS-SPAS II) deployed on flight day one to begin approximately two weeks of data- gathering. Making its second flight aboard the shuttle, ORFEUS-SPAS II featured three primary scientific instruments: the ORFEUS-Telescope with the Far Ultraviolet (FUV) Spectrograph and Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Spectrograph. A secondary but highly complementary payload was the Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS). Non-astronomy payloads on ORFEUS-SPAS included the Surface Effects Sample Monitor (SESAM), the ATV Rendezvous Pre-Development Project (ARP) and the Student Experiment on ASTRO-SPAS (SEAS).

ORFEUS-SPAS II mission dedicated to astronomical observations at very short wavelengths to: Investigate nature of hot stellar atmospheres; investigate cooling mechanisms of white dwarf stars; determine nature of accretion disks around collapsed stars; investigate supernova remnants; and investigate interstellar medium and potential star-forming regions.

All ORFEUS-SPAS II mission goals were achieved and there were no significant problems with either instruments or support hardware. Some 422 observations of almost 150 astronomical objects were completed, including the moon, nearby stars, distant Milky Way stars, stars in other galaxies, active galaxies and quasar 3C273. In comparison to the first ORFEUS-SPAS mission in 1993, the ORFEUS-SPAS II instruments were more sensitive and yielded higher-quality data. In addition, more than twice the data was obtained than on the first ORFEUS-SPAS flight.

Wake Shield Facility-3 (WSF-3) deployed on flight day 4. WSF is a 12-foot diameter, free-flying stainless steel disk designed to generate ultravacuum environment in which to grow semiconductor thin films for use in advanced electronics. Third flight was highly successful, with maximum seven thin film growths of semiconductor materials achieved and satellite hardware performing near-flawlessly. WSF-3 retrieved after three days of free-flight.

Two planned six-hour EVAs by Jernigan and Jones were designed to evaluate equipment and procedures that will be used during construction and maintenance of the International Space Station. However, crew could not open outer airlock hatch and when troubleshooting did not reveal cause, mission managers concluded it would not be prudent to attempt the two EVAs and risk unnecessary damage to hatch or seals. Crew was able to evaluate new Pistol Grip Tool, similar to handheld drill, in middeck. Post-landing assessment of hatch indicated a small screw had become loose from an internal assembly and lodged in an actuator -- a gearbox-type mechanism that operates linkages that secure the hatch -- preventing crew from opening hatch. Hatch opened easily when replacement actuator installed. Analysis was under way to determine what additional checks needed to be made on hatches to preclude recurrence of problem.

Other experiments: Space Experiment Module (SEM) to provide increased educational access to space; NIH-R4, fourth in series of collaborative experiments developed by NASA and National Institutes of Health, to investigate role of calcium in blood pressure regulation; NASA/CCM-A, one of series of Shuttle bone cell experiments; Biological Research in Canister (BRIC)-09 experiment to study influence of microgravity on genetically-altered tomato and tobacco seedlings; Commercial MDA ITA experiment (CMIX-5), the last in series of shuttle experiments; and Visualization in an Experimental Water Capillary Pumped Loop (VIEW-CPL), a middeck experiment, to investigate method for spacecraft thermal management. Crew also worked with Space Vision System, designed to monitor position and alignment of structures in space.

Mission: Fifth Shuttle-Mir Docking
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: January 12, 1997, 4:27:23 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: January 22, 1997, 9:22:44 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,350 feet
Rollout Time: 69 seconds
Revolution: 160
Mission Duration: 10 days, 4 hours, 55 minutes, 21 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 184 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.60 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Michael A. Baker, Pilot Brent W. Jett, Jr., Mission Specialists John M. Grunsfeld, Marsha S. Ivins, Peter J. Wisoff and Jerry M. Linenger.

Mission Highlights

The first shuttle flight of 1997 which was highlighted by the return of U.S. astronaut John Blaha to Earth after 118-day stay aboard the Russian Space Station Mir and the largest transfer to date of logistics between the two spacecraft. Atlantis also returned carrying the first plants to complete a life cycle in space -- a crop of wheat grown from seed to seed. This fifth of nine planned dockings continued Phase 1B of the NASA/Russian Space Agency cooperative effort, with Linenger becoming the third U.S. astronaut in succession to live on Mir. Same payload configuration flown on previous docking flight -- featuring SPACEHAB Double module -- flown again.

Blaha joined Mir 22 crew of Commander Valeri Korzun and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Kaleri on Sept. 19, 1996, when he arrived there with the crew of STS-79. Linenger was to work with the Mir 22 crew until the arrival in February of the Mir 23 crew of Commander Vasili Tsibliev, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin and German researcher Reinhold Ewald. Ewald was to return to Earth with the Mir 22 cosmonauts after a brief stay on the station. Astronaut Michael Foale will replace Linenger on Mir when the STS-84 mission arrives in May 1997.

Docking occurred at 10:55 p.m. EST, Jan. 14, followed by hatch opening at 12:57 a.m., Jan. 15. Linenger officially traded places at 4:45 a.m. with Blaha who spent 118 days on the station and 128 days total on-orbit. During five days of mated operations, crews transferred nearly 6,000 pounds (2,722 kilograms) of logistics to Mir, including around 1,600 pounds of water; around 1,138 pounds of U.S. science equipment; and 2,206 pounds of Russian logistical equipment. About 2,400 pounds of materials returned with Atlantis from Mir.

Crew also tested on the shuttle the Treadmill Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System (TVIS), designed for use in the Russian Service Module of the International Space Station. Another activity related to International Space Station involved firing the orbiter's small vernier jet thrusters during mated operations to gather engineering data. Undocking occurred at 9:15 p.m. EST, Jan. 19, followed by flyaround of Mir.

No significant in-flight anomalies experienced with orbiter.

Mission: Second HST Servicing
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: February 11, 1997 3:55:17 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: February 21, 1997, 3:32 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 7,066 feet
Rollout Time: 60 seconds
Revolution: 150
Mission Duration: 9 days, 23 hours, 37 minutes, 9 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 360 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Kenneth D. Bowersox, Pilot Scott J. Horowitz, Mission Specialists Mark C. Lee, Steven A.Hawley, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Steven L. Smith and Joseph R. Tanner.

Mission Highlights

STS-82 demonstrated anew the capability of the space shuttle to service orbiting spacecraft as well as the benefits of human spaceflight. A six-member crew completed servicing and upgrading of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during four planned extravehicular activities (EVAs) and then performed a fifth unscheduled space walk to repair insulation on the telescope.

HST deployed in April 1990 during STS-31. It was designed to undergo periodic servicing and upgrading over its 15-year lifespan, with first servicing performed during STS-61 in December 1993. Hawley, who originally deployed the telescope, operated the orbiter Remote Manipulator System arm on STS-82 to retrieve HST for a second servicing at 3:34 a.m. EST, Feb. 13, and positioned it in the payload bay less than half an hour later.

Relying on more than 150 tools and crew aids, Lee and Smith performed EVAs 1, 3 and 5, and Harbaugh and Tanner did EVAs 2 and 4. EVA 1 began at 11:34 p.m. EST, Feb. 13, and lasted six hours, 42 minutes. One of Hubble's solar arrays was unexpectedly disturbed by a gust of air from Discovery's airlock when it was depressurized, but was not damaged. Lee and Smith removed two scientific instruments from Hubble, the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) and Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS), and replaced them with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), respectively. STIS expected to shed further light on supermassive black holes. NICMOS features more capable infrared detectors and will give astronomers their first clear view of the universe at near infrared wavelengths between 0.8 and 2.5 micrometers.

EVA 2 began at 10:25 p.m., Feb. 14, and lasted seven hours, 27 minutes. Harbaugh and Tanner replaced a degraded Fine Guidance Sensor and a failed Engineering and Science Tape Recorder with new spares. Also installed a new unit called the Optical Control Electronics Enhancement Kit, which will further increase the capability of the Fine Guidance Sensor. During this EVA astronauts noted cracking and wear on thermal insulation on side of telescope facing the sun and in the direction of travel.

EVA 3 began at 9:53 p.m., Feb. 15, and lasted seven hours, 11 minutes. Lee and Smith removed and replaced a Data Interface Unit on Hubble, as well as an old reel-to-reel- style Engineering and Science Tape Recorder with a new digital Solid State Recorder (SSR) that will allow simultaneous recording and playback of data. Also changed out one of four Reaction Wheel Assembly units that use spin momentum to move the telescope toward a target and maintain it in a stable position. After this EVA, mission managers decided to add EVA 5 to repair the thermal insulation on HST.

EVA 4 began at 10:45 p.m., Feb. 16, and lasted six hours, 34 minutes. Harbaugh and Tanner replaced a Solar Array Drive Electronics package which controls the positioning of Hubble's solar arrays. Also replaced were covers over Hubble's magnetometers and thermal blankets of multi-layer material over two areas of degraded insulation around the light shield portion of the telescope just below the top of the observatory. Meanwhile, inside Discovery, Horowitz and Lee worked on the middeck to fabricate new insulation blankets for HST.

Final space walk, EVA 5, lasted five hours, 17 minutes. Lee and Smith attached several thermal insulation blankets to three equipment compartments at the top of the Support Systems Module section of the telescope which contain key data processing, electronics and scientific instrument telemetry packages. STS-82 EVA totaled 33 hours, 11 minutes about two hours shy of total EVA time recorded on the first servicing mission.

Discovery's maneuvering jets fired several times during the mission to reboost the telescope's orbit by eight nautical miles. Hubble redeployed on Feb. 19 at 1:41 a.m. and is now operating at the highest altitude it has ever flown, a 335- by 321-nautical-mile orbit. Initial checkout of new instruments and equipment during mission showed all were performing nominally. Calibration of two new science instruments was to take place over a period of several weeks with first images and data anticipated in about 8 to 10 weeks. Two more servicing are missions planned for 1999 and 2002.

Performance of Discovery was nominal throughout the mission.

Mission: MSL-1
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: April 4, 1997, 2:20:32 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: April 8, 1997, 2:33:11 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,602 feet
Rollout Time: 59 seconds
Revolution: 63
Mission Duration: 3 days, 23 hours, 13 minutes, 38 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 184 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.5 million

Crew Members

Commander James D. Halsell, Pilot Susan L. Still, Payload Commander Janice E. Voss, Mission Specialists Donald A. Thomas, Michael L. Gernhardt, Payload Specialists Roger Crouch and Greg Linteris.

Launch Highlights

Launch originally set for April 3 delayed 24 hours on April 1 due to a requirement to add additional thermal insulation to a water coolant line in the orbiter's payload bay. Managers determined that the line, which cools various electronics on the orbiter, was not properly insulated and could possibly freeze on-orbit. Liftoff delayed 20 minutes, 32 seconds due to an orbiter access hatch seal which had to be replaced.

Mission Highlights

First flight of the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) cut short due to concerns about one of three fuel cells, marking only the third time in shuttle program history a mission ended early. (STS-2, 1981 and STS-44, 1991 were other two times). Fuel cell No. 2 had shown some erratic readings during prelaunch startup, but was cleared to fly after additional checkout and test. Shortly after on-orbit operations began, the fuel cell no. 2 substack No. 3 differential voltage began trending upward. There are three fuel cells on each orbiter, each containing three substacks made up of two banks of 16 cells. In one substack of fuel cell No. 2, the difference in output voltage between the two banks of cells was increasing. The fuel cells use a reaction of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to generate electricity and produce drinking water. Although one fuel cell produces enough electricity to conduct on-orbit and landing operations, shuttle flight rules require all three to be functioning well to ensure crew safety and provide sufficient backup capability during reentry and landing.

When a purge failed to halt the upward trend, the fuel cell was shut down. Additional purges and other measures failed to correct the anomaly, and around 10 a.m., April 6, the Mission Management Team ordered the mission to end early. Fuel cell No. 2 was shut down for good later that afternoon and safed.

Crew was able to conduct some science in the MSL-1 Spacelab module despite the early return. Work was performed in the German electromagnetic levitation furnace facility (TEMPUS) on an experiment called Thermophysical Properties of Undercooled Metallic Melts. This experiment studies the amount of undercooling that can be achieved before solidification occurs. Another experiment performed was the Liquid-Phase Sintering II experiment in the Large Isothermal Furnace. This investigation uses heat and pressure to test theories about how the liquefied component bonds with the solid particles of a mixture without reaching the melting point of the new alloy combination.

Also conducted were two fire-related experiments. The Laminar Soot Processes experiment allowed scientists to observe for the first time the concentration and structure of soot from a fire burning in microgravity. The Structure of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-number experiment completed two runs. This experiment is designed to determine under what conditions a stable flame ball can exist, and if heat loss is responsible in some way for the stablilization of the flame ball during burning.

A decision to refly the mission in its entirety was made by the Mission Management Team in the days following Columbia's return. The reflight was first designated STS-83R and then renamed STS-94.

Mission: Sixth Shuttle-Mir Docking
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: May 15, 1997 4:07:48 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: May 24, 1997, 9:27:44 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,384 feet
Rollout Time: 51 seconds
Revolution: 144
Mission Duration: 9 days, 23 hours, 19 minutes, 56 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 184 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.6 million

Crew Members

Commander Charles J. Precourt, Pilot Eileen M. Collins, Mission Specialists C. Michael Foale, Carlos I. Noriega, Edward T. Lu, Jean-Francois Clervoy and Elena V. Kondakova.

Mission Highlights

Sixth Shuttle-Mir docking highlighted by transfer of fourth successive U.S. crew member to the Russian Space Station. U.S. astronaut Mike Foale exchanged places with Jerry Linenger, who arrived at Mir Jan. 15 with the crew of shuttle mission STS-81. Linenger spent 123 days on Mir and just over 132 days in space from launch to landing, placing him second behind U.S. astronaut Shannon Lucid for most time spent on-orbit by an American. Another milestone reached during his stay was one-year anniversary of continuous U.S. presence in space that began with Lucid's arrival at Mir March 22, 1996.

Other significant events during Linenger's stay included first U.S.-Russian space walk. On April 29, Linenger participated in a five-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) with Mir 23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev to attach a monitor to the outside of the station. The Optical Properties Monitor (OPM) was to remain on Mir for nine months to allow study of the effect of the space environment on optical properties, such as mirrors used in telescopes.

On Feb. 23, a fire broke out on the 11-year old station. It caused minimal damage but required station's inhabitants to wear protective masks for about 36 hours until cabin air was cleaned. Besides Linenger, crew members aboard Mir at the time included two Mir 22 cosmonauts, a German cosmonaut and two Mir 23 cosmonauts.

STS-84 docking with Mir occurred May 16 at 10:33 p.m. EDT above the Adriatic Sea. Hatches between two spacecraft opened at 12:25 a.m., May 17. Greetings exchanged between STS-84 crew and Mir 23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev, Flight Engineer Alexander Lazutkin and Linenger, followed by a safety briefing. Linenger and Foale officially traded places at 10:15 a.m. EDT.

Transfer of items to and from Mir proceeded smoothly and was completed ahead of schedule. One of first items transferred to the station was an Elektron oxygen-generating unit. Altogether about 249 items were moved between the two spacecraft, and about 1,000 pounds of water moved to Mir, for a total of about 7,500 pounds of water, experiment samples, supplies and hardware.

Research program planned for Foale featured 35 investigations total (33 on Mir, two on STS-84, and another preflight/postflight) in six disciplines: advanced technology, Earth observations and remote sensing, fundamental biology, human life sciences, space station risk mitigation, and microgravity sciences. Twenty-eight of these were conducted during previous missions and were to be continued, repeated or completed during Foale's stay. Seven new experiments were planned in biological and crystal growth studies and materials processing.

Undocking occurred at 9:04 p.m. EDT, May 21. Unlike prior dockings, no flyaround of the station by the orbiter was conducted, but the orbiter was stopped three times while backing away to collect data from a European sensor device designed to assist future rendezvous of a proposed European Space Agency resupply vehicle with the International Space Station.

Other activities conducted during the mission included investigations using the Biorack facility, located in the SPACEHAB Double Module in Atlantis' payload bay, a photo survey of Mir during docked operations, environmental air samplings and radiation monitoring.

Orbiter performance was nominal from launch to landing.

Mission: MSL-1 Reflight
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: July 1, 1997 2:02:00 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: July 17, 1997, 6:46:34 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,892 feet
Rollout Time: 55 seconds
Revolution: 251
Mission Duration: 15 days, 16 hours, 44 minutes, 34 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 184 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 6.2 million

Crew Members

Commander James D. Halsell, Pilot Susan L. Still, Payload Commander Janice E. Voss, Mission Specialists Donald A. Thomas, Michael L. Gernhardt, Payload Specialists Roger Crouch and Greg Linteris.

Launch Highlights

Liftoff was delayed about 12 minutes because of unacceptable weather conditions in the launch area in the event a return-to-launch-site abort was necessary. The launch window originally was targeted to open at 2:37 p.m., July 1. On June 30, NASA managers decided to move it back 47 minutes to 1:50 p.m. to avoid forecasted afternoon thundershowers.

Mission Highlights

STS-94 marked the first reflight of same vehicle, crew and payloads, following shortened STS-83 mission in April due to indications of a fuel cell problem. Primary payload was the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1). A quick turnaround in processing Columbia for the reflight was accomplished in part by the first reservicing of a primary payload, MSL-1, in the orbiter.

The crew maintained 24-hour/two-shift operations. Using the Spacelab module as a test-bed, MSL-1 tested some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that will be used on the International Space Station. The 33 investigations conducted also yielded new knowledge in the principal scientific fields of combustion, biotechnology and materials processing.

Combustion experiments resulted in the discovery of a new mechanism of flame extinction caused by radiation of soot, the ignition of the weakest flames (as low as one watt, or 1/50 the power of a birthday candle) ever burned in laboratory conditions in space or on Earth, as well as the longest burning flames in space (500 seconds). Although only 144 fires or combustion experiment runs were scheduled, more than 200 were completed. The combustion investigations provided valuable information for improved fire safety on future spacecraft and for development of cleaner, more efficient internal combustion engines.

Experiments processed in the Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility (TEMPUS) yielded the first measurements of specific heat and thermal expansion of glass-forming metallic alloys, and the highest temperature (a maximum of 2,000 degrees Centigrade) and largest undercooling (to 340 degrees C) ever achieved in space. These measurements are necessary for modeling industrial materials systems to manufacture new and better products.

The mission also produced progress in learning how to control and position liquid drops which could lead to improvements in chemical manufacturing, petroleum technology and the cosmetics and food industries. Crew performed over 100 test runs – more than double the number planned – in Middeck Glovebox Facility in areas of liquid and bubble behavior, fluids-based heat transfer devices and solid-liquid mixtures. Droplets of a hydrocarbon, heptane, were burned at the lowest atmospheric pressure achieved during a mission.

More than 700 crystals of various proteins were grown during the 16-day mission. Since crystals grow larger and purer in space, this research will help scientists to better understand their structures and to design more effective drugs to treat such diseases as cancer, diabetes and AIDS.

Samples in the Large Isothermal Furnace were processed to study the diffusion of tracers, or impurities, in melted germanium, an element used as a semiconductor and alloying agent. This was the first time diffusion in semiconductors has been studied in space.

The Astro/Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (AstroPGBA) studied the effect of microgravity on various plants, including a source of an antimalarial drug; another used in chemotherapy treatment of cancer; and a species widely used in the paper and lumber industries.

The Expedite the Processing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) Rack flew for the first time on MSL-1 (both the STS-83 and STS-94 missions) to demonstrate quick and easy installation of experiment and facility hardware on orbit. It will be used on the International Space Station.

The 25 primary experiments, four glovebox investigations and four accelerometer studies on MSL-1 were contributed by scientists from NASA, the European Space Agency, the German Space Agency and the National Space Development Agency of Japan. A record number of commands – more than 35,000 – were sent from Spacelab Mission Operations Control Center at Marshall Space Flight Center to MSL-1 experiments.

Mission: CRISTA-SPAS-02
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: August 7, 1997, 10:41:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: August 19, 1997, 7:07:59 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,792 feet
Rollout Time: 68 seconds
Revolution: 185
Mission Duration: 11 days, 19 hours, 18 minutes, 47 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Curtis L. Brown, Pilot Kent V. Rominger, Mission Specialists N. Jan Davis, Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Stephen K. Robinson, and Payload Specialist Bjarni V. Tryggvason.

Mission Highlights

STS-85 carried a complement of payloads in the cargo bay that focused on Mission to Planet Earth objectives as well as preparations for International Space Station assembly: the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-02); the Japanese Manipulator Flight Development (MFD); the Technology Applications and Science-01 (TAS-1) and the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-02 (IEH-02).

This was second flight of CRISTA-SPAS payload. CRISTA-SPAS-02 also represented the fourth mission in a cooperative venture between the German Space Agency (DARA) and NASA. Payload included three telescopes and four spectrometers, deployed on flight day one, to gather data about Earth's middle atmosphere. After more than 200 hours of free flight, CRISTA-SPAS was retrieved on Aug. 16. The three CRISTA telescopes collected 38 full atmospheric profiles of the middle atmosphere. A total of 22 sounding rockets and 40 balloons were launched to provide correlating data. Complementary instrument, the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) also performed well. Data from STS-85 and first CRISTA-SPAS flight, STS-66 in 1994, expected to yield new insight into distribution of ozone in Earth's atmosphere. Once science operations were complete, CRISTA-SPAS was used in a simulation exercise to prepare for first International Space Station (ISS) assembly flight, STS-88, with the payload being manipulated as if it were the Functional Cargo Block (FGB) that will be attached to ISS Node 1.

TAS-1 was a Hitchhiker payload carrying eight experiments designed to demonstrate faster, better, cheaper avionics and processes: Solar Constant Experiment (SOLCON), Infrared Spectral Imaging Radiometer (ISIR) and Shuttle Laster Altimeter (SLA), all part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program; and the Critical Viscosity of Xenon (CVX), Space Experiment Module (SEM); Two Phase Flow (TPF); Cryogenic Flight Experiment (CFE) and Stand Alone Acceleration Measurement Device and the Wide Band Stand Alone Acceleration Measurement Device (SAAMD/WBSAAMD). All the experiments were completed successfully.

MFD designed to evaluate use of the Small Fine Arm that will be part of the future Japanese Experiment Module's Remote Manipulator System on ISS. Despite some glitches, MFD completed a series of exercises by crew on orbit as well as operators on ground. Two unrelated Japanese experiments, Two-Phase Fluid Loop Experiment (TPFLEX) and Evaluation of Space Environment and Effects on Materials (ESEM), were mounted near the Small Fine Arm in the payload bay.

IEH-02 was flying a second time and consisted of four experiments, all of which performed well on-orbit: Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-2 (SEH); Ultraviolet Spectrography Telescope for Astronomical Research (UVSTAR); Distribution and Automation Technology Advancement - Colorado Hitchhiker and Student Experiment of Solar Radiation (DATA-CHASER); and Shuttle Glow Experiment-5 and -6, all with common objective to investigate solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) flux and EUV emissions of the Jupiter Io plasma torus system.

In-cabin payloads: Bioreactor Demonstration System-3 (BDS-3), a cell biology research payload which has flown previously. On this flight, BDS used for growing colon cancer cells to a larger size than can be achieved on Earth. Protein Crystal Growth - Single locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES); Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX); Shuttle Ionospheric Modification with Pulsed Local Exhaust (SIMPLEX); Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SWUIS), used to observe the Hale-Bopp comet; two Get Away Special (GAS) payloads; Biological Research in Canisters-10 (BRIC-10), one in a series of flights; and the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE).

Crew also worked with the Orbiter Space Vision System (OSVS), which will be used during ISS assembly. OSVS features series of dots strategically placed on various payload and vehicle stuctures that permit precise alignment and pointing capability.

Orbiter performance was nominal throughout the mission.

Mission: Seventh Shuttle-Mir Docking
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: September 25, 1997, 10:34:19 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: October 6, 1997, 5:55:09 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 11,947 feet
Rollout Time: 82 seconds
Revolution: 170
Mission Duration: 10 days, 19 hours, 20 minutes, 50 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 184 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.7 million

Crew Members

Commander James D. Wetherbee, Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield, Mission Specialists Vladimar G. Titov, Scott E. Parazynski, Jean-Loup J. M. Chretien, Wendy B. Lawrence and David A. Wolf.

Launch Highlights

On-time liftoff occurred after final approval for flight to Mir given earlier in the day by NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, following his review of independent and internal safety assessments regarding safety of Mir and Shuttle-Mir missions. The reviews included assessments conducted routinely prior to Shuttle-Mir dockings and two independent studies prompted by a spate of problems on the station, including a fire (STS-84) and a collision (STS-86).

Mission Highlights

The seventh Mir docking mission continued the presence of a U.S. astronaut on the Russian space station with the transfer of physician David A. Wolf to Mir. Wolf became the sixth U.S. astronaut in succession to live on Mir to continue Phase 1B of the NASA/Russian Space agency cooperative effort.

Foale returned to Earth after spending 145 days in space, 134 of them aboard Mir. His estimated mileage logged was 58 million miles (93 million kilometers), making his the second longest U.S. space flight, behind Shannon Lucid's record of 188 days. His stay was marred by a collision June 25 between a Progress resupply vehicle and the station's Spektr module, damaging a radiator and one of four solar arrays on Spektr. The mishap occurred while Mir 23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev was guiding the Progress capsule to a manual docking and depressurized the station. The crew sealed the hatch to the leaking Spektr module, leaving inside Foale's personal effects and several NASA science experiments, and repressurized the remaining modules.

An internal space walk by Tsibliev and Mir 23 Flight Engineer Alexander Lazutkin was planned to reconnect power cables to the three undamaged solar arrays, but during a routine medical exam July 13 Tsibliev was found to have an irregular heartbeat. Foale then began training for the space walk, but during one of the training exercises a power cable was inadvertently disconnected, leaving the station without power. On July 21, it was announced that the internal space walk would not be conducted by the Mir 23 crew but their successors on Mir 24. On July 30, NASA announced that Wendy Lawrence, originally assigned to succeed Foale on Mir, was being replaced by Wolf. The change was deemed necessary to allow Wolf to act as a backup crew member for the space walks planned over the next several months to repair Spektr. Unlike Wolf, Lawrence could not fit in the Orlan suit that is used for Russian space walks and she did not undergo space walk training.

Following their arrival at the station Aug. 7, Mir 24 Commander Antaoly Solovyev and Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov conducted the internal space walk inside the depressurized Spektr module Aug. 22, reconnecting 11 power cables from the Spektr's solar arrays to a new custom-made hatch for the Spektr. During the space walk, Foale remained inside the Soyuz capsule attached to Mir, in constant communication with the cosmonauts as well as ground controllers.

On Sept. 5, Foale and Solovyev conducted a six-hour external extravehicular activity to survey damage outside Spektr and to try and pinpoint where the breach of the module's hull occurred. Two undamaged arrays were manually repositioned to better gather solar energy, and a radiation device left previously by Jerry Linenger was retrieved.

Docking of Atlantis and Mir took place at 3:58 p.m. EDT, Sept. 27, with the two mission commanders opening the spacecraft hatches at 5:45 p.m. Wolf officially joined the Mir 24 at noon EDT, Sept. 28. At the same time, Foale became a member of the STS-86 crew and began moving his personal belongings back into Atlantis. Wolf will be replaced by the seventh and last U.S. astronaut to transfer to Mir, Andrew S. W. Thomas, when the orbiter Endeavour docks with the Russian space station during the STS-89 mission in January 1998.

First joint U.S.-Russian extravehicular activity during a shuttle mission, which was also the 39th in the space shuttle program, was conducted by Titov and Parazynski. During the five-hour, one-minute space walk on Oct. 1, the pair affixed a 121-pound Solar Array Cap to the docking module for future use by Mir crew members to seal off the suspected leak in Spektr's hull. Parazynski and Titov also retrieved four Mir Environmental Effects Payloads (MEEPS) from the outside of Mir and tested several components of the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) jet packs. The space walk began at 1:29 p.m. EDT and ended at 6:30 p.m.

During the six days of docked operations, the joint Mir 24 and STS-86 crews transferred more than four tons of material from the SPACEHAB Double Module to Mir, including approximately 1,700 pounds of water, experiment hardware for International Space Station Risk Mitigation experiments to monitor the Mir for crew health and safety, a gyrodyne, batteries, three air pressurization units with breathing air, an attitude control computer and many other logistics items. The new motion control computer replaced one that had experienced problems in recent months. The crew also moved experiment samples and hardware and an old Elektron oxygen generator to Atlantis for return to Earth. Undocking took place at 1:28 p.m. EDT, Oct 3. After undocking, Atlantis performed a 46-minute flyaround visual inspection of Mir. During this maneuver, Solovyev and Vinogradov opened a pressure regulation valve to allow air into the Spektr module to see if STS-89 crew members could detect seepage or debris particles that could indicate the location of the breach in the damaged module's hull.

During the flight, Wetherbee and Bloomfield fired small jet thrusters on Atlantis to provide data for the Mir Structural Dynamics Experiment (MISDE), which measures disturbances to space station components and its solar arrays. Other experiments conducted during the mission were the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth investigation; the Cell Culture Module Experiment (CCM-A), the Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM) and the Radiation Monitoring Experiment-III (RME-III); the Shuttle Ionospheric Modification with Pulsed Local Exhaust (SIMPLE) experiment; and the Midcourse Space Experiment. Two NASA educational outreach programs were also conducted, Seeds in Space-II and Kidsat.

Orbiter performance was nominal.

Mission: USMP-4; Spartan 201-04
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: November 19, 1997, 2:46:00 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: December 5, 1997, 7:20:04 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 8,047 feet
Rollout Time: 57 seconds
Revolution: 252
Mission Duration: 15 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes, 4 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 150 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 6.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, Takao Doi and Leonid K. Kadenyuk.

Launch Highlights

Eighth shuttle flight of 1997 - first time since 1992 eight flights were conducted in one year. Sixth on-time liftoff in '97, and all eight flights launched on day set in Flight Readiness Review. First use of Pad 39B since January following completion of extensive modifications to pad structures.

Mission Highlights

Primary payload of the flight, the U.S. Microgravity Payload-4, performed well. Research using other major payload, SPARTAN-201-04 free-flyer, was not completed.

SPARTAN deploy delayed one day to Nov. 21 to allow time for companion spacecraft, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) already on-orbit, to come back on-line. Chawla used orbiter's mechanical arm to release SPARTAN at 4:04 p.m. Spacecraft failed to execute a pirouette maneuver several minutes later, suggesting there was a problem with the attitude control system for fine pointing toward solar targets. Chawla then regrappled the SPARTAN, but did not receive a firm capture indication. When she backed the arm away once more, a rotational spin of about two degrees per second was apparently imparted to the satellite. Kregel tried to match the satellite's rotation by firing Columbia's thrusters for a second grapple attempt, but this was called off by the flight director.

After a plan was formulated to retrieve the free-flyer, Scott and Doi began a seven-hour, 43-minute space walk Nov. 24 and captured the SPARTAN by hand at 9:09 p.m. EST. The two astronauts then completed a series of activities that continue preparations for on-orbit assembly of the International Space Station. Doi became the first Japanese citizen to walk in space.

USMP-4 research deemed to be highly successful. This fourth flight of the U.S. Microgravity Payload focused on materials science, combustion science and fundamental physics. Experiments included the Advanced Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (AADSF); Confined Helium Experiment (CHeX); Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE); Materials for the Study of Interesting Phenomena of Solidification on Earth and in Orbit (MEPHISTO); Microgravity Glovebox Facility (MGBX), featuring several experiments: the Enclosed Laminar Flames (ELF), Wetting Characteristics of Immiscibles (WCI) and Particle Engulfment and Pushing by a Solid/Liquid Interface (PEP); Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS); and Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE). Highlights included fastest dedritic growth rate ever measured and highest level of supercooling ever obtained for pivalic acid, a transparent material used by researchers to model metals, in IDGE. With CHeX, the most precise temperature measurement ever made in space was achieved.

With MEPHISTO, researchers were able to separate for first time two separate processes of solidification. They were also able to measure the speed of smooth crystal growth. With AADSF, like MEPHISTO featuring a furnace, allowed growth of large, near-perfect crystals of various types of semiconductor materials, as well as an exceptionally uniform crystal of mercury-cadmium-telluride.

PEP experiment, conducted with the Glovebox facility, examined the solidification of liquid metal alloys. For first time, researchers observed large clusters of particles being pushed, forcing them to reassess theories for how alloys solidify. ELF, another Glovebox experiment, established first probability chart for flame stabilization in microgravity. This was mission's only combustion experiment. It focused on laminar gas flows, a key phenomenon in the combustion process. Data gathered on-orbit should help refine computer simulations studying aircraft engine safety and furnace efficiency.

Other payloads: Get Away Special canister containing four experiments; the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment (CUE), featuring a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments in the middeck; and several Hitchhiker payloads in the payload bay.

Orbiter performance was nominal throughout the mission.

Mission: Eighth Shuttle-Mir Docking
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: January 22, 1998, 9:48:15 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: January 31, 1998, 5:35:09 p.m. EST
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 9,790 feet
Rollout Time: 70 seconds
Revolution: 139
Mission Duration: 8 days, 19 hours, 46 minutes, 54 seconds

Crew Members

Commander Terrence W. Wilcutt, Pilot Joe F. Edwards, Jr., Payload Commander Bonnie J. Dunbar, Mission Specialists Michael P. Anderson, James F. Reilly, Salizhan Shakirovich Sharipov and Andrew S. W. Thomas.

Launch Highlights

Endeavour returned to space after completing its first Orbiter Maintenance Down Period, becoming first orbiter other than Atlantis to dock with Mir. On May 22, 1997, mission managers announced Endeavour would fly STS-89 instead of Discovery. Launch originally targeted for Jan. 15, 1998, changed first to no earlier than Jan. 20 and then Jan. 22, per request from the Russian space program to allow completion of activities on Mir. First launch overseen by one of two new rotational launch directors, Dave King, following retirement of veteran Launch Director Jim Harrington.

Mission Highlights

Docking of Endeavour to Mir occurred at 3:14 p.m., Jan. 24, at an altitude of 214 nautical miles. Hatches opened at 5:25 p.m. the same day. Transfer of Andy Thomas to Mir and return of David Wolf to the U.S. orbiter occurred at 6:35 p.m., Jan. 25. Initially, Thomas thought his Sokol pressure suit did not fit, and the crew exchange was allowed to proceed only after Wolf's suit was adjusted to fit Thomas. Once on Mir, Thomas was able to make adequate adjustments to his own suit (which would be worn should the crew need to return to Earth in the Soyuz capsule) and this remained on Mir with him. Wolf spent a total of 119 days aboard Mir, and after landing his total on-orbit time was 128 days.

Hatches between the spacecraft closed at 5:34 p.m., Jan. 28, and two spacecraft undocked at 11:57 a.m., Jan. 29. More than 8,000 pounds (3,629 kilograms) of scientific equipment, logistical hardware and water were taken from Endeavour to Mir.

On Jan. 31, a new crew docked with Mir to begin a three-week handover. Thomas and his Mir 24 crewmates, Commander Anatoly Solvyev and Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov, greeted Mir 25 Commander Talgat Musabayev, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and French researcher Leopold Eyharts following a soft docking on Jan. 31, just hours before the STS-89 crew touched down in Florida. Eyharts was to return to Earth Feb. 19 with the two Mir 24 cosmonauts, leaving Thomas, Musabayev and Budarin on Mir. Thomas, the last U.S. astronaut assigned to complete a lengthy stay on Mir, will return to Earth after a four-month stay as Phase I activities draw to a close.

Mission: Final Spacelab Mission
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: April 17, 1998, 2:19:00 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: May 3, 1998, 12:08:59 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,998 feet
Rollout Time: 58 seconds
Revolution: 256
Mission Duration: 15 days, 21 hours, 50 minutes, 58 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 150 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 39 degrees
Miles Traveled: 6.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Richard A. Searfoss, Pilot Scott D. Altman, Mission Specialists Richard M. Linnehan, Dafydd Rhys Williams, Kathryn P. Hire, Payload Specialists Dr. Jay C. Buckey, Jr. and Dr. James A. Pawelczyk.

Launch Highlights

The launch was postponed on April 16 for 24 hours due to difficulty with one of Columbia's two network signal processors, which format data and voice communications between the ground and the space shuttle. The network signal processor 2 was replaced, and liftoff on April 17 occurred on time.

Mission Highlights

Neurolab's 26 experiments targeted one of the most complex and least understood parts of the human body -- the nervous system. The primary goals were to conduct basic research in neurosciences and expand understanding of how the nervous system develops and functions in space. Test subjects were crew members and rats, mice, crickets, snails and two kinds of fish. This was a cooperative effort of NASA, several domestic partners and the space agencies of Canada (CSA), France (CNES) and Germany (DARA), as well as the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). Most experiments were conducted in the pressurized Spacelab long module located in Columbia's payload bay. This was the 16th and last scheduled flight of the ESA-developed Spacelab module although the Spacelab pallets will continue to be used on the International Space Station. Read more about the Neurolab Spacelab Mission findings in this book.

Research was conducted as planned, with the exception of the Mammalian Development Team, which had to reprioritize science activities because of the unexpected high mortality rate of neonatal rats on board.

Other payloads included the Shuttle Vibration Forces experiment, the Bioreactor Demonstration System-04, and three Get-Away Special (GAS) canister investigations.

Working with engineers on the ground a week into the flight, the on-orbit crew used aluminum tape to bypass a suspect valve in the Regenerative Carbon Dioxide Removal System that had threatened to cut short the mission.

Mission Management Team considered, but decided against, extending the mission one day because the science community indicated an extended flight was not necessary and weather conditions were expected to deteriorate after planned landing on Sunday, May 3.

STS-90 Mission Specialist Kay Hire was Kennedy Space Center's first employee to be chosen as an astronaut candidate.

Mission: Ninth and Final Shuttle-Mir Docking
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: June 2, 1998, 6:06:24 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: June 12 1998, 2:00:18 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 11,730 feet
Rollout Time: 64 seconds
Revolution: 155
Mission Duration: 9 days, 19 hours, 54 minutes, 2 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 150 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Charles J. Precourt, Pilot Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie, Mission Specialists Wendy B. Lawrence, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Janet L. Kavandi and Valery Victorovitch Ryumin.

Launch Highlights

The countdown proceeded smoothly except for a slight delay in operations to load the external tank with cryogenic propellant to evaluate a few technical issues. As planned, launch managers determined the exact orbital location of the Mir space station during the countdown's T-9-minute built-in hold. The decision was then made to launch Discovery at 6:06 p.m. to achieve optimum shuttle system performance and to accommodate Shuttle-Mir rendezvous activities.

Mission Highlights

Docking of Discovery to Mir, the first for that orbiter, occurred at 12:58 p.m., June 4, at an altitude of 208 miles. Hatches opened at 2:34 p.m. the same day. At hatch opening, Andy Thomas officially became a member of Discovery's crew, completing 130 days of living and working on Mir. The transfer wrapped up a total of 907 days spent by seven U.S. astronauts aboard the Russian space station as long-duration crew members. During the next four days, the Mir 25 and STS-91 crews transferred more than 1,100 pounds of water, and almost 4,700 pounds of cargo experiments and supplies were exchanged between the two spacecraft. During this time, long-term U.S. experiments aboard the Mir were moved into Discovery’s middeck locker area and the SPACEHAB single module in the orbiter's payload bay, including the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) and the tissue engineering co-culture (COCULT) investigations, as well as two crystal growth experiments. The crews also conducted Risk Mitigation Experiments (RMEs) and Human Life Sciences (HLS) investigations. When the hatches closed for undocking at 9:07 a.m., June 8, and the spacecraft separated at 12:01 p.m. that day, the final Shuttle-Mir docking mission was concluded and Phase 1 of the International Space Station (ISS) program came to an end.

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) flew for the first time on this mission. The AMS, designed to look for dark and missing matter in the universe, was powered up on Flight Day 1. Data originally planned to be sent to ground stations through Discovery's KU-band communications system was recorded onboard because of a problem with the KU-band system that prevented it from sending high-rate communications, including television signals, to the ground. The system was able to receive uplink transmissions. On June 3 the crew was able to set up a bypass system that allowed AMS data to be downlinked via S-band/FM communications when the orbiter came within range of a ground station. Data that could not be recorded by ground stations was recorded onboard throughout the mission.

The KU-band system failure was determined to be located in a component that was not accessible to the crew. The failure prevented television transmission throughout the mission. Television broadcasts from Mir were prevented by a problem between a Russian ground station and the mission control center outside of Moscow, limiting communications to audio only on NASA television.

Other experiments conducted by the shuttle crew during the mission included a checkout of the orbiter's robot arm to evaluate new electronics and software and the Orbiter Space Vision System for use during assembly missions for the ISS. Also onboard in the payload bay were eight Get Away-Special experiments, while combustion, crystal growth and radiation monitoring experiments were conducted in Discovery's middeck crew cabin area.

Mission: John Glenn's Flight; SPACEHAB
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: October 29, 1998, 2:19:34 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: November 7, 1998, 12:04:00 p.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,508 feet
Rollout Time: 59 seconds
Revolution: 134
Mission Duration: 9 days, 19 hours, 54 minutes, 2 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 310 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.6 million

Crew Members

Commander Curtis L. Brown, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Scott E. Parazynski, Stephen K. Robinson, Pedro Duque, Payload Specialists Chiaki Mukai and John H. Glenn.

Launch Highlights

At 12:30 p.m., the hatch was closed with crew inside the space shuttle Discovery, just as President Bill Clinton's Air Force One plane touched down at the Cape Canaveral Air Station skid strip. The countdown proceeded to T-9 minutes, but was held an additional 8.5 minutes while the launch team discussed the status of a master alarm heard during cabin leak checks after hatch closure. Once the count picked up and the Orbiter Access Arm was retracted, the Range Safety Officer (RSO) requested a hold at T-5 minutes due to aircraft in the restricted air space around KSC. Once the aircraft cleared the area, the RSO gave the all clear signal and the countdown proceeded. Following main engine start, but prior to booster ignition, the drag chute compartment door fell off, but posed no problem for the mission. Managers decided not to deploy the chute upon landing.

Mission Highlights

The primary objectives of STS-95 included conducting a variety of science experiments in the pressurized SPACEHAB module, the deployment and retrieval of the Spartan free-flyer payload, and operations with the Hubble Space Telescope Orbiting Systems Test (HOST) and the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker payloads being carried in the payload bay. The scientific research mission also returned space pioneer John Glenn to orbit - 36 years, eight months and nine days after he became the first American to orbit the Earth.

A slate of more than 80 experiments filled the nearly nine days in space. In addition to a variety of medical and material research, the crew released the Petite Amateur Naval Satellite, or PANSAT, to test innovative technologies to capture and transmit radio signals that normally would be lost because the original signals were too weak or contained too much interference. The crew also released the Spartan free-flying satellite to study the sun and the solar wind in a research effort to help scientists better understand a phenomenon that sometimes can cause widespread disruptions of communications and power supplies on Earth.

Medical research during the mission included a battery of tests on Payload Specialist Glenn and Mission Specialist Pedro Duque to further research how the absence of gravity affects balance and perception, immune system response, bone and muscle density, metabolism and blood flow, and sleep.

The Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Test provided an on-orbit test bed for hardware that will be used during the third Hubble servicing mission.

Mission: First International Space Station Flight
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: December 4, 1998, 3:35:34.075 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: December 15, 1998, 10:53:29 p.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 8,343 feet
Rollout Time: 44 seconds
Revolution: 186
Mission Duration: 11 days, 19 hours, 18 minutes
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Robert D. Cabana, Pilot Frederick W. Sturckow, Mission Specialists Nancy J. Currie, Jerry L. Ross, James H. Newman and Sergei K. Krikalev.

Launch Highlights

The originally scheduled launch of Endeavour on Dec. 3 was postponed for 24 hours when time ran out on the launch window. About T-4 minutes in the launch countdown, after the orbiter hydraulic systems were powered on, a master alarm associated with hydraulic system number 1 in the crew cabin was noted. The countdown was held at T-31 seconds to further assess the situation. Shuttle system engineers attempted to quickly complete an assessment of the suspect hydraulic system and eventually gave an initial "go" to resume the countdown. With only seconds to respond, launch controllers were unable to resume the countdown in time to launch within the allotted remaining window. The launch was completed on time on Dec. 4.

Mission Highlights

During the 12-day mission to begin assembly of the International Space Station (ISS), all objectives were met. On Dec. 5, the 12.8-ton Unity connecting module was first connected to Endeavour's docking system; on Dec. 6, using the 50-foot-long robot arm, the Zarya control module was captured from orbit and mated to Unity; and astronauts Ross and Newman conducted three space walks to attach cables, connectors and hand rails. The two modules were powered up after the astronauts' entry.

Other EVA objectives were met as Ross and Newman tested a Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) unit, a self-rescue device should a space walker become separated from the spacecraft during an EVA; nudged two undeployed antennas on Zarya into position; removed launch restraint pins on Unity's four hatchways for mating future additions of station modules and truss structures; installed a sunshade over Unity's two data relay boxes to protect them against harsh sunlight; stowed a tool bag on Unity and disconnected umbilicals used for the mating procedure with Zarya; installed a handrail on Zarya; and made a detailed photographic survey of the station.

Astronauts completed assembly of an early S-band communications system that allows flight controllers in Houston to send commands to Unity's systems and keep tabs on the health of the station, plus conducted a successful test of the videoconferencing capability of the early communications system which the first permanent crew will use. Krikalev and Currie also replaced a faulty unit in Zarya.

A new spacewalk record was established as Ross completed his seventh walk, totaling 44 hours, nine minutes. Newman moved into third place with four walks totaling 28 hours, 27 minutes.

Significant dates and times of the mission: Unity and Zarya were successfully engaged at 9:48 p.m., Dec. 6, and Unity came to life at 10:49 p.m., Dec. 7. At 2:54 p.m., Dec. 10, Cabana and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev floated into the new station together, followed by the rest of the crew; at 4:12 p.m., Cabana and Krikalev opened the hatch to Zarya and entered; at 5:41 p.m., Dec. 11, Cabana and Krikalev closed the hatch to Zarya, and at 7:26 p.m., they closed the door to Unity. ISS flew free at 3:25 p.m., Dec. 13, as Pilot Rick Sturckow separated Endeavour from the station.

Secondary objectives that were met were the successful deployment of the shuttle's KU-band antenna and the Hitchhiker payload, including the MightySat and SAC-A satellites.

Problem areas/unexpected events: When the Unity-Zarya fittings would not align properly, it was necessary for the robot arm to ungrapple Zarya. In addition, several construction items (slidewire carrier, worksite interface socket, retractable tether, trunnion pin cover) floated away from the orbiter; some floodlights failed during EVA; an incompatible connection was found between the activated carbon ion exchange and the hose assembly, but repaired; a camera on the Orbiter Space Vision System experienced binding during fast-rate operation, but could be used for slow-rate; and uncertainties surfaced about the unexpected depletion of the SAFER propellant, gaseous nitrogen.

Mission: Second International Space Station Flight
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: May 27, 1999, 6:49:42 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: June 6, 1999, 2:02:43 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 8,866 feet
Rollout Time: 56 seconds
Revolution: 154
Mission Duration: 9 days, 19 hours, 13 minutes, 57 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Kent V. Rominger, Pilot Rick D. Husband, Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara E. Jernigan, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette and Valery Ivanovich Tokarev.

Launch Highlights

The originally scheduled launch of Discovery on May 20 was postponed because of hail damage sustained May 8 by the external tank while on the pad. It was determined that some of the tank's foam insulation could not be reached for repairs with the orbiter on the pad. The orbiter was returned to the VAB, and inspections revealed more than 650 divots in the tank's outer foam. Workers repaired about 460 critical divots over four days to minimize ice formation prior to launch. The countdown proceeded smoothly, with the only concern the presence of a sailboat in the solid rocket booster recovery area. As planned, launch managers determined the exact orbital location of the International Space Station during the countdown's T-9-minute built-in hold. The decision was then made to launch Discovery at 6:49 a.m. EDT to achieve optimum shuttle system performance and to accommodate shuttle-space station docking activities.

Mission Highlights

All major objectives were accomplished during the mission. On May 29, Discovery made the first docking to the International Space Station (ISS). Rominger eased the shuttle to a textbook linkup with Unity's Pressurized Mating Adapter #2 as the orbiter and the ISS flew over the Russian-Kazakh border.

The 45th space walk in space shuttle history and the fourth of the ISS era lasted 7 hours and 55 minutes, making it the second-longest ever conducted. Jernigan and Barry transferred a U.S.-built crane called the orbital transfer device, and parts of the Russian crane Strela from the shuttle's payload bay and attached them to locations on the outside of the station. The astronauts also installed two new portable foot restraints that will fit both American and Russian space boots, and attached three bags filled with tools and handrails that will be used during future assembly operations. The cranes and tools fastened to the outside of the station totaled 662 pounds.

Once those primary tasks were accomplished, Jernigan and Barry installed an insulating cover on a trunnion pin on the Unity module, documented painted surfaces on both the Unity and Zarya modules, and inspected one of two Early Communications System (E-Com) antennas on the Unity.

During the incursion inside the ISS, Barry and Husband replaced a power distribution unit and transceiver for E-Com in the Unity module, restoring that system to its full capability. Payette and Tokarev replaced 18 battery recharge controllers in the Russian-built Zarya module, and Barry and Tokarev also installed a series of "mufflers" over fans inside Zarya to reduce noise levels in that module. The mufflers caused some air circulating duct work to collapse, and Rominger sent down a video inspection of the mufflers.

The crew transferred 3,567 pounds of material – including clothing, sleeping bags, spare parts, medical equipment, supplies, hardware and about 84 gallons of water – to the interior of the station. The astronauts also installed parts of a wireless strain gauge system that will help engineers track the effects of adding modules to the station throughout its assembly, cleaning filters and checking smoke detectors. Eighteen items weighing 197 pounds were moved from the station to Discovery for a return to Earth.

The astronauts spent a total of 79 hours, 30 minutes inside the station before closing the final hatch on the orbiting outpost. Rominger and Husband commanded a series of 17 pulses of Discovery's reaction control system jets to boost the station to an orbit of approximately 246 by 241 statute miles. After spending 5 days, 18 hours and 17 minutes linked to the station, Discovery undocked at 6:39 p.m. EDT as Husband fired Discovery's jets to move to a distance of about 400 feet for 2 1/2 lap flyaround. The crew used the flyaround to make a detailed photographic record of the ISS.

After the flyaround, mission specialist Payette deployed the STARSHINE satellite from the orbiter's cargo bay. The spherical, reflective object entered an orbit two miles below Discovery. The small probe became instantly visible from Earth as part of a project allowing more than 25,000 students from 18 countries to track its progress.

Other payloads included the Shuttle Vibration Forces experiment and the Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring HEDS Technology Demonstration.

Mission: Chandra X-Ray Observatory
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: July 23, 1999, 12:31:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: July 27, 1999, 11:20:37 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 6,851 feet
Rollout Time: 43 seconds
Revolution: 80
Mission Duration: 4 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes, 37 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 153 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.4 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialists Steven A. Hawley, Catherine G. Coleman and Michel Tognini.

Launch Highlights

The originally scheduled launch on July 20 was scrubbed at about the T-7 second mark in the countdown. Following a virtually flawless countdown, the orbiter's hazardous gas detection system indicated a 640 ppm concentration of hydrogen in Columbia's aft engine compartment, more than double the allowable amount. System engineers in KSC's Firing Room No. 1 noted the indication and initiated a manual cutoff of the ground launch sequencer less than one-half second before the shuttle's three main engines would have started. Following preliminary system and data evaluation, launch managers determined the hydrogen concentration indication was false. A second launch attempt 48 hours later was scrubbed due to weather at KSC. A 24-hour turnaround was initiated and the third launch attempt succeeded with Columbia lifting off the pad on July 23.

During the countdown for launch on the third attempt, a communications problem occurred that resulted in the loss of the forward link to Columbia. The problem was corrected at the Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) ground facility and communications was restored. As a result of this problem, the time of the planned launch was slipped seven minutes to 12:31 a.m. EDT on July 23.

About 5 seconds after liftoff, flight controllers noted a voltage drop on one of the shuttle's electrical buses. Because of this voltage drop, one of two redundant main engine controllers on two of the three engines shut down. The redundant controllers on those two engines -- center and right main engines -- functioned normally, allowing them to fully support Columbia's climb to orbit.

The orbit attained, however, was 7 miles short of that originally projected due to premature main engine cutoff an instant before the scheduled cutoff. This problem was eventually traced to a hydrogen leak in the No. 3 main engine nozzle. The leak was caused when a liquid oxygen post pin came out of the main injector during main engine ignition, striking the hotwall of the nozzle and rupturing three liquid hydrogen coolant tubes.

The orbiter eventually attained its proper altitude and successfully deployed the Chandra X-ray Observatory into its desired orbit.

Mission Highlights

STS-93 was the first mission in space shuttle history to be commanded by a woman, Eileen Collins. This was the shortest scheduled mission since 1990.

On the first day of the scheduled five-day mission, the Chandra X-ray Observatory was deployed from Columbia's payload bay. Chandra's two-stage Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propelled the observatory into a transfer orbit of 205 miles by 44,759 miles in altitude.

Following the second IUS burn, Chandra's solar arrays were deployed and the IUS separated from the observatory as planned.

During the rest of the mission secondary payloads and experiments were activated. The Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SWUIS) was used aboard Columbia to capture ultraviolet imagery of Earth, the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter.

Astronauts monitored several plant growth experiments and collected data from a biological cell culture experiment. They used the exercise treadmill and the Treadmill Vibration Information System to measure vibrations and changes in microgravity levels caused by on-orbit workouts. High Definition Television equipment was tested for future use on both the shuttle and the International Space Station to conform to evolving broadcasting industry standards for television products.

Mission: Third Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: December 19, 1999, 7:50:00 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: December 27, 1999, 7:01:34 p.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 7,005 feet
Rollout Time: 47 seconds
Revolution: 119
Mission Duration: 7 days, 23 hours, 10 minutes, 47 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 317 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.2 million

Crew Members

Commander Curtis L. Brown, Pilot Scott J. Kelly, Mission Specialists Steven L. Smith, C. Michael Foale, John M. Grunsfield, Claude Nicollier and Jean-Francois Clervoy.

Launch Highlights

Discovery faced nine delays and scrubs, some mechanical and some due to the weather, before launching successfully.

Before facing those postponements, the third Hubble space shuttle servicing mission had been advanced in the mission schedule. The servicing mission was originally scheduled for June 2000, but when the third of Hubble's six gyroscopes failed, the mission was split into two separate missions. The first mission, STS-103, was scheduled for Oct. 14 with the second mission to follow in 2001. (Hubble needs at least three of its six gyroscopes to be functioning to enable the telescope to point precisely at distant astronomical targets for scientific observation.)

In mid-August shuttle managers decided to extend wiring inspections and maintenance across the shuttle fleet after wiring problems were detected aboard Columbia. That orbiter was inspected and determined to have wiring problems after an irregularity occurred during the launch of STS-93 on July 23, 1999. Following inspections of Discovery, a new target launch date of no earlier than Oct. 28 was announced (first launch delay).

Because of the amount of wiring repairs needed, the planning date was shifted to no earlier than Nov. 19 (second delay). Shuttle managers decided to preserve the option to launch either STS-103 or STS-99, the Space Radar Topography Mission, first.

On Nov. 13, a fourth gyroscope on Hubble failed and the observatory was put into "safe mode," a state of dormancy in which the telescope aims itself constantly at the sun to provide electrical power to its systems.

As repairs to Discovery came to a close, launch was targeted for Dec. 2. The launched date was put under review after a half-inch-long drill bit was discovered to be lodged in main engine No. 3. A new launch date of Dec. 6 was set (third delay). Rollout to the pad proceeded and Discovery's main engine No. 3 was replaced while the orbiter was on the pad.

After Discovery reached the pad, additional damaged wiring, which was found in an umbilical between the orbiter and the external tank, was detected and a new launch date of Dec. 9 was set to allow for repair and testing (fourth delay). The launch was then reset to Dec. 11 (fifth delay). The new target date allowed KSC workers to observe the Thanksgiving holiday.

The mission was again put on hold after a dented main propulsion system line which carries liquid hydrogen fuel for the shuttle main engines was found during closeout inspections of Discovery's engine compartment. A new target date of no earlier than December 16 was set (sixth delay).

By Dec. 13, workers at Launch Pad 39B had completed inspections and leak checks on shuttle Discovery's replaced liquid hydrogen recirculation line that was replaced and the target date confirmed to be Dec. 16.

On Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1999, the launch countdown for STS-103 began on schedule at 1:30 a.m. Later that day during routine inspections of the external tank's pressure lines, a suspect weld was detected. To ensure that the proper welding materials and procedures were used, a thorough review of process and paperwork used during the fabrication of the lines was conducted. It was determined that the same manufacturer performed welds on the 17-inch propellant feed lines and struts in the AFT engine compartment when Discovery was constructed. A 24-hour delay was called to give the shuttle team time to review the manufacturing inspection records for those lines as well. It was determined the welds were correctly made and the launch was rescheduled to Dec. 17 (seventh delay).

On Dec. 17, with an 80 percent chance of unfavorable weather, external tank cyrogenic loading was started at 11:29 a.m. EST. Tanking operations were complete at 3:00 p.m. EST. The launch countdown proceeded to the T-minus 9 minute mark and held due to weather constraints. At 8:52 p.m. EST the launch director scrubbed the launch due to violations of weather launch commit criteria and the launch was rescheduled to Dec. 18 (eighth delay).

Due to the prediction of poor weather on Dec. 18, the mission management team decided to preserve a launch option and rescheduled Discovery's launch from Dec. 18 to Dec. 19 at 7:50 p.m. EST (ninth delay). On Dec. 19, 1999, the weather outlook was favorable, so shuttle managers decided to proceed with the STS-103 launch countdown. The shuttle launched on time at the beginning of the 42 minute window. To ensure that all flight and ground systems were secured for the transition to Year 2000, the mission was shortened from 10 days to 8 days.

Mission Highlights

STS-103 restored the Hubble Space Telescope to working order and upgraded some of its systems, allowing the decade-old observatory to get ready to begin its second scheduled decade of astronomical observations.

The first few days of the 8-day mission, the crew prepared for the rendezvous and capture of the Hubble Space Telescope and the three maintenance spacewalks to follow. After a 30-orbit chase Commander Brown and Kelly maneuvered the orbiter to a point directly beneath Hubble, then moved upward toward it. Mission Specialist Clervoy grappled Hubble using the orbiter's robotic arm and placed it on the Flight Support System in the rear of Discovery's cargo bay.

EVA No. 1: Mission Specialists Steven Smith and John Grunsfeld conducted the mission's first spacewalk. The two made numerous repairs, including replacing the telescope's three Rate Sensor Units -- each containing two gyroscopes. They also installed six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits between Hubble's solar panels and its six 10-year-old batteries. The kits, the size of cell telephones, were designed to prevent any overheating or overcharging of those batteries. A few minor objectives were left undone, such as taking close-up photos of the Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits. The 8-hour, 15-minute space walk was second to the longest space walk from Endeavour on STS-49 in May 1992. A few minor problems helped account for the length of the space walk. The astronauts had difficulty in removing one of the old RSUs, and opening valves and removing caps on the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer. The tasks were eventually completed.

EVA No. 2: During the mission's second space walk, Mission Specialists Michael Foale and Claude Nicollier installed a new advanced computer -- 20 times faster than Hubble's old one -- and a new, 550-pound fine guidance sensor. This 8-hour, 10 minute space walk was the third longest in history. With all major activities accomplished, controllers reported that power was reaching both of the new pieces of equipment. "The brains of Hubble have been replaced," said Mission Specialist Grunsfeld. About 30 minutes later, Hubble began thinking with those new brains.

EVA No. 3: Smith and Grunsfeld again teamed up to make the mission's third and final space walk. Like the first two, it also lasted more than 8 hours, making it the fourth longest in history. The team installed a transmitter that sends scientific data from Hubble to the ground. It replaced one that failed in 1998. The astronauts used special tools developed for the task because transmitters, usually very reliable, were not designed to be replaced in orbit. Smith and Grunsfeld also installed a solid state digital recorder, replacing an older mechanical reel-to-reel recorder.

Hubble was released from Discovery's cargo bay on Christmas Day.

Mission STS-103 is the third time in the U.S. Space Program that a crew has spent Christmas in space.

Mission: Shuttle Radar Topography Mission
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: February 11, 2000, 12:43:40 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: February 22, 2000, 6:22:23 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,943 feet
Rollout Time: 62 seconds
Revolution: 181
Mission Duration: 11 days, 5 hours, 38 minutes 41 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 126 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie, Mission Specialists Janet L. Kavandi, Janice E. Voss, Mamoru Mohri and Gerhard P. J. Thiele.

Launch Highlights

STS-99 faced a series of launch delays and one scrub before launching successfully. The mission was originally scheduled to fly on Sept. 16, 1999. But in mid-August, the launch date was postponed until October because of wiring concerns throughout the shuttle fleet. With so much of Endeavour's wiring requiring inspection, the target date for launch was shifted to no earlier than Nov. 19. Shuttle managers later decided to preserve the option to launch either STS-99, or STS-103, the third Hubble Servicing Mission, first. It was decided in October that STS-103 would fly first, and the launch of STS-99 was set for Jan. 13, 2000. In December that date came under review, and a new launch date of no earlier than Jan. 31 was set.

The scheduled launch on Jan. 31, 2000, was scrubbed because of unacceptable weather conditions. However, late in the count, an anomaly occurred with the No. 2 enhanced master events controller (EMEC), which also would have prevented the launch on that day. The EMEC was removed and replaced and the launch rescheduled until 12:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 11. About three hours prior to the scheduled launch, an unexpected pressure drop was detected in hydraulic system 1. The pressure drop was determined to be the result of a normal sequence of prelaunch events. Discussions of the pressure drop resulted in a 13-minute, 40-second launch delay.

Mission Highlights

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission mast was deployed successfully to its full length, and the antenna was turned to its operation position. After a successful checkout of the radar systems, mapping began at 12:31 a.m., less than 12 hours after launch. Crewmembers, split into two shifts so they could work around the clock, began mapping an area from 60 degrees north to 56 degrees south. Data was sent to Jet Propulsion Laboratory for analysis and early indications showed the data to be of excellent quality.

Mapping proceeded fairly smoothly, but during an attitude-hold period for payload mapping during the second day of flight, it was determined that orbiter propellant usage had doubled from 0.07 to 0.15 percent an hour. The increase was caused by a failure of the payload cold-gas thrust system that was used to offset the gravity gradient torque of the mast.

As a result of this failure, orbiter propellant was being used at a higher-than-planned rate to maintain the attitude of the vehicle. Measures to reduce the expenditure were evaluated and based on the analysis, enough propellant could be saved to complete the planned 9-day plus science mission.

The first of a series of "flycast" maneuvers during the mission was also made on the second day of flight. The flycast maneuver was designed to reduce strain on the almost-200-foot mast extending from Endeavour's cargo bay when adjustments to Endeavour's orbit were needed.

The orbiter, which flies tail-first during mapping operations, is moved to a nose-first attitude with the mast extending upward. A brief reaction control system pulse begins the maneuver. The mast deflects slightly backwards, then rebounds forward. As it reaches vertical, a stronger thrust is applied, arresting the mast's motion and increasing the orbiter's speed.

Radar data gathering concluded at 6:54 a.m. EST on the tenth day of flight after a final sweep across Australia. During 222 hours and 23 minutes of mapping, Endeavour's radar images filled 332 high density tapes and covered 99.98 percent of the planned mapping area -- land between 60 degrees north latitude and 56 degrees south latitude -- at least once and 94.6 percent of it twice. Only about 80,000 square miles in scattered areas remained unimaged, most of them in North America and most already well mapped by other methods. Enough data was gathered to fill the equivalent of 20,000 CD's.

Also aboard Endeavour was a student experiment called EarthKAM, which took 2,715 digital photos during the mission through an overhead flight-deck window. The NASA-sponsored program lets middle school students select photo targets and receive the images via the Internet. The pictures are used in classroom projects on earth science, geography, mathematics and space science. More than 75 middle schools around the world participated in the experiment, which set a record. On four previous flights combined, EarthKAM sent down a total of 2,018 images.

Mission: Third International Space Station Flight
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: May 19, 2000, 6:11:10 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: May 29, 2000, 2:20:19 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 8,892 feet
Rollout Time: 62 seconds
Revolution: 155
Mission Duration: 9 days, 20 hours, 9 minutes and 9 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew Members

Commander James D. Halsell Jr., Pilot Scott J. "Doc" Horowitz, Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Jeffrey N. Williams, James S. Voss, Susan J. Helms and Yury Vladimirovich Usachev.

Launch Highlights

After three launch delays in April caused by high winds at the launch site and overseas emergency landing strips, Atlantis blasted off from KSC's Launch Pad 39A on time. A crew of six American astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut were on their way to pay a "home improvement" house call on the fledgling International Space Station (ISS).

Mission Highlights

On their 10-day mission, the astronauts completed one space walk (EVA), equipped the ISS with new or replacement gear and transferred more than a ton of supplies into the space station for use by future residents of the ISS.

The EVA marked the fifth space walk for construction of the ISS, the 49th conducted from a space shuttle, and the 85th overall conducted by U.S. astronauts. During the six-hour, 44-minute EVA, Mission Specialists James Voss and Jeffrey Williams secured a United States-built crane installed on the station last year; installed the final parts of a Russian-built crane, Strela, on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-1 that connects the Unity node to the Zarya control module; replaced a faulty antenna for one of the station's communications systems; and installed several handrails and a camera cable on the ISS exterior. Mission Specialist Mary Ellen Weber operated the Shuttle's robotic arm, which she used to maneuver Voss during much of the space walk.

Work inside the space station followed. Before entering the space station, the crew opened various hatches into and within the different modules, in this order: PMA-2, Unity node, PMA-1, Zarya, and instrumentation cargo compartment on Zarya. Over the course of three days, the crew installed four batteries and associated electronics; 10 new smoke detectors in the Zarya module; four new cooling fans; additional cables for the Zarya computer to enhance capabilities; a new communications memory unit; and a new power distribution box for the U.S.-built communications system.

Next came the transfer of supplies – more than 3,300 pounds of gear ranging from clothes, tools, can openers, sewing kits and trash bags to a treadmill, an exercise bicycle ergometer and IMAX film camera. The crew also filled four 12-gallon water containers for use by future resident astronauts aboard the ISS.

During the mission, Commander Halsell and Pilot Horowitz also fired Atlantis' jets three times to boost the ISS about 27 miles into a slightly higher orbit of 225 miles. When stowage was complete, the crew reversed the procedure to close the hatches in the space sttation, with the final hatch shut at 4:40 a.m. EDT, May 26.

Undocking with the space station occurred at 7:02 p.m. EDT, May 26. Pilot Horowitz backed Atlantis away and then flew a half-circle around the station before firing Atlantis' jets in a final separation burn at 7:41 p.m. EDT.

Mission: International Space Station Flight 2A.2b
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: September 8, 2000, 8:45:47 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: September 20, 2000, 3:58:01 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 9,127 feet
Rollout Time: 73 seconds
Revolution: 185
Mission Duration: 11 days, 19 hours, 12 minutes and 15 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Terrence W. Wilcutt, Pilot Scott D. Altman, Mission Specialists Daniel C. Burbank, Edward T. Lu, Richard A. Mastracchio, Yuri I. Malenchenko and Boris V. Morokov.

Mission Highlights

STS-106, during its 11-day mission to the International Space Station, completed all assigned mission objectives to prepare the station for the first crew scheduled to launch in October. The mission to the 143-foot-long station focused on unloading nearly three tons of cargo from the orbiter and a Progress supply craft already docked to the opposite end of the International Space Station.

On flight day two, Atlantis completed a successful rendezvous and docking with the ISS in early morning setting the stage for six days of outfitting.

A 6 hour and 14 minute Extravehicular Activity (EVA) was completed successfully on day three, 16 minutes ahead of the planned schedule by Lu and Malenchenko. The spacewalk's objective focused on routing and connecting nine power, data and communications cables between the Zvezda module and the other Russian-built module, Zarya, as well as installing the six-foot-long magnetometer to the station to serve as a compass showing the station in respect to the Earth. Lu and Malenchenko used tethers and handrails along the ISS to make their way to a point more than 100 feet above the cargo bay, the farthest any tethered spacewalker has ventured outside the shuttle. They completed this with the assistance of their inside crewmates Burbank and Mastracchio who deftly maneuvered them around with the robotic arm. This spacewalk celebrates the sixth spacewalk in support of the station assembly and the 50th spacewalk in space shuttle history.

On flight day four the crew entered the International Space Station through Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 (PMA-2) to begin the transfer operations of more than three tons of hardware and supplies. Atlantis' crew was the first to see the interior of the Russian Zvezda service module since it was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in July. Additionally, a reboost was performed using the orbiter's Reaction Control System (RCS) to place the station in a higher orbit.

Transfer of supplies and maintenance tasks continued well into the fifth day, while orbiter consumables remained above the required levels allowing managers to extend the mission one additional day.

Activities on flight day five included the installation of three batteries inside Zvezda. In order to reduce the weight for launch, Zvezda was launched with only five of its eight batteries in place.

Lu and Malenchenko spent much of flight day seven installing voltage and current stabilizers in Zvezda. Components of the Elektron system, equipment sent into orbit to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen, were installed and will be activated after the first crew arrives.

The crew transferred more than 6,000 pounds of material - including six 100 pound bags of water, all of the food for the first resident crew, office supplies, onboard environmental supplies, a vacuum cleaner and a computer and monitor - to the interior of the station.

The astronauts spent a total of 5 days, 9 hours and 21 minutes inside the station before closing the hatch on the orbiting outpost. Wilcutt and Altman commanded a series of four altitude boosts to place the station in an orbit of approximately 241 by 233 statute miles, raising the average altitude by 14 miles. After spending 7 days, 21 hours and 54 minutes linked to the station, Atlantis undocked at 11:46 p.m. EDT as Wilcutt and Altman fired Atlantis' jets to move to a distance of about 450 feet for a double-loop flyaround.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight 3.3A
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: October 11, 2000, 7:17 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: October 24, 2000, 5 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,090 feet
Rollout Time: 1 minute, 15 seconds
Revolution: 202
Mission Duration: 12 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes and 25 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Pamela A. Melroy, Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata, Leroy Chiao, Peter J. K. Wisoff, Michael Lopez-Alegria and William S. McArthur.

Mission Highlights

STS-92, during its 12-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), completed all assigned objectives to install the Zenith Z1 Truss and the third pressurized mating adapter (PMA 3) for use as a docking port for subsequent shuttle missions.

In the afternoon of flight day two, Discovery and her crew completed a successful rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station setting the stage for six days of construction and outfitting.

On flight day three, Japanese Astronaut, Koichi Wakata, deftly maneuvered Discovery's robotic arm to lift the Zenith Z1 Truss from the shuttle's payload bay and berthed it to a port on the Unity connecting module. Inside Unity, Pilot Pam Melroy and crewmate Jeff Wisoff opened the hatch where the new truss was attached and installed grounding connections between the framework and the station.

Discovery's five mission specialists, Leroy Chiao, Bill McArthur, Jeff Wisoff, Mike Lopez-Alegria and Koichi Wakata, performed a total of four extravehicular activities (EVA) during the STS-92 mission. They included the following assignments:

1. EVA #1: 6-hours, 28-minutes -- connection of electrical umbilicals to provide power to heaters and conduits located on the Z1 Truss; relocation and deployment of two communication antenna assemblies; and installation of a toolbox for use during on-orbit construction.

2. EVA #2: 7-hours, 7-minutes -- attachment of the PMA 3 to the ISS and preparation of the Z1 Truss for future installation of the solar arrays that will be delivered aboard STS-97 in late November.

3. EVA #3: 6-hours, 48-minutes -- installation of two DC-to-DC converter units atop the Z1 Truss for conversion of electricity generated by the solar arrays to the proper voltage.

4. EVA #4: 6-hours, 56 minutes -- testing of the manual berthing mechanism; deployment of a tray that will be used to provide power to the U.S. Lab; and removal of a grapple fixture from the Z1 Truss. Two small rescue backpacks that could enable a drifting astronaut to regain the safety of the spacecraft were also tested.

On flight day nine, the crew of Discovery shifted their attention to the interior of the ISS as they completed connections for the newly installed Z1 Truss external framework and began transferring equipment and supplies for the first resident crew of the ISS who arrived in November. They also successfully completed testing of the four control moment gyroscopes that will be used to orient the ISS as it orbits Earth.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight 4A
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: November 30, 2000, 10:06:01 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: December 11, 2000, 6:04:20 p.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 9,127 feet
Rollout Time: 57 seconds
Revolution: 171
Mission Duration: 10 days, 19 hours, 58 minutes
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Michael Bloomfield, Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner, Marc Garneau and Carlos Noriega.

Mission Highlights

On their 11-day mission, the astronauts completed three spacewalks, or EVAs, to deliver and connect the first set of U.S.-provided solar arrays to the International Space Station, prepare a docking port for arrival of the U.S. Laboratory Destiny, install Floating Potential Probes to measure electrical potential surrounding the station, install a camera cable outside the Unity module, and transfer supplies, equipment and refuse between Endeavour and the station.

On Flight Day 3, Commander Brent Jett linked Endeavour to the ISS while 230 statute miles above northeast Kazakhstan.

The successful checkout of the extravehicular mobility units (EMUs), the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) units, the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), the Orbiter Space Vision System (OSVS) and the Orbiter Docking System (ODS) were all completed nominally. Also, the ODS centerline camera was installed with no misalignment noted.

From inside Endeavour, Mission Specialist Garneau used the RMS to remove the P6 truss from the payload bay, maneuvering it into an overnight park position to warm its components. Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner and Carlos Noriega moved through Endeavour's docking tunnel and opened the hatch to the ISS docking port to leave supplies and computer hardware on the doorstep of the Station. On flight day 4, the Expedition One crew -- Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev -- entered the Unity module for the first time and retrieved the items left for them.

At 9:36 a.m. EST on Friday, December 8, the crew paid the first visit to the Expedition One crew residing in the space station. Until then the shuttle and the station had kept one hatch closed to maintain respective atmospheric pressures, allowing the shuttle crew to conduct their spacewalks and mission goals. After a welcome ceremony and briefing, the eight spacefarers conducted structural tests of the station and its solar arrays, transferred equipment, supplies and refuse back and forth between the spacecraft, and checked out the television camera cable installed by Tanner and Noriega for the upcoming mission.

On December 9, the two crews completed final transfers of supplies to the station and other items being returned to Earth. The Endeavour crew bade farewell to the Expedition One crew at 10:51 a.m. EST and closed the hatches between the spacecraft. After being docked together for 6 days, 23 hours and 13 minutes, Endeavour undocked from the station at 2:13 p.m. EST. Piloted by Michael Bloomfield, it then made an hour-long, tail-first circle of the station. The undocking took place 235 statute miles above the border of Kazakhstan and China. The final separation burn took place near the northeast coast of South America.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight 5A
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: February 7, 2001, 6:13:02 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: February 20, 2001, 3:33 p.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,127 feet
Rollout Time: 57 seconds
Revolution: 203
Mission Duration: 12 days, 20 hours, 20 minutes and 4 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 5.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky, Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam, Thomas Jones and Marsha Ivins.

Mission Highlights

After docking to the International Space Station on day 2, station and shuttle crews opened hatches and unloaded supplies: three 12-gallon bags of water, a spare computer, cables to be installed inside the station to power up Destiny, and various personal items for the station crew.

On Feb. 10, the U.S. Laboratory Destiny was successfully installed on the International Space Station using the remote manipulator system (RMS) and concurrent extravehicular activities (EVAs). Mission Specialist Marsha Ivins, using the RMS, grappled the pressurized mating adapter 2 on Node 1 and maneuvered it to the Z1 truss for a temporary stay. Then Ivins latched the RMS onto the U.S. Lab in the payload bay and lifted it out. She then flipped the 16-ton Lab 180 degrees and moved it into position to attach to Node 1. A set of automatic bolts tightened to hold it permanently in place.

On Feb. 11, Shepherd and Cockrell entered Destiny and activated air systems, fire extinguishers, alarm systems, computers and internal communications, plus continued equipment transfers from the shuttle to the station. They also filmed onboard scenes using an IMAX camera.

On Feb. 13, ground controllers switched control of the station's orientation to electrically powered gyroscopes -- a milestone in station assembly that will conserve propellants aboard the complex. Also, Cockrell and Ivins powered up Atlantis' robotic arm and used its cameras to view areas on a station cooling radiator that appeared to have bubbling paint.

On Feb. 14, shuttle and station crews reopened hatches for transfer of equipment. The transfer was completed on Feb. 15. In all, 3,000 pounds of equipment and supplies -- water, food, spare parts, a spare Russian carbon dioxide removal system, spare computer, clothes, movies and other items -- were moved from Atlantis to the station. About 850 pounds of trash were moved from the station to Atlantis.

Atlantis departed the station and Pilot Polansky flew the orbiter halfway around it before moving off for a landing on Feb. 18.

EVA 1: 7 hours, 34 minutes -- Mission Specialists Curbeam and Jones began their EVA at 10:18 a.m. EST Feb. 10, 2001, to connect electrical, data and cooling lines. They also reopened the hatches between Atlantis and the station. Commander Ken Cockrell and ISS Commander Bill Shepherd, using a laptop computer, remotely powered up key laboratory systems and cooling equipment in Destiny.

While Curbeam was attaching a cooling line, a small amount of frozen ammonia crystals leaked but was quickly stopped. The ammonia dissipated and vaporized and posed no problems as the crew continued their work. Decontamination actions were taken later to ensure no ammonia would enter Atlantis' cabin. Curbeam remained in the sun a half-hour to vaporize any ammonia crystals on his spacesuit while Jones brushed off the suit and equipment. The spacewalkers then performed a partial pressurization and venting of the shuttle airlock to flush out any ammonia before final repressurization. Cockrell and Pilot Mark Polansky and Ivins wore oxygen masks in the cabin for about 20 minutes as a protective measure.

EVA 2: 6 hours, 50 minutes -- At 10:40 a.m. EST Feb. 12, 2001, Jones and Curbeam exited Atlantis' airlock and moved to the Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA) 2, or docking port. Ivins used the RMS to latch onto the PMA 2, stowed earlier on the Z1 truss, and removed it with the help of visual cues by Jones and Curbeam. The two spacewalkers then moved to the U.S. Lab and again provided visual cues as Ivins moved the PMA 2 into its new position on the end of the Lab. The PMA 2 will become the primary docking port for future shuttle visits.

Other tasks for the spacewalkers included installing insulating covers over the pins that held Destiny in place during launch, attaching a vent to part of the Lab's air system, putting wires, handrails and sockets on the exterior of Destiny for future spacewalkers, and attaching a base for the future space station robotic arm (SSRMS). Working ahead, Jones and Curbeam connected several computer and electrical cables between the docking port and Lab, unveiled the Lab's large, high-quality window and attached an exterior shutter, and repositioned a movable foot platform.

EVA 3: 5 hours, 25 minutes -- Feb. 14, 2001, the two spacewalkers attached a spare communications antenna to the station's exterior, double-checked connections between Destiny and PMA 2, release a cooling radiator on the station, inspected solar array connections at the top of the station, and tested the ability of a spacewalker to carry an immobile crew member back to the shuttle airlock.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight 5A.1
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: March 08, 2001, 6:42:09 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: March 21, 2001, 2:31 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 11,405 feet
Rollout Time: 84 seconds
Revolution: 102
Mission Duration: 12 days, 19 hours, 49 minutes and 0 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 5.3 million

Crew Members

Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot James Kelly, Mission Specialists Andrew S. W. Thomas and Paul Richards. Also pictured are left: Expedition One crew, Sergei K. Krikalev, William M. Shepherd and Yuri P. Gidzenko and right: Expedition Two crew, James S. Voss, Yury V. Usachev and Susan J. Helms.

Mission Highlights

A sunrise launch carried the second resident crew to the International Space Station as well as the first Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, Leonardo, full of supplies and equipment plus science racks for transfer to the U.S. Laboratory Destiny.

Joint operations between the shuttle crew and the station crews resulted in unloading almost five tons of experiments and equipment from Leonardo and packing almost one ton of items for return to Earth. Discovery's spacewalkers -- James Voss, Susan Helms, Andrew Thomas and Paul Richards -- set the stage for continued expansion of the station by installing a platform that will be used to mount a Canadian-built robotic arm, the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), to the station on a future mission.

Discovery docked with the station at 1:38 a.m. EST on March 10. Hatches between the two spacecraft opened at 3:51 a.m. EST. All 10 crew members greeted each other for several minutes in the Destiny module. The first Expedition Two crew member to trade places was Yury Usachev, replacing Yuri Gidzenko on March 10. James Voss swapped places with Sergei Krikalev on March 11, and Susan Helms swapped with Bill Shepherd on March 14. A formal transfer of command was conducted on March 19 as Commander Bill Shepherd passed responsibility for the station to Yury Usachev.

EVA No. 1: Helms and Voss began a record-breaking spacewalk at 12:12 a.m. March 11. They prepared the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 to be moved from the Unity module to make room for Leonardo. They removed an antenna from the Common Berthing Mechanism to allow the PMA-3 to be temporarily stowed there while Leonardo was connected to the station.

They also removed a Lab Cradle Assembly from Discovery's cargo bay and installed it on the side of the U.S. Lab Destiny. There it will form the base for the SSRMS being delivered on a mission in April.

The spacewalk ended at 9:08 a.m. EST, marking the longest spacewalk in shuttle history at 8 hours 56 minutes.

Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas lifted Leonardo out of Discovery's cargo bay at 11:10 p.m. EST on March 11 and maneuvered it into place on the Common Berthing Mechanism. The docking was completed at 1:02 a.m. EST March 12 when Commander Wetherbee activated the latches to seal the components.

EVA No. 2: Beginning the second spacewalk at 12:23 a.m. EST March 13, Richards and Thomas installed an External Stowage Platform for spare station parts and attached a spare ammonia coolant pump to the platform. They also connected several cables on the exterior of Destiny that were placed previously by Helms and Voss during the first spacewalk. The cable will provide heater power and control for the yet-to-come robotic arm. Duration of this spacewalk was 6 hours 21 minutes.

Crew members transferred cargo from Leonardo, including the first Station research rack, the Human Research Facility that will study the effects of weightlessness on the human body. Full transfer of systems racks was completed March 14.

Voss and Helms spent most of one day, March 15, installing a workstation for SSRMS. With Leonardo emptied of its cargo to the station, the crew packed trash, unneeded equipment and luggage into the module for return to Earth.

Shuttle and station managers extended the mission one day which eased the heavy work schedule of the crews to complete cargo transfers. On March 18 Thomas began moving Leonardo with the robotic arm at 5:40 a.m. EST. The MPLM was back in Discovery's payload bay at 7:08 a.m. EST.

Discovery undocked from the space station at 11:32 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 19. The two vehicles were docked a total of 8 days, 21 hours, 54 minutes.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight 6A
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: April 19, 2001, 2:40:42 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: May 1, 2001, 12:10:42 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 7,964 feet
Rollout Time: 74 seconds
Revolution: 186
Mission Duration: 11 days, 12 hours, 54 minutes
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Kent Rominger, Pilot Jeffrey Ashby, Mission Specialists Chris Hadfield, Scott Parazynski, John Phillips, Umberto Guidoni and Yuri Lonchakov.

Mission Highlights

Docking with the International Space Station occurred at 9:59 a.m. EDT April 21.

The advanced robotic arm, called Canadarm2, was attached to a pallet on the outside of Destiny. It later was directed to "walk off" the pallet and grab onto an electrical grapple fixture on the Lab which would provide data, power and telemetry to the arm. Days later the arm was used to hand off the cradle, on which it rested inside Endeavour's payload bay during launch, to the orbiter's arm. The exchange of the cradle from station arm to shuttle arm marked the first ever robotic-to-robotic transfer in space.

The 6,000 pounds of cargo inside the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello was transferred to the station, including two new scientific experiment racks for Destiny and the first three U.S. commercial payloads. In turn, 1,600 pounds of material were stored inside Raffaello for return to Earth.

On April 23, four days after launch, the hatches between Endeavour and the space station were opened, allowing the shuttle crew and station crew to greet one another for the first time.

Other crew activities during the mission included attaching an ultrahigh frequency antenna on the outside of the station and, inside, calibrating the Space Vision System, an alignment aid for operating the robotic arm, plus helping repair the space station's treadmill and filming for IMAX.

EVA No. 1: 7 hours, 10 minutes -- On April 22, Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Chris Hadfield removed the Ultrahigh Frequency antenna from the pallet and installed it on the U.S. Lab Destiny. Then they unfolded the Canadian arm and, while it was still secure in its pallet, attached one end to Destiny. Next they connected cables to give the arm computer communication with the Lab and secured the fasteners to keep the booms in rigid position.

EVA No. 2: 7 hours, 40 minutes -- On April 24, Hadfield and Parazynski connected the Power and Data Grapple Fixture circuits on Destiny for the SSRMS. They also removed an early communications antenna and transferred a spare Direct Current Switching Unit from Endeavour's payload bay to an equipment storage rack on Destiny.

As the astronauts rewired power and data connections for the arm, the backup power circuit failed to respond to commands from station flight engineer Susan Helms, operating a workstation inside Destiny. Disconnecting and reconnecting the cables at the base of the arm resolved the situation and the redundant power path to the arm was completed.

Computer problems surfaced late on April 24 when flight controllers for the station experienced a loss of Command and Control computer No. 1, one of three computers on board for systems management. The result was a loss of communication and data transfer between the space station Flight Control Room in Houston and the station.

Communication was routed through Endeavour, which enabled the station crew and flight controllers to talk to one another. No computer problems were encountered on Endeavour. Activities involving the SSRMS were postponed.

Station flight engineer Susan Helms, using a laptop computer, was able to restore the ground's ability to monitor and send commands to the station's U.S. systems. Through the laptop, data from the station computers could be transmitted to the ground for analysis and investigation of the problems.

Computer restoration continued successfully, especially C&C number three. C&C number one was found to have a failed hard drive. It was replaced by a backup payload computer.

Ground controllers successfully synchronized timers on all on-board computers and investigated an error in the software load that might have caused the computer problem. With one operational C&C computer in Destiny and a back-up laptop in Unity, the undocking procedure for Raffaello was given the go-ahead.

Endeavour undocked from the space station April 29 at 1:34 p.m. EDT. Pilot Jeff Ashby performed a three-quarter circle flyaround of the station and at 2:28 p.m. fired a separation burn for final departure.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight 7A
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: July 12, 2001, 5:03:59 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: July 24, 2001, 11:39 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 10,858 feet
Rollout Time: 1 minute, 41 seconds
Revolution: 200
Mission Duration: 12 days, 18 hours, 36 minutes
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 5.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Charles Hobaugh, Mission Specialists Michael Gernhardt, James Reilly and Janet Kavandi.

Mission Highlights

After docking with the ISS on July 13, both Atlantis and ISS crews reviewed EVA procedures. In a series of three spacewalks, the joint airlock module was attached to the Unity Node and high-pressure gas tanks attached to the airlock, christened "Quest." The crews tested nitrogen and oxygen lines for use on future shuttle missions and installed valves to connect Quest to the ISS environmental control system. they also installed a computer to run the airlock's systems. Air bubbles in a coolant line caused a water spill -- cleanup caused a task to be postponed to another day. Astronauts replaced a leaky air circulation valve and moved the hatch for the airlock into position between the Equipment Lock and the Crew Lock.

Kavandi, Gernhardt and Reilly transferred items between the shuttle and station, storing equipment and space suits in the airlock.

Both station and shuttle crews checked out and activated the new Quest airlock, conducting a dry run before the inaugural event.

EVA No. 1: 5 hours, 59 minutes -- On July 15 Spacewalkers Michael Gernhardt and James Reilly removed an insulating cover from the airlock's berthing mechanism and covers from its seals plus installed bars on the airlock that are attachment points for four high-pressure gas tanks. Expedition 2 crew member Susan Helms then lifted the airlock out of Atlantis' payload bay using the Canadarm2 and maneuvered it to the berthing port on the Unity Node. Gernhardt and Reilly provided additional guidance from outside the ISS.

Gernhardt then attached heating cables from the ISS to the airlock and Reilly positioned foot restraints needed for the second EVA.

EVA No. 2: 6 hours, 2 minutes -- This was the 66th spacewalk in shuttle history and the 23rd for ISS assembly.

On July 18, Gernhardt and Reilly installed three tank assemblies for the joint airlock with the help from both the shuttle's Canadarm and the station's Canadaarm2.

EVA No. 3: 4 hours, 2 minutes -- The 24th spacewalk devoted to ISS assembly, totaling 155 hours, 39 minutes.

On July 21, Gernhardt and Reily exited the new airlock and, with support from the station and shuttle robotic arms, attached a nitrogen supply tank to the airlock's shell. This completed installation of two nitrogen and two oxygen tanks that will be used to pressurize the airlock and resupply space suits. The astronauts also moved hand-over-hand up the station's solar array truss to take a look at the gimbal assembly mechanism that allows the arrays to swivel with the Sun.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight 7A.1
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: August 10, 2001, 5:10:14 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: August 22, 2001, 2:23 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 10,036 feet
Rollout Time: 68 seconds
Revolution: 186
Mission Duration: 11 days, 19 hours, 38 minutes
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.3 million

Crew Members

Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow, Mission Specialists Daniel Barry and Patrick Forrester. Also pictured are Frank L. Culbertson, Jr. (center in the upper right grouping) flanked by cosmonauts Mikhail Tyurin and Vladimir N. Dezhurov - (uupper left gathering) astronaut James S. Voss, cosmonaut Yury V. Usachev and astronaut Susan J. Helms.

Mission Highlights

After linkup of shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station, hatches were opened and crews greeted one another. Part of the mission was to bring the next resident crew, Expedition 3, to the ISS and return Expedition 2 to Earth. The payload included the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS), to be installed on the outside of the ISS, and the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Leonardo.

On the fifth day of the mission, August 16, Discovery maintained control of the space station while Russian flight controllers completed loading and upgraded software commands to the Zvezda module. After completion of the upgrade, the Zvezda module again assumed control of the station's attitude, or position in space.

During this time docked with the ISS, crews unloaded 7,000 pounds of supplies, equipment and science racks from the MPLM Leonardo, storing it on the space station. This was the second flight of the Leonardo to the ISS.

EVA No. 1: 6 hours, 16 minutes -- Mission Specialists Forrester and Barry completed the first of two Extra-Vehicular Activities to install the EAS on August 16, 2001. The EAS contains spare ammonia that can be used in the space station's cooling systems if needed. During the EVA, Discovery Commander Horowitz operated the shuttle robot arm and Pilot Sturckow choreographed the spacewalk from the orbiter's flight deck.

On August 17, in a special ceremony, the Expedition 2 crew handed over command of the ISS to Expedition 3. Briefings followed as well as stowing equipment, discarded items and belongings of Expedition 2 into the MPLM Leonardo.

EVA No. 2: 5 hours, 29 minutes -- Barry and Forrester completed their second EVA on August 18, 2001, setting the stage for delivery of the S0 Integrated Truss Structure that is planned for 2002. They strung heater cables and installed hand rails on both sides of the U.S. Lab Destiny.

This EVA was the 26th devoted to assembly of the ISS, and the 68th spacewalk in shuttle program history. It also marked 431 hours, 39 minutes of total spacewalk time in shuttle history.

On August 20, the Discovery crew undocked from the ISS and performed a fly-around. They later deployed a small science satellite, Simplesat, via a spring ejection from a canister at the rear of the cargo bay.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight UF-1
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39B
Launched: December 5, 2001, 5:19:28 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: December 17, 2001, 12:55 p.m. EST
Runway: 15
Rollout Distance: 8,941 feet
Revolution: 186
Mission Duration: 11 days, 19 hours, 55 minutes
Miles Traveled: 4.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Dominic L. Gorie, Pilot Mark E. Kelly, Mission Specialists Linda M. Godwin, Daniel M. Tani and three Russian cosmonauts; Yuri Onufrienko, Mikhail Tyurin and Vladimir N. Dezhurov.

Launch Highlights

The launch of space shuttle Endeavour on November 29 was rescheduled for Tuesday, December 4, to allow sufficient time for the Expedition Three crew on the space station to successfully complete a spacewalk to clear an obstruction on the latching mechanism on the Russian Progress supply vehicle.

The launch December 4 was postponed due to unsatisfactory weather conditions in the KSC area. Launch controllers counted down to the T-5 minute point and held until the remainder of the window expired. The scrub had to be called after Astronaut Office Chief Charles Precourt, flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft, detected precipitation in a cloud mass that moved into the Complex 39 area shortly before launch.

Endeavour lifted off December 5 on the final space shuttle mission of 2001 to deliver three tons of supplies and a fresh crew to the International Space Station, and return home a crew that spent four months in space.

In addition to a new station crew and supplies, Endeavour carried a host of scientific investigations, including experiments from space agencies, schools and universities across the United States, Europe and South America, as well as a small satellite that involved more than 25,000 students in 26 countries.

Mission Highlights

Shuttle Commander Dom Gorie brought Endeavour to a gentle linkup with the ISS at 3:03 p.m. EST as the two craft sailed over England. Within minutes, Pilot Mark Kelly and Mission Specialists Linda Godwin and Dan Tani began to conduct post-docking checks of the mechanical interface between Endeavour and the station's Destiny Laboratory prior to the opening of the hatches on the two vehicles. At first, the shuttle's docking ring and the docking mechanism on the ISS did not align properly, but after allowing the two craft to dampen their relative motion against one another, the vehicles were hard mated for a week of joint operations by the 10 crew members.

The hatches were opened between Endeavour and the ISS Destiny Laboratory at 5:42 p.m. EST Dec. 7, enabling the ten crew members to greet one another. The Expedition 3 crew officially ended their 117-day residency on board the International Space Station Dec. 8 as their custom Soyuz seatliners were transferred to Endeavour for the return trip home. The transfer of the Expedition 4 seatliners to the Soyuz return vehicle attached to the station marked the official exchange of crews.

Endeavour Pilot Mark Kelly and Mission Specialist Linda Godwin used the shuttle's robotic arm to lift the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module from the shuttle payload bay and attach it to a berth on the station's Unity node. The crews began unloading supplies the same day.

The 10 astronauts and cosmonauts in orbit took a break from the transfer of supplies, experiments and equipment to and from the space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station to pay tribute to the heroes of the September 11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon. Joined by flight controllers in Mission Control, the crews observed the playing of the U.S. and Russian national anthems at 8:46 a.m. EST, the three-month anniversary of the first impact at the World Trade Center.

Also, aboard Endeavour were 6,000 small United States flags that would be distributed to heroes and families of the victims of the attacks after the shuttle returned to Earth; a U.S. flag that was found at the World Trade Center site after the attacks; a U.S. flag that had flown above the Pennsylvania state capitol; a U.S. Marine Corps Colors flag from the Pentagon; a New York Fire Department flag; and a poster that included photographs of firefighters lost in the attacks.

EVA: 4 hours, 12 minutes -- Endeavour astronauts Linda Godwin and Dan Tani completed a four-hour, 12-minute spacewalk to install insulation on mechanisms that rotate the International Space Station's main solar arrays. The two spacewalkers stopped at a stowage bin to retrieve a cover that had been removed from a station antenna during an earlier flight, and after its return to Earth, may be reused. Godwin and Tani also performed a "getahead;" task, positioning two switches on the station's exterior to be installed on a future shuttle mission, STS-110. The spacewalk completed a record year with 18 spacewalks conducted: 12 originating from the shuttle and six from the station.

Mission managers extended Endeavour's flight to a duration of 12 days to allow Endeavour's crew to assist with additional maintenance tasks on the station, including work on a treadmill and replacing a failed compressor in one of the air conditioners in the Zvezda Service Module.

The astronauts and cosmonauts completed the transfer of more than 5,000 pounds of supplies and material from Endeavour's mid-deck and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to the station. The transferred items included more than 850 pounds of food, 1,000 pounds of clothing and other crew provisions, 300 pounds of experiments and associated equipment, 800 pounds of spacewalking gear, and 600 pounds of medical equipment. In turn, the crew packed up the Raffaello module with items bound for a return trip to Earth.

On December 12, the crew and Mission Control noted a transient problem with one of the shuttle's three inertial measurement units (IMUs), the primary navigation units for the shuttle. Only two of the three IMUs were on line at the time, with the third unit off line to save electricity. The IMU that experienced a problem, designated IMU 2, was immediately taken off line and the third IMU brought on line. IMU 2 operated well after that, but it remained off line and was considered failed by flight controllers. The loss of one IMU had no impact on Endeavour's mission, and the other two units operated in excellent condition.

A formal change of command ceremony took place December 13 as Expedition 3 ended its residence and Expedition 4 began theirs.

Flight controllers planned slight changes to Endeavour's departure from the station December 15, allowing time for a small jet firing by the shuttle to boost the station's future path away from a piece of space debris that could pass near the complex. Mission Control was notified that a spent Russian rocket upper stage launched in the 1970s could pass within three miles of the station if Endeavour did not perform the engine firing. With the shuttle reboost, the station was predicted to pass more than 40 miles away from the debris.

Because the scheduled reboost used additional propellant, Endeavour did not perform a full-circle flyaround of the station after undocking. Instead, the shuttle undocked from the station, performing a quarter circle flyaround of the complex to a point about 400 feet directly above the station where it fired its engines in a final separation burn at 12:20 a.m. EST, beginning its departure from the orbiting outpost.

Endeavour's middeck carried home the results of several experiments completed during Expedition 3's stay on the station. These included the Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility, the Dynamically Controlled Protein Crystal Growth experiment and cells from the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System (CBOSS).

The CBOSS equipment aboard the space station will remain active during Expedition 4, growing ovarian and colon cancer cells, as well as kidney cells in microgravity.

Experiments in Endeavour's payload bay were returned for investigators around the world. The Multiple Application Customized Hitchhiker-1 (MACH-1) carried a wide array of experiments, including the Prototype Synchrotron Radiation Detector, the Collisions Into Dust Experiment-2, the Capillary Pump Loop, and the Space Experiment Module (SEM). The SEM carried experiments from Argentina, Portugal, Morocco and Australia, as well as experiments from U.S. schoolchildren. Several other canisters in Endeavour's payload bay also carried student experiments.

On its return to Earth, Endeavour's crew deployed a small satellite called STARSHINE 2 from a canister located in the payload bay. More than 30,000 students from 660 schools in 26 countries will be tracking STARSHINE 2 as it orbits the Earth for eight months. The students, who helped polish STARSHINE's 845 mirrors, will use the information they collect to calculate the density of the Earth's upper atmosphere.

Mission: Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: March 1, 2002, 6:22 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: March 12, 2002, 4:33:05 a.m. EST
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,119 feet
Rollout Time: 77 seconds
Revolution: 165
Mission Duration: 10 days, 22 hours, 11 minutes and 9 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 3.9 million

Crew Members

Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, Payload Commander John M. Grunsfeld, Mission Specialists Nancy J. Currie, James H. Newman, Richard M. Linnehan and Michael J. Massimino.

Launch Highlights

Prior to tanking activities, the scheduled launch on February 28 was postponed 24 hours to March 1 when the launch weather forecast projected 38-degree temperature at the launch pad, which was at the margin of the acceptable limit in combination with the predicted wind speed and relative humidity. The forecast for a launch attempt on Friday called for a temperature approximately 10 degrees warmer. Waiting an additional 24 hours protected the option for two possible back-to-back launch opportunities for the launch team. Launch occurred without delay on March 1.

Mission Highlights

The 11-day mission rejuvenated the Hubble Space Telescope in a series of five spacewalks. After grasping the telescope and pulling it into the payload bay, the spacewalkers, assisted by Mission Specialist Nancy Jane Currie operating the shuttle's robotic arm, installed new and improved equipment that gave the telescope more power, a new module to dispense the power, and a cameral able to see twice as much area, with more speed and clarity. They also installed an experimental cooling system in hope of restoring life to the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer. Columbia performed perfectly.

EVA No. 1: 7 hours, 1 minute -- Mission Specialists John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan removed the old starboard solar array from Hubble and installed in its place a new third-generation solar array. The two spacewalkers were maneuvered around Columbia's payload bay and Hubble telescope by the shuttle's robotic arm, manipulated by Mission Specialist Nancy Currie. From the aft flight deck of Columbia, astronauts Michael Massimino and James Newman assisted the spacewalkers throughout their tasks. The old solar array was stored in Columbia's payload bay for return to Earth and evaluation of its nine-year performance.

EVA No. 2: 7 hours, 16 minutes -- Mission Specialists Newman and Massimino installed a new port solar array and a new Reaction Wheel Assembly on Hubble after removing the old solar array. Again, the spacewalkers used the robotic arm to get to and from the worksite. Newman and Massimino also had time to install a thermal blanket on Bay 6, door stop extensions on Bay 5, and foot restraints to prepare for the third spacewalk by Grunsfeld and Linnehan. Testing two bolts on the telescope's aft shroud doors, they determined that bottom two bolts required replacement and they completed that task.

During the spacewalk Commander Altman and Pilot Carey documented the activity using television and still-photo cameras.

EVA No. 3: 6 hours, 48 minutes -- A water leak in Grunsfeld's spacesuit delayed the start of the third EVA. After swapping the upper portion of the suit, he and Linnehan began work to replace the original, 12-year-old Power Control Unit with a new one capable of handling the extra 20 percent of power output being generated from the newly installed solar panels.

For the first time since its launch, Hubble was powered down by controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. Linnehan first removed 30 of 36 connectors on the old PCU then switched places with Grunsfeld to prepare the new PCU. Grunsfeld unhooked the remaining six connectors and eased the PCU from the telescope, carrying it to the payload bay. Mission Specialist Currie again worked the robotic arm to maneuver the spacewalkers. Grunsfeld then installed the new PCU on the telescope and connectors were mated an hour and a half later. An hour later the new PCU passed its aliveness test.

EVA No. 4: 7 hours, 18 minutes -- Mission Specialists James Newman and Michael Massimino completed the first science instrument upgrade of the servicing mission by installing the Advanced Camera for Surveys -- it replaced the original Faint Object Camera. Afterward, Massimino installed the Electronic Support Module, the first part of an experimental cooling system to be installed on EVA No. 5.

EVA No. 5: 7 hours, 32 minutes -- On the final spacewalk, Mission Specialists Grunsfeld and Linnehan removed the NICMOS cryocooler from its carrier in the payload bay and installed it inside the aft shroud, connecting cables from the Electronics Support Module. They retrieved the Cooling System Radiator from the payload bay and installed it on the outside of Hubble. Linnehan fed the radiator wires through the bottom of the telescope to Grunsfeld, who connected them to NICMOS.

The Hubble Space Telescope was released from the grasp of Columbia's robotic arm at 5:04 a.m. EST March 9. The series of spacewalks to install the new and upgraded equipment set a new record for a single shuttle mission with a total time of 35 hours, 55 minutes. The previous record was 35 hours, 28 minutes, set by STS-61, the first Hubble servicing mission.

After a successful launch, flight controllers in Mission Control noticed a degraded flow rate in one of two freon cooling loops that help to dissipate heat from the orbiter. After reviewing the loop's performance, mission managers gave the crew a "go" to proceed with normal operations. The problem had no impact on any of the crew's activities. Both cooling loops performed normally on de-orbit and landing.

Mission: International Space Station 8A
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: April 8, 2002, 4:44:19 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: April 19, 2002, 12:28:08 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,576 feet
Rollout Time: 70 seconds
Revolution: 171
Mission Duration: 10 days, 19 hours, 42 minutes and 44 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Michael J. Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen N. Frick, Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross, Steven L. Smith, Ellen Ochoa, Lee M. E. Morin and Rex J. Walheim.

Launch Highlights

The original April 4 launch was terminated about an hour into tanking operations due to a leak in a liquid hydrogen vent line of the Mobile Launcher Platform at Pad B. The launch was rescheduled for April 8. The repair work involved welding a 10-inch wide, two-piece aluminum clam shell sleeve around the 16-inch diameter line. The countdown on April 8 went into an unscheduled hold at the 5-minute mark due to data dropouts in a backup Launch Processing System. The Launch Processing System team reloaded the required data and the countdown resumed. Liftoff occurred with 11 seconds remaining in the launch window.

Mission Highlights

The launch marked a milestone as Mission Specialist (MS) Jerry Ross became the first human to fly in space seven times, breaking his own and other astronauts' records of six space flights. His two spacewalks gave him a total of 58 hours and 18 minutes, surpassed only by Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyev in human space flight history.

Installation of the S0 truss was the primary objective and began with removal of the truss from Atlantis' payload bay. Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa lifted it out with the station's robotic arm and maneuvered it onto a clamp at the top of the Destiny Lab. The truss contains navigational devices, computers, cooling and power systems needed to attach additional laboratories to the complex. Four spacewalks were required for the task. The truss will serve as a platform on which other trusses will be attached and additional solar arrays will be mounted to form a 356-foot-long space station.

Between and during spacewalks, shuttle and ISS crew members transferred experiments and supplies between the shuttle and the station. They also transferred oxygen from the shuttle to one of four high-pressure gas tanks, used on the Quest Airlock to repressurize the module after spacewalks. Overall, 100 pounds of oxygen and 50 pounds of nitrogen were transferred.

Initial tests of the movement of the Mobile Transporter were successful. ISS Flight Engineer Walz commanded the transporter, via a laptop computer, to move to a work site 17 feet down a rail spanning the 44-foot-length of the girder, then a second site and back to the first. Automatic latching did not occur due to minute lifting of the rail car but was accomplished by manual commands. Other transporter systems functioned perfectly.

Tasks not accomplished on the mission were removal of the balky bolt from the backup cable on the Mobile Transporter and installation of a gas analyzer on the truss. The gas analyzer, considered low priority on the flight, proved to be faulty.

EVA No. 1: 7 hours, 48 minutes -- After the temporary latching, MS Rex Walheim and MS Steven Smith began the first of four spacewalks to electrically and structurally mate the truss to the station. The spacewalking pair attached two of four mounting struts onto Destiny, deployed trays of avionics equipment and cables connecting Destiny to the truss, attached an umbilical system from the truss to the Mobile Transporter, and secured critical power connections. Walheim was the first spacewalker to use the stations' Canadarm 2 as a cherrypicker, maneuvering to different areas for the assembly work. Smith operated as a "free-floater," tethered to the Station and other work sites around the truss. From the aft flight deck of the shuttle, Ross and ISS Flight Engineer Carl Walz helped choreograph the spacewalk.

EVA No. 2: 7 hours, 30 minutes -- MS Jerry Ross and MS Lee Morin bolted the final two struts of the S0 truss to the Destiny Lab. Morin used Canadarm2 to work while Ross was tethered to the Station. The two removed support panels and clamps from the truss, used during launch, then installed a backup device with an umbilical reel for the Mobile Transporter railcar. A restraining bolt that needed to be removed did not perform as expected and was left for a later spacewalk.

EVA No. 3: 6 hours, 27 minutes -- MS Smith and MS Walheim released the claw that initially held the truss to the Lab. They also reconfigured Canadarm 2 connectors for electricity from the Lab to be powered by the truss. Smith worked from the end of the shuttle's robotic arm while Walheim was the free-floater, tethered to the station. This was Smith's seventh spacewalk, second to Ross. Smith and Walheim also released clamps that secured the Mobile Transporter to the truss. A task to attach the Airlock Spur, a 14-foot ladder, from the truss to the Quest Airlock was delayed to the fourth EVA.

EVA No. 4: 6 hours, 37 minutes -- MS Ross and MS Morin installed the 14-foot beam, the Airlock Spur, from the S0 truss to the Quest Airlock. The beam will provide a quick pathway for future spacewalkers working on truss assembly. Ross tested switches on both sides of the truss for future truss assembly. He and Morin installed floodlights on the Unity connecting Module and Destiny Lab to provide illumination for future spacewalks. Other activities included attaching a work platform on the station for future construction work, installing electrical converters and circuit breakers, and attaching shock absorbers to the Mobile Transporter railcar. Ross used the Canadarm 2 for his work while Morin was the free-floater, tethered to the station.

Mission: International Space Station UF2
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: June 5, 2002, 5:22:49 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base Calif.
Landing: June 19, 2002, 1:58:45 p.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 9,576 feet
Rollout Time: 64 seconds
Revolution: 217
Mission Duration: 13 days, 20 hours, 35 minutes and 56 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 5.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart, Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin.

Launch Highlights

The launch originally set for May 30 was scrubbed due to weather concerns. It was rescheduled for May 31; technicians, however, had detected pressure differentials in the gaseous nitrogen pressure on the left Orbital Maneuvering System pod aboard Endeavour during the launch count on May 30. Managers elected to replace the component and moved the launch of STS-111 to no earlier than June 4. Due to the uniqueness of the change-out and the work required to build a test fixture, launch of Endeavour was again postponed until June 5.

Mission Highlights

June 7, Mission Specialist Franklin Chang-Diaz equaled a space flight record with his seventh shuttle flight, tying astronaut Jerry Ross. After docking with the ISS, linking to the Destiny Lab's forward docking port, the Endeavour and ISS crews transferred equipment, supplies and experiments.

The Expedition 4 crew -- Yuri Onufriyenko, Daniel Bursch and Carl Walz -- unofficially ended their 182-day residence aboard ISS, and the Expedition 5 crew -- Commander Valery Korzun, Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson and Sergei Treschev -- began their tenure.

June 8, using the shuttle's robotic arm, Commander Kenneth Cockrell moved the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo from Endeavour's payload bay to the Unity module. Transfer began more than 5,600 pounds of cargo to the ISS. Leonardo carried a total of 8,062 pounds of supplies and equipment to the space station, including a new science rack to house microgravity experiments and a glovebox that will allow station crews to conduct experiments requiring isolation.

June 10, Whitson and Walz used the Canadarm2 to move the Mobile Remote Service Base System (MBS) from Endeavour to the Mobile Transporter on the Destiny Lab. The MBS, part of the station's Mobile Servicing System, will allow the Canadarm2 to travel the length of the station for construction tasks. The official change of command ceremony between the two Expedition crews followed.

June 12, the crews stowed 4,500 pounds of supplies and hardware in the Leonardo MPLM for return to Earth. Payload bay cameras captured views of the Colorado wildfires, visible from the 240-mile-high orbit of Endeavour/ISS.

Perrin returned the Leonardo MPLM to the shuttle's payload bay June 14. The MPLM is filled with 4,667 pounds of equipment and supplies no longer needed on the station.

June 15 Endeavour undocked from the ISS, flying one and a quarter laps around the station before final separation.

Landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center June 17-19 were waived due to low cloud cover, rain and thundershowers in the landing area.

EVA No. 1: 7 hours, 14 minutes -- In their first ever spacewalk, Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin installed a Power and Data Grapple Fixture to the station's P6 truss. The fixture will be used to relocate the P6 truss to its final site on the station.

They retrieved six micro-meteoroid debris shields from Endeavour's cargo bay and temporarily stored them on PMA-1. They will ultimately be installed on the Zvezda Service Module.

A newly added task required the two astronauts to inspect and photograph the failed control moment gyroscope on the Z1 truss. The photos may help ground controllers understand why the gyroscope failed. Next Chang-Diaz and Perrin removed thermal blankets from the MBS and positioned it above the Mobile Transporter to thermally condition it before mating it on EVA No. 2.

EVA No. 2: 5 hours -- Chang-Diaz and Perrin connected primary and backup video and data cables and primary power cables between the Mobile Transporter rail car and the MBS. They deployed an auxiliary grapple fixture, the Payload Orbital Replacement Unit Accommodation (POA), on the MBS. The POA will be able to grapple payloads and hold them as they are moved along the station's truss atop the MBS.

The two astronauts secured four bolts to complete installation of the MBS platform. They also relocated a TV camera on top of the MBS to provide views of station assembly and maintenance operations.

EVA No. 3: 7 hours, 17 minutes -- Chang-Diaz and Perrin replaced the wristroll joint on Canadarm2, restoring it to full use. The faulty joint was secured in a flight support structure in Endeavour's cargo bay. Perrin removed the new joint from its launch carrier and brought it up to Chang-Diaz and the Canadarm2. The duo aligned the new component with the wrist yaw joint, tightened six bolts to secure the joint to the arm and turned the final bolt to connect power, data and video lines.

After reinstalling the latching end effector, power to the arm was turned back on. The arm returned to full operational status at 4:43 p.m. EDT.

This was the 41st spacewalk supporting ISS assembly, bringing the total mission EVA time to 19 hours, 31 minutes.

Mission: International Space Station 9A
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 4,519,319 pounds
Launched: October 7, 2002, 3:45:51.074 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: October 18, 2002, 11:44:35 a.m. EDT
Landing Weight: 211,210 pounds
Runway: 22
Rollout Distance: 8,305 feet
Rollout Time: 64 seconds
Revolution: 217
Mission Duration: 10 days, 19 hours, 58 minutes and 44 seconds
Returned to KSC: October 22, 1994
Orbit Altitude: 173 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.5 million

Crew Members

Commander Jeffrey Ashby, Pilot Pamela Melroy, Mission Specialists David Wolf, Piers Sellers, Sandra Magnus and Fyodor Yurchikhin.

Launch Highlights

The STS-112 mission was originally scheduled to launch October 2; however, Hurricane Lili in the Gulf of Mexico threatened Mission Control at Johnson Space Center, Houston. Since the exact path was not determined until late in its forward movement, a decision was made to power down the JSC Mission Control Center and the launch was rescheduled for October 7. Atlantis then lifted off on time to deliver the 28,000 pound Starboard 1 (S1) truss segment to the International Space Station.

A problem prevented the detonation of one of two sets of small explosives that release bolts that hold the shuttle's solid rocket boosters to the launch platform and release ground connections to the external tank. A second redundant system fired normally and all pyrotechnic bolts were safely released.

Mission Highlights

Primary payloads were the S1 integrated truss segment and the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart A. The CETA is the first of two human-powered carts that will ride along the ISS railway, providing mobile work platforms for future spacewalking astronauts.

Activities included three spacewalks to attach the S1 truss to the space station. MS Sandra Magnus and ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson lifted the 14-ton, 45-foot S1 truss from Atlantis' payload bay using the station's Canadarm2. They then attached it to the station with four remotely operated bolts.

Other chores were repairing the station's exercise treadmill; adjusting protective circuits that measure current in the S1 truss radiator assembly to greater tolerance levels for space; removing and replacing a humidity separator in the Quest airlock.

Three spacewalks, totalling 19 hours, 41 minutes, accomplished the following:

EVA No. 1: 7 hours, 1 minute -- MS David Wolf and MS Piers Sellers hooked up power, data and fluid lines, released locks on a beam allowing the S1 radiators to be oriented for optimal cooling, deployed an antenna, and released restraints on the CETA cart.

EV A No. 2: 6 hours, 4 minutes -- Wolf and Sellers prepared CETA Cart A for future use, installed 22 Spool Positioning Devices on the space station ammonia-cooling line connections, installed an exterior TV camera outside Destiny, hooked up ammonia supply for lines to the S1 radiator, and checked equipment to be used to add the next starboard truss. Two additional SPDs would not fit and were left unattached.

EVA No. 3: 6 hours, 36 minutes -- After completing their first task, removing a bolt that prevented activation of a cable cutter on the mobile transporter, Wolf and Sellers then connected ammonia lines and removed structural support clamps that held the truss in place during launch. Working ahead of schedule, they then added a task -- installing Spool Positioning Devices on a pump motor assembly that helps circulate ammonia through the station's cooling system. The station's robotic arm, used as a work platform by the two spacewalkers, was operated by NASA's ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus.

Final activities on the space station included transferring the last of the equipment and supplies from Atlantis, and packing items for return on the orbiter. In all, 1,800 pounds were transferred and an equivalent amount stored for the journey back.

Mission: International Space Station 11A
Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: November 23, 2002, 7:49:47.079 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: December 7, 2002, 2:37:12 p.m. EST
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 10,563 feet
Rollout Time: 64 seconds
Revolution: 217
Mission Duration: 13 days, 18 hours, 48 minutes and 38 seconds
Miles Traveled: 5.7 million

Crew Members

Commander Jim Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart, Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington.

Launch Highlights

The earlier planned launch on Nov. 11 was postponed when higher than allowable oxygen levels were detected in the orbiter's mid-body. Launch was tentatively set for no earlier than Nov. 18 so that technicians could troubleshoot and repair the leak. A fatigued flexible hose was found to be the cause and was replaced, along with another similar hose.

Another problem surfaced when a platform used to access the oxygen line bumped the robotic arm in the payload bay. Inspections of the arm for damage postponed launch until Nov.

The launch was again postponed 24 hours to Nov. 23 due to poor weather conditions at the Transoceanic Abort Landing sites.

Mission Highlights

Over the course of the 14-day mission, the STS-113 crew and the Expedition Six crew combined to install the new P1 truss to the International Space Station, perform three spacewalks to outfit and activate the truss, and transfer supplies and equipment between the two spacecraft. Endeavour brought more than 2,500 pounds of material to the station.

Among the transfer were science experiments, the PCG-STES and PGBA returning to Earth and the PCG-STES Unit 10 moving onto the station.

While Endeavour was docked to the space station, Expedition 5 NASA Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox replaced two valves and cleared debris from vent lines of the Carbon Dioxide Removal Asembly (CDRA) in the station's U.S. Destiny Laboratory.

Prior to the first spacewalk, Commander Jim Wetherbee removed the P1 truss from Endeavour's payload bay, using the shuttle's robotic arm, and handed it off to the station's Canadarm2. Whitson and Bowersox maneuvered the P1 to its installation position.

EVA No. 1: 6 hours, 45 minutes -- Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington hooked up electrical connections between the P1 truss and station, installed spool positioning devices that will ensure quick disconnect devices in fluid lines function properly, and released launch locks on the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart. They also installed Node Wireless video system External Transceiver Assembly (WETA) antennas allowing reception from spacewalkers' helmet cameras without a shuttle present.

EVA No. 2: 6 hours, 10 minutes -- On Thanksgiving Day, Lopez-Alegria and Herrington connected two fluid jumpers between the P1 and S0 trusses, linking plumbing for ammonia in the station's cooling system. They removed the starboard keel pin, moving it to the proper location and stowing it in the P1 truss. They also installed a second WETA, this one on the P1 truss. They released launch locks on the P1 radiator beams.

Working from the Canadarm2, Herrington lifted the CETA cart to the S1 truss where he attached it to the tracks and secured it to its sister CETA, delivered on STS-112. The move cleared the P1 tracks so the Canadarm 2 can move on them via the Mobile Transporter and Mobile Base System.

A final task was reconnecting a cable on the WETA installed 2 days earlier.

EVA No. 3: 7 hours -- Herrington and Lopez-Alegria successfully completed installation of 33 spool positioning devices around the outside of the station. Herrington also troubleshooted the stalled railcar (Mobile Transporter). He freed and deployed a UHF communications antenna that had snagged a trailing umbilical mechanism on the MT. The MT was able to reach its destination, Worksite 7. Herrington completed his assigned tasks without using the Canadarm2, which was to have transferred from the U.S. Lab to the MT to maneuver Herrington through some of his tasks.

During the mission, Whitson and Flight Engineer Donald Pettit did troubleshooting on the Microgravity Science Glovebox on the station. The device, which provides electrical power to the facility, had failed November 20. The MSG allows experiments with fluids, flame, particles or fumes to be performed in an enclosed environment. The box was returned to Earth for further study.

Mission: Migrogravity Research Mission/SPACEHAB
Space Shuttle: Columbia
Launch Pad: 39A
Launched: January 16, 2003, 10:39 a.m. EST

Crew Members

Commander Rick Husband, Pilot Willie McCool, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon.

Launch

Jan. 16, 2003, at 10:39 a.m. EST, Columbia lifted off on time on the first shuttle mission of the year. It carried seven crew members, including the first Israeli astronaut, on a marathon international scientific research flight.

Landing

KSC landing was planned for Feb. 1 after a 16-day mission, but Columbia and crew were lost during reentry over East Texas at about 9 a.m. EST, 16 minutes prior to the scheduled touchdown at KSC. A seven-month investigation followed, including a four month search across Texas to recover debris. The search was headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La. Nearly 85,000 pieces of orbiter debris were shipped to KSC and housed in the Columbia Debris Hangar near the Shuttle Landing Facility. The KSC debris reconstruction team identified pieces as to location on the orbiter, and determined damaged areas. About 38 percent of the orbiter Columbia was eventually recovered.

Mission Highlights

As a research mission, the crew was kept busy 24 hours a day performing various chores involved with science experiments.

Experiments in the SPACEHAB RDM included nine commercial payloads involving 21separate investigations, four payloads for the European Space Agency with 14 investigations, one payload/investigation for ISS Risk Mitigation and 18 payloads supporting 23 investigations for NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR).

In the physical sciences, three studies inside a large, rugged chamber examined the physics of combustion, soot production and fire quenching processes in microgravity. These experiments provided new insights into combustion and fire suppression that cannot be gained on Earth.

An experiment that compresses granular materials in the absence of gravity furthered our understanding of construction techniques. This information can help engineers provide stronger foundations for structures in areas where earthquakes, floods and landslides are common.

Another experiment evaluated the formation of zeolite crystals, which can speed the chemical reactions that are the basis for chemical processes used in refining, biomedical and other areas. Yet another experiment used pressurized liquid xenon to mimic the behaviors of more complex fluids such as blood flowing through capillaries.

In the area of biological applications, two separate OBPR experiments allowed different types of cell cultures to grow together in weightlessness to elevate their development of enhanced genetic characteristics -- one use was to combat prostate cancer, the other to improve crop yield. Another experiment evaluated the commercial usefulness of plant products grown in space.

A facility for forming protein crystals more purely and with fewer flaws than is possible on Earth may lead to a drug designed for specific diseases with fewer side effects.

A commercially sponsored facility housed two experiments to grow protein crystals to study possible therapies against the factors that cause cancers to spread and bone cancer to inflict intense pain on its sufferers.

A third experiment looked at developing a new technique of encapsulating anti-cancer drugs to improve their efficiency.

Other studies focused on changes, due to space flight, in the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems; in the systems which sense and respond to gravity; and in the capability of organisms to respond to stress and maintain normal function.

NASA also tested a new technology to recycle water prior to installing a device to recycle water permanently aboard the International Space Station.

The European Space Agency (ESA), through a contract with SPACEHAB, flew an important payload focused on astronaut health, biological function and basic physical phenomena in space. These experiments addressed different aspects of many of the same phenomena that NASA is interested in, providing a more thorough description of the effects of space flight, often in the same subjects or specimens.

ESA performed seven in-flight experiments, and one ground-based, on the cardiopulmonary changes that occur in astronauts.

Additional ESA biological investigations examined bone formation and maintenance; immune system functioning; connective tissue growth and repair; and bacterial and yeast cell responses to the stresses of space flight.

A special facility grew large, well-ordered protein and virus crystals that were expected to lead to improved drug designs. Another studied the physical characteristics of bubbles and droplets in the absence of the effects of Earth’s gravity.

SPACEHAB was also making it possible for universities, companies and other government agencies to do important research in space without having to provide their own spacecraft.

The Canadian Space Agency sponsored three bone-growth experiments, and was collaborating with ESA on two others.

The German Space Agency measured the development of the gravity-sensing organs of fish in the absence of gravity.

A university was growing ultra-pure protein crystals for drug research. And another university was testing a navigation system for future satellites.

The U.S. Air Force was conducting a communications experiment. Students from six schools in Australia, China, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein and the United States were probing the effects of space flight on spiders, silkworms, inorganic crystals, fish, bees and ants, respectively.

There were also experiments in Columbia's payload bay, including three attached to the top of the RDM: the Combined Two-Phase Loop Experiment (COM2PLEX), Miniature Satellite Threat Reporting System (MSTRS) and Star Navigation (STARNAV).

There were six payloads/experiments on the Hitchhiker pallet -- the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR), which was mounted on a bridge-like structure spanning the width of the payload bay. These six investigations looked outward to the Sun, downward at Earth's atmosphere and inward into the physics of fluid phenomena, as well as tested technology for space communications.

FREESTAR held the Critical Viscosity of Xenon- 2 (CVX-2), Low Power Transceiver (LPT), Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX), Space Experiment Module (SEM- 14), Solar Constant Experiment-3 (SOLCON-3) and Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding Experiment (SOLSE-2). The SEM was made up of 11 separate student experiments from schools across the U.S. and was the 14th flight of a SEM on the space shuttle.

Additional secondary payloads were the Shuttle Ionospheric Modification with Pulsed Local Exhaust Experiment (SIMPLEX) and Ram Burn Observation (RAMBO).

During the debris recovery activities, some of the Columbia experiments were found. Scientists have indicated valuable science will still be produced. Much of the scientific data was transmitted to experimenters on the ground during the flight.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight LF1
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launched: July 26, 2005, 10:39:00 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Aug. 9, 2005, 5:11:22 a.m. PDT
Runway: 22
Revolution: 219
Mission Duration: 13 days, 21 hours, 32 minutes and 48 seconds
Main Gear Touchdown: 5:11:36 a.m. PDT
Nose Gear Touchdown: 5:11:41 a.m. PDT
Wheel Stop: 5:12:36 a.m. PDT
Rollout Distance: 1.5 miles
Miles Traveled: 5.8 million

Crew Members

Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot James Kelly, Mission Specialists Charles Camarda, Wendy Lawrence, Soichi Noguchi, Stephen Robinson and Andrew Thomas.

Launch:
July 26, 2005 at 10:39 a.m. EDT. A liquid hydrogen tank low-level fuel cut-off sensor failed a routine prelaunch check during the launch countdown July 13, causing mission managers to scrub Discovery's first launch attempt. Members of an engineering team met to review data and possible troubleshooting plans. Some of the troubleshooting included conducting electromagnetic interference and ground resistance testing on wiring in the aft engine compartment. On July 26, the countdown was flawless and liftoff occurred on time.

Landing:
Waved off 4 landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center due to weather. Landed on first opportunity at Edwards Air Force Base, marking the 6th night landing at Edwards and the 50th shuttle landing in California.

Kennedy Space Center was beset with weather issues starting Aug. 8, the original landing date. Two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off Aug. 8 and two more again Aug. 9. Edwards was chosen as the preferred landing site following wave-off at Kennedy Space Center on Aug. 9. Discovery was ferried back to Kennedy Space Center Aug. 20, 2005, atop a modified Boeing 747 aircraft.

Mission Highlights:
STS-114 was the first Return to Flight mission since the tragic loss of Columbia Feb. 1, 2003. Two and a half years were spent researching and implementing safety improvements for orbiters and external tanks. They included greater in-depth examination of Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels that are used on the wing leading edges, plus replacing bolts and new foam applications on the tanks.

Discovery's climb to orbit was extensively documented through a system of new and upgraded ground-based cameras, radar systems and airborne cameras aboard high altitude aircraft. The imagery captured of Discovery's launch, and additional imagery from laser systems on Discovery's new Orbiter Boom Sensor System laser-scanner as well as data from sensors embedded in the shuttle's wings, helped mission managers determine the health of Discovery's thermal protection system. When Discovery neared the International Space Station early July 28, Station Commander Sergei Krikalev and Flight Engineer John Phillips used digital cameras and high-powered 800-mm and 400-mm lenses to photograph Discovery's thermal protective tiles and key areas around its main and nose landing gear doors. All imagery was downlinked to a team of 200 to analyze.

Before docking with the space station, Commander Eileen Collins performed the first Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver about 600 feet below the station. The motion flipped the shuttle end over end at 3/4 degree per second, allowing Expedition 11 crew members to photograph the underside of Discovery and its heat-resistant tiles in detail.

Imagery during launch showed a piece of foam being shed from the external tank, as well as smaller tile and foam dings. Imagery of the tiles showed two areas where gap fillers were protruding. Mission managers spent several days to determine if any action would be required of the crew.

It was decided to allow Robinson the attempt to pull out the protruding gap fillers with his hand or with forceps, or remove the protrusions with a hacksaw. The astronauts reviewed training on using the robotic arm and worked on assembling a hacksaw if they should need it.

A puffed out piece of thermal blanket near the cockpit was also identified in the imagery and became another area of concern. Tunnel tests at NASA's Ames Research Center in California and further engineering analysis showed there was little reason to be concerned about debris release during re-entry.

Prior to the first spacewalk, Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence and Pilot James Kelly guided the station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, to lift the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello from Discovery's Cargo Bay for attachment to the Unity module. More inspections of Discovery were conducted by Mission Specialist Charles Camarda and Kelly.

During the mission, astronauts tested and examined tiles in demonstration of repair techniques. Other time was spent transferring equipment and supplies on the station as well as removing and stowing the same on the MPLM Raffaello for return to Earth.

Three spacewalks were planned and conducted, including an add-on task for the gap filler removal: EVA No. 1 -- 6 hours, 50 minutes, July 30. Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson and Soichi Noguchi worked with tiles and reinforced carbon-carbon intentionally damaged on the ground and brought into space in Discovery's cargo bay. They tested an Emittance Wash Applicator for tile repair and Non-Oxide Adhesive eXperimental for the reinforced carbon-carbon samples. They also installed a base and cabling for a stowage platform and rerouted power to Control Moment Gyroscope-2, one of four 600-pound gyroscopes that control the orientation of the station in orbit.
EVA No. 2 — 7 hours, 14 minutes, Aug. 1. Noguchi and Robinson removed the failed CMG-1 and stowed it. They moved the new CMG from the payload bay and installed it. Four functioning CMGs now serve the space station.
EVA No. 3 — 6 hours, 1 minute, Aug. 3. Attached to the Canadarm2, Robinson was moved to the site on Discovery's underside where he gently pulled the two protruding gap fillers from between thermal protection tiles. Other events were installing an external stowage platform outside the station to house spare parts and installing a fifth Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE). MISSE 5 exposes samples of various materials to the harsh space environment for several months. Mission managers added one more day to the mission, to follow the third spacewalk. Both the Discovery crew and Expedition 11 crew paid tribute to the Columbia crew and other astronauts and cosmonauts who have lost their lives in the human exploration of space.

The MPLM was unberthed from the Unity node using the station robotic arm and placed back in Discovery's cargo bay. Discovery and the MPLM carried 7,055 pounds of unneeded equipment and trash. The OBSS was berthed back in the cargo bay by the shuttle robot arm after a handoff of the boom from the station's arm.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight ULF1.1
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launched: July 4, 2006, 2:37:55 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Landing: July 17, 2006, 9:15:49 a.m. EDT
Runway: 15
Revolution: 202
Mission Duration: 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds
Main Gear Touchdown: 9:14:43 a.m. EDT
Nose Gear Touchdown: 9:14:53 a.m. EDT
Wheel Stop: 9:15:49 a.m. EDT
Rollout Distance: 4.2 miles
Miles Traveled: 5.3 million

Crew Members:

Commander Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialist Piers J. Sellers, Pilot Mark E. Kelly, and Mission Specialists Thomas Reiter and Lisa M. Nowak.

Launch:

July 4, 2006, at 2:38 p.m. EDT. Launch of Discovery was scrubbed twice, July 1 and 2, due to weather concerns. After a day's standdown, the launch attempt resumed on July 4 and Discovery lifted off on time.

Landing:

July 17, 2006, at 9:15 a.m. EDT. Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center. Main gear touchdown: 9:14:43 a.m. Nose gear touchdown: 9:14:53 a.m. Wheel stop: 9:15:49 a.m. Rollout distance: 4.2 miles. Mission duration: 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Logged 5.3 million miles. Landed on first opportunity at Kennedy, marking the 62nd landing at the center.

Mission Highlights:

STS-121 was the second return-to-flight mission, demonstrating techniques for inspecting and protecting the shuttle's thermal protection system and replacing critical hardware needed for future station assembly. The mission also restored the station to a three-person crew for the first time since May 2003, leaving ESA astronaut Reiter aboard to join Expedition 13.

This was the most photographed shuttle mission in history, with more than 100 high-definition, digital, video and film cameras documenting the launch and climb to orbit. The images helped assess any damage sustained and potential risk for landing. In addition, the crew used the orbiter boom sensor system with a laser dynamic range imager, laser camera system and intensified television camera on the end, to examine the shuttle's nose cap, port wing, leading edge of the starboard wing, and outside of the crew cabin. No risk was found.

After docking to the station, the crew transferred the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo to the Unity module from which they moved 7,400 pounds of supplies and equipment during their stay. The cargo included a new heat exchange for the common cabin air assembly that collects condensation out of the air on the station, a new window and window seals for the Microgravity Sciences Glovebox, and a spare U.S. extravehicular activity suit and emergency jet pack.

Astronauts performed three spacewalks: EVA No. 1 -- 7 hours, 31 minutes. Mission Specialists Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum installed a blade blocker on the S0 truss in the zenith interface umbilical assembly to protect the undamaged power, data and video cable. They rerouted the cable through the IUA in order to move the mobile transporter rail car and replace the trailing umbilical system with the severed power and data cable. After that task, they tested the combination of the shuttle robotic arm and OBSS as a platform for spacewalking astronauts to repair a damaged orbiter if ever needed. The EVA was the fourth for Sellers and first for Fossum. EVA. No. 2 -- 6 hours, 47 minutes. Sellers and Fossum restored the station's mobile transporter car to full operation, replacing the nadir-side trailing umbilical system, including a new interface umbilical assembly without a blade (the previous IUA had a blade, which inadvertently cut the cable that required the replacement). During the spacewalk, Fossum's emergency jet thruster backpack came loose on one side, requiring Sellers to secure it. EVA No. 3 -- 7 hours, 11 minutes. The third and final spacewalk focused on testing repairs on thermal protection system reinforced carbon-carbon panels. Under evaluation was a pre-ceramic polymer sealant containing carbon-silicon carbide powder known as NOAX for use on damaged panels. Sellers and Fossum made three gouge repairs and two crack repairs. They also photographed the samples, as well as an area of Discovery's port wing. An added task during the EVA was removing the fixed grapple bar on the integrated cargo carrier in Discovery's payload bay and installing it on an ammonia tank inside the station's S1 truss to facilitate moving the tank on a later mission. Refilled with 4,600 pounds of experiment samples, broken equipment and trash to be returned to Earth, Leonardo was moved back to Discovery's payload bay.

The return flight to Earth was delayed one day in order to add the third spacewalk. The mission management team determined there were enough consumables to extend the mission to test repair techniques and test a thermal imaging camera.

The trip home was one crew member short. Reiter remained behind to join Expedition 13, marking the first time since May 2003 that the station houses three crew members.

After unberthing from the station, the shuttle crew again used the robotic arm and boom sensors to inspect the starboard wing and nose cap heat shield. Still no concerns were noted.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight 12A
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launched: Sept. 9, 2006, 11:15 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Landing: Sept. 21, 2006, 6:21 a.m. EDT
Runway: 33
Revolution: 187
Mission Duration: 11 days, 19 hours, 6 minutes
Main Gear Touchdown: 6:21:30 a.m. EDT
Nose Gear Touchdown: 6:21:36 a.m. EDT
Wheel Stop: 6:22:16 a.m. EDT
Rollout Distance: 10,500 feet
Miles Traveled: 4.9 million

Crew Members:
Astronauts Brent W. Jett, Jr. (right) and Christopher J. Ferguson, commander and pilot, respectively, flank the mission insignia. The mission specialists are, from left to right, astronauts Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, Joseph R. (Joe) Tanner, Daniel C. Burbank, and Steven G. MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency.

Launch:
A lightning strike at the pad Aug. 25 caused the launch to slip to Aug. 27. As assessments of the strike's impact were conducted, Tropical Storm Ernesto threatened the Space Coast. Atlantis was rolled halfway back to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Aug. 29 for protection from the storm, but returned to the pad again on the same day after shuttle managers received a more favorable weather forecast.

Launch was rescheduled for Sept. 6 but a fuel cell problem occurred prior to tanking and the launch was scrubbed for 24 hours. The crew boarded Atlantis again on Sept. 8 but the launch was again scrubbed 24 hours due to a faulty sensor reading.

Launch was successful Sept. 9.

Landing:

Atlantis landed on the first opportunity, orbit 187, on Runway 33. Overall, the vehicle traveled 4,901,268 statute miles. Main gear touchdown was at 6:21:30 a.m. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:21:36 a.m. Wheel stop was at 6:22:16 a.m. Rollout distance: 10,500 feet. Mission elapsed time was 11 days, 19 hours and six minutes.

The landing scheduled for Sept. 20 was postponed to allow for additional inspections of the spacecraft after video from cameras aboard the orbiter showed a piece of debris in proximity to the vehicle. The inspections included use of the orbiter boom sensor system and ensured all of Atlantis' critical equipment were in good shape.

Mission Highlights:
This mission resumed assembly of the International Space Station after a hiatus of four years.

Before the docking, the crew used the orbiter boom sensor system, the 50-foot-long extension for the shuttle's robotic arm, to inspect the reinforced carbon-carbon panels along the leading edge of Atlantis' starboard and port wings and the nose cap.

Approaching the space station, Commander Brent Jett flew Atlantis through an orbital back-flip while stationed 600 feet below the station to allow the Expedition 13 crew to photograph the orbiter’s heat shield.

After the docking, Ferguson and Burbank attached the shuttle's robotic arm to the P3/P4 truss, lifted it from its berth in the payload bay, and maneuvered it for handover to the station's Canadarm2. After hatch opening, MacLean and Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff Williams used the Canadarm2 to take the truss from the shuttle's robotic arm. MacLean was the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm2 in space.

Three spacewalks were later planned to install the P3/P4 integrated truss, deploy the solar arrays and prepare them for operation. A new procedure called a "camp out" was implemented, in which astronauts slept in the Quest airlock prior to their spacewalks. The process shortens the "prebreathe" time during which nitrogen is purged from the astronauts' systems and air pressure is lowered so the spacewalkers avoid the condition known as the bends.

Astronauts performed three spacewalks: EVA No. 1 -- 6 hours, 26 minutes, Sept. 12. Tanner and Piper connected power cables on the 17.5-ton, 45-foot-long truss, released the launch restraints on the solar array blanket box and on the beta gimbal assembly and the solar array wings. They also configured the solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the arrays to track the sun, and removed two other circuit interrupt devices to prepare for the STS-116 mission.

To access the launch locks on the solar alpha rotary joint, the astronauts had to remove existing covers. This was a "get-ahead" task originally scheduled for the following day. Tanner and Piper's quick and efficient work enabled them to get ahead of the planned timeline. During this procedure on cover 21, a bolt and washer came off and floated into space. EVA No. 2 -- 7 hours, 11 minutes, Sept. 13. First-time spacewalkers Dan Burbank and Steve MacLean released locks on the auto-sized solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the station's solar arrays to turn toward the sun. The locks had held the joint secure during its launch to orbit.

Minor problems occurred, including a malfunctioning helmet camera, a broken socket tool, a stubborn bolt requiring both astronauts to turn it, and a bolt that loosened from the mechanism designed to hold it. EVA No. 3 -- 6 hours, 42 minutes, Sept. 15. Tanner and Piper powered up a cooling radiator for the newly unfolded solar arrays. They also replaced an S-band radio antenna that provides backup communications between the space station and the ground.

Other tasks, designed to reduce workload for future spacewalkers, included installing insulation for another communications antenna and (Tanner) taking photos of the shuttle's wings with an infrared camera to test its ability to detect damage. After astronauts had prepared the solar alpha rotary joint for activation, Mission Control engaged the first of two drive-lock assemblies and rotated the joint 180 degrees.

When they commanded the second drive-lock assembly to engage, they did not get an indication of engagement. A second command also failed. The glitch was resolved overnight.

The solar arrays on the newly delivered 17.5-ton truss segment were fully unfolded at 8:44 a.m. EDT on Sept. 14. During the unfurling, Atlantis' astronauts noted that some of the panels stuck. The phenomenon, called "stiction," also occurred during a shuttle mission in late 2000 when the station's first set of solar panels was deployed.

The power generated by the arrays will not be used by the station until mission STS-116, in December 2006, when astronauts will rewire the complex and activate a cooling system. The arrays currently are powering their own system, including batteries and other electronics equipment.

The solar panels have a wingspan of 240 feet attached on the port side of the station. They can generate 66 kilowatts of power.

The crew also maneuvered the Canadarm2 robotic arm in a "double walk off," moving it from the Mobile Base System to the Destiny Lab in an inchworm-like procedure.

Mission: International Space Station Assembly Flight 12A.1
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launched: Dec. 9, 2006, 8:47 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Landing: Dec. 22, 2006, 5:32 p.m. EST
Runway: 15
Revolution: 204
Mission Duration: 12 days, 20 hours, 45 minutes
Main Gear Touchdown: 5:32:00 p.m. EST
Nose Gear Touchdown: 5:32:12 p.m. EST
Wheel Stop: 5:32:52 p.m. EST
Rollout Distance: 10,500 feet
Miles Traveled: 5.3 million

Crew Members:

Bill Oefelein, pilot; Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Reiter, mission specialists, Mark Polansky, commander; Sunita Williams, Expedition 14 flight engineer; ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang and Robert Curbeam, mission specialists.

Launch:

NASA managers postponed the Dec. 7 space shuttle launch attempt until Dec. 9 because of low cloud cover. The interim day's weather was not expected to be favorable for a launch attempt.

The Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew lifted off Dec. 9 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on one of the most complex missions ever to the International Space Station.

Landing:

Nose gear touchdown was at 5:32:12 p.m. and wheel stop was at 5:32:52 p.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 20 hours, 45 minutes. This was the 64th landing at KSC.

The original landing date of Dec. 21 was postponed due to the addition of a fourth spacewalk. Inclement weather at KSC caused some concern and the first landing opportunity at 3:56 p.m. EST was waved off. The first chance for landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California was passed due to gusty winds. Weather conditions at KSC took a dramatic turn for the better and landing proceeded on the second opportunity. Returning with the crew was astronaut Thomas Reiter after his six-month tenure as part of the Expedition 14 crew on the space station. He was replaced by Flight Engineer Suni Williams.

Mission Highlights:

Discovery rocketed into a dark Florida sky on the first night launch in more than four years. After reaching orbit, the crew used the shuttle's robotic arm and orbiter boom sensor system to examine Discovery's thermal protection system.

Docking with the International Space Station occurred at 4:12 p.m. Dec. 11. An impromptu wing inspection was called for after a minor vibration reading on the port wing sensor. The imagery analysis team determined the shuttle's heat shield could support a safe return to Earth and further inspection was not needed.

Three spacewalks (EVAs) were planned to unberth the P5 truss from Discovery's payload bay, install it on the station's main truss and rewire the station's electrical system to its permanent power grid.

Using a start-stop-restart process, the crew spent six hours Dec. 13 attempting to fold and retract the port array on the P6 integrated truss structure without success. Guidewires apparently snagged. Repeated attempts the next day were also unsuccessful. A fourth and unscheduled spacewalk was added to the mission to try again to loosen and retract the port array.

With the fourth EVA, Mission Specialist Robert Curbeam set a record for the most spacewalks during a shuttle mission. He has a total of 45 hours, 34 minutes of spacewalking time.

The total time spent on spacewalks on this mission was 25 hours, 45 minutes.

Before undocking from the station, Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham and her cargo team transferred more than two tons of food, water and equipment for the Expediction 14 crew. They also filled Discovery's pressurized cargo carrier with equipment and experiment samples for return to Earth.

EVA No. 1 -- 6 hours, 36 minutes: Dec. 12. Mission Specialists Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang attached the P5 truss and replaced a failed camera needed to support future assembly tasks. They completed additional tasks of plugging the new segment into the existing truss, removing the locks that held it steady during launch, and opening a latch to allow the P6 segment to be attached at the end when it is moved from its temporary location. EVA No. 2 -- 5 hours: Dec. 14. Curbeam and Fuglesang exited Discovery again to start rewiring the station's power. Using power generated by the solar arrays delivered in September, they rewired channels two and three. Before the cable connections could be swapped, some of the station's systems, such as lights, communication gear, ventilation fans and backup computers, had to be shut down. In less than three hours, one of two external thermal control system loops was shedding excess heat into space and the DC-to-DC converter units were regulating power voltages.

Despite problems retracting the P6 solar array, the P4 arrays were able to rotate and track the sun, generating power for the station.

Curbeam and Fuglesang also were able to relocate two small handcarts on the rails of the station's main truss, put a thermal cover on the station's robotic arm, and install bags of tools for future spacewalkers. EVA No. 3 -- 7 hours, 31 minutes: Dec. 16. Curbeam and Williams finished rewiring the station. They also installed a robotic arm grapple fixture and positioned three bundles of Russian debris shield panels outside the Zvezda service module, to be installed on a future spacewalk. Then the spacewalkers tackled grommets and guide wires on the P6 solar array and shook the array while the crew inside the station reeled it in one bay at a time. They achieved 65 percent retraction. EVA No. 4 -- 6 hours, 38 minutes: Dec. 18. Curbeam and Fuglesang finished the P6 retraction, guiding the array into its blanket box. They were aided by Williams and Higginbotham who used the station's robotic arm to position the spacewalkers near the array. Afterward, the spacewalkers also secured multi-layer insulation that had been installed on the robotic arm during an earlier spacewalk.

The retraction set the stage for the spring 2007 shuttle mission, when the station's starboard overhead array will also be stowed. The arrays will be moved to the far end of the port truss on STS-120 and redeployed. The crew wrapped up eight days of docked operations, separating from the space station on Dec. 19. On Dec. 20, they inspected the heat shield for possible micrometeoroid debris damage using the sensor-equipped orbiter boom sensor system unfolded from the payload bay. They also deployed small technology demonstration satellites, known as MEPSI or Micro-Electromechanical System-based PICOSAT Inspector, for the U.S. Department of Defense's Space Test Program, as well as student-experiment scientific satellites and the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment (ANDE) that will measure the density and composition of the low-Earth-orbit atmosphere while tracked from the ground.

On Dec. 21, Mission Control confirmed the shuttle's heat shield was in good shape and the crew and orbiter could plan for a safe landing.

Launch: June 8, 2007
7:38 p.m. EDT
Landing: June 22, 2007
3:49 p.m. EDT
Orbiter: Atlantis
Mission Number: STS-117 (118th shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 14 days
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 21st station flight (13A), S3/S4 Truss

Frederick Sturckow, a Marine colonel, commanded STS-117. The mission delivered the second and third starboard truss segments (S3/S4) and another pair of solar arrays to the space station. Pilot Lee Archambault, an Air Force colonel, joined Sturckow in the shuttle’s cockpit. Mission specialists James Reilly II, Ph.D., Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, Ph.D., and John D. Olivas, Ph.D., rounded out the crew. STS-117 was the 21st shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Sunita L. Williams returned to Earth from the space station aboard shuttle mission STS-117. That flight carried Expedition 15/16 Flight Engineer Clayton C. Anderson to the station. He is scheduled to return home aboard Discovery on mission STS-120.

Launch: Aug. 8, 2007
6:36 p.m. EDT
Landing: Aug. 21, 2007
12:33 p.m. EDT
Orbiter: Endeavour
Mission Number: STS-118 (119th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 12 days, 17 hours, 55 minutes
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 22nd station flight (13A.1), S5 Truss

Space Shuttle Endeavour's STS-118 mission was the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It continued space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment.

U.S. Navy Commander Scott J. Kelly commanded the seven-person crew of STS-118. U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Charles O. Hobaugh was Endeavour's pilot. Veteran astronauts Richard A. Mastracchio and Dr. Dafydd (Dave) Williams of the Canadian Space Agency returned to space for their second missions. Barbara R. Morgan, Tracy E. Caldwell, Ph. D., and Benjamin Alvin Drew rounded out the crew as mission specialists.

Launch: Oct. 23, 2007
11:38 a.m. EDT

Landing: Nov. 7, 2007
1:01 p.m. EST

Orbiter: Discovery

Mission Number: STS-120 (120th space shuttle flight)

Launch Window: 10 minutes

Launch Pad: 39A

Mission Duration: 15 days, 2 hours, 23 minutes

Landing Site: KSC

Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Primary Payload: 23rd station flight (10A), U.S. Node 2 STS-120 was the 23rd shuttle mission to the International Space Station, and launched an Italian-built U.S. multi-port module for the station.

Retired Air Force Col. Pamela A. Melroy commanded the STS-120 mission which took the Harmony Node 2 connecting module to the station. Melroy, a veteran shuttle pilot, was the second woman to command a shuttle. Marine Corps Col. George D. Zamka served as pilot. The flight's mission specialists were Scott E. Parazynski, Army Col. Douglas H. Wheelock, Stephanie D. Wilson and Paolo A. Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut from Italy. Zamka, Wheelock and Nespoli were making their first spaceflight.

Expedition 15/16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson returned to Earth from the space station aboard shuttle mission STS-120. That flight carried his replacement, Daniel Tani, to the station. Tani will return on shuttle mission STS-122.

Launch: Feb. 7, 2008
2:45 p.m. EST

Landing: Feb. 20, 2008
9:07 a.m. EST

Orbiter: Atlantis

Mission Number: STS-122 (121st space shuttle flight)

Launch Window: 10 minutes

Launch Pad: 39A

Mission Duration: 13 days

Landing Site: KSC

Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Primary Payload: 24th station flight (1E), Columbus Laboratory

A veteran space flier, Navy Cmdr. Stephen N. Frick, commanded the STS-122 shuttle mission to deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus Laboratory to the International Space Station. Navy Cmdr. Alan G. Poindexter served as pilot. Mission specialists included Air Force Col. Rex J. Walheim, Stanley G. Love, Leland D. Melvin and European Space Agency astronaut Hans Schlegel. Poindexter, Love and Melvin made their first spaceflight on this mission.

Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani, who flew to the space station on the STS-120 mission, returned home with the STS-122 crew. STS-122 delivered European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts to the complex.

STS-122 was the 24th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Launch: March 11, 2008
2:28 a.m. EDT

Landing: March 26, 2008
8:39 p.m. EDT

Orbiter: Endeavour

Mission Number: STS-123 (122nd space shuttle flight)

Launch Window: 10 minutes

Launch Pad: 39A

Mission Duration: 15 days, 18 hours

Landing Site: KSC

Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Primary Payload: 25th station flight (1J/A), Kibo Logistics Module, Dextre Robotics System

A veteran space flier, Navy Capt. Dominic L. Gorie, commanded the STS-123 shuttle mission to deliver the Japanese Kibo Logistics Module and the Canadian Dextre robotics system to the International Space Station. Air Force Col. Gregory H. Johnson served as pilot. Mission specialists included Richard M. Linnehan, Air Force Maj. Robert L. Behnken, Navy Capt. Michael J. Foreman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi. STS-123 was the first spaceflight for Johnson, Behnken and Foreman.

The mission delivered NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman to the station and returned European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts to Earth.

STS-123 was the 25th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Launch: May 31, 2008
5:02 p.m. EDT
Landing: June 14, 2008
11:15 a.m. EDT
Orbiter: Discovery
Mission Number: STS-124
(123rd space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 13 days, 18 hours, 13 minutes, 7 secs
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 26th station flight (1J), Kibo Pressurized Module, Japanese Remote Manipulator System

Navy Cmdr. Mark E. Kelly commanded the STS-124 shuttle mission to deliver the Pressurized Module and robotic arm of the Japanese Experiment Module, known as "Kibo" (hope), to the International Space Station. Navy Cmdr. Kenneth T. Ham served as the pilot. Mission specialists included NASA astronauts Karen L. Nyberg; Air Force Col. Ronald J. Garan Jr.; and Air Force Reserve Col. Michael E. Fossum. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide also served as a mission specialist.

Astronaut Gregory E. Chamitoff flew to the station as a mission specialist on STS-124. He took Astronaut Garrett E. Reisman's place as an Expedition 17 flight engineer and will return to Earth on shuttle mission STS-126.

The STS-124 mission was the second of three flights that will launch components to complete the Kibo laboratory. The mission included three spacewalks. The lab's logistics module, which was installed in a temporary location during STS-123, was attached to the new lab.

STS-124 was the 26th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Navy Cmdr. Stephen G. Bowen was previously named to the STS-124 crew but was reassigned to STS-126. The change allowed room for the STS-124 mission to rotate a space station resident.

Launch: Nov. 14, 2008
7:55 p.m. EST
Landing: Nov. 30, 2008
4:25 p.m. EST
Orbiter: Endeavour
Mission Number: STS-126 (124th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 15 days, 20 hours, 29 minutes, 37 secs
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 27th station flight (ULF2), Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM)

Veteran space flier Navy Capt. Christopher J. Ferguson commanded the STS-126 mission aboard Endeavour that delivered equipment to the International Space Station that will enable larger crews to reside aboard the complex. Air Force Lt. Col. Eric A. Boe served as the pilot. The mission specialists were Navy Capt. Stephen G. Bowen, Army Lt. Col. Robert S. Kimbrough, Navy Capt. Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper and NASA astronauts Donald R. Pettit and Sandra H. Magnus.

Magnus remained on the station, replacing Expedition 17/18 Flight Engineer Gregory E. Chamitoff, who returned to Earth with the STS-126 crew. Magnus will serve as a flight engineer and NASA science officer for Expedition 18. Magnus will return to Earth on shuttle mission STS-119.

Endeavour carried a reusable logistics module that held supplies and equipment, including additional crew quarters, additional exercise equipment, equipment for the regenerative life support system and spare hardware.

STS-126 was the 27th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Launch: March 15, 2009
7:43 p.m. EDT
Landing: March 28, 2009
3:14 p.m. EDT
Orbiter: Discovery
Mission Number: STS-119 (125th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 12 days, 19 hours, 29 minutes, 33 secs
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 28th station flight (15A), S6 truss segment

Air Force Col. Lee Archambault led the crew of STS-119, and Navy Cmdr. Tony Antonelli served as the pilot. The mission specialists for the flight were NASA astronauts Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata.

Wakata remained on the station, replacing Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus, who returned to Earth with the STS-119 crew. He is serving as a flight engineer for Expeditions 18 and 19, and he will return to Earth on shuttle mission STS-127.

STS-119 is the 28th shuttle mission to the International Space Station. Discovery also carried the S6 truss segment to the orbital outpost.

Launch: 2:01 p.m. EDT – May 11, 2009
Landing: 11:39 a.m. EDT – May 24, 2009
Orbiter: Atlantis
Mission Number: STS-125 (126th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: Approximately 40 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 12 days, 21 hours, 37 minutes
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Inclination/Altitude: 28.5 degrees/304 nautical miles

Veteran astronaut Scott D. Altman commanded the final space shuttle mission to Hubble. Retired Navy Capt. Gregory C. Johnson served as pilot. Mission specialists included veteran spacewalkers John M. Grunsfeld and Michael J. Massimino and first-time space fliers Andrew J. Feustel, Michael T. Good and K. Megan McArthur.

Atlantis’ astronauts repaired and upgraded the Hubble Space Telescope, conducting five spacewalks during their mission to extend the life of the orbiting observatory. They successfully installed two new instruments and repaired two others, bringing them back to life, replaced gyroscopes and batteries, and added new thermal insulation panels to protect the orbiting observatory. The result is six working, complementary science instruments with capabilities beyond what was available and an extended operational lifespan until at least 2014.

With the newly installed Wide Field Camera, Hubble will be able to observe in ultraviolet and infrared spectrums as well as visible light, peer deep onto the cosmic frontier in search of the earliest star systems and study planets in the solar system. The telescope’s new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph will allow it to study the grand-scale structure of the universe, including the star-driven chemical evolution that produce carbon and the other elements necessary for life.

Launch: 6:03 p.m. EDT - July 15, 2009
Landing: 10:48 a.m. EDT - July 31, 2009
Orbiter: Endeavour
Mission Number: STS-127 (127th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 15 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 29th station flight (2J/A), Kibo Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility (JEM EF), Kibo Japanese Experiment Logistics Module - Exposed Section (ELM-ES)

Mark L. Polansky commanded the shuttle Endeavour for STS-127. Douglas G. Hurley served as the pilot. Mission specialists were Christopher J. Cassidy, Thomas H. Marshburn, David A. Wolf and Julie Payette, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut.

The mission delivered Timothy L. Kopra to the station as a flight engineer and science officer and returned Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata to Earth. Hurley, Cassidy, Marshburn and Kopra made their first trips to space.

Endeavour set sail on its 23rd mission with the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility and Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section. The facility provides a type of "front porch" for experiments in the exposed environment, and a robotic arm that is attached to the Kibo Pressurized Module and is used to position experiments outside the station. The mission included five spacewalks.

STS-127 was the 29th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Launch: 11:59 p.m. EDT - Aug. 28, 2009
Landing: 8:53 p.m. EDT - Sept. 11, 2009
Orbiter: Discovery
Mission Number: STS-128 (128th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 13 days, 20 hours, 54 minutes
Landing Site: EDW
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 30th station flight (17A), Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier

Commander Rick Sturckow led the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery with Kevin Ford serving as pilot. Also serving aboard Discovery were mission specialists Patrick Forrester, José Hernández, John "Danny" Olivas, Christer Fuglesang, Nicole Stott and Timothy Kopra.

Stott remained on the station as an Expedition 20 flight engineer replacing Timothy Kopra. Kopra returned home aboard Discovery as a mission specialist.

Discovery carried the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks. The Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier was also launched in Discovery's payload bay.

This was Discovery's 37th mission to space and the 30th mission of a space shuttle dedicated to the assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station.

Launch: 2:28 p.m. EST - Nov. 16, 2009
Landing: 9:44 a.m. EST - Nov. 27, 2009
Orbiter: Atlantis
Mission Number: STS-129 (129th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 10 days, 19 hours, 16 minutes, 13 seconds
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 31st station flight (ULF3), EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 (ELC1), EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 2 (ELC2)

Commander Charlie Hobaugh led the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Atlantis. Barry Wilmore served as the pilot. Mission specialists were Robert Satcher, Michael Foreman, Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin. Wilmore, Satcher and Bresnik made their first trips to space.

The mission returned station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth. STS-129 was the final space shuttle crew rotation flight to or from the space station.

Atlantis delivered parts to the space station, including a spare gyroscope. The mission featured three spacewalks.

STS-129 was the 31st shuttle mission to the station.

Launch: 4:14 a.m. EST - Feb. 8, 2010
Landing: 10:20 p.m. EST - Feb. 21, 2010
Orbiter: Endeavour
Mission Number: STS-130 (130th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 13 days, 18 hours, 6 minutes, 24 seconds
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 32nd station flight (20A), Tranquility Node 3, Cupola

Commander George Zamka led the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station aboard Endeavour. Terry Virts served as the pilot. Mission Specialists were Nicholas Patrick, Robert Behnken, Stephen Robinson and Kathryn Hire. Virts completed his first trip to space.

Endeavour delivered a third connecting module - the Tranquility node - to the station and a seven-windowed cupola to be used as a control room for robotics. The mission featured three spacewalks.

STS-130 was the 32nd shuttle mission to the station.

Launch: 6:21 a.m. EDT - April 5, 2010
Landing: 9:08 a.m. EDT - April 20, 2010
Orbiter: Discovery
Mission Number: STS-131 (131st space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 15 days, 2 hours, 47 minutes, 10 seconds
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 33rd station flight (19A), Multi-Purpose Logistics Module

Commander Alan Poindexter led the STS-131 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery. James P. Dutton Jr. served as the pilot. Mission Specialists were Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki.

Discovery delivered a multi-purpose logistics module filled with science racks that were transferred to laboratories on the International Space Station.

The mission featured three spacewalks performed by Mastracchio and Anderson. They replaced an ammonia tank assembly, retrieved a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior and switched out a rate gyro assembly on the S0 element of the station’s truss.

STS-131 was the 33rd shuttle mission to the station.

Launch: 2:20 p.m. EDT - May 14, 2010
Landing: 8:48 a.m. EDT - May 26, 2010
Orbiter: Atlantis
Mission Number: STS-132 (132nd space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 11 days, 18 hours, 29 minutes, 9 seconds
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 34th station flight (ULF4), Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC), Mini Research Module (MRM1)


Space shuttle Atlantis launched on its final planned mission to deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built Mini Research Module to the International Space Station. STS-132 was the 32nd mission for Atlantis.

Three spacewalks were conducted while Atlantis was docked to the orbiting laboratory. During the first spacewalk Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman and Steve Bowen installed a spare antenna and a stowage platform. On the second spacewalk, Bowen and Mission Specialist Michael Good replaced batteries on the P6 Truss that store solar energy. Outside for the final spacewalk were Good and Reisman who replaced the last of the P6 Truss batteries and retrieved a power data grapple fixture for installation at a later date.

Rassvet, the Russian-built Mini Research Module, was removed from the shuttle's payload bay and installed on the Zarya module. Reisman and Mission Specialist Piers Sellers operated the station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, during this process. Reisman and Sellers also maneuvered the Integrated Cargo Carrier from Atlantis into position on the station with Canadarm2. The cargo carrier provided a worksite for spacewalkers to store tools and gear.

After seven days of docked operations, Atlantis undocked with Commander Ken Ham and Pilot Tony Antonelli at the shuttle's controls. With the final inspection of Atlantis' heatshield complete, STS-132 was cleared for landing in Florida on May 26, 2010 at 8:48 a.m. EDT. This was the 34th space shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Launch: 4:53:24 p.m. EST - Feb. 24, 2011
Landing: 11:57:17 a.m. EST - March 9, 2011
Orbiter: Discovery
Mission Number: STS-133 (133rd space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 12 days, 19 hours, 4 minutes and 50 seconds
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 35th station flight (ULF5), EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4), Permanent Multi-Purpose Module (PMM)

STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott delivered a new module and an external stowage platform to the International Space Station as well as equipment and supplies. During space shuttle Discovery’s almost nine days at the station, Bowen and Drew performed two spacewalks for maintenance work and installation of new components.

Discovery’s visit to the station was extended by two days so its crew could help outfit the Permanent Multipurpose Module Leonardo that it delivered. Leonardo had visited the station seven times before as a cargo carrier before being refurbished to serve as a permanent 2,472-cubic-foot addition to the orbiting laboratory. Among the 6,000 pounds of Leonardo cargo was Robonaut 2, a human upper torso-like robot that could be a precursor of devices to help during spacewalks. About 2,000 pounds of additional cargo for the station was carried on the shuttle’s middeck.

This was the 35th shuttle mission to the station and the final flight of Discovery.

Launch: 8:56 a.m. EDT - May 16, 2011
Landing: 2:34 a.m. EDT - June 1, 2011
Orbiter: Endeavour
Mission Number: STS-134 (134th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 16 days
Spacewalks: 4
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 36th station flight (ULF6), EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3), Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS)

The STS-134 crew members are Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori.

During the 14-day mission, Endeavour delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) and spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for Dextre. This was the 36th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Launch: 11:29 a.m. EDT - July 8, 2011
Landing: 5:57 a.m. EDT - July 21, 2011
Orbiter: Atlantis
Mission Number: STS-135 (135th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window: 10 minutes
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 13 days
Spacewalks: 1 (by ISS crew)
Landing Site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: 37th station flight (ULF7), multi-purpose logistics module

Space shuttle Atlantis carried the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module to deliver supplies, logistics and spare parts to the International Space Station. The mission also flew a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and returned a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems.