WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

STS-89 Mission Specialist Salizhan Sharipov of the Russian Space Agency arrives at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility in one of the T-38 aircraft traditionally flown by the astronaut corps. The eight STS-89 crew members flew into KSC from Johnson Space Center as final preparations are under way toward the scheduled liftoff on Jan. 22 of the Space Shuttle Endeavour on the eighth mission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. After docking, STS-89 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., will transfer to the space station, succeeding David Wolf, M.D., who will return to Earth aboard Endeavour. Dr. Thomas will live and work on Mir until June. STS-89 is scheduled for a Jan. 22 liftoff at 9:48 p.m. EST.