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Space Shuttle
Flight Details 9
STS-81 (Atlantis)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: During the STS-81 mission, Atlantis docked with the Mir station for the purpose of performing an astronaut exchange aboard Mir. Astronaut Blaha, on Mir since September 19, 1996, was replaced by astronaut Jerry Linenger. On 04/29/97, Linenger and Russian Cosmonaut Tsibliev (Mir 23) performed a 5-hour plus spacewalk, the first every American spacewalk from a Russian spacecraft. Linenger remained aboard Mir until the STS-84 mission, in May 1997. In addition, about 6,000 pounds of provisions and experiment material were transferred between Atlantis and Mir and joint experiments were conducted by the two crews. Atlantis landed at the Kennedy Space Center.
STS-82 (Discovery)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: During an almost 7-hour spacewalk on 02/14/97, astronauts Smith and Lee replaced older astronomical instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope with a near infra-red spectrometer and a imaging spectrograph, which will greatly increase the Hubble's ability to "see" into the distant reaches of the universe. During a 7 1/2-hour spacewalk on 02/15/97, astronauts Harbaugh and Tanner replaced one of the telescope's navigational sensors and a malfunctioning science tape recorder, and installed an upgrade to the control electronics. Astronauts Smith and Lee replaced a digital science recorder, a data interface unit, and a reaction field assembly during a 7-hour spacewalk on 02/16/97. The originally planned Hubble upgrades were completed during another almost 7-hour spacewalk by astronauts Harbaugh and Tanner on 02/17/97, with replacement of solar array drive electronics and magnetometer covers, and the repair of thermal insulation on the telescope. A fifth, unplanned spacewalk was also conducted on 02/18/97 to make additional repairs to the thermal insulation on Hubble. Discovery landed at the Kennedy Space Center.
STS-83 (Columbia)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: What launched with ambitious plans for a wide variety of microgravity experiments, turned into an aborted mission when one of Columbia's three fuel cells malfunctioned. Although the crew wasn't in danger, mission rules forced an end to the mission after only 4 of the planned 16 days in orbit. Columbia landed without incident at the Kennedy Space Center. Because only a limited amount on in-orbit science was accomplished, NASA later made the decision to refly the STS-83/MSL 1 mission (called STS-94) in July 1997.
STS-84 (Atlantis)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: The multinational crew of Atlantis delivered to the Mir space station, not only Astronaut Michael Foale, who replaced Jerry Linenger (after 132 days) as a member of the Mir crew, but also 2,600 pounds of Russian logistical supplies; a wide range of hardware to replace or repair Mir's aging oxygen, cooling, and other systems; and about 1,000 pounds of American scientific equipment to be used by Foale during his nearly 5-month stay aboard Mir. The Atlantis crew not only included Russian Cosmonaut Kondakova and European Astronaut Clervoy, but also three American astronauts of foreign descent - Britisher Foale, Peruvian Noriega, and Chinese Lu. After six days of joint flight and a total of more than nine days in orbit, Atlantis returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
STS-94 (Columbia)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: This reflight of the shortened STS-83 mission was designated STS-94. During the uneventful, yet very successful mission, the astronauts worked around the clock, in two teams, to conduct a variety of materials processing and life science experiments. One of the more dramatic experiments involved setting small fires inside the science lab to determine the best way to control unplanned and potential deadly fires in space, such as the one that had erupted several weeks earlier in the Russian Mir space station. Columbia landed at the Kennedy Space Center after almost 16 days in orbit.
STS-85 (Discovery)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: Activities during the STS-85 mission included deployment of the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere Space Pallet Satellite (CRISTA-SPAS), which used three telescopes and four spectrometers to measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's middle atmosphere. CRISTA-SPAS was later retrieved, before the end of the mission, and returned to Earth. During the flight, the astronauts also successfully tested JEM, a Japanese-built manipulator arm that will be attached to the Japanese science module of the International Space Station. A variety of Earth science, astronomy, life sciences, and materials processing experiments were also conducted inside Columbia's lower deck. Columbia landed at the Kennedy Space Center a day late because of fog on the originally planned return date.
STS-86 (Atlantis)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: Space shuttle Atlantis launched on the night of 09/25/97 and successfully docked with Mir on 09/27/97. Atlantis brought a new computer and several thousand pounds of supplies for Mir. Astronaut David Wolf replaced Michael Foale aboard Mir, staying for about 4 months. During the mission, astronaut Parazynski and cosmonaut Titov made a spacewalk from Atlantis to retrieve some scientific experiments from the outside of the Mir space station. Atlantis landed at the Kennedy Space Center on 10/06/97.
STS-87 (Columbia)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: Columbia's crew of six is carrying out a variety of experiments as part of the United States Microgravity Payload. The SPARTAN free-flying solar observatory ran into some problems, however, and had to be retrieved by astronauts Scott and Doi (the first Japanese to perform an EVA) during a spacewalk on 11/24/97. A second spacewalk was conducted a few days later to test a crane, a free-flying remote-control camera, and construction techniques to be used in assembling the Internation Space Station. Columbia landed at the Kennedy Space Center after a successful mission that was marred only by the SPARTAN failure. SPARTAN will fly again on a future shuttle mission.
STS-89 (Endeavour)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: Endeavour lifted off in the evening of 01/22/98 to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Mir station. Besides achieving another astronaut exchange, this shuttle mission included a joint American/Russian spacewalk, the transfer of over 7,000 pounds of equipment and supplies to Mir, and a variety of experiments inside the Spacehab module in Endeavour's cargo bay. Astronaut Andrew Thomas remained on board Mir, for a total of 130 days, as part of the Mir 25 mission crew. Endeavour landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center after a very successful mission.
STS-90 (Columbia)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: This was the first space shuttle mission to be devoted entirely to the study of the human nervous system. A wide variety of experiments were conducted to help overcome the physiological challenges to long-duratin space flight and to assist in the treatment of diseases on Earth. These experiments included studies of the crew and of a virtual "zoo" of laboratory mice, insects, and other creatures. Despite some problems with Columbia's air purification system, the mission was a complete success. Columbia landed at the Kennedy Space Center on May 3.
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