STS-1 (First Shuttle flight)

12–14 April 1981

Columbia (First flight)

Crew: John W. Young (Cdr) and Robert L. Crippen (Pilot)

On its debut flight, the Space Shuttle proved that it could safely reach Earth orbit and return through the atmosphere to land like an airplane. In space, John Young and Robert Crippen tested Columbia’s on-board systems; fired the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) used for changing orbits and the Reaction Control System (RCS) engines used for attitude control; opened and closed the payload bay doors (the bay was empty for this first flight), and, after 36 orbits, made a smooth touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base in California, the landing site for most of the early Shuttle missions. STS-1 was the first time a crewed space vehicle was tested with people on board and the first time that a human-rated spacecraft used solid propellant as fuel. Shock waves from the ignition of the Space Shuttle Main Engines caused damage to the orbiter’s thermal tiles.

STS-2 (Second Shuttle flight)

12–14 November 1981

Columbia (Second flight)

Crew: Joe H. Engle (Cdr) and Richard H. Truly (Pilot)

Originally intended to last five days, the Shuttle’s second test flight was cut short when problems developed with one of three on-board fuel cells that produce electricity. Joe Engle and Richard Truly conducted the first tests of the 15.24-meter (50-foot) Remote Manipulator System arm and operated the Shuttle’s first payload: a package of Earth-viewing instruments stored in the cargo bay. A sound-suppressing system was installed to eliminate the problem created by the Shuttle’s main engine’s shockwave at ignition.

STS-3 (Third Shuttle flight)

22–30 March 1982

Columbia (Third flight)

Crew: Jack R. Lousma (Cdr) and Charles G. “Gordo” Fullerton (Pilot)

The longest of the Shuttle test flights, STS-3 carried space-viewing instruments for the first time. The crew also continued engineering evaluations of Columbia. After rains flooded the dry lakebed at the primary landing site in California, Columbia made the Shuttle program’s first landing at White Sands, New Mexico.

STS-4 (Fourth Shuttle flight)

27 June–4 July 1982

Columbia (Fourth flight)

Crew: Thomas K. Mattingly II (Cdr) and Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield (Pilot)

The last Shuttle test flight was the first mission to carry payloads for the Department of Defense. It also included the first small “Get-Away Special” experiments mounted in the cargo bay and further tested the mechanical and thermal performance of Columbia as well as the environment surrounding the spacecraft. Thomas Mattingly made the first Shuttle landing on a concrete runway instead of the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base.

STS-5 (Fifth Shuttle flight)

11–16 November 1982

Columbia (Fifth flight)

Crew: Vance D. Brand (Cdr), Robert F. Overmyer (Pilot), Joseph P .Allen (MS1), William B. Lenoir (MS2)

The Shuttle’s first operational mission also was the first spaceflight with four people on board. Two commercial communications satellites, SBS-3 and Anik C-3, were launched into orbit from the cargo bay (another first) using the Payload Assist Module (PAM) upper stage designed for the Shuttle.A planned spacewalk was canceled when problems developed with the two on-board spacesuits.

STS-6 (Sixth Shuttle flight)

4–9 April 1983

Challenger (First flight)

Crew: Paul J. Weitz (Cdr), Karol J. Bobko (Pilot), F. Story Musgrave (MS1), Donald H. Peterson (MS2)

Challenger’s debut flight included the Shuttle program’s first spacewalks. Story Musgrave and Donald Peterson spent more than 4 hours testing new Shuttle spacesuits and mobility aids and evaluated their own ability to work outside in the Shuttle’s cargo bay. The first of NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) was launched. The communications satellite initially failed to reach its proper orbit because of an upper stage guidance error, but it was eventually maneuvered into the correct position.

STS-7 (Seventh Shuttle flight)

18–24 June 1983

Challenger (Second flight)

Crew: Robert L. Crippen (Cdr), Frederick H. “Rick” Hauck (Pilot), John M. Fabian (MS1), Sally K. Ride (MS2), Norman E.Thagard (MS3)

Except for Robert Crippen, all the members of this crew were from the “class” of 1978, the first astronauts chosen for the Shuttle program. STS-7 had a record five people on board, including Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. The crew deployed, rendezvoused with, and retrieved the German-built Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) experiment platform, which took the first full pictures of a Shuttle orbiter in space. The crew also released two communications satellites, Anik C-2 and Palapa B-1, into orbit and activated a series of materials processing experiments fixed in Challenger’s cargo bay.

STS-8 (Eighth Shuttle flight)

30 August–5 September 1983

Challenger (Third flight)

Crew: Richard H. Truly (Cdr), Daniel C. Brandenstein (Pilot), Dale A. Gardner (MS1), Guion S. Bluford (MS2), William E. Thornton (MS3)

STS-8 featured the Shuttle program’s first night launch and landing. The crew launched India’s Insat 1-B communications satellite, conducted the first tests of Shuttle-to-ground communications with the new Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, and exercised the Remote Manipulator System arm with a test article weighing nearly 3,383.8 kilograms (7,460 pounds). William Thornton, a doctor of medicine (M.D.), conducted biomedical experiments, and Guion Bluford became the first African American in space.

STS-9 (Ninth Shuttle flight)

28 November–8 December 1983

Columbia (Sixth flight)

Crew: John W. Young (Cdr), Brewster H. Shaw, Jr. (Pilot), Owen K. Garriott (MS1), Robert A. R. Parker (MS2), Ulf D. Merbold (PS1), ESA (Germany), Byron K. Lichtenberg (PS2)

The first flight of the European-built Spacelab module was a multidisciplinary science mission, with 73 experiments in a wide range of fields, including space physics, materials processing, life sciences, Earth and atmospheric studies, astronomy, and solar physics. The record six-person crew included the first Shuttle payload specialists: Byron Lichtenberg of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Ulf Merbold, a West German physicist who became the first non-U.S. citizen to fly on an American spacecraft.

STS-41B (10th Shuttle flight)

3–11 February 1984

Challenger (Fourth flight)

Crew: Vance D. Brand (Cdr), Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson (Pilot), Ronald E. McNair (MS1), Robert L. Stewart (MS2), Bruce McCandless II (MS3)

With this flight, the number designations for Shuttle missions changed. The “4” indicates the (originally scheduled) year of the launch, 1984. The second digit represents the launch site (“1” for Florida, “2” for California), and the “B” indicates the second launch of the fiscal year. The first-ever untethered spacewalks were performed by Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart, who tested new Manned Maneuvering Unit backpacks that allowed them to travel as far as almost 97.54 meters (320 feet) from the orbiter. Two satellites deployed from the Shuttle, Westar V-I and Palapa B-2, failed to reach their proper orbits when their Payload Assist Module upper stages did not ignite. Both were later retrieved and brought back to Earth (see STS-51A). Challenger made the Shuttle’s first landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

STS-41C (11th Shuttle flight)

6–13 April 1984

Challenger (Fifth flight)

Crew: Robert L. Crippen (Cdr), Francis R. “Dick” Scobee (Pilot), Terry J. Hart (MS1), James D. van Hoften (MS2), George D. Nelson (MS3)

In the space program’s first satellite service call, the crew rendezvoused with and retrieved the Solar Maximum Mission (Solar Max) satellite, which had failed after four years in orbit. With the satellite anchored in Challenger’s cargo bay, George Nelson and James van Hoften replaced a faulty attitude control system and one science instrument, and the repaired satellite was re-released into orbit. The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), a passive satellite for testing the effects of space exposure on different materials, also was deployed on the flight. Originally, the LDEF was to have remained in orbit for only 10 months, but it was not returned to Earth until STS-32 in January 1990 due to the Challenger accident (see STS-51L).

STS-41D (12th Shuttle flight)

30 August–5 September 1984

Discovery (First flight)

Crew: Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield (Cdr), Michael L. Coats (Pilot), Richard M. Mullane (MS1), Steven A. Hawley (MS2), Judith A. Resnick (MS3), Charles D.Walker (PS1)

The first flight of Discovery was the first Shuttle mission to deploy three communications satellites: Syncom IV-2, SBS-4, and TELSTAR 3-C. The crew also experimented with a 31.09-meter-high (102-foot-high) solar cell array, which was unfurled from a stowage container only 177.8 millimeters (7 inches) deep, located in the cargo bay. The experiments included testing the structure’s stability when the Shuttle’s attitude control engines were fired. Charles Walker, a McDonnell Douglas engineer, was the Shuttle’s first commercially sponsored payload specialist, on board to tend to the company’s Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System for separating materials in microgravity.

STS-41G (13th Shuttle flight)

5–13 October 1984

Challenger (Sixth flight)

Crew: Robert L. Crippen (Cdr), Jon A. McBride (Pilot), Kathryn D. Sullivan (MS1), Sally K. Ride (MS2), David C. Leestma (MS3), Paul D. Scully-Power (PS1), Marc Garneau (PS2), CSA (Canada)

The Shuttle’s first seven-member crew included two payload specialists: Paul Scully-Power, a Navy oceanographer, was on board to observe ocean dynamics from orbit, and Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space, operated the multidisciplinary CANEX (Canadian Experiment) package. In Challenger’s cargo bay was a suite of instruments dedicated to Earth observation, the primary purpose of this mission. During a 3.5-hour spacewalk, Kathryn Sullivan and David Leestma also tested connections for an orbital refueling system in the bay. Sullivan was the first American woman to walk in space.

STS-51A (14th Shuttle flight)

8–16 November 1984

Discovery (Second flight)

Crew: Frederick H. “Rick” Hauck (Cdr), David M. Walker (Pilot), Joseph P. Allen (MS1), Dale A. Gardner (MS3)

The STS-51A crew delivered two satellites, Anik D-2 and Syncom IV-I, into orbit, then brought two others, Palapa B-2 and Westar V-I, whose on-board boosters had failed after being deployed on STS-41B, back to Earth. In separate spacewalks using Manned Maneuvering Unit backpacks, Dale Gardner and Joseph Allen each docked with an orbiting satellite, stopped its rotation, then assisted as it was stowed in Discovery’s cargo bay. Both satellites were then returned for refurbishment on the ground in a dramatic demonstration of the Shuttle’s salvage capability.

STS-51C (15th Shuttle flight)

24–27 January 1985

Discovery (Third flight)

Crew: Thomas K. Mattingly II (Cdr), Loren J. Shriver (Pilot), Ellison S. Onizuka (MS1), James F. Buchli (MS2), Gary E. Payton (PS1)

The crew for the Shuttle’s first flight dedicated to the Department of Defense included payload specialist Gary Payton of the U.S. Air Force. The cargo and details of the mission are classified.

STS-51D (16th Shuttle flight)

12–19 April 1985

Discovery (Fourth flight)

Crew: Karol J. Bobko (Cdr), Donald E. Williams (Pilot), Margaret R. Seddon (MS1), Stanley D. Griggs (MS2), Jeffrey A. Hoffman (MS3), Charles D. Walker (PS1), E. Jacob Garn (PS2)

When a booster attached to Syncom IV-3, the second of two communications satellites released into orbit (the other was Anik C-l), failed to ignite, the crew, with the help of engineers on the ground, attempted a fix. Jeffrey Hoffman and Stanley Griggs took an unscheduled spacewalk to attach an improvised “flyswatter” device to the Remote Manipulator System arm in the hope that it could trip the satellite booster’s sequence start lever. The plan failed, however, and the satellite was eventually “jump-started” by STS-51I astronauts four months later. Utah Senator Jake Garn was the first member of Congress to fly in space.

STS-51B (17th Shuttle flight)

29 April–6 May 1985

Challenger (Seventh flight)

Crew: Robert F. Overmyer (Cdr), Frederick D. Gregory (Pilot), Don L. Lind (MS1), Norman E.Thagard (MS2), William E.Thornton (MS3), Taylor G. Wang (PS1), Lodewijk van den Berg (PS2)

The Shuttle’s second Spacelab mission included 15 experiments in topics including materials processing, fluid behavior, atmospheric physics, astronomy, and life sciences. The crew worked around the clock in shifts. They also had trouble with a leaky animal-holding facility that was making its first test flight. Taylor Wang, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) scientist, concentrated on studies of fluid behavior in microgravity, while Lodewijk van den Berg of EG&G, Inc., focused on crystal growth experiments. Don Lind, an astronaut since 1966, made his first spaceflight.

STS-51G (18th Shuttle flight)

17–24 June 1985

Discovery (Fifth flight)

Crew: Daniel C. Brandenstein (Cdr), John O. Creighton (Pilot), John M. Fabian (MS1), Steven R. Nagel (MS2), Shannon W. Lucid (MS3), Sultan Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (PS1), Saudi Arabia, Patrick Baudry (PS2), CNES (France)

Patrick Baudry of France and Sultan Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia were the international payload specialists for this flight, which successfully launched three communications satellites into orbit: MORELOS 1, ARABSAT 1-B, and TELSTAR 3-D. Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN-I), a reusable, free-flying payload carrier with astronomy instruments on board, also was released then retrieved by the Remote Manipulator System arm. The crew conducted materials science and biomedical experiments and participated in a Defense Department tracking experiment in which a laser beam directed from Hawaii was bounced from a reflector on board Discovery back to the ground.

STS-51F (19th Shuttle flight)

29 July–6 August 1985

Challenger (Eighth flight)

Crew: Charles G. “Gordo” Fullerton (Cdr), Roy D. Bridges (Pilot), Karl G. Henize (MS1), F. Story Musgrave (MS2), Anthony W. England (MS3), Loren W. Acton (PS1), John-David F. Bartoe (PS2)

The Spacelab 2 mission replaced the Spacelab’s enclosed “long module” with open pallets containing 13 instruments dedicated to astronomy. Despite problems with an instrument pointing system, the crew was able to collect data on the Sun and other celestial targets. Earlier in the flight, Challenger made the Shuttle program’s first “abort to orbit” when one of its three main engines shut down during the ascent. Karl Henize and Anthony England had waited a long time for a spaceflight—both were astronauts during the Apollo era. England had resigned from NASA in 1972, only to rejoin the astronaut corps in 1979.

STS-51I (20th Shuttle flight)

27 August–3 September 1985

Discovery (Sixth flight)

Crew: Joe H. Engle (Cdr), Richard O. Covey (Pilot), James D. van Hoften (MS1), John M. “Mike” Lounge (MS2), William F. Fisher (MS3)

The Syncom IV-3 satellite (also known as “Leasat’’), stranded in orbit on STS-51D, was repaired and reboosted as a result of two spacewalks by James van Hoften and William Fisher that were among the most challenging in the history of the space program. After van Hoften, standing on the end of the Remote Manipulator System arm, grabbed the satellite manually, he and Fisher worked on the satellite in Discovery’s cargo bay. The astronauts attached hardware that allowed ground crews to activate Syncom’s still-live rocket motor after van Hoften re-released it into orbit with a shove from the cargo bay. Earlier in the flight, the crew had launched three new communications satellites into orbit: ASC 1, AUSSAT I, and Syncom IV-4 (which was nearly identical to the one that was rescued).

STS-51J (21st Shuttle flight)

3–7 October 1985

Atlantis (First flight)

Crew: Karol J. Bobko (Cdr), Ronald J. Grabe (Pilot), David C. Hilmers (MS1), Robert L. Stewart (MS2), William A. Pailes (PS1)

The first flight of Atlantis was the second Shuttle mission dedicated to the Department of Defense. The payload and on-board activities are classified.

STS-61A (22nd Shuttle flight)

30 October–6 November 1985

Challenger (Ninth flight)

Crew: Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield (Cdr), Steven R. Nagel (Pilot), Bonnie J. Dunbar (MS1), James F. Buchli (MS2), Guion S. Bluford (MS3), Reinhard Furrer (PS1), Germany, Ernst W. Messerschmid (PS2), Germany, Wubbo J. Ockels (PS3), ESA (the Netherlands)

The Spacelab D-1 mission was the first U.S. manned spaceflight with a primary payload sponsored by another country: West Germany. On board were 76 experiments, including investigations in fluid physics, materials science, plant physiology, and human adaptation to weightlessness. Science experiments were directed from a German Space Operations Center in Oberpfaffenhofen, and two of the payload specialists, Reinhard Furrer and Ernst Messerschmid, were German.With eight people working around the clock in shifts, it was the largest Shuttle crew to date.

STS-61B (23rd Shuttle flight)

26 November–3 December 1985

Atlantis (Second flight)

Crew: Brewster H. Shaw, Jr. (Cdr), Bryan D. O’Connor (Pilot), Jerry L. Ross (MS1), Mary L. Cleave (MS2), Sherwood C. “Woody” Spring (MS3), Charles D. Walker (PS1), Rodolfo N. Vela (PS2), Mexico

After the crew deployed three communications satellites (SATCOM Ku-2, MORELOS 2, and AUSSAT-2) Woody Spring and Jerry Ross conducted the first construction experiments in space, assembling and disassembling two Tinkertoy®-like structures called Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity (EASE) and Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures (ACCESS) in the cargo bay of Atlantis. The two spacewalking astronauts attached beams, nodes, and struts to evaluate different methods of assembling large structures in space. Rodolfo Vela was the first Mexican citizen in orbit, while Charles Walker made his third flight with the commercially sponsored electrophoresis experiment.

STS-61C (24th Shuttle flight)

12–18 January 1986

Columbia (Seventh flight)

Crew: Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson (Cdr), Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Pilot), George D. Nelson (MS1), Steven A. Hawley (MS2), Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (MS3), Robert J. Cenker (PS1), C. William “Bill” Nelson (PS2)

Florida Representative Bill Nelson was the second member of Congress to fly on the Shuttle. The crew deployed a communications satellite for the RCA company and conducted a number of smaller experiments, including several materials science investigations mounted in the cargo bay of Columbia.An attempt to photograph Comet Halley through an overhead window was unsuccessful, however, due to problems with the instrument’s battery.

STS-51L (25th Shuttle flight)

28 January 1986

Challenger (10th flight)

Crew: Francis R. “Dick” Scobee (Cdr), Michael J. Smith (Pilot), Ellison S. Onizuka (MS1), Judith A. Resnick (MS2), Ronald E. McNair (MS3), Sharon Christa McAuliffe (Space Flight Participant, PS1), Gregory B. Jarvis (PS2)

Challenger and all seven members of the crew—including Gregory Jarvis, a Hughes employee, and Christa McAuliffe, the designated “Teacher in Space”—were lost 73 seconds into the flight when the vehicle exploded as the result of a leak in one of two Solid Rocket Boosters. The Shuttle program was delayed for nearly three years while the boosters were redesigned and other safety measures were added. A change in U.S. space policy also resulted from the accident—no longer would the Shuttle carry commercial satellites into orbit.

STS-26 (26th Shuttle flight)

29 September–3 October 1988

Discovery (Seventh flight)

Crew: Frederick H. “Rick” Hauck (Cdr), Richard O. Covey (Pilot), John M. “Mike” Lounge (MS1), David C. Hilmers (MS2), George D. Nelson (MS3)

The first Shuttle mission after the Challenger accident was a conservative, four-day flight that proved the safety of the redesigned Solid Rocket Boosters. Aboard Discovery was the first all-veteran astronaut crew since Apollo 11. During launch and reentry, the astronauts wore new partial-pressure flight suits, and in orbit they practiced using a new emergency escape system. The principal payload was a NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TRDS) similar to the one lost on STS-51L, which was released into orbit on the first day.

STS-27 (27th Shuttle flight)

2–6 December 1988

Atlantis (Third flight)

Crew: Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson (Cdr), Guy S. Gardner (Pilot), Richard M. Mullane (MS1), Jerry L. Ross (MS2), William M. Shepherd (MS3)

This was a dedicated and classified mission for the Department of Defense.

STS-29 (28th Shuttle flight)

13–18 March 1989

Discovery (Eighth flight)

Crew: Michael L. Coats (Cdr), John E. Blaha (Pilot), Robert C. Springer (MS1), James F. Buchli (MS2), James P. Bagian (MS3)

Six hours into this mission, the crew released the fourth NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite into orbit. The astronauts conducted experiments in plant growth, crystal growth, and the human body’s adaptation to weightlessness, and tested a new Shuttle “fax” machine. They also took large-format IMAX movie pictures of Earth and returned clear photographs of the jettisoned ExternalTank in space.

STS-30 (29th Shuttle flight)

4–8 May 1989

Atlantis (Fourth flight)

Crew: David M.Walker (Cdr), Ronald J. Grabe (Pilot), Mark C. Lee (MS1), Norman E.Thagard (MS2), Mary L. Cleave (MS3)

The Space Shuttle program’s first launch of a planetary spacecraft came on the first day of the mission, when the Magellan Venus Radar Mapper was released from Atlantis’s cargo bay with an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster attached. The booster fired shortly thereafter to send Magellan to Venus, where it arrived in August 1990 to begin an eight-month mapping mission. Secondary experiments after the deployment included crystal growth studies and a search for thunderstorms in the atmosphere below, called the Mesoscale Lightning Experiment.

STS-28 (30th Shuttle flight)

8–13 August 1989

Columbia (Eighth flight)

Crew: Brewster H. Shaw, Jr. (Cdr), Richard N. Richards (Pilot), James C. Adamson (MS1), David C. Leestma (MS2), Mark N. Brown (MS3)

This was a dedicated and classified mission for the Department of Defense.

STS-34 (31st Shuttle flight)

18–23 October 1989

Atlantis (Fifth flight)

Crew: Donald E. Williams (Cdr), Michael J. McCulley (Pilot), Shannon W. Lucid (MS1), Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (MS2), Ellen Baker (-Shulman) (MS3)

The Jupiter-bound Galileo spacecraft was the Shuttle’s second interplanetary cargo. Galileo’s mission got underway during Atlantis’s fifth orbit around Earth, when the spacecraft was released from the cargo bay to head toward Venus, where its instrumentation was checked and Venus’s clouds were studied. It then continued its voyage to Jupiter. After releasing Galileo, the crew worked on experiments that included materials science, plant growth, and measurements of ozone in the atmosphere.

STS-33 (32nd Shuttle flight)

22–27 November 1989

Discovery (Ninth flight)

Crew: Frederick D. Gregory (Cdr), John E. Blaha (Pilot), Manley L. “Sonny” Carter (MS1), F. Story Musgrave (MS2), Kathryn C. Thornton (MS3)

This was a dedicated and classified mission for the Department of Defense.

STS-32 (33rd Shuttle flight)

9–20 January 1990

Columbia (Ninth flight)

Crew: Daniel C. Brandenstein (Cdr), James D. Wetherbee (Pilot), Bonnie J. Dunbar (MS1), Marsha S. Ivins (MS2), G. David Low (MS3)

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), released into orbit on STS-41C in 1984, was finally retrieved after nearly six years in space. After rendezvousing with the large, cylindrical satellite—one of the most complicated space rendezvous operations ever—the crew photographed the LDEF in orbit, grappled it with the Remote Manipulator System arm, and then stowed it in the cargo bay of Columbia. Scientists who examined the LDEF after landing found evidence of erosion and micrometeorite impacts, as expected. The Syncom IV-5 satellite also was deployed on the mission. Lasting almost 11 days, STS-32 was the longest Shuttle flight to date.

STS-36 (34th Shuttle flight)

28 February–4 March 1990

Atlantis (Sixth flight)

Crew: John O. Creighton (Cdr), John H. Casper (Pilot), Richard M. Mullane (MS1), David C. Hilmers (MS2), Pierre J. Thuot (MS3)

This was a dedicated and classified mission for the Department of Defense.

STS-31 (35th Shuttle flight)

24–29 April 1990

Discovery (10th flight)

Crew: Loren J. Shriver (Cdr), Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Pilot), Bruce McCandless II (MS1), Steven A. Hawley (MS2), Kathryn D. Sullivan (MS3)

The Hubble Space Telescope, the first large optical telescope ever to be placed above Earth’s atmosphere and the first of NASA’s Great Observatories, was released into orbit by the Remote Manipulator System arm on the second day of the flight to begin at least a decade of astronomical observations in space. After the telescope was deployed, the astronauts conducted experiments in crystal growth and monitored the radiation environment on board the orbiter. Because of the need to place the telescope above most of the atmosphere, Discovery flew the highest Shuttle orbit to date, reaching an altitude of more than 531 kilometers (329.22 statute miles).

STS-41 (36th Shuttle flight)

6–10 October 1990

Discovery (11th flight)

Crew: Richard N. Richards (Cdr), Robert D. Cabana (Pilot), Bruce E. Melnick (MS1), William M. Shepherd (MS2), Thomas D.Akers (MS3)

Deployment of the European Space Agency’s Ulysses spacecraft to explore the polar regions of the Sun was the highlight of this four-day mission. On the first day of the flight, the crew sprung Ulysses from Discovery’s cargo bay and fired Ulysses’s on-board rockets to send the spacecraft toward a gravity assist at Jupiter. After the deployment, the astronauts conducted a number of secondary experiments, including taking measurements of atmospheric ozone, studying the effects of atomic oxygen on spacecraft materials, and evaluating a new “hands-off ” voice command system in the Shuttle crew cabin.

STS-38 (37th Shuttle flight)

15–20 November 1990

Atlantis (Seventh flight)

Crew: Richard O. Covey (Cdr), Frank L. Culbertson, Jr. (Pilot), Robert C. Springer (MS1), Carl J. Meade (MS2), Charles D. “Sam” Gemar (MS3)

This was a dedicated and classified mission for the Department of Defense.

STS-35 (38th Shuttle flight)

2–10 December 1990

Columbia (10th flight)

Crew: Vance D. Brand (Cdr), Guy S. Gardner (Pilot), Jeffrey A. Hoffman (MS1), John M. “Mike” Lounge (MS2), Robert A. R. Parker (MS3), Samuel T. Durrance (PS1), Ronald A. Parise (PS2)

STS-35 was the first Spacelab mission since the Challenger accident and the first Shuttle flight dedicated to a single discipline: astrophysics. Discovery carried a group of astronomical telescopes called ASTRO-1, as well as four mission specialists with Ph.D.’s in astronomy: Jeffrey Hoffman, Robert Parker, Samuel Durrance, and Ronald Parise. Despite several hardware malfunctions, the crew was able to make observations of a wide variety of astronomical targets, from comets to quasars, with particular attention to x-ray and ultraviolet wavelengths.

STS-37 (39th Shuttle flight)

5–11 April 1991

Atlantis (Eighth flight)

Crew: Steven R. Nagel (Cdr), Kenneth D. Cameron (Pilot), Linda M. Godwin (MS1), Jerry L. Ross (MS2), Jerome “Jay” Apt (MS3)

The Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) was released by Atlantis’s Remote Manipulator System arm on the third day of the flight, after Jerry Ross and Jay Apt made an unscheduled spacewalk to repair an antenna on the spacecraft. GRO is the second of NASA’s four Great Observatories satellites. It was designed for a long-term program of astronomical observations from Earth orbit and was the heaviest science satellite ever launched from the Shuttle. Later in the mission, Ross and Apt returned to the cargo bay to test rail-mounted mechanical pushcarts planned for use on Space Station Freedom.These two spacewalks were the first in more than five years.

STS-39 (40th Shuttle flight)

28 April–6 May 1991

Discovery (12th flight)

Crew: Michael L. Coats (Cdr), L. Blaine Hammond (Pilot), Gregory J. Harbaugh (MS1), Donald R. McMonagle (MS2), Guion S. Bluford (MS3), Charles Lacy Veach (MS4), Richard J. Hieb (MS5)

The first unclassified defense-related mission of the Shuttle program included experiments sponsored by the Air Force and the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) organization. The studies included extensive infrared, ultraviolet, visible, and x-ray observations of the space environment and the Shuttle itself. On-board instruments also returned high-quality images of Earth’s aurora. In an experiment related to ballistic missile defense, Discovery released a Shuttle Pallet Satellite instrument platform equipped with infrared sensors to fly in formation and observe rocket thruster plumes as the Shuttle performed a complicated series of maneuvers.

STS-40 (41st Shuttle flight)

5–14 June 1991

Columbia (11th flight)

Crew: Bryan D. O’Connor (Cdr), Sidney M. Gutierrez (Pilot), James P. Bagian (MS1), Tamara E. Jernigan (MS2), M. Rhea Seddon (MS3), F. Andrew “Drew” Gaffney (PS1), Millie E. Hughes-Fulford (PS2)

The Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) mission was the first dedicated entirely to understanding the physiological effects of spaceflight.An extensive series of biomedical experiments was conducted on crew members during the nine-day mission, and the results were compared with baseline data collected on the ground before and after the flight. Along with the human subjects, rodents and jellyfish also were on board to be tested for their ability to adapt to microgravity.

STS-43 (42nd Shuttle flight)

2–11 August 1991

Atlantis (Ninth flight)

Crew: John E. Blaha (Cdr), Michael A. Baker (Pilot), Shannon W. Lucid (MS1), G. David Low (MS2), James C. Adamson (MS3)

This mission marked the first scheduled landing at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility since January 1986. The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-5 (TDRS-5) was the mission’s primary payload. The satellite became the fourth member of the orbiting TDRS cluster, which now consisted of two operating satellites plus two spares in the space network.

STS-48 (43rd Shuttle flight)

12–18 September 1991

Discovery (13th flight)

Crew: John O. Creighton (Cdr), Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr., (Pilot), Charles D. “Sam” Gemar (MS1), James F. Buchli (MS2), Mark N. Brown (MS3)

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) was deployed on this mission.The 6,577.2-kilogram (14,469.8pound) observatory would investigate the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere. The satellite had 10 sensing and measuring devices for collecting data on particular aspects of the upper atmosphere that could affect the global environment.

STS-44 (44th Shuttle flight)

24 November–1 December 1991

Atlantis (10th flight)

Crew: Frederick D. Gregory (Cdr), Terence T. “Tom” Henricks (Pilot), James S.Voss (MS1), F. Story Musgrave (MS2), Mario Runco, Jr. (MS3), Thomas J. Hennen (PS1)

This unclassified Department of Defense mission deployed the Defense Support Program satellite on the first day of the flight. On-board payloads focused on contamination experiments and medical research.

STS-42 (45th Shuttle flight)

22–30 January 1992

Discovery (14th flight)

Crew: Ronald J. Grabe (Cdr), Stephen S. Oswald (Pilot), Norman E. Thagard (PC-MS1), William F. Readdy (MS2), David C. Hilmers (MS3), Roberta L. Bondar (PS1), CSA (Canada), Ulf D. Merbold (PS2), ESA (Germany)

This mission’s primary payload was the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1), which made its first flight. Working in the pressurized Spacelab module, the international crew split into two teams for 24-hour research on the human nervous system’s adaptation to low gravity and the effects of microgravity on other life forms. The crew also conducted materials processing experiments.

STS-45 (46th Shuttle flight)

24 March–2 April 1992

Atlantis (11th flight)

Crew: Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Cdr), Brian K. Duffy (Pilot), Kathryn D. Sullivan (PC-MS1), David C. Leestma (MS2), C. Michael Foale (MS3), Dirk D. “Dick” Frimout (PS1), ESA (Belgium), Byron K. Lichtenberg (PS2)

This mission marked the first flight of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-1 (ATLAS-1), which was mounted on non-deployable Spacelab pallets in the orbiter’s cargo bay. An international team made up of the United States, France, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Japan provided 12 instruments that performed investigations in the atmospheric sciences.

STS-49 (47th Shuttle flight)

7–16 May 1992

Endeavour (First flight)

Crew: Daniel C. Brandenstein (Cdr), Kevin P. Chilton (Pilot), Richard J. Hieb (MS1), Bruce E. Melnick (MS2), Pierre J. Thuot (MS3), Kathryn C. Thornton (MS4), Thomas D.Akers (MS5)

STS-49 was marked by a number of “firsts.” Four space-walks, the most ever on a single mission, highlighted the first voyage of the orbiter Endeavour. Two of these were the longest in U.S. spaceflight history to date, with one lasting 8 hours and 29 minutes and the other lasting 7 hours and 45 minutes.The flight also featured the longest spacewalk to date by a female astronaut and was the first spaceflight where three crew members worked outside the spacecraft at the same time. It also was the first time that astronauts attached a live rocket motor to an orbiting satellite. The crew also successfully captured and redeployed the Intelsat-VI satellite, which had been stranded in an unusable orbit since its launch in March 1990.

STS-50 (48th Shuttle flight)

25 June–9 July 1992

Columbia (12th flight)

Crew: Richard N. Richards (Cdr), Kenneth D. Bowersox (Pilot), Bonnie J. Dunbar (MS1), Ellen Baker (-Shulman) (MS2), Carl J. Meade (MS3), Lawrence J. DeLucas (PS1), Eugene H. Trinh (PS2)

The U.S. Microgravity Laboratory-1 (USML-1) made its first flight on this mission. It was the first in a planned series of flights to advance microgravity research efforts in several disciplines. Mission duration surpassed all previous U.S. crewed spaceflights to date with the exception of the three Skylab missions in 1973–74. It was the first Shuttle mission equipped with Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) hardware, which provides additional fuel and allows the Shuttle to remain in orbit for longer periods of time.

STS-46 (49th Shuttle flight)

31 July–8 August 1992

Atlantis (12th flight)

Crew: Loren J. Shriver (Cdr), Andrew M. Allen (Pilot), Claude Nicollier (MS1), ESA (Switzerland), Marsha S. Ivins (MS2), Jeffrey A. Hoffman (PC-MS3), Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (MS4), Franco A. Malerba (PS1), ASI (Italy)

The primary mission objective was deployment of the European Space Agency’s European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) and operation of the NASA/Italian Space Agency Tethered Satellite System (TSS). After a delay and a shorter-than-planned thruster firing, the satellite was successfully boosted to operational orbit. During TSS deployment, the satellite at the end of the tether reached a distance of only 256 meters (839.68 feet) rather than its planned 20 kilometers (12.4 statute miles) because of a jammed tether line. The satellite it carried was restowed for return to Earth.

STS-47 (50th Shuttle flight)

12–20 September 1992

Endeavour (Second flight)

Crew: Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson (Cdr), Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (Pilot), Mark C. Lee (MS1), Jerome “Jay” Apt (MS2), N. Jan Davis (MS3), Mae C. Jemison (MS4), Mamoru M. Mohri (PS1), NASDA (Japan)

Spacelab-J, the first Japanese space laboratory, debuted on this flight. Jointly sponsored by NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan, the mission included 24 materials science and 20 life sciences experiments. Test subjects included members of the crew, Japanese koi fish, cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. The crew also included the first African American woman to fly in space, Mae Jemison, the first married couple, Mark Lee and Jan Davis, and the first Japanese person to fly on the Shuttle, Mamoru Mohri.

STS-52 (51st Shuttle flight)

22 October–1 November 1992

Columbia (13th flight)

Crew: James D. Wetherbee (Cdr), Michael A. Baker (Pilot), Charles Lacy Veach (MS1), William M. Shepherd (MS2), Tamara E. Jernigan (MS3), Steven G. MacLean (PS1), CSA (Canada)

This mission deployed the Laser Geodynamic Satellite II (LAGEOS), a joint effort of NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and operated the U.S. Microgravity Payload-1 (USMP-1). The Italian Research Interim Stage (IRIS) was used for the first time to boost LAGEOS into orbit. Studies focused on the influence of gravity on basic fluid and solidification processes.

STS-53 (52nd Shuttle flight)

2–9 December 1992

Discovery (15th flight)

Crew: David M. Walker (Cdr), Robert D. Cabana (Pilot), Guion S. Bluford (MS1), James S. Voss (MS2), Michael R. Clifford (MS3)

This was the last Shuttle flight for the Department of Defense. Discovery deployed a classified payload, after which flight activities became unclassified. Ten secondary payloads were contained in or attached to Get-Away Special (GAS) hardware in the cargo bay or located on the middeck.

STS-54 (53rd Shuttle flight)

13–19 January 1993

Endeavour (Third flight)

Crew: John H. Casper (Cdr), Donald R. McMonagle (Pilot), Mario Runco, Jr. (MS1), Gregory J. Harbaugh (MS2), Susan J. Helms (MS3)

The fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-F), part of NASA’s orbiting communications system, was deployed on this mission. On the fifth day of the flight, mission specialists Mario Runco and Gregory Harbaugh spent almost 5 hours walking in the open payload bay performing a series of extravehicular activity tasks designed to increase NASA’s knowledge of working in space. The astronauts tested their abilities to move freely in the cargo bay and climb into foot restraints without using their hands; they also simulated carrying large objects in a microgravity environment. A Hitchhiker experiment collected data on stars and galactic gasses. Hitchhiker experiments are housed in canisters or attached to mounting plates inside the Shuttle’s cargo bay and were created to provide a quick reaction and low-cost capability for flying small payloads.

STS-56 (54th Shuttle flight)

8–17 April 1993

Discovery (16th flight)

Crew: Kenneth D. Cameron (Cdr). Stephen S. Oswald (Pilot), C. Michael Foale (MS1), Kenneth D. Cockrell (PC-MS2), Ellen Ochoa (MS3)

The primary payload was the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-2 (ATLAS-2), which collected data on the relationship between the Sun’s energy output and Earth’s middle atmosphere and their effect on the ozone layer. ATLAS-2 was one element of NASA’s Mission to Planet Earth program. The crew also used the Remote Manipulator System to deploy the SPARTAN201, a free-flying science instrument platform that studied velocity and acceleration of solar wind and observed the Sun’s corona. Using the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREX II), the crew also contacted schools around the world and briefly contacted the Russian Mir space station, the first contact between the Shuttle and Mir using amateur radio equipment.

STS-55 (55th Shuttle flight)

26 April–6 May 1993

Columbia (14th flight)

Crew: Steven R. Nagel (Cdr), Terence T. “Tom” Henricks (Pilot), Jerry L. Ross (MS1), Charles J. Precourt (MS2), Bernard A. Harris, Jr. (MS3), Ulrich Walter (PS1), DARA (Germany), Hans W. Schlegel (PS2), ESA (Germany)

This mission marked the second German Spacelab mission, designated D2. Around-the-clock crews conducted some 88 experiments, covering materials and life sciences, technology applications, Earth observations, astronomy, and atmospheric physics.

STS-57 (56th Shuttle flight)

21 June–1 July 1993

Endeavour (Fourth flight)

Crew: Ronald J. Grabe (Cdr), Brian K. Duffy (Pilot), G. David Low (MS1), Nancy J. Sherlock (MS2), Peter J. K.“Jeff”Wisoff (MS3), Janice E. Voss (MS4)

STS-57 marked the first flight of the commercially developed SPACEHAB, a laboratory designed to more than double pressurized workspace for crew-tended experiments. Altogether, 22 experiments were flown, covering materials and life sciences and a wastewater recycling experiment for the future International Space Station. A 5-hour-and-50-minute spacewalk succeeded in retrieving and stowing the 4,275-kilogram (9,405-pound) EURECA science satellite inside Endeavour’s payload bay. The satellite had been deployed on the STS-46 mission in 1992. Two crew members also carried out maneuvers using the robot arm. During the mission, the crew also spoke with President Bill Clinton.

STS-51 (57th Shuttle flight)

12–22 September 1993

Discovery (17th flight)

Crew: Frank L. Culbertson, Jr. (Cdr), William F. Readdy (Pilot), James H. Newman (MS1), Daniel W. Bursch (MS2), Carl E. Walz (MS3)

The Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) was deployed on this mission. The attached Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) booster was used for the first time to propel the communications technology spacecraft to geosynchronous transfer orbit. The second primary payload, the Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (ORFEUS-SPAS), first in a series of Astronomical-SPAS (ASTRO-SPAS) astronomical missions, was also deployed. The joint German-U.S. astrophysics payload was controlled from the SPAS Payload Operations Control Center at Kennedy Space Center, the first time a Shuttle payload was managed from Florida. Two crew members also performed a spacewalk that lasted 7 hours, 5 minutes, and 28 seconds. It was the last in a series of generic spacewalks begun earlier in the year.

STS-58 (58th Shuttle flight)

18 October–1 November 1993

Columbia (15th flight)

Crew: John E. Blaha (Cdr), Richard A. Searfoss (Pilot), Margaret R. Seddon (PC-MS1), William S. McArthur, Jr. (MS2), David A.Wolf (MS3), Shannon W. Lucid (MS4), Martin J. Fettman (PS1)

STS-58 was the second dedicated Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-2) mission. Fourteen experiments were conducted in fields such as regulatory physiology, cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary science, musculoskeletal science, and neuroscience. Eight of the experiments centered on the crew and six focused on 48 rodents carried on board. With the completion of her fourth spaceflight, Shannon Lucid accumulated the most flight time for a female astronaut on the Shuttle: 838 hours.

STS-61 (59th Shuttle flight)

2–13 December 1993

Endeavour (Fifth flight)

Crew: Richard O. Covey (Cdr), Kenneth D. Bowersox (Pilot), Kathryn C. Thornton (MS1), Claude Nicollier (MS2), ESA (Switzerland), Jeffrey A. Hoffman (MS3), F. Story Musgrave (PC-MS4), Thomas D. Akers (MS5)

This Shuttle flight was one of the most challenging and complex missions ever attempted. During a record five back-to-back spacewalks, totaling 35 hours and 28 minutes, two teams of astronauts completed the first servicing of the Hubble SpaceTelescope and installed technologies that corrected the spherical aberration manufacturing error of the Hubble. On the first spacewalk, which lasted 7 hours and 54 minutes, the two-person team replaced two Rate Sensor Units, two Electronic Control Units, and eight electrical fuse plugs. On the second spacewalk, which lasted 6 hours and 35 minutes, two astronauts installed new solar arrays. On the third spacewalk, the Wide Field/Planetary Camera (WF/PC) was replaced in about 40 minutes rather than in the 4 hours that had been anticipated. The same team of astronauts also installed two new magnetometers at the top of the telescope. On the fourth spacewalk, crew members removed and replaced the High-Speed Photometer with the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement unit. During this 6-hour-and-50-minute EVA, astronaut Thomas Akers set a new U.S. spacewalking record of 29 hours and 14 minutes. The final spacewalk replaced the SolarArray Drive Electronics unit and installed the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph Redundancy kit and also two protective covers over the original magnetometers.

STS-60 (60th Shuttle flight)

3–11 February 1994

Discovery (18th flight)

Crew: Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Cdr), Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr. (Pilot), N. Jan Davis (MS1), Ronald M. Sega (MS2), Franklin R. Chang- Diaz (MS3), Sergei K. Krikalev (MS4), RSA (Russia)

This first Shuttle flight of 1994 marked the first flight of a Russian cosmonaut on the U.S. Space Shuttle, which was part of an international agreement on human spaceflight. The mission also was the second flight of the SPACEHAB pressurized module and marked the 100th Get-Away Special payload to fly in space. Also on this mission, Discovery carried the Wake Shield Facility (WSF) to generate new semiconductor films for advanced electronics.

STS-62 (61st Shuttle flight)

4–18 March 1994

Columbia (16th flight)

Crew: John H. Casper (Cdr), Andrew M. Allen (Pilot), Pierre J.Thuot (MS1), Charles D.“Sam” Gemar (MS2), Marsha S. Ivins (MS3)

The primary payloads for this mission were the U.S. Microgravity Payload-2 (USMP-2) and the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology-2 (OAST-2). USMP-2 included five experiments investigating materials processing and crystal growth in microgravity. OAST-2’s six experiments focused on space technology and spaceflight. Both payloads were located in the payload bay, activated by crew members, and operated by teams on the ground.

STS-59 (62nd Shuttle flight)

9–20 April 1994

Endeavour (Sixth flight)

Crew: Sidney M. Gutierrez (Cdr), Kevin P. Chilton (Pilot), Jerome “Jay” Apt (MS1), Michael R. Clifford (MS2), Linda M. Godwin (PC-MS3), Thomas D. Jones (MS4)

The Space Radar Laboratory-1 (SRL-1) was the primary payload for this mission. It gathered data about Earth and the effect of humans on its carbon, water, and energy cycles. It was located in the payload bay, activated by crew members, and operated by teams on the ground. The German Space Agency (DARA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) provided one instrument, the X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR). This instrument imaged more than 400 sites and covered approximately 38.5 million square miles (61.9 million square kilometers) of Earth.

STS-65 (63rd Shuttle flight)

8–23 July 1994

Columbia (17th flight)

Crew: Robert D. Cabana (Cdr), James D. Halsell, Jr. (Pilot), Richard J. Hieb (PC-MS1), Carl E. Walz (MS2), Leroy Chiao (MS3), Donald A. Thomas (MS4), Chiaki H. Naito-Mukai (PS1), NASDA (Japan)

STS-65 was Columbia’s last mission before its scheduled modification and refurbishment. This flight saw the first Japanese woman fly in space—payload specialist Chiaki Naito-Mukai. She also set the record for the longest flight to date by a female astronaut. The International Microgravity Laboratory flew for the second time, carrying more than twice the number of experiments and facilities as on its first mission. Crew members split into two teams to perform around-the-clock research on the behavior of materials and life in near weightlessness. More than 80 experiments, representing more than 200 scientists from six space agencies, were located in the Spacelab module in the payload bay. This flight also marked the first time that liftoff and reentry were captured on videotape from the crew cabin. This flight was the longest Shuttle flight to date, lasting 14 days and 18 hours.

STS-64 (64th Shuttle flight)

9–20 September 1994

Discovery (19th flight)

Crew: Richard N. Richards (Cdr), L. Blaine Hammond, Jr. (Pilot), Jerry M. Linenger (MS1), Susan J. Helms (MS2), Carl J. Meade (MS3), Mark C. Lee (MS4)

STS-64 marked the first flight of the Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE), which was used to perform atmospheric research. It also included the first untethered U.S. EVA in 10 years. LITE involved the first use of lasers for environmental research. During the mission, the crew also released and retrieved the SPARTAN-201 using the Remote Manipulator System arm.

STS-68 (65th Shuttle flight)

30 September–11 October 1994

Endeavour (Seventh flight)

Crew: Michael A. Baker (Cdr), Terrence W. Wilcutt (Pilot), Steven L. Smith (MS1), Daniel W. Bursch (MS2), Peter J. K. “Jeff ” Wisoff (MS3), Thomas D. Jones (PC-MS4)

This mission marked the second 1994 flight of the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-2), part of NASA’s Mission to Planet Earth. Flying the SRL in different seasons allowed investigators to compare observations between the two flights. The mission also tested the ability of SRL-2 imaging radar to distinguish between changes caused by human-induced phenomena such as oil spills and naturally occurring events. Five Get-Away Specials were among the other cargo bay payloads. These included two by the U.S. Postal Service that held 500,000 commemorative stamps honoring the 25th anniversary of Apollo 11. STS-68 set another duration record, lasting more than 16.5 days.

STS-66 (66th Shuttle flight)

3–14 November 1994

Atlantis (13th flight)

Crew: Donald R. McMonagle (Cdr), Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (Pilot), Ellen Ochoa (PC-MS1), Joseph R. Tanner (MS2), Jean-François Clervoy (MS3), ESA (France), Scott E. Parazynski (MS4)

STS-66 advanced data collection about the Sun’s energy output, as well as the chemical makeup of Earth’s middle atmosphere and how these factors affect global ozone levels, with the third flight of its Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-3). The other primary payloads were Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (CRISTA-SPAS), which continued the joint NASA- German Space Agency series of scientific missions, and the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet spectrometer (SSBUV). CRISTA-SPAS was released and retrieved using the Remote Manipulator System arm.

STS-63 (67th Shuttle flight)

3–11 February 1995

Discovery (20th flight)

Crew: James D. Wetherbee (Cdr), Eileen M. Collins (Pilot), Bernard A. Harris, Jr. (PC-MS1), C. Michael Foale (MS2), Janice E.Voss (MS3), Vladimir G. Titov (MS4), RSA (Russia)

This mission had special importance as a precursor and dress rehearsal for the series of missions that would rendezvous and dock with the Russian space station Mir.

Discovery approached within 12.2 meters (40 feet) of Mir, then backed off to about 122 meters (400 feet) and performed a flyaround. The six-person crew included the second Russian cosmonaut to fly on the Space Shuttle. The mission also deployed the SPARTAN-204, a free- flying spacecraft that made astronomical observations in the far ultraviolet spectrum. The mission also included the third operation of the commercially developed SPACEHAB module, with its array of technological, biological, and other scientific experiments. Two crew members performed a spacewalk to test spacesuit modifications and demonstrate large-object handling techniques. On this mission, Eileen Collins became the first female Shuttle pilot and Bernard Harris became the first African American to walk in space.

STS-67 (68th Shuttle flight)

2–18 March 1995

Endeavour (Eighth flight)

Crew: Stephen S. Oswald (Cdr), William G. Gregory (Pilot), John M. Grunsfeld (MS1), Wendy B. Lawrence (MS2), Tamara E. Jernigan (PC-MS3), Samuel T. Durrance (PS1), Ronald A. Parise (PS2)

ASTRO-2 was the primary payload to fly on this mission. Its objective was to obtain scientific data on astronomical objects in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum. Its three telescopes made observations in complementary regions of the spectrum and gathered data that would add to scientists’ understanding of the universe’s history and the origins of stars. STS-67 set a new mission-duration record of 16.5 days.

STS-71 (69th Shuttle flight)

27 June 27–7 July 1995

Atlantis (14th flight)

Crew: Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson (Cdr), Charles J. Precourt (Pilot), Ellen Baker (-Shulman) (PC-MS1), Gregory J. Harbaugh (MS2), Bonnie J. Dunbar (MS3), Anatoly Y. Solovyev, Mir-19 (Cdr), up, Russia, Nikolai M. Budarin, RSC Energia (Russia), Mir-19 (flight engineer), up, Vladimir N. Dezhurov, Mir-18 (Cdr), down, Gennady M. Strekalov, RSC Energia (Russia), Mir-18 (flight engineer), Norman E. Thagard, Soyuz TM-21 (researcher), down

This flight marked the 100th U.S. human spaceflight and was the first of a series of flights that docked with the Russian space station Mir. On STS-71, Atlantis and Mir remained docked for five days. The seven-person Shuttle crew included two Russian cosmonauts who remained on Mir after Atlantis returned to Earth. Two other cosmonauts and the U.S. astronaut Norman Thagard, who had flown to Mir aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft in March 1995, returned to Earth on Atlantis.The mission demonstrated the successful operation of the Russian-designed docking system, which was based on the concepts used in the Apollo-Soyuz test program flown in 1975.

STS-70 (70th Shuttle flight)

13–22 July 1995

Discovery (21st flight)

Crew: Terence T. “Tom” Henricks (Cdr), Kevin R. Kregel (Pilot), Nancy J. Currie (formerly Sherlock) (MS1), Donald A. Thomas (MS2), Mary E. Weber (MS3)

The deployment of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-7) marked the completion of NASA’s TDRS system that provided communication, tracking, telemetry, data acquisition, and command services to the Shuttle and other low-orbital spacecraft missions. STS-70 also marked the first flight of the new Block I Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). The engine featured improvements that increased the stability and safety of the main engines.

STS-69 (71st Shuttle flight)

7–18 September 1995

Endeavour (Ninth flight)

Crew: David M. Walker (Cdr), Kenneth D. Cockrell (Pilot), James S. Voss (PC-MS1), James H. Newman (MS2), Michael L. Gernhardt (MS3)

STS-69 deployed the Wake Shield Facility, which, flying separately from the Shuttle, produced an “ultra vacuum” in its wake and allowed experimentation in the production of advanced, thin film semiconductor materials. The SPARTAN spacecraft also was deployed and retrieved. The spacewalk on this mission was the 30th Shuttle extravehicular activity.

STS-73 (72nd Shuttle flight)

20 October–5 November 1995

Columbia (18th flight)

Crew: Kenneth D. Bowersox (Cdr), Kent V. Rominger (Pilot), Kathryn C.Thornton (PC), Catherine G. “Cady” Coleman (MS1), Michael E. Lopez- Alegria (MS2), Fred W. Leslie (PS1), Albert Sacco, Jr. (PS2)

The second United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) was the primary payload on STS-73. Some of the experiments on USML-2 resulted from the outcome of investigations on the first USML mission that flew aboard Columbia on STS-50.

STS-74 (73rd Shuttle flight)

12–20 November 1995

Atlantis (15th flight)

Crew: Kenneth D. Cameron (Cdr), James D. Halsell, Jr. (Pilot), Chris A. Hadfield (MS1), CSA (Canada), Jerry L. Ross (MS2), William S. McArthur, Jr. (MS3)

STS-74 was the second in a series of Mir linkups The mission delivered the Russian Docking Module to Mir, and it was attached permanently to the Kristall module, which gave better clearance for future Shuttle-Mir docking. It also marked the first time that astronauts from the European Space Agency, Canada, Russia, and the United States were in space on the same complex at one time.

STS-72 (74th Shuttle flight)

11–20 January 1996

Endeavour (10th flight)

Crew: Brian K. Duffy (Cdr), Brent W. Jett, Jr. (Pilot), Leroy Chiao (MS1), Winston E. Scott (MS2), Daniel T. Barry (MS3), Koicho Wakata (MS4), NASDA (Japan)

The crew of STS-72 captured and returned to Earth a Japanese microgravity research spacecraft, the Space Flyer Unit (SFU), which had been launched by Japan in March 1995. The mission also deployed and retrieved the OAST-Flyer spacecraft, the seventh in a series of missions aboard reusable free-flying SPARTAN carriers. The flight also included two spacewalks by three astronauts to test hardware and tools that will be used in the assembly of the International Space Station.

STS-75 (75th Shuttle flight)

22 February–9 March 1996

Columbia (19th flight)

Crew: Andrew M. Allen (Cdr), Scott J. Horowitz (Pilot), Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (PC), Jeffrey A. Hoffman (MS1), Maurizio Cheli (MS2), ESA (Italy), Claude Nicollier (MS3), ESA (Switzerland), Umberto Guidoni (PS1), ASI (Italy)

This mission was the 75th Shuttle flight and 50th Shuttle flight since NASA’s return to flight following the Challenger accident. Its mission was a reflight of the Tethered Satellite System. The tether broke three days into the mission.

STS-76 (76th Shuttle flight)

22–31 March 1996

Atlantis (16th flight)

Crew: Kevin P. Chilton (Cdr), Richard A. Searfoss (Pilot), Ronald M. Sega (PC-MS1), Michael R. Clifford (MS2), Linda M. Godwin (MS3), Shannon W. Lucid (MS4), up

This mission featured the third docking between the Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Russian space station Mir. It included a spacewalk, logistics operations, and scientific research. More than 862 kilograms (1,896.4 pounds) of equipment were transferred from Atlantis to Mir, including a gyrodyne, transformer, batteries, food, water, film, and clothing. Astronaut Shannon Lucid was the second American astronaut to stay on Mir and the first female American astronaut to fly to the station. This flight was the beginning of what would turn out to be Lucid’s marathon stay aboard the space station.

STS-77 (77th Shuttle flight)

19–29 May 1996

Endeavour (11th flight)

Crew: John H. Casper (Cdr), Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (Pilot), Andrew S. W. Thomas (MS1), Daniel W. Bursch (MS2), Mario Runco, Jr. (MS3), Marc Garneau (MS4), CSA (Canada)

During this flight, the six-person Endeavour crew performed microgravity research aboard the commercially owned and operated SPACEHAB module. The crew also deployed and retrieved the SPARTAN-207 Inflatable Antenna Experiment (SPARTAN-IAE) satellite. A suite of four technology experiments called the Technology Experiments for Advancing Mission in Space (TEAMS) also flew in the Shuttle’s payload bay.

STS-78 (78th Shuttle flight)

20 June 20–7 July 1996

Columbia (20th flight)

Crew: Terence T. “Tom” Henricks (Cdr), Kevin R. Kregel (Pilot), Richard M. Linnehan (MS1), Susan J. Helms (PC-MS2), Charles E. Brady, Jr. (MS3), Jean-Jacques Favier (PS1), CNES (France), Robert B.Thirsk (PS2), CSA (Canada)

The Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) mission, building on previous Shuttle Spacelab flights dedicated to life sciences and microgravity investigations, studied the effects of long-duration spaceflight on human physiology and conducted the type of experiments that would fly on the International Space Station. The duration of this flight surpassed the longest Shuttle flight to date, lasting almost 17 days. Five space agencies participated in this mission.

STS-79 (79th Shuttle flight)

16–26 September 1996

Atlantis (17th flight)

Crew: William F. Readdy (Cdr), Terrence W. Wilcutt (Pilot), Jerome “Jay” Apt (MS1), Thomas D. Akers (MS2), Carl E. Walz (MS3), John E. Blaha (MS4), up, Shannon W. Lucid (MS4), down

On this mission, astronaut Shannon Lucid set the world’s women’s and the U.S. record for length of time in space: 188 days and 5 hours.The mission was the fourth Shuttle docking with the Mir space station. Astronaut Lucid returned to Earth on Atlantis, and astronaut John Blaha replaced her on Mir.

STS-80 (80th Shuttle flight)

19 November–7 December 1996

Columbia (21st flight)

Crew: Kenneth D. Cockrell (Cdr), Kent V. Rominger (Pilot), Tamara E. Jernigan (MS1), Thomas D. Jones (MS2), F. Story Musgrave (MS3)

STS-80 marked the third flight of the Wake Shield Facility (WSF) that flew on STS-60 and STS-69 and the third flight of the German-built ORFEUS-SPAS II. Both the WSF and the ORFEUS-SPAS were deployed and retrieved during the mission, making it the first time that two satellites were flying freely at the same time.The record for the longest Shuttle flight was broken again, with this flight lasting slightly more than 17.5 days.

STS-81 (81st Shuttle flight)

12–22 January 1997

Atlantis (18th flight)

Crew: Michael A. Baker (Cdr), Brent W. Jett, Jr. (Pilot), Peter J. K. “Jeff ” Wisoff (MS1), John M. Grunsfeld (MS2), Marsha S. Ivins (MS3), Jerry M. Linenger (MS4), up, John E. Blaha (MS4), down

This mission was the fifth of nine planned missions to Mir and the second involving an exchange of U.S. astronauts. Astronaut Jerry Linenger replaced astronaut John Blaha aboard Mir after Blaha’s 128 days in space. Atlantis carried the SPACEHAB double module, which provided additional middeck locker space for secondary experiments.

STS-82 (82nd Shuttle flight)

11–21 February 1997

Discovery (22nd flight)

Crew: Kenneth D. Bowersox (Cdr), Scott J. Horowitz (Pilot), Joseph R. Tanner (MS1), Steven A. Hawley (MS2), Gregory J. Harbaugh (MS3), Mark C. Lee (PC-MS4), Steven L. Smith (MS5)

STS-82 was the second in a series of planned servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The orbiter’s robot arm captured the HST so it could be serviced. In five spacewalks, the crew replaced the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph and the Faint Object Spectrograph with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). Crew members also replaced other hardware with upgrades and spares. HST received a refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor and a refurbished spare Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA) to replace one of four RWAs. A Solid State Recorder replaced one reel-to-reel tape recorder. The crew members also replaced the HST’s insulation, which had deteriorated due to rapid heating and cooling as the telescope moved into and out of sunlight and also due to constant exposure to the molecular oxygen encountered in the upper reaches of the atmosphere.

STS-83 (83rd Shuttle flight)

4–8 April 1997

Columbia (22nd flight)

Crew: James D. Halsell, Jr. (Cdr), Susan L. Still (Pilot), Janice E.Voss (MS1), Michael L. Gernhardt (MS2), Donald A. Thomas (MS3), Roger K. Crouch (PS1), Gregory T. Linteris (PS2)

This mission lasted only 4 days and returned to Earth 12 days early due to a problem with one of the fuel cells that provided electricity and water to the orbiter. The Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) was rescheduled for a later mission.

STS-84 (84th Shuttle flight)

15–24 May 1997

Atlantis (19th flight)

Crew: Charles J. Precourt (Cdr), Eileen M. Collins (Pilot), Jean-François Clervoy (PC-MS1), ESA (France), Carlos I. Noriega (MS2), Edward T. Lu (MS3), Yelena V. Kondakova (MS4), RSC Energia (Russia), C. Michael Foale (MS5), up Jerry M. Linenger (MS5), down

This was the sixth docking with the Mir space station and the third involving an exchange of U.S. astronauts. Astronaut Mike Foale replaced astronaut Jerry Linenger, who had been in space for 132 days. The mission resupplied materials for experiments to be performed aboard Mir and also returned experiment samples and data to Earth.

STS-94 (85th Shuttle flight)

1–17 July 1997

Columbia (23rd flight)

Crew: James D. Halsell, Jr. (Cdr), Susan L. Still (Pilot), Janice E.Voss (MS1), Michael L. Gernhardt (MS2), Donald A. Thomas (MS3), Roger K. Crouch (PS1), Gregory T. Linteris (PS2)

The reflight of the Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1), which had flown on STS-83, took place on this mission. (STS-83 was cut short due to fuel cell problems.) The mission involved the same vehicle, crew, and experiment activities as planned on the earlier mission. MSL-1 focused on the phenomena associated with the routine influence of gravity, including the behavior of materials and liquids in a microgravity environment. The laboratory was a collection of 19 microgravity experiments housed inside a European Spacelab Long Module.

STS-85 (86th Shuttle flight)

7–19 August 1997

Discovery (23rd flight)

Crew: Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (Cdr), Kent V. Rominger (Pilot), Robert L. Curbeam (MS2), N. Jan Davis (PC-MS1), Stephen K. Robinson (MS3), Bjarni V. Tryggvason (PS1), CSA (Canada)

The primary payload for STS-85 was the second flight of the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers andTelescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2). It was the fourth in a series of cooperative ventures between the German Space Agency and NASA. CRISTA-SPAS-2 was deployed and retrieved using Discovery’s robot arm. Two other instruments on board also studied Earth’s atmosphere: the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Instrument (MAHRSI) measured hydroxyl and nitric oxide, while the Surface Effects Sample Monitor (SESAM) carried state-of-the-art optical surfaces to study the impact of the atomic oxygen and the space environment on materials and services. The Technology Applications and Science (TAS-1), the Manipulator Flight Demonstration, supplied by Japan, and the international Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker were other mission payloads.

STS-86 (87th Shuttle flight)

25 September–6 October 1997

Atlantis (20th flight)

Crew: James D. Wetherbee (Cdr), Michael J. Bloomfield (Pilot), Vladimir G. Titov (MS1), RSA (Russia), Scott E. Parazynski (MS2), Jean-Loup Chrétien (MS3), CNES (France), Wendy B. Lawrence (MS4), David A. Wolf (MS5), up, C. Michael Foale, down

This was the seventh docking between Atlantis and the Russian Mir space station and the fourth exchange of U.S. astronauts. The mission included a flyaround of Mir to determine the location of the puncture on the hull of the Spektr module. The Mir crew pumped air into the Spektr module, and the Shuttle crew observed that the leak seemed to be located at the base of the damaged solar panel. U.S. astronaut Mike Foale returned aboard Atlantis after a stay of 134 days on Mir. His was the second longest single spaceflight in U.S. spaceflight history, behind Shannon Lucid’s 188-day flight in 1996. Atlantis also carried the SPACEHAB double module to support the transfer of logistics and supplies for Mir and the return of experiment hardware and specimens to Earth.

STS-87 (88th Shuttle flight)

19 November–5 December 1997

Columbia (24th flight)

Crew: Kevin R. Kregel (Cdr), Steven W. Lindsey (Pilot), Kalpana Chawla (MS1), Winston E. Scott (MS2), Takao Doi (MS3), NASDA (Japan), Leonid K. Kadenyuk (PS1), NSAU (Ukraine)

Experiments that studied how the weightless environment of space affected various physical processes and two spacewalks highlighted STS-87. During this mission, payload specialist Leonid Kadenyuk became the first Ukrainian to fly aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission was marked by an unexpected event when the attitude control system aboard the free-flying SPARTAN solar research satellite malfunctioned, causing the satellite to rotate outside the Shuttle. Crew members successfully recaptured the satellite and lowered it onto its berth in the payload bay. The capture took place during a spacewalk that lasted 7 hours and 43 minutes. A second spacewalk that lasted 7 hours and 33 minutes tested a crane to be used for constructing the International Space Station and a free-flying camera to monitor conditions outside the Station without requiring spacewalks.

STS-89 (89th Shuttle flight)

22–31 January 1998

Endeavour (12th flight)

Crew: Terrence W. Wilcutt (Cdr), Joe F. Edwards, Jr. (Pilot), James F. Reilly (MS1), Michael P. Anderson (MS2), Bonnie J. Dunbar (PC-MS3), Salizhan S. Sharipov (MS4), RSA (Russia), Andrew S. W. Thomas (MS5), up David A. Wolf (MS6), down

STS-89 featured the eighth Mir-Shuttle linkup and the fifth crew exchange. Astronaut David Wolf, who had been on Mir since September 1997, was replaced by astronaut Andrew Thomas.

STS-90 (90th Shuttle flight)

17 April–3 May 1998

Columbia (25th flight)

Crew: Richard A. Searfoss (Cdr), Scott D. Altman (Pilot), Richard M. Linnehan (MS1), Kathryn P. Hire (MS2), Dafydd R. Williams (MS3), CSA (Canada), Jay C. Buckey (PS1), James A. Pawelczyk (PS2)

STS-90 featured the 16th and final scheduled flight of the Spacelab science module in which Columbia’s astronauts conducted their research. Spacelab served as a science platform for Shuttle-based research over the previous 15 years. The key scientific aspects of the flight involved Neurolab, a set of investigations focusing on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Experiments studied the adaptation of the vestibular system and space adaptation syndrome, the adaptation of the central nervous system and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, and the effect of micro- gravity on a developing nervous system.

STS-91 (91st Shuttle flight)

2–12 June 1998

Discovery (24th flight)

Crew: Charles J. Precourt (Cdr), Dominic L. P. Gorie (Pilot), Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (MS1), Wendy B. Lawrence (MS2), Janet L. Kavandi (MS3), Valery V. Ryumin (MS4), RSC Energia (Russia), Andrew S. W. Thomas (MS5), down

STS-91 marked the ninth and final Mir docking for the Shuttle fleet, but the first for Discovery. Astronaut Andrew Thomas was brought back to Earth after a 130-day stay on the Russian station. This final mission to the Mir station marked the end of Phase 1 of the International Space Station (ISS). U.S. experiments present on the Station, including the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), the tissue engineering coculture (COCULT) investigations, two crystal growth experiments and eight Get-Away Special experiments, were transferred to SPACEHAB’s single module. The Shuttle’s robot arm’s new electronics and software were tested in preparation for the construction of the ISS. STS-91 also marked the first mission to use the Super Lightweight External Tank, made of a new alloy combination that reduced the tank’s weight by about 3,375 kilograms (7,425 pounds).

STS-95 (92nd Shuttle flight)

29 October–7 November 1998

Discovery (25th flight)

Crew: Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (Cdr), Steven W. Lindsey (Pilot), Stephen K. Robinson (MS1), Scott E. Parazynski (MS2), Pedro Duque (MS3), ESA (Spain), Chiaki H. Naito-Mukai (PS1), NASDA (Japan), John H. Glenn, Jr. (PS2)

The main objectives of the STS-95 mission were to deploy and retrieve the SPARTAN-201 free-flyer payload and conduct scientific experiments in the SPACEHAB module. In the payload bay, two experiments were carried out: the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker payload and the Hubble Orbiting Systems Test (HOST). The scientific nature of the mission was overshadowed by the presence of John Glenn on the crew, flying again 36 years after becoming the first American to orbit Earth. President Bill Clinton was in attendance, marking the first time in Shuttle program history that a U.S. president attended a launch.

STS-88 (93rd Shuttle flight)

4–15 December 1998

Endeavour (13th flight)

Crew: Robert D.Cabana (Cdr), Frederick W.“Rick” Sturckow (Pilot), Jerry L. Ross (MS1), Nancy J. Currie (formerly Sherlock) (MS2), James H. Newman (MS3), Sergei K. Krikalev (MS4), RSA (Russia)

The STS-88 flight marked the first U.S. International Space Station (ISS) assembly flight, denoted 2A. The Remote Manipulator System arm grabbed the Unity (also known as Node 1) module from the Shuttle’s cargo bay and connected it to the orbiter’s docking system.Then, the robot arm grabbed the Zarya Control Module (also known as the Functional Cargo Block) and mated it to Unity. The Zarya module was launched on 20 November 1998 aboard a Russian Proton rocket. Three spacewalks were conducted by Jerry Ross and James Newman to attach cables, connectors and handrails between Zarya and Unity. The two astronauts also tested the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) unit, a self-rescue device for spacewalkers who become separated from the spacecraft during EVA. Two satellites were also deployed, MightySat and SAC-A.

STS-96 (94th Shuttle flight)

27 May–6 June 1999

Discovery (26th flight)

Crew: Kent V. Rominger (Cdr), Rick D. Husband (Pilot), Tamara E. Jernigan (MS1), Ellen Ochoa (MS2), Daniel T. Barry (MS3), Julie Payette (MS4), CSA (Canada), Valery I. Tokarev (MS5), RSA (Russia)

STS-96 was the second ISS mission, denoted 2A.1, and marked the first Shuttle docking with the Station.Discovery docked to the Unity module, allowing the crew to enter the Station to perform maintenance and outfitting tasks. A spacewalk allowed Tamara Jernigan and Daniel Barry to install a U.S.-built crane and a Russian-built crane on the Station. Having been linked with the ISS for five days, Discovery undocked and performed a flyaround of the Station to obtain a detailed photographic record of the outpost. After the flyaround, the Starshine satellite was deployed from Discovery’s cargo bay.

STS-93 (95th Shuttle flight)

23–27 July 1999

Columbia (26th flight)

Crew: Eileen M. Collins (Cdr), Jeffrey S. Ashby (Pilot), Catherine G. “Cady” Coleman (MS1), Steven A. Hawley (MS2), Michel Tognini (MS3), CNES (France)

The objective of this mission, the shortest since 1990, was the deployment of the Chandra X-ray Observatory (previously known as Advanced X-ray Astronomy Facility [AXAF]). It was the third of NASA’s Great Observatories. The deployment and two Inertial Upper Stage burns went as planned. Secondary scientific experiments occupied the crew for the rest of the mission.

STS-103 (96th Shuttle flight)

19–27 December 1999

Discovery (27th flight)

Crew: Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (Cdr), Scott J. Kelly (Pilot), Steven L. Smith (MS1), Jean-Francois Clervoy (MS2), ESA (France), John M. Grunsfeld (MS3), C. Michael Foale (MS4), Claude Nicollier (MS5), ESA (Switzerland)

This was the third mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. After the telescope’s capture by the robotic arm, it was placed on the Flight Support System in Discovery’s cargo bay. The repairs and upgrades were completed over the course of three spacewalks, performed by Steven Smith and John Grunsfeld, Mike Foale and Claude Nicollier, and again by Smith and Grunsfeld. During these spacewalks, the crew members changed and installed three new Rate Sensor Units (containing gyroscopes), six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits between the solar panels and the telescope’s batteries, a computer, a fine guidance sensor, a transmitter, and a digital recorder.

STS-99 (97th Shuttle flight)

11–22 February 2000

Endeavour (14th flight)

Crew: Kevin R. Kregel (Cdr), Dominic L. P. Gorie (Pilot), Gerhard P. J. Thiele (MS1), ESA (Germany), Janet L. Kavandi (MS2), Janice E. Voss (MS3), Mamoru M. Mohri (MS4), NASDA (Japan)

STS-99’s major payload was the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. The orbiter’s mast was deployed and the antenna was turned to its operation position so that mapping could begin 12 hours after launch. The mapping area covered a region ranging from 60 degrees north to 56 degrees south of the equator.Three crew members split into two shifts to operate 24 hours a day. The collected data, which approximated 20,000 CDs’ worth, were sent to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for analysis. A secondary payload was a student experiment, EarthKam, which took Earth photos through one of Endeavour’s overhead flight-deck windows.

STS-101 (98th Shuttle flight)

19–29 May 2000

Atlantis (21st flight)

Crew: James D. Halsell, Jr. (Cdr), Scott J. Horowitz (Pilot), Mary E. Weber (MS1), Jeffrey N. Williams (MS2), James S.Voss (MS3), Susan J. Helms (MS4), Yury V. Usachev (MS5), RSA (Russia)

This mission was the third ISS flight, denoted 2A.2a. The mission consisted of one spacewalk, during which James Voss and Jeffrey Williams secured the U.S.-built crane, installed final parts of the Russian-built Strela crane, and replaced a faulty antenna. The Station was outfitted with different equipment outside during the spacewalk and inside after the Shuttle’s crew opened the hatches between Atlantis and the Station. While inside the Station, the crew replaced or installed equipment consisting of batteries, smoke detectors, cooling fans, computer cables, a new communications memory unit and power distribution box, as well as supplies to support human activity aboard the Station. All items were stored in the SPACEHAB double module inside Atlantis’s cargo bay. STS-101 readied the Station for the arrival of the of the Zvezda Service Module, which launched 12 July 2000 on a Russian Proton rocket and docked two weeks later.

STS-106 (99th Shuttle flight)

8–20 September 2000

Atlantis (22nd flight)

Crew: Terrence W. Wilcutt (Cdr), Scott D. Altman (Pilot), Edward T. Lu (MS1), Richard A. Mastracchio (MS2), Daniel C. Burbank (MS3), Yuri I. Malenchenko (MS4), RSA (Russia), Boris V. Morukov (MS5), RSA (Russia)

STS-106 was the fourth flight to the ISS, denoted 2A.2b. A spacewalk performed by Edward Lu and Yuri Malenchenko involved routing and connecting power, data, and communications cables between the Zvezda and Zarya modules. The other objective of the space-walk was to install a magnetometer, which serves as a compass. After the crew entered the ISS, more than three tons of hardware and supplies were transferred from the SPACEHAB double module to the Station in preparation for the outpost’s first crew later in the fall.

STS-92 (100th Shuttle flight)

11–24 October 2000

Discovery (28th flight)

Crew: Brian K. Duffy (Cdr), Pamela A. Melroy (Pilot), Leroy Chiao (MS1), William S. McArthur, Jr. (MS2), Peter J. K. “Jeff ” Wisoff (MS3), Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (MS4), Koicho Wakata (MS5), NASDA (Japan)

This mission was the fifth ISS flight, denoted 3A, and the third construction flight.The primary objectives were the installation of the Zenith 1 (Z1) truss and the third pressurized mating adapter (PMA3), which is used as a docking port. STS-92 also included four spacewalks.The first, by Leroy Chiao and William McArthur, involved connecting electrical umbilicals to provide power on the Z1 truss, relocating and deploying two antennas, and installing a toolbox for future on-orbit construction. The second spacewalk, made by Jeff Wisoff and Michael Lopez-Alegria, included the attachment of the PMA3 to the Station and preparation of the Z1 truss for installation of solar arrays planned for STS-97. The third spacewalk, performed by Chiao and McArthur, consisted of the installation of electrical converter units on the Z1 truss. The fourth and final spacewalk, by Wisoff and Lopez-Alegria, involved work on the Z1 truss. The final spacewalkers also tested SAFER. Equipment and supplies to support the first resident crew were transferred from Discovery to the Station.

STS-97 (101st Shuttle flight)

30 November–11 December 2000

Endeavour (15th flight)

Crew: Brent W. Jett, Jr. (Cdr), Michael J. Bloomfield (Pilot), Joseph R. Tanner (MS1), Marc Garneau (MS2), CSA (Canada), Carlos I. Noriega (MS3)

STS-97 was the sixth ISS flight, denoted 4A. Three space-walks were performed by astronauts Joseph Tanner and Carlos Noriega, who accomplished the mating of the Port 6 (P6) truss and the first set of U.S.-provided solar arrays to the Station’s Z1 truss, the preparation of the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA2) docking port, the installation of Floating Potential Probes (FPP) to measure electrical potential surrounding the Station, and the attachment of a camera cable outside the Unity module. On 8 December, hatches between Endeavour and the ISS were opened, allowing the transfer of supplies from the orbiter to the Expedition 1 crew aboard the Station.

STS-98 (102nd Shuttle flight)

7–20 February 2001

Atlantis (23rd flight)

Crew: Kenneth D. Cockrell (Cdr), Mark L. Polansky (Pilot), Robert L. Curbeam (MS1), Marsha S. Ivins (MS2), Thomas D. Jones (MS3)

STS-98 was the seventh ISS flight, denoted 5A. The purpose of the mission was to deliver, attach, and activate the U.S. Destiny laboratory module to the Station.Three spacewalks involved outfitting Destiny’s exterior, moving the PMA2 from the Z1 truss to the Destiny module, and attaching a spare communications antenna to the Station. Mission specialists Robert Curbeam and Thomas Jones performed the three spacewalks in 19 hours and 49 minutes. Supplies were also delivered to the Station’s crew.

STS-102 (103rd Shuttle flight)

8–21 March 2001

Discovery (29th flight)

Crew: James D.Wetherbee (Cdr), James M. Kelly (Pilot), Andrew S. W. Thomas (MS1), Paul W. Richards (MS2)

ISS Expedition 2 (launch): James S. Voss, Susan J. Helms, Yury V. Usachev, RSA (Russia)

ISS Expedition 1 (return): Sergei K. Krikalev, RSA (Russia), William M. Shepherd, Yuri P. Gidzenko, RSA (Russia)

STS-102 was the eighth ISS flight, denoted 5A.1. The flight’s objectives were to replace the Expedition 1 crew and to unload supplies, equipment, and science racks from the first Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM). This Italian-built module, named Leonardo, was lifted from Discovery’s cargo bay and attached to the Unity module. This took place after a spacewalk by Susan Helms and James Voss was performed to make room on the Unity module for Leonardo. Astronauts placed the emptied module back in the Shuttle’s cargo bay and returned it to Earth. A second spacewalk, by Paul Richards and Andrew Thomas that lasted 6 hours and 21 minutes, continued the outfitting of the Station through the installation of a coolant pump, an External Stowage Platform for spare Station parts, and connecting cables.

STS-100 (104th Shuttle flight)

19 April–1 May 2001

Endeavour (16th flight)

Crew: Kent V. Rominger (Cdr), Jeffrey S. Ashby (Pilot),

Chris A. Hadfield (MS1), CSA (Canada), John L. Phillips (MS2), Scott E. Parazynski (MS3), Umberto Guidoni (MS4), ESA (Italy), Yuri V. Lonchakov (MS5), RSA (Russia)

STS-100 was the ninth ISS flight, denoted 6A.The mission carried the Canadian-built Canadarm 2, which was attached outside the Station’s Destiny module. Crew members also transferred supplies and scientific equipment racks to the Station via the second Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, named Raffaello. Scott Parazynsky and Chris Hadfield conducted two spacewalks to install an ultrahigh frequency (UHF) antenna to the Destiny module, connect cables between Canadarm 2 and Destiny, and continue the outfitting of the robot arm and Destiny. All of the mission’s EVAs totaled 14 hours and 50 minutes.

STS-104 (105th Shuttle flight)

12–24 July 2001

Atlantis (24th flight)

Crew: Steven W. Lindsey (Cdr), Charles O. Hobaugh (Pilot), Michael L. Gernhardt (MS1), Janet L. Kavandi (MS2), James F. Reilly (MS3)

The 10th flight to the ISS was designated assembly flight 7A. The primary objective of the mission was to deliver the Quest Airlock, which allowed for spacewalks from the Station. The airlock was unloaded from Atlantis’s cargo bay and placed on the Unity node by Expedition 2 crew member Susan Helms. During this process, astronauts Michael Gernhardt and James Reilly provided guidance from outside the Station during their first of three planned spacewalks. The second spacewalk involved installing tank assemblies for the Joint Airlock. The third, during which the astronauts exited the ISS via the new airlock, consisted of installing another nitrogen tank to the airlock’s shell. A total of four tanks were installed, and their purpose is to pressurize the airlock and resupply spacesuits. Gerhardt and Reilly spent 16 hours and 30 minutes outside the Station.

STS-105 (106th Shuttle flight)

10–22 August 2001

Discovery (30th flight)

Crew: Scott J. Horowitz (Cdr), Frederick W. “Rick” Sturckow (Pilot), Patrick G. Forrester (MS1), Daniel T. Barry (MS2)

ISS Expedition 3 (launch): Frank L. Culbertson, Jr., Vladimir N. Dezhurov, RSA (Russia), Mikhail V. Tyurin, RSA (Russia)

ISS Expedition 2 (return): Yury V. Usachev, RSA (Russia), James S. Voss, Susan J. Helms

Atlantis performed the 11th ISS flight, denoted 7A.1, whose main objective was to replace Expedition 2 crew members with Expedition 3 crew members. The mission also used Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Leonardo to unload 3,175.2 kilograms (7,000 pounds) of supplies, equipment, and science racks to the Station. Daniel Barry and Patrick Forrester completed two space-walks, installing the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) and outfitting the Station in preparation for the arrival of the Starboard-Zero (S-Zero, S0) Integrated Truss Structure. Barry and Forrester spent a total of 11 hours and 45 minutes during EVAs. Discovery’s crew also deployed a small satellite, Simplesat, via a spring ejection system at the rear of the Shuttle’s cargo bay.

STS-108 (107th Shuttle flight)

5–17 December 2001

Endeavour (17th flight)

Crew: Dominic L. P. Gorie (Cdr), Mark E. Kelly (Pilot), Linda M. Godwin (MS1), Daniel M. Tani (MS2)

ISS Expedition 4 (launch): Yuriy I. Onufriyenko, RSA (Russia), Daniel W. Bursch, Carl E. Walz

ISS Expedition 3 (return): Frank L. Culbertson, Jr., Vladimir N. Dezhurov, RSA (Russia), Mikhail V. Tyurin, RSA (Russia)

Endeavour completed the 12th ISS flight, denoted Utilization Flight-1 (UF-1). STS-108 docked to the Destiny module, hatches were opened, and the Station crew exchanges took place. Aside from the crew swap, the mission also moved Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, making its second spaceflight, from the Shuttle’s cargo bay to a docking port on the Unity module to allow the transfer of 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) of supplies from Raffaello to the Station. One spacewalk, lasting 4 hours and 12 minutes, was performed by Linda Godwin and Daniel Tanni to outfit the exterior of the Station. Endeavour carried several Expedition 3 experiments back to Earth, as well as experiments located inside Endeavour’s cargo bay. A small satellite, Starshine 2, was deployed from a canister located in the cargo bay.

STS-109 (108th Shuttle flight)

1–12 March 2002

Columbia (27th flight)

Crew: Scott D. Altman, (Cdr), Duane G. Carey (Pilot), John M. Grunsfeld (MS1), Nancy J. Currie (formerly Sherlock) (MS2), Richard M. Linnehan (MS3), James H. Newman (MS4), Michael J. Massimino (MS5)

Although the mission was designated 3B, it was the fourth Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. John Grunsfeld, Richard Linnehan, James Newman, and Michael Massimino performed a record five spacewalks to upgrade the telescope. The spacewalks, lasting 35 hours and 45 minutes, involved removal and installation of a new third- generation solar array, the attachment of a new module to dispense the power provided by the solar arrays, replacement of the original Faint Object Camera (FOC) with the Advanced Camera for Survey (ACS), and the installation a new experimental cooling system for the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS).

STS-110 (109th Shuttle flight)

8–19 April 2002

Atlantis (25th flight)

Crew: Michael J. Bloomfield (Cdr), Stephen N. Frick (Pilot), Rex J.Walheim (MS1), Ellen Ochoa (MS2), Lee M. E. Morin (MS3), Jerry L. Ross (MS4), Steven L. Smith (MS5)

The 13th flight to the ISS was designated Station flight 8A. The main objective of the mission was to install the Starboard Zero (S0) truss and the Mobile Transporter, both of which were lifted out of Atlantis’s cargo bay and attached on top of the Destiny module.The truss contains navigational devices, computers, and cooling and power systems needed to attach additional laboratories to the outpost. The Mobile Transporter gives extra mobility to the Station’s Canadarm 2. Rex Walheim, Steven Smith, Jerry Ross, and Lee Morin completed the installation of the S0 truss during four spacewalks totaling 28 hours and 22 minutes. In between spacewalks, astronauts also transferred oxygen and nitrogen, gasses used to repressurize the module after spacewalks, to the Quest Airlock.

STS-111 (110th Shuttle flight)

5–19 June 2002

Endeavour (18th flight)

Crew: Kenneth D. Cockrell (Cdr), Paul S. Lockhart (Pilot), Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (MS1), Philippe Perrin (MS2), CNES (France)

ISS Expedition 5 (launch): Valery G. Korzun, RSA (Russia), Peggy Whitson, Sergei Y. Treschev, RSC Energia (Russia)

ISS Expedition 4 (return): Yuriy I. Onufriyenko, RSA (Russia), Daniel W. Bursch, Carl E. Walz

Endeavour completed the 14th flight to the ISS, named flight Utilization Flight-2 (UF-2). The Shuttle docked to the Destiny module, moved Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo from the Shuttle’s cargo bay to the Unity module, and transferred more than 2,540 kilograms (5,600 pounds) of equipment, supplies, and experiments. The crew also moved 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 Canadarm 2 to travel the length of the Station for construction tasks. Three space-walks by Franklin Chang-Diaz and Phillipe Perrin, lasting 19 hours 31 minutes in total, continued the outfitting and maintenance of the Station. The astronauts replaced a wrist-roll joint on Canadarm 2, restoring it to full use. The mission also marked the arrival of Expedition 5, replacing Expedition 4, which returned to Earth aboard Endeavour.

STS-112 (111th Shuttle flight)

7–18 October 2002

Atlantis (26th flight)

Crew: Jeffrey S. Ashby (Cdr), Pamela A. Melroy (Pilot), David A. Wolf (MS1), Sandra H. Magnus (MS2), Piers J. Sellers (MS3), Fyodor N.Yurchikhin (MS4), RSC Energia (Russia)

STS-112, denoted ISS flight 9A, was the 15th flight to the Station and carried the S1 integrated truss segment and the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart A to the Station. The CETA is the first of two human-powered carts to ride along the ISS railway, providing mobile work platforms for future spacewalking astronauts. Three spacewalks by David Wolf and Piers Sellers accomplished the installation of these primary payloads and spent 19 hours and 41 minutes performing these tasks.

STS-113 (112th Shuttle flight)

23 November–7 December 2002

Endeavour (19th flight)

Crew: James D. Wetherbee (Cdr), Paul S. Lockhart (Pilot), Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (MS1), John B. Herrington (MS2)

ISS Expedition 6 (launch): Kenneth D. Bowersox, Nikolai M. Budarin, RSC Energia (Russia), Donald Pettit

ISS Expedition 5 (return): Valery G. Korzun, RSA (Russia), Peggy Whitson, Sergei Y. Treschev, RSC Energia (Russia)

This 16th flight to the ISS, flight 11A, replaced the Expedition 5 crew with Expedition 6 astronauts. Crew members also lifted the Port 1 (P1) truss, stored in Endeavour’s cargo bay, with the Shuttle’s robotic arm and handed it to the Station’s Canadarm 2, which placed it to the installation position. Three spacewalks took place to outfit and activate the truss. Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington performed the EVAs, which totaled 19 hours and 55 minutes.

STS-107 (113th Shuttle flight)

16 January–1 February 2003

Columbia (28th flight)

Crew: Rick D. Husband (Cdr), William C. McCool (Pilot), Michael P. Anderson (PC), David M. Brown (MS1), Kalpana Chawla (MS2), Laurel B. S. Clark (MS3), Ilan Ramon (PS1), Israel

The first Shuttle flight of 2003 carried the first Israeli crew member, Ilan Ramon. STS-107 was primarily a microgravity and space science research mission, carrying aboard the SPACEHAB experiment module and a number of external experiments. The mission included the Freestar research payload, which consisted of several experiments. During reentry on 1 February, the orbiter and crew were lost as Columbia broke apart over central Texas. Sensors in the left main landing gear wheel well first detected abnormally high temperatures, and similar readings spread throughout the orbiter. Later investigation revealed that the leading edge wing tile was damaged by shed External Tank foam on liftoff, and the compromised tile allowed superheated gas to enter the orbiter during reentry.

STS-114 (114th Shuttle flight)

26 July–9 August 2005

Discovery (31st flight)

Crew: Eileen M. Collins (Cdr), James M. Kelly (Pilot), Soichi Noguchi (MS1), JAXA (Japan), Stephen K. Robinson (MS2), Andrew S. W. Thomas (MS3), Wendy B. Lawrence (MS4), Charles J. Camarda (MS5)

Discovery’s flight marked the return to flight for the Shuttle fleet, two and half years after the loss of Columbia and its crew on mission STS-107, and the 17th flight to the International Space Station, and was denoted Logistics Flight 1 (LF1). During launch, Discovery’s condition 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 (OBSS), which is a 15.24-meter (50-foot) long boom extension of the Shuttle robotic arm laser- scanner, as well as data from sensors embedded in the Shuttle’s wings helped determine the health of Discovery’s thermal protection system. As Discovery approached the International Space Station, crew members aboard the Station photographed the orbiter’s thermal protective tiles as well as areas around its main and nose landing gear doors. Discovery’s commander also performed the first Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver. During the mission, Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello was lifted from Discovery’s cargo bay for attachment to the Unity module by the Station’s Canadarm 2, allowing the transfer of supplies and equipment to the station. Three thousand two hundred kilograms (7,055 pounds) of unneeded equipment and trash were transferred from the Station to the Raffaello module prior to its stowage inside Discovery’s cargo bay. Three spacewalks were planned and performed by Stephen Robinson and Soichi Noguchi for a total of 20 hours and 5 minutes. During those spacewalks, the astronauts tested repair techniques on thermal tiles and reinforced carbon-carbon tiles; rerouted power to one the four Station gyroscopes; replaced another gyroscope with a new one; pulled the two protruding gap fillers from between thermal protection tiles; and, finally, installed a fifth Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE), which exposes samples of various materials to the harsh space environment for several months.

STS-121 (115th Shuttle flight)

4–17 July 2006

Discovery (32nd flight)

Crew: Steven W. Lindsey (Cdr), Mark E. Kelly (Pilot), Michael E. Fossum, (MS1), Lisa M. Nowak (MS2), Stephanie D. Wilson (MS3), Piers J. Sellers (MS4), Thomas Reiter (MS5), ISS (Flight Engineer), ESA (Germany), up

Discovery’s flight marked the 18th ISS flight, denoted Utilization and Logistics Flight 1.1 (ULF 1.1). STS121 carried on the analysis of safety improvements that debuted on the previous mission, STS-114, following the same inspection procedures carried on during that flight. Discovery carried the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, which was moved from the Shuttle’s cargo bay to the Unity module using the Station’s Canadarm 2. Leonardo carried more than 3,357 kilograms (7,400 pounds) of supplies to the Station and brought back more than 2,086 kilograms (4,600 pounds) of experiments, unnecessary hardware, and trash to Earth. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany was delivered to the ISS as the newest member of ISS Expedition 13.The mission was extended one day, allowing time for an additional spacewalk. Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum performed three spacewalks in total, lasting 21 hours and 29 minutes total, to test the Shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System/Orbiter Boom Sensor System (RMS/OBSS) combination as a platform for spacewalking astronauts, to perform maintenance on the Mobile Transporter, and to perform imagery and repair techniques to Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) tiles.

STS-115 (116th Shuttle flight)

9–21 September 2006

Atlantis (27th flight)

Crew: Brent W. Jett, Jr. (Cdr), Christopher J. Ferguson (Pilot), Joseph R. Tanner (MS1), Daniel C. Burbank (MS2), Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (MS3), Steven G. MacLean (MS4), CSA (Canada)

Atlantis’s flight marked the 19th flight to the ISS, denoted flight ISS-12A. The orbiter delivered truss section P3/P4, a pair of solar arrays, and batteries, along with other supplies to the Station. During the course of three spacewalks, two by Joseph Tanner and Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and one by Dan Burbank and Steve MacLean (for a grand total of 20 hours and 19 minutes), the astronauts installed the newest structural and power generation component of the Station. The newly unfurled solar panels extended more than 35 meters (115 feet) in length, adding the power production capability for 60 kilowatts of electricity. The crew also conducted other maintenance work on the Station, preparing it for the next assembly mission.

STS-116 (117th Shuttle flight)

9–22 December 2006

Discovery (33rd flight)

Crew: Mark L. Polansky (Cdr), William A. Oefelein (Pilot), Nicholas J. M. Patrick (MS1), Robert L. Curbeam (MS2), Joan E. Higginbotham (MS4), Christer Fuglesang (MS3), ESA (Sweden), Sunita L.Williams (MS5), ISS (Flight Engineer), up, Thomas Reiter (MS5), ISS (Flight Engineer), ESA (Germany), down

This mission was the 20th ISS assembly flight, denoted 12A.1. STS-116 completed a major addition to ISS, adding the P5 truss segment and new solar arrays. Discovery also carried a SPACEHAB single logistics module in the cargo bay. This module contained 2,630 kilograms (5,800 pounds) of supplies and equipment that were transferred to the Station. In order to have enough clearance to deploy the new set of solar arrays, one of the power-generating arrays already on the Station and located on the P6 truss needed to fold up but failed to do so properly. Mission planners added a fourth spacewalk, which successfully corrected the malfunction. In addition to adding new Station components, the crew rewired the Station’s power system to prepare for its final configuration. Three spacewalks were performed by Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang and one was completed by Curbeam and Sunita Williams, for a total of 25 hours and 45 minutes spent outside the Station. Williams, who launched with STS-116, replaced Thomas Reiter as ISS flight engineer. Reiter, from Germany, returned with the crew aboard Discovery, which had its last mission before a major overhaul. STS-116 was the first mission to launch during the night since the Columbia accident, which previously resulted in stricter launch requirements (primarily for imagery purposes).