 View ofMir fromAtlantis, with theSoyuz-TMFregat andProgress 233 docked | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-81 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Shuttle-Mir |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1997-001A |
| SATCATno. | 24711 |
| Mission duration | 10 days, 4 hours, 56 minutes, 30 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 6,100,000 kilometres (3,800,000 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 160 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Atlantis |
| Payload mass | 2,250 kilograms (4,960 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 6 |
| Members | |
| Launching | |
| Landing | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | January 12, 1997, 09:27:23 (1997-01-12UTC09:27:23Z) UTC |
| Launch site | Kennedy,LC-39B |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | January 22, 1997, 14:23:51 (1997-01-22UTC14:23:52Z) UTC |
| Landing site | Kennedy,SLF Runway 33 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 380 kilometres (240 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 392 kilometres (244 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.6 degrees |
| Period | 92.2 min |
| Docking withMir | |
| Docking port | SO starboard |
| Docking date | January 15, 1997, 03:54:49 UTC |
| Undocking date | January 20, 1997, 02:15:44 UTC |
| Time docked | 4 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes 55 seconds |
  Left to right - Front: Jett, Baker; Back: Grunsfeld, Blaha, Wisoff, Linenger, Ivins | |
STS-81 was a January 1997Space ShuttleAtlantis mission to theMir space station.
| Position | Launching Astronaut | Landing Astronaut |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Michael A. Baker Fourth and last spaceflight | |
| Pilot | Brent W. Jett Jr. Second spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 1 | Peter J. K. Wisoff Third spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 2 Flight Engineer | John M. Grunsfeld Second spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 3 | Marsha Ivins Fourth spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 4 | Jerry M. Linenger EO-22 Second and last spaceflight | John E. Blaha EO-22 Fifth and last spaceflight |
| Seat[1] | Launch | Landing |  Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck. Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baker | ||
| 2 | Jett | ||
| 3 | Wisoff | Ivins | |
| 4 | Grunsfeld | ||
| 5 | Ivins | Wisoff | |
| 6 | Linenger | Blaha | |
| 7 | Unused | ||
STS-81 was the fifth of nine planned missions toMir and the second one involving an exchange of U.S. astronauts. Astronaut John Blaha, who had been on Mir since September 19, 1996, was replaced by astronaut Jerry Linenger. Linenger spent more than four months on Mir. He returned to Earth on Space Shuttle MissionSTS-84.
Atlantis carried theSPACEHAB double module providing additional middeck locker space for secondary experiments. During the five days of docked operations with Mir, the crews transferred water and supplies from one spacecraft to the other. Aspacewalk by Linenger and one of his Russiancosmonaut crewmates occurred after the departure ofAtlantis.
The STS-81 mission included several experiments in the fields of advanced technology,Earth sciences, fundamentalbiology,human life sciences,microgravity, andspace sciences. It was hoped that data would supply insight for the planning and development of theInternational Space Station, Earth-based sciences of human and biological processes, and the advancement of commercial technology.
On January 18, whileAtlantis was docked to Mir, Grunsfeld placed a telephone call to theNPR showCar Talk, hosted by two of Grunsfeld's fellowMIT alumni,Tom and Ray Magliozzi.[2]
STS-81 involved the transfer of 2,710 kilograms (5,970 lb) of logistics to and from the Mir, the largest transfer of items to date. During the docked phase, 635 kilograms (1,400 lb) of water, 516.1 kilograms (1,138 lb) of U.S. science equipment, 1,000.7 kilograms (2,206 lb) of Russian logistics along with 121.7 kilograms (268 lb) of miscellaneous material was transferred to Mir. Returned to Earth aboardAtlantis was 570.0 kilograms (1,256.6 lb) of U.S. science material, 404.5 kilograms (892 lb) of Russian logistics and 97.3 kilograms (215 lb) of miscellaneous material.
First Shuttle flight of 1997 highlighted by return of U.S. astronaut John Blaha to Earth after 118-day stay aboard Russian Space Station Mir and the largest transfer to date of logistics between the two spacecraft.Atlantis also returned carrying the first plants to complete a life cycle in space — a crop of wheat grown from seed to seed. This fifth of nine planned dockings continued Phase 1B of the NASA/Russian Space Agency cooperative effort, with Linenger becoming the third U.S. astronaut in succession to live on Mir. Same payload configuration flown on previous docking flight — featuring SPACEHAB Double module — flown again.
Blaha joined Mir 22 crew of CommanderValeri Korzun and Flight EngineerAleksandr Kaleri on September 19, 1996, when he arrived there with the crew of STS-79. Linenger worked with the Mir 22 crew until the arrival in February of the Mir 23 crew of CommanderVasili Tsibliev, Flight EngineerAleksandr Lazutkin and German researcher Reinhold Ewald. Ewald returned to Earth with the Mir 22 cosmonauts after a brief stay on the station. Astronaut Michael Foale replaced Linenger on Mir when the STS-84 mission arrived in May 1997.
Docking occurred at 22:55 EST, January 14, followed by hatch opening at 00:57 January 15. Linenger officially traded places at 04:45 with Blaha who spent 118 days on the station and 128 days total on-orbit. During five days of mated operations, crews transferred nearly 6,000 pounds (2,722 kilograms) of logistics to Mir, including around 725 kilograms (1,598 lb) of water; around 516 kilograms (1,138 lb) of U.S. science equipment; and 1,001 kilograms (2,207 lb) of Russian logistical equipment. About 1,100 kilograms (2,400 lb) of materials returned withAtlantis from Mir.
Crew also tested on Shuttle the Treadmill Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System (TVIS), designed for use in the Russian Service Module of the International Space Station. Another activity related to International Space Station involved firing the orbiter's small vernier jet thrusters during mated operations to gather engineering data.
Undocking occurred at 09:15 EST, January 19, followed by fly around of Mir.
No significant in-flight anomalies were experienced withAtlantis.
NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during theGemini program, which was first used to wake up a flight crew duringApollo 15.[3]Each track is specially chosen, often by their families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.[3]
| Flight Day | Song | Artist/Composer |
|---|---|---|
| Day 2 | "Free Ride" | The Edgar Winter Group |
| Day 3 | "It Keeps You Runnin'" | The Doobie Brothers |
| Day 4 | "Hitchin' a Ride" | Vanity Fare |
| Day 5 | "Celebration" | Kool and the Gang |
| Day 6 | "I Got You (I Feel Good)" | James Brown |
| Day 7 | "Mack the Knife" | Bobby Darin |
| Day 8 | "Ticket to Ride" | The Beatles |
| Day 9 | "My Favorite Marsha" | The Alison Brown Quartet |
| Day 10 | "The Banana Boat Song" | Harry Belafonte |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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Space ShuttleAtlantis (OV-104) | ||
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