 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "STS-76" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 Atlantis mates withMir's Docking Module | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-76 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Shuttle–Mir |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1996-018A |
| SATCATno. | 23831 |
| Mission duration | 9 days, 5 hours, 15 minutes, 53 seconds (achieved) |
| Distance travelled | 6,100,000 km (3,800,000 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 145 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | OV-104 |
| Launch mass | 111,740 kg (246,340 lb) |
| Landing mass | 95,396 kg (210,312 lb) |
| Payload mass | 6,753 kg (14,888 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 6 up 5 down |
| Members | |
| Launching | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 22 March 1996, 08:13:03.999 UTC[1]: 2 |
| Launch site | Kennedy,LC-39B |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 31 March 1996, 13:28:56.8 UTC[1]: 8 |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 22 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 389 km (242 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 411 km (255 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.60° |
| Period | 92.50 minutes |
| Docking withMir | |
| Docking port | SO starboard |
| Docking date | 24 March 1996, 02:50:09.9 UTC[1]: 4 |
| Undocking date | 29 March 1996, 01:08:03.4 UTC[1]: 5 |
| Time docked | 4 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes, 54 seconds |
 STS-76 mission patch  Back: Clifford, Lucid, Godwin Front: Sega, Chilton, Searfoss | |
STS-76 wasNASA's 76thSpace Shuttle mission, and the 16th mission forAtlantis. STS-76 launched on 22 March 1996 at 08:13:04UTC fromKennedy Space Center,launch pad 39B. STS-76 lasted over 9 days, traveled about 6,100,000 km (3,800,000 mi) while orbiting Earth an estimated 145 times, and landing at 13:28:57 UTC on 31 March 1996 atEdwards Air Force Base, runway 22.
The flight was the third Shuttle mission to dock with theRussianSpace Station Mir, as part of theShuttle–Mir program, carrying astronautShannon Lucid to the orbital laboratory to replace NASA astronautNorman Thagard. STS-76 also carried aSPACEHAB single module along with Lucid, and on flight day 6,Linda M. Godwin andMichael R. Clifford performed the first U.S.spacewalk around two docked spacecraft since the lastSkylab mission in 1974.
| Position | Launching Astronaut | Landing Astronaut |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Kevin P. Chilton Third and last spaceflight | |
| Pilot | Richard A. Searfoss Second spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 1 | Ronald M. Sega Second and last spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 2 Flight Engineer | Michael R. Clifford Third and last spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 3 | Linda M. Godwin Third spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 4 | Shannon Lucid EO-21 Fifth and last spaceflight | None |
| Seat[2] | Launch | Landing |  Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck. Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chilton | ||
| 2 | Searfoss | ||
| 3 | Sega | Godwin | |
| 4 | Clifford | ||
| 5 | Godwin | Sega | |
| 6 | Lucid | Unused | |
| Attempt | Planned | Result | Turnaround | Reason | Decision point | Weather go (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 Mar 1996, 3:35:00 am | Scrubbed | — | Weather | 20 Mar 1996, 6:30 pm | 20 | High winds at KSC and rough seas in SRB recovery area.[3][4] |
| 2 | 22 Mar 1996, 3:13:04 am | Success | 0 days 23 hours 38 minutes | 90[5] | Leak developed in hydraulic system 3 during ascent.[1]: 2 |
The mission was the third linkup between a U.S. Space Shuttle and Russian space stationMir, and brought veteran astronautShannon Lucid to Mir to become the first American woman to live on the station. Her approximately four-and-a-half-month stay also eclipsed the long-duration U.S. spaceflight record set by the first American to live on Mir,Norman Thagard. Lucid was succeeded by astronautJohn E. Blaha duringSTS-79 in August 1996, giving her the distinction of membership in four different flight crews — two U.S. and two Russian—and her stay on Mir kicked off the continuous U.S. presence in space for the next two years.
Payload bay configuration included the Orbiter Docking System in the forward area and aSPACEHAB single module toward the aft. STS-76 marked the first flight of a SPACEHAB pressurized module to support Shuttle-Mir dockings. The single module primarily served as a stowage area for a large supply of equipment for transfer to space station, but also carried theEuropean Space Agency's Biorack experiment rack for on-orbit research.
Atlantis hooked up with Mir on flight day three, following same R-bar approach employed onSTS-74. Actual connection between Orbiter Docking System and the Kristall module's docking port occurred at 02:50 UTC[1]: 4 on 24 March 1996. Hatches opened a little less than two hours later. AwaitingAtlantis arrival were Mir 21 CommanderYury Onufriyenko and Flight EngineerYuri Usachov, who were launched to Mir on 21 February 1996. In July, they were joined by Mir 22 CommanderValery Korzun, Flight EngineerAleksandr Kaleri andCNES astronautClaudie André-Deshays. After a two-week stay, André-Deshays would return to Earth with Onufriyenko and Usachov while Korzun and Kaleri remained on board with Lucid.
During five days of docked operations, about 680 kg (1,500 lb) of water and two tons of scientific equipment, logistical material and resupply items were transferred to Mir. Experiment samples and miscellaneous equipment brought over to orbiter. In Biorack, 11 separate scientific investigations were conducted. Study topics included the effect of microgravity and cosmic radiation on plants, tissues, cells, bacteria and insects, and the effects of microgravity on bone loss. Also transferred to the station were the Mir Glovebox Stowage (MGBX) equipment to replenish the glovebox already on station, the Queen's University Experiment in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD) flown in the orbiter's middeck locker, and the High Temperature Liquid Phase Sintering (LPS) experiment.
On flight day six, Godwin and Clifford conducted what some claim to be the first U.S.extravehicular activity (EVA) around two mated spacecraft. However, this appears to ignore theApollo 9 EVA, and EVAs duringSkylab. During six-hour, two-minute, 28-second EVA, they attached fourMir Environmental Effects Payload (MEEP) experiments to the station's docking module - designed to characterize the environment around Mir over an 18-month period. Godwin and Clifford woreSimplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER) propulsive devices - first flight-tested duringSTS-64.
Other payloads includedShuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX),KidSat, a project that gives middle school students opportunity to participate in space exploration, and Trapped Ions in Space (TRIS), aNaval Research Laboratory experiment flown in aGetaway Special canister in the payload bay.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| Spacecraft |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Missions | ||
| Increments | ||
Space ShuttleAtlantis (OV-104) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Completed flights | .jpg) | |
| Status |
| |
| On display | ||
| 1986–1990 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991–1995 | ||
| 1996–2000 | ||
