NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

SPACE SHUTTLEMISSION STS-79
SEPTEMBER 1996

4th Shuttle-Mir Docking Mission

For Information on the Space Shuttle

Ed Campion  Policy/Management               202/358-1778
  Headquarters, Washington, DC

Rob Navias  Mission Operations, Astronauts      713/483-5111
  Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

Bruce Buckingham Launch Processing, KSC Landing  407/867-2468
  Kennedy Space Center, FL     

June Malone  External Tank/Shuttle Propulsion   205/544-0034
  Marshall Space Flight Center,Huntsville, AL

Cam Martin   DFRC Landing Information          805/258-3448
  Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA

For Information on STS-79 Experiments & Activities

Mike Braukus               Mir Science          202/358-1979
  Headquarters, Washington, DC

James Cast                                      202/358-1779
  Headquarters, Washington, DC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL BACKGROUND

1.0 General Release
2.0 Media Services Information
3.0 Quick-Look Facts
4.0 Crew Responsibilities
5.0 Developmental Test Objectives/Detailed 
Supplementary Objectives/Risk Mitigation Experiments 
6.0 Mission Summary Timeline
7.0 Payload and Vehicle Weights
8.0 Shuttle Abort Modes
9.0 Mir Rendezvous and Docking
10.0 Shuttle/Mir Science

In-Cabin Payloads:

11.0 Commercial Payloads
12.0 IMAX
13.0 Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) 
14.0 STS-79 Crew Biographies
  William Readdy, Commander (CDR)
  Terry Wilcutt, Pilot (PLT)
  Jay Apt, Mission Specialist 1 (MS 1)
  Tom Akers, Mission Specialist 2 (MS 2)
  Carl Walz, Mission Specialist 3 (MS 3)
  John Blaha, Mission Specialist 4 (MS 4)
  Shannon Lucid, Mission Specialist 4 (MS 4) Docking-Landing

1.0 GENERAL RELEASE :  96-179

ASTRONAUT EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS SHUTTLE MISSION STS-79

     A rendezvous and docking with the Russian Mir space 
station and the exchange of astronauts -- including the 
holder of the world record for longest space flight ever by a 
U.S. astronaut -- will highlight the flight of Space Shuttle 
Atlantis on Mission STS-79.

     This is the fourth of nine planned missions to Mir 
between 1995 and 1998 and the first exchange of astronauts.  
Astronaut Shannon W. Lucid, who has been on Mir since late 
March, will be replaced on Mir by astronaut John E. Blaha.  
Blaha will spend more than four months on Mir.  He will 
return to Earth on Space Shuttle Mission STS-81, scheduled 
for launch in January 1997.

     STS-79 is the second Shuttle-Mir mission to carry a 
SPACEHAB module on board, and the first to carry a double 
module. The forward portion of the double module will house 
experiments conducted by the crew before, during and after 
Atlantis is docked to the Russian space station.  The aft 
portion of the double module primarily houses the logistics 
equipment to be transferred to the Russian space station. 
Logistics include food, clothing, experiment supplies, and 
spare equipment for Mir.

     The STS-79 crew will be commanded by William F. Readdy, 
who will be making his third Shuttle flight.  The pilot, 
Terrence W. Wilcutt, will be making his second.  There are 
four mission specialists assigned to this mission.  Jay Apt, 
serving as Mission Specialist-1, is making his fourth Shuttle 
flight.  Also making his fourth flight and serving as Mission 
Specialist-2 is Thomas D. Akers.  Carl E. Walz, flying on his 
third flight, is serving as Mission Specialist-3.  Blaha, a 
veteran of four missions, will serve as Mission Specialist-4 
from launch to docking.  After the on-orbit crew exchange, 
Lucid will serve as Mission Specialist-4 through landing.

 Atlantis is targeted for an early morning launch in mid-September 
from Kennedy Space 
Center's Launch Complex 39-A.  The actual launch time may 
vary by a few minutes based on calculations of Mir's precise 
location in space at the time of liftoff due to Shuttle 
rendezvous phasing requirements.  The STS-79 mission is scheduled 
to last nine days, five hours.  

     Atlantis' rendezvous and docking with the Mir actually 
begins with the precisely timed launch setting the Orbiter on 
a course for rendezvous with the Mir station.  Over the next 
three days, periodic firings of Atlantis' small thruster 
engines will gradually bring the Shuttle within closer proximity 
to the Mir.  

     The STS-79 mission is part of the NASA/Mir program which 
is now in Phase 1B, consisting of nine Shuttle-
Mir dockings and seven long-duration flights of U.S. 
astronauts aboard the Russian space station between early 
1996 and late 1998.  The U.S. astronauts will launch and land 
on a Shuttle and serve as a Mir crew member while the Mir 
cosmonauts use their traditional Soyuz vehicle for launch and 
landing.  This series of missions will expand U.S. research 
on Mir by providing resupply materials for experiments to be 
performed aboard the station as well as returning 
experimental samples and data to Earth.

     The current Mir 21 mission began when the cosmonaut crew 
launched on February 21, 1996, in a Soyuz vehicle and docked 
with the Mir two days later.  Dr. Shannon Lucid joined the 
Mir 21 crew with the March 1996, docking of STS-76.  Lucid 
will complete her stay on the Mir and return with the STS-79 
crew.  On August 19, the Mir 21 crew was joined by the crew 
of Mir 22. The Mir 22 crew will remain on Mir after the Mir 
21 crew returns to Earth in September. 

     The STS-79 mission also will include several experiments 
in the fields of advanced technology, Earth sciences, 
fundamental biology, human life sciences, microgravity, and 
space sciences.  Data also will supply insight for the 
planning and development of the International Space Station, 
Earth-based sciences of human and biological processes, and 
the advancement of commercial technology. 

     STS-79 will mark the largest transfer of logistics to 
and from the Mir space station to date.  During the docked 
phase, 4,600 pounds of water, food, and other resupply items 
along with research hardware and equipment will be 
transferred from Atlantis to the Mir.  Atlantis will return 
to Earth with 2,200 pounds of Russian, European Space Agency, 
and U.S. science samples and hardware.  STS-79 will mark the 
first transfer of powered scientific apparatus to Mir as five 
different experiments are powered down on the Shuttle and 
rapidly transferred to Mir. 

     STS-79 will be the 17th flight of Atlantis and the 79th 
mission flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program in 
April 1981.

-end-

2.0 Media Services Information

NASA Television Transmission

     NASA Television is available through the Spacenet-2 
satellite system.  Spacenet-2 is located on Transponder 5, 
Channel 9, C-Band at 69 degrees West longitude, frequency 
3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz.

    The schedule for television transmissions from the 
Orbiter and for mission briefings will be available during 
the mission at Kennedy Space Center, FL; Marshall Space 
Flight Center, Huntsville, AL; Dryden Flight Research Center, 
Edwards, CA; Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX; and NASA 
Headquarters, Washington, DC.  The television schedule will 
be updated to reflect changes dictated by mission operations.

     Television schedules also may be obtained by calling 
COMSTOR at 713/483-5817.  COMSTOR is a computer data base 
service requiring the use of a telephone modem.  A voice 
update of the television schedule is provided daily at noon 
Eastern time.

Status Reports

     Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on-
orbit activities and landing operations will be produced by 
the appropriate NASA newscenter.

Briefings

     A mission press briefing schedule will be issued prior 
to launch.  During the mission, status briefings by a flight 
director or mission operations representative and when 
appropriate, representatives from the payload team, will 
occur at least once each day.  The updated NASA television 
schedule will indicate when mission briefings are planned.

Internet Information

     Information on STS-79 is available through several 
sources on the Internet.  The primary source for mission 
information is the NASA Shuttle Web, part of the World Wide 
Web.  This site contains information on the crew and their 
mission and will be regularly updated with status reports, 
photos and video clips throughout the flight.  The NASA 
Shuttle Web's address is:

http://Shuttle.nasa.gov

If that address is busy or unavailable, Shuttle information 
is available 
through the Office of Space Flight Home Page:

http://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/

General information on NASA and its programs is available 
through the NASA Home Page and the NASA Public Affairs Home 
Page:

http://www.nasa.gov

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/hqpao/hqpao_home.html

Information on other current NASA activities is available 
through the Today@NASA page:

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/NewsRoom/today.html

NASA's Spacelink, a resource for educators, also provides 
mission information via the Internet.  The system fully 
supports the following Internet services:

     World Wide Web  http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
     Gopher   spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
     Anonymous FTP  spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
     Telnet   spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov

Spacelink's dial-up modem line is 205-895-0028.

     Informational materials, such as status reports and TV 
schedules, also are available from an anonymous FTP server at 
ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao.  Users should log on with the user 
name "anonymous" (no quotes), then enter their E-mail address 
as the password. Within the /pub/pao directory there will be 
a "readme.txt" file explaining the directory structure. 

     Pre-launch status reports from KSC are found under 
ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/ksc, and mission status 
reports can be found under 
ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/jsc.  Daily TV schedules 
can be found under 
ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/jsc/tvsked.

Access by CompuServe

     Users with CompuServe accounts can access NASA press 
releases by typing "GO NASA" (no quotes) and making a 
selection from the categories offered.

3.0 Quick-Look Facts

Launch Date/Site:  Mid-September/KSC Launch Pad 39-A
Launch Time:  TBD
Launch Window:  TBD
Orbiter:  Atlantis (OV-104), 17th flight
Orbit Altitude/Inclination:  160 nautical miles, 51.6 
degrees (appx 207 n.m. for docking)
Mission Duration:  9 days, 5 hours
Landing Date:  TBD
Landing Time:  TBD
Primary Landing Site:  Kennedy Space Center, FL
Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - KSC
                  Transoceanic Abort Sites - Zaragoza, Spain
                  Moron, Spain
                  Ben Guerir, Morocco
                  Abort-Once Around - Kennedy Space Center

Crew: Bill Readdy, Commander (CDR)
       Terry Wilcutt, Pilot (PLT)
       Jay Apt, Mission Specialist 1 (MS 1)
       Tom Akers, Mission Specialist 2 (MS 2)
       Carl Walz, Mission Specialist 3 (MS 3)
       John Blaha, Mission Specialist 4 (MS 4) Launch-Docking
   Shannon Lucid, Mission Specialist 4 (MS 4) Docking-Landing 

Mir 22 Crew:  Valery Korzun, Commander (CDR)
                Alexander Kaleri, Flight Engineer (FE)
       Shannon Lucid, Cosmonaut-Researcher (through docking)

EVA Crew (if required):  Carl Walz (EV 1), Jay Apt (EV 2)

Cargo Bay Payloads:   Orbiter Docking System
                         Spacehab Double Module
                    
In-Cabin Payloads:    IMAX
                         Risk Mitigation Experiments
                         SAREX
                         Middeck Science Hardware

4.0 Crew Responsibilities

Payloads..........................                     Prime       Backup

Orbiter Docking System..........                    Walz         Akers
Spacehab..............................                Apt..........Walz
EVA..............................                       Walz         Apt 
........................................                  (EV 1)       (EV 2)
    Intravehicular Crewmember..........           Akers         -----
SAREX..............................                   Apt..........Walz,
..................................................    Readdy
Rendezvous..............................            Readdy       Wilcutt
Cargo Transfers....................                   Akers        Wilcutt
DTO's....................                                  Akers        Walz
DSO's                                                             Akers        Walz
Earth Observations                                          Apt          Walz
ARIS (RME 1313)                                          Walz         Apt
Biotechnology System (BTS)                          Apt          Walz
Real-time Radiation Monitoring Device           Walz         Apt
Extreme Temperature Translation Furnace       Apt          Walz
Mechanics of Granular Materials                     Walz         Apt
Refrigerators and Freezers                               Apt          Walz
IMAX                                                              Walz         Akers
Mir Photo Survey                                            Walz         Apt
Orbiter Space Vision System                           Walz         -------
Russian Language                                           Blaha        Readdy

5.0 Developmental Test Objectives/Detailed 
Supplementary Objectives/Risk Mitigation Experiments 

RME 1301:  Mated Shuttle and Mir Structural Dynamics Test
RME 1302:  Mir Electric Field Characterization Test 1 and 2
RME 1303:  Shuttle/Mir Experiment Kit Transport
RME 1310:  Shuttle/Mir Alignment Stability Experiment
RME 1312:  Intra-Vehicular Radiation Environment
               Measurement Experiment
RME 1313:  Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS)
RME 1319:  Inventory Management System

DTO 255:  Wraparound DAP Flight Test Verification
DTO 301D:  Ascent Structural Capability  Evaluation
DTO 307D:  Entry Structural Capability
DTO 312:  ET TPS Performance
DTO 700-5:  Trajectory Control Sensor
DTO 700-10:  Orbiter Space Vision System Flight Video Taping
DTO 700-14:  Single String Global Positioning System
DTO 805:  Crosswind Landing Performance
DTO 837:  Vernier RCS Reboost Demonstration
DTO 840:  Hand-Held Lidar Procedures
DTO 1118: Photographic and Video Survey of Mir space station

DSO 901:  Documentary Television
DSO 902:  Documentary Motion Picture Photography
DSO 903:  Documentary Still Photography
RME 1301:  Mated Shuttle and Mir Structural Dynamics Test
RME 1302:  Mir Electric Field Characterization Test 1 and 2
RME 1303:  Shuttle/Mir Experiment Kit Transport
RME 1310:  Shuttle/Mir Alignment Stability Experiment
RME 1312: Intra-Vehicular Radiation Environment Measurement
             Experiment
RME 1313:  Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS)
RME 1319:  Inventory Management System

6.0 Mission Summary Timeline

Flight Day One:
Launch/Ascent
OMS-2 Burn
SPACEHAB Activation
Rendezvous Burn
CPCG Activation

Flight Day 2:
SPACEHAB Operations
ARIS Setup and Checkout
Rendezvous Tool Checkout
Orbiter Docking System Checkout
Rendezvous Burns
ETTF Activation
SAMS Activation

Flight Day 3:
Atlantis/Mir Docking
Hatch Opening/Welcoming Ceremony/Gift Exchange
Soyuz Seatliner Transfer
Blaha/Lucid Crew Transfer
Logistics Transfer Preparations

Flight Day 4:
Blaha/Lucid Crew Transfer
Logistics Transfers
SPACEHAB Operations
BTS Sterile Sample
BTS Transfer to Mir
Cold Stowage Science Sample Transfer from Mir
CGBA Transfer to Mir
MEFC Operations

Flight Day 5:
SPACEHAB Operations
Logistics Transfers
IMAX Operations
ARIS Operations
MGM Operations
Orlan Suit Transfer from Mir
STES Transfer to Mir
ETTF Operations

Flight Day 6:
IMAX Operations
SPACEHAB Operations
Logistics Transfers
ARIS Operations
ETTF Operations

Flight Day 7:
IMAX Operations
Joint Crew News Conference
Final Logistics Transfers
Farewell Ceremony
Hatch Closure
ARIS Deactivation

Flight Day 8:
Atlantis/Mir Undocking
Separation Burn
IMAX Operations
ETTF Operations
MEFC Operations
SAMS Operations

Flight Day 9:
Flight Control System Checkout
Reaction Control System Hot-Fire
Deorbit Preparation Briefing
Vernier Reaction Control System Boost Test for Second HST 
Servicing Mission
ARIS Stowage
SPACEHAB Stowage
Cabin Stow
Recumbent Seat Setup for Lucid
ETTF Deactivation
SAMS Deactivation

Flight Day 10:
SPACEHAB Deactivation
Deorbit Prep
Deorbit Burn
KSC Landing

NOTE:  Exact times of events for STS-79 and other Phase 1 
missions will not be determined until after launch because of 
the rendezvous requirements needed for Atlantis to reach the 
Mir space station.

7.0 Payload and Vehicle Weights

Vehicle/Payload                               Pounds

Orbiter (Columbia) empty and 3 SSME's               173,249

Shuttle System at SRB Ignition                           4,510,959

Orbiter Weight at Landing with Cargo                    249,352

SPACEHAB Module                                                15,555

Orbiter Docking System                                              4,016
                                             
SAREX                                                                            27

8.0 Shuttle Abort Modes

     Space Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims toward safe 
and intact recovery of the flight crew, Orbiter and its 
payload.  Abort modes for STS-79 include:

Abort-To-Orbit (ATO) -- Partial loss of main engine thrust 
late enough to permit reaching a minimal 105-nautical mile 
orbit with the orbital maneuvering system engines.

Abort-Once-Around (AOA) -- Earlier main engine shutdown with 
the capability to allow one orbit of the Earth before landing 
at the Kennedy Space Center, FL.

Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) -- Loss of one or more main 
engines midway through powered flight would force a landing 
at either Ben Guerir, Morocco; or Moron, Spain.

Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or more 
engines, and without enough energy to reach a TAL site, would 
result in a pitch around and thrust back toward Kennedy until 
within gliding distance of the Shuttle Landing Facility.

9.0 Mir Rendezvous and Docking

     Atlantis' rendezvous and docking with the Russian space 
station Mir actually begins with the precisely timed launch 
of the Shuttle on a course for the Mir, and, over the next 
two days, periodic small engine firings that will gradually 
bring Atlantis to a point eight nautical miles behind Mir on 
docking day, the starting point for a final approach to the 
station.

        Mir Rendezvous -- Flight Day 3

     About two hours before the scheduled docking time on 
Flight Day Three of the 
mission, Atlantis will reach a point about eight nautical 
miles behind the Mir space station and conduct a Terminal 
Phase Initiation burn, beginning the final phase of the 
rendezvous. Atlantis will close the final eight nautical 
miles to Mir during the next orbit. As Atlantis approaches, 
the Shuttle's rendezvous radar system will begin tracking Mir 
and providing 
range and closing rate information to Atlantis. Atlantis' 
crew also will begin air-to-air communications with the Mir 
crew using a VHF radio.

     As Atlantis reaches close proximity to Mir, the 
Trajectory Control Sensor, a laser ranging device mounted in 
the payload bay, will supplement the Shuttle's onboard 
navigation information by supplying additional data on the 
range and closing rate. As Atlantis closes in on the Mir, the 
Shuttle will have the opportunity for four small successive 
engine firings to fine-tune its approach using its onboard 
navigation information. Identical to the three prior Mir 
dockings, Atlantis will aim for a point directly below Mir, 
along the Earth radius vector (R-Bar), an imaginary line 
drawn between the Mir center of gravity and the center of 
Earth. Approaching along the R-Bar, from directly underneath 
the Mir, allows natural forces to brake Atlantis' approach 
more so than would occur along a standard Shuttle approach 
from directly in front of Mir. During this approach, the crew 
will begin using a handheld laser ranging device to 
supplement distance and closing rate measurements made by 
Shuttle navigational equipment.

     The manual phase of  the rendezvous will begin just as 
Atlantis reaches a point about a half-mile below Mir. 
Commander Bill Readdy will fly the Shuttle using the aft 
flight deck controls as Atlantis begins moving up toward Mir. 
Because of the approach from underneath Mir, Readdy will have 
to perform very few braking firings. However, if  such 
firings are required, the Shuttle's jets will be used in a 
mode called "Low-Z," a technique that uses slightly offset 
jets on Atlantis' nose and tail to slow the spacecraft rather 
than firing jets pointed directly at Mir. This technique 
avoids contamination of the space station and its solar 
arrays by exhaust from the Shuttle steering jets.

     Readdy will center Atlantis' docking mechanism with the 
Docking Module mechanism on Mir, continually refining this 
alignment as he approaches within 300 feet of the station. At 
a distance of about 30 feet from docking, Readdy will stop 
Atlantis and keep station momentarily to adjust the docking 
mechanism alignment, if necessary. At that time, a final go 
or no-go decision to proceed with the docking will be made by 
flight control teams in both Houston and Moscow. When 
Atlantis proceeds with docking, the Shuttle crew will use 
ship-to-ship communications with Mir to inform the Mir crew 
of the Shuttle's status and to keep them updated on major 
events, including confirmation of contact, capture and the 
conclusion of damping. Damping, the halt of any relative 
motion between the two spacecraft after docking, is performed 
by shock absorber-type springs within the docking device. 
Mission Specialist Carl Walz will oversee the operation of 
the Orbiter Docking System aboard Atlantis.

   Undocking, Separation and Mir Fly-Around

     Once Atlantis is ready to undock from Mir, the initial 
separation will be performed by springs that will gently push 
the Shuttle away from the docking module. Both the Mir and 
Atlantis will be in a mode called "free drift" during the 
undocking, a mode that has the steering jets of each 
spacecraft shut off to avoid any inadvertent firings.

     Once the docking mechanism's springs have pushed 
Atlantis away to a distance of about two feet from Mir, where 
the docking devices will be clear of one another, Readdy will 
turn Atlantis' steering jets back on. Immediately, he will 
fire the Shuttle's jets in the Low-Z mode to begin slowly 
moving away from Mir.

     Atlantis will continue away from Mir to a distance of 
about 600 feet, where Readdy and Pilot Terry Wilcutt will 
begin a flyaround of the station. Atlantis will circle Mir 
twice before firing its jets again to depart.  During this 
flyaround the crew will perform documentary photography of 
the Mir space station, including the newly arrived "Priroda" 
science module, using still and video cameras as well as the 
IMAX large format movie camera.

  Logistics Transfers

     STS-79 will mark the first flight with a double SPACEHAB
module, increasing the amount of logistics the Shuttle can 
carry to the Mir space station. In addition to the U.S. 
astronaut exchange, the STS-79 crew will transfer over 4,600 
pounds of food, water, clothing, personal hygiene supplies, 
replacement Mir hardware components, and U.S. science 
experiments and supplies to the Mir, including five powered 
experiments (experiments requiring electrical power on the 
Shuttle and immediately on Mir.)

     The Atlantis crew will simultaneously receive over 2,100 
pounds of Russian hardware, empty food and water containers, 
ESA return science items, and U.S. science hardware, data and 
specimens from Shannon Lucid's science gathering activities 
during her stay on Mir.

     This is the largest Shuttle transfer of logistics to and 
from the Mir to date.

10.0 Shuttle/Mir Science

     The NASA/Mir program is now into the Phase 1B portion, 
which consists of nine Shuttle-Mir dockings and seven long-
duration flights of U.S. astronauts aboard the Russian space 
station between early 1996 and late 1998.  The U.S. 
astronauts will launch and land on a Shuttle and serve as a 
Mir crewmember for flight durations ranging from 127 to 158 
days, while the Mir cosmonauts stay approximately 180 days 
and use their traditional Soyuz vehicle for launch and 
landing.  This series of missions will expand U.S. research 
on Mir by providing resupply materials for experiments to be 
performed aboard Mir as well as returning experimental 
samples and data to Earth.

     The Mir 21 mission began when the crew launched on 
February 21, 1996, in a Soyuz vehicle and docked with the Mir 
two days later.  Dr. Shannon Lucid joined the Mir 21 crew 
with the March 24, 1996, docking of STS-76.  The return of 
STS-79 will conclude a mission of experiments in the fields 
of advanced technology, Earth sciences, fundamental biology, 
human life sciences, microgravity, and space sciences.  Data 
also will supply insight for the planning and development of 
the International Space Station (ISS), Earth-based sciences of 
human and biological processes, and the advancement of 
commercial technology. 

  Science Overview

     As scientists learn more about the effects of the space 
environment, they continue to develop questions from the 
fields of human life sciences, behavioral sciences, 
fundamental biology, biotechnology, material sciences, and 
spacecraft structural and environmental dynamics.  Valuable 
scientific information regarding these subjects will be 
returned from the Shuttle Mir Science Program disciplines of 
advanced technology, Earth sciences, fundamental biology, 
human life sciences, ISS, 
microgravity and space sciences.  These investigations will 
provide valuable information about space flight and long term 
exposure to the microgravity environment.  This knowledge 
will assist researchers in developing future space stations, 
science programs, procedures for those facilities, and 
advance the knowledge base of these areas to the benefit of 
all people on Earth.

     The commercial initiated research and technology from 
the advanced technology discipline will evaluate new 
technologies and techniques using the Mir space station as a 
test bed.  An increased understanding of the characteristics 
of superconductors, protein crystal growth, and the 
development of biological and chemical systems through fluid 
processing in reduced gravity can lead to an enhanced 
technological base for implementation on the International 
Space Station and commercial processing here on Earth.

     Earth sciences research in ocean biochemistry, land 
surface hydrology, meteorology, and atmospheric physics and 
chemistry also will be performed.  Observation and 
documentation of transient natural and human-induced changes 
will be accomplished with the use of passive microwave 
radiometers, a visible region spectrometer, a side-looking 
radar, and hand-held photography.  Earth orbit will allow for 
documentation of atmospheric conditions, ecological and 
unpredictable events, and seasonal changes over long time 
periods.

     Fundamental biology research continues developmental 
investigations that study the effects of the space 
environment on the biological systems of plants.  Prolonged 
exposure to microgravity provides an ideal opportunity to 
determine the role gravity has on cell regulation and how 
this affects development and growth.  Investigations under 
this discipline will also characterize the internal radiation 
environment of the Mir space station.

     Human life sciences research consists of investigations 
that focus on the crewmember's adaptation to weightlessness 
in terms of skeletal muscle and bone changes, psychological 
interactions, immune system function, and metabolism.  In 
addition, environmental factors such as water quality, air 
quality, surface assessment for microbes, and crew 
microbiology will be assessed.  These ambitious 
investigations will continue the characterization of the 
integrated human responses to a prolonged presence in space.

     The International Space Station risk mitigation 
discipline consists of several technology demonstrations 
associated with human factors and maintenance of crew health 
and safety aboard the space station.  In order to improve the 
design and operation of the International Space Station, 
information is gathered to fully evaluate the Mir interior 
and exterior environments.  This discipline includes 
investigations of radio interference, crew force impacts to 
structures, particle impact on the station, docked 
configuration stability, water microbiological monitoring and 
inventory management.

     Microgravity research will advance scientific 
understanding through research in biotechnology, fluid 
physics, combustion science, and materials science.  The 
ambient acceleration and vibration environment of Mir will be 
characterized to support future research programs.  

     Space science research continues with the externally 
mounted Mir Sample Return Experiment (MSRE) and Particle 
Impact Experiment (PIE) payloads.  These experiments continue 
to collect interstellar and interplanetary space particles to 
further our understanding of the origin and evolution of 
planetary systems and life on Earth.

     Most of the Mir 22/NASA 3 research will be conducted on 
the Mir; however, Shuttle-based experiments are conducted in 
the middeck and SPACEHAB modules of STS-79 and STS-81.

    Fundamental Biology

      The microgravity environment on a long duration mission 
provides an ideal opportunity to determine the role gravity 
plays in molecular mechanisms at a cellular level and in 
regulatory and sensory mechanisms, and how this affects 
development and fundamental biological growth.  Fundamental 
biology is also responsible for characterizing the radiation 
of the Mir environment and determining how it may impact 
station-based science.

    Environmental Radiation Measurements

      Exposure of crew, equipment, and experiments to the 
ambient space radiation environment in low Earth orbit poses 
one of the most significant problems to long term space 
habitation.  As part of the collaborative NASA/Mir Science 
program, a series of measurements are being compiled of the 
ionizing radiation levels aboard Mir.  During the mission, 
radiation will be measured in six separate locations 
throughout the Mir using a variety of passive radiation 
detectors.  This experiment will continue on later missions, 
where measurements will be used to map the ionizing radiation 
environment of Mir.  These measurements will yield detailed 
information on spacecraft shielding in the 51.6-degree-orbit 
of the Mir.  Comparisons will be made with predictions from 
space environment and radiation transport models.

    Greenhouse-Integrated Plant Experiments

     The microgravity environment of the Mir space station 
provides researchers an outstanding opportunity to study the 
effects of gravity on plants, specifically dwarf wheat.  The 
greenhouse experiment determines the effects of space flight 
on plant growth, reproduction, metabolism, and production.  
By studying the chemical, biochemical, and structural changes 
in plant tissues, researchers hope to understand how 
processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, 
stomatal conductance, and water use are affected by the space 
station environment.  This study is an important area of 
research, due to the fact that plants could eventually be a 
major contributor to life support systems for space flight.  
Plants produce oxygen and food, while eliminating carbon 
dioxide and excess humidity from the environment.  These 
functions are vital for sustaining life in a closed 
environment such as the Mir or the International Space 
Station.

     Wheat is planted and grown in the "Svet," a 
Russian/Slovakian developed plant growth facility, where 
photosynthesis, transpiration, and the physiological state of 
the plants are monitored.  The plants are observed daily, and 
photographs and video images are taken.  Samples are also 
collected at certain developmental stages, fixed or dried, 
and returned to Earth for analysis.

    Human Life Sciences
 
     The task of safely keeping men and women in space for 
long durations, whether they are doing research in Earth 
orbit or exploring other planets in our solar system, 
requires continued improvement in our understanding of the 
effects of space flight factors on the ways humans live and 
work.  The Human Life Sciences (HLS) project has a set of 
investigations planned for the Mir 22/NASA 3 mission to 
determine how the body adapts to weightlessness and other 
space flight factors, including the psychological and 
microbiological aspects of a confined environment and how 
they readapt to Earth's gravitational forces.  The results of 
these investigations will guide the development of ways to 
minimize any negative effects so that crewmembers can remain 
healthy and efficient during long flights, as well as after 
their return to Earth. 

    Assessment of Humoral Immune Function During Long 
Duration Space Flight

     Experiments concerned with the effects of space flight 
on the human immune system are important to protect the 
health of long duration crews.  The human immune system 
involves both humoral (blood-borne) and cell-mediated 
responses to foreign substances known as antigens.  Humoral 
responses include the production of antibodies, which can be 
measured in samples of saliva and serum (blood component).  
The cell-mediated response, which involves specialized white 
blood cells, appears to be suppressed during long duration 
space missions.  Preflight, a baseline saliva and blood 
sample is collected.  While on Mir, the crew is administered 
a subcutaneous antigen injection.  In flight and postflight, 
follow-up blood and saliva samples are collected to measure 
the white blood cell activation response to the antigen.

11.0 Commercial Payloads

     Two commercial payloads will be transferred to Mir on 
STS-79 and will be retrieved by STS-81 some four months 
later:

  POWERED TRANSFER ITEMS

    Biotechnology System (BTS)

     The Bioreactor rotating wall vessel developed at the 
Space Cell Biology and Biotechnology Center at NASA's Johnson 
Space Center is the first of a series of long-duration cell 
culture experiments.  BTS will study the three-dimensional 
growth of cartilage cells during its 147-day mission.

     Cartilage is the material that makes up the joints in 
the human body. The bioreactor enables the growth of mature 
cartilage from a small number of starting cells. This level 
of maturity is rarely achieved by other culture methods.

     Dr. Lisa Freed of MIT is using BTS to study cartilage so 
that cartilage cells may be engineered for replacement and 
transplantation.

     STS-79 astronauts will activate BTS and sample the 
culture to ensure it is viable and sterile before 
transferring it to Mir. Aboard Mir, John Blaha will take 
weekly samples of the culture, and return the entire 
experiment on STS-81.

      Material in Devices as Superconductors (MIDAS) 

     The MIDAS experiment, developed at NASA's Langley 
Research Center, Hampton, VA, will fly into orbit on STS-79 
and be transferred over to the Russian Mir space station for 
approximately four months.  While on the Mir, MIDAS will 
measure the electrical properties of high temperature 
superconductor (HTS) materials during extended space flight 
and compile the results in a database for commercial use.  
HTS materials may be used in a variety of device applications 
to reduce power requirements and thermal losses.  In addition 
to the development of a database, the MIDAS experiment will 
demonstrate the development of a manufacturing process using 
integrated superconductor and conventional microelectronics.  
There have been no previous flights which characterize HTS 
material in spaceflight at cryogenic temperatures. Sample 
boards are provided by the Eaton Company (USA), the Moscow 
Institute of Electronic Equipment (Russia), and the Langley 
Research Center.

    Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA)

     The CGBA hardware has been used extensively on short 
duration Shuttle missions to house a great variety of 
biotechnology  experiments of interest to commercial product 
development.  There are many biotechnology processes which 
require much longer periods of time than a Shuttle mission 
can provide.  For this reason, the commercial affiliates of 
BioServe Space Technologies, a NASA Commercial Space Center, 
are eager to take advantage of the long duration mission 
which the Shuttle/MIR program provides. 

     Among the experiments carried by the CGBA to Mir will be 
small, self -contained aquatic ecosystems -- complete with 
both plants and animals --  developed by Paragon Space 
Sciences of Tucson, AZ.  A leading American pharmaceutical 
company will conduct experiments to determine the secondary 
metabolite production in plant tissue.  In addition, a 
leading biotechnology concern is taking advantage of this 
long duration mission to conduct crystallization experiments 
involving proteins and oligonucleotides.

     In addition, three experiments will make a round-trip 
voyage aboard Atlantis itself:

    Extreme Temperature Translation Furnace (ETTF)

     The ETTF, which will be integrated into the SPACEHAB 
module, is a new furnace design allowing space-based 
processing up to 1,600 degrees Centigrade and above.  ETTF 
was developed by McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, Huntsville, AL, 
and the Consortium for Materials Development in Space at the 
University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH), a NASA Commercial 
Space Center. 

     ETTF is designed to investigate how flaws form in cast 
and sintered metals. Studying the basic thermodynamics and 
behavior of pores and metal grains will allow metallurgists 
to make stronger machine tools on Earth.

     The furnace is integrated into a SPACEHAB single rack to 
demonstrate the facility's on-orbit capabilities.  Major ETTF 
elements include the furnace assembly, a flight computer for 
experimental processing, a power and switching assembly for 
the furnace and an experiment power switching unit for 
control of the water cooling system.  A 3-DMA gravitational 
measurement and recording system is embedded in the ETTF 
design to allow the experimenter to correlate G-loads with 
scientific results.  The ETTF will process four ampoules 
containing sintered metal compositions as well as iron.  
Furnace melts will be made at 1,000 degrees Centigrade, 
1150C, 1375-1400C and 1540 to 1600C.  Teledyne Advanced 
Materials Systems is a partner for the sintered samples.  

    Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) 
Experiments

     STS-79 will include the 31st Shuttle flight of a Protein 
Crystal Growth payload managed by the Center for 
Macromolecular Crystallography, a NASA Commercial Center for 
the Development of Space based at the University of Alabama 
at Birmingham.  The complement of CPCG experiments aboard 
this mission is comprised of 128 individual samples involving 
twelve different proteins.  The samples will be processed at 
22 degrees Centigrade using the newly developed Commercial 
Vapor Diffusion Apparatus  (CVDA).  The goal of these 
experiments is to produce large, well-ordered protein 
crystals in the microgravity environment from very small 
volumes of protein solutions.  These crystals will be used 
for X-ray diffraction studies to determine the three-
dimensional structures of the individual proteins singly, and 
as they are bonded to other key molecules.

      The CVDA hardware consists of 32 "banks" of sample 
holders, each containing four separate experiment chambers.  
This hardware is an adaptation of the most common laboratory 
method (vapor diffusion) for growing protein crystals.  Each 
chamber contains a double-barreled syringe which is loaded 
with protein and precipitant,  prior to launch.  The bottom 
of the chamber is fitted with a cylinder of polymer wicking 
material which holds a more concentrated reservoir solution.

     After orbit is attained, a crew member activates the 
experiments by using a gauged mechanism to extrude the 
solution from the syringe barrels to form a protein droplet 
on each syringe tip.  The droplet becomes more concentrated 
as water diffuses from it, through the vapor phase, to the 
more concentrated reservoir solution captured in the wicking 
material.  As equilibrium is approached, protein crystals 
grow slowly in the protein droplet.

    The samples on this mission flown for commercial 
development purposes include a protein responsible for 
causing some types of asthma and other allergic reactions.  
Another is an enzyme that is important for the activation of 
the "complement system."  This system of enzymes protects 
humans by killing microorganisms and infected
cells.

    Mechanics of Granular Materials

     This experiment seeks to develop a quantitative 
scientific understanding of the behavior of cohesionless 
granular materials in dry and saturated states at very low 
confining pressures and effective stresses.  Cohesionless 
granular materials are unlike other engineering materials 
since their strength and stiffness properties derive entirely 
from friction and dilatancy. Dilatency is the change of 
volume associated with the application of shear stresses. The 
strength and stiffness of these materials are usually several 
orders of magnitude lower than cementious composites.  
Granular material properties depend on confinement.  
Investigators expect to see higher axial loads for a given 
axial displacement in microgravity. This data could help 
scientists to understand the behavior of the Earth's surface 
during earthquakes and landslides.

     The MGM experiment was developed by Sandia National 
Laboratories, in cooperation with the University of Colorado 
and the Marshall Space Flight Center. 

Risk Mitigation Experiments

     Several experiments are planned during STS-79 to obtain 
data that will reduce the development risk for the 
International Space Station.

RME 1302: Mir Electric Field Characterization

     The radio frequency interference (RFI) environment seen 
by the Shuttle is of increasing concern due to new ground-based
 transmitters for communications and radar applications. 
In addition, the 52 degree inclination of the International Space 
Station (ISS) orbit will expose ISS and 
the Shuttle to larger radio-frequency radiation levels due to 
longer travel over populated areas.  This experiment seeks to 
collect data on the internal and external RFI in the 40 Mhz 
to 18 Ghz frequency band.  Part one of this experiment will 
be conducted in the Shuttle cabin only.  Part two will be 
conducted in the Priroda module of the Mir station.  Data 
will assist designers in the selection of frequency bands for 
radio-frequency components of ISS and its supporting systems.

RME 1312:  Real-time Radiation Monitoring Device (RRMD)

     RRMD measures the elemental composition and energy 
spectra of cosmic radiation in real-time.  It also provides 
information on the effect of radiation on biological samples. 
The detector unit contains a Linear Energy Transfer 
Spectrometer.

     Biological samples in the dosimeters are dry E-Coli and 
plasmid DNA. Biological samples in the biospecimen box are E-
Coli and D. radiodurans mixed with a liquid nutrient. The 
investigators are interested in the ability of bacteria to 
repair any radiation-damaged DNA.

     RRMD was developed by NASDA and Mitsubishi Heavy 
Industries, Ltd. of Japan.

RME 1313:  Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS)

     The Active Rack Isolation System is designed to isolate 
certain classes of science experiments from major mechanical 
disturbances that might be found on the International Space 
Station. Active isolation augments passive isolation, adding 
apparent mass and damping, thus canceling accelerations.  
Specifically, ARIS is expected to isolate payloads from low 
frequency vibrations.

     The objective of the ARIS flight experiment is to expose 
the system to accelerations due to the Space Shuttle and also 
due to the Shuttle/Mir orbital complex, which will provide a 
low frequency vibration environment similar to that 
anticipated for the International Space Station.  ARIS 
isolation performance cannot be proven by ground testing, 
hence the flight test on STS-79 was proposed to characterize 
ARIS performance, measuring its isolation capabilities from 
.003 to 300 Hertz.

     The ARIS rack is being developed by the Boeing Defense 
and Space Group in Seattle, WA. The ARIS hardware is 
integrated into an ISS International Standard Payload Rack 
(ISPR).  The ISPR was then integrated into the SPACEHAB, 
placed in a double rack enclosure on the starboard side of 
SPACEHAB.  ARIS weighs approximately 700 pounds, which 
includes 350 pounds of Russian logistics as ballast.  During 
the flight, periods without jet firings as well as specific 
jet firing occasions will be required to evaluate ARIS 
performance.

RME 1319:  Inventory Management System (IMS)

      This experiment seeks to determine the utility of using 
a bar code reader to keep track of items transferred from 
Shuttle to Mir and from Mir to Shuttle.  Bar code tags will 
be attached to selected transfer items. Results of this 
experiment will help in determining the type of IMS required 
for the International Space Station. The IMS experiment was 
developed at the Johnson Space Center.

12.0 IMAX

     During the STS-79 mission, the crew will use an onboard 
IMAX camera to document activities on Atlantis and Mir.   
After the mission, selected still images from the film will 
be made available to the public via the Internet.  Sections 
of the film will be transferred to videotape and will be 
broadcast on NASA-TV for subsequent use by the media.

     NASA is using the IMAX film medium to document its space 
activities and better illustrate them for the public.  This 
system, developed by the Imax Corp., Toronto, Canada, uses 
specially designed motion picture cameras and projectors to 
record and display high-definition, large screen pictures.

     NASA has flown IMAX camera systems on many Shuttle 
missions.  Footage from STS-79, as well as the recent STS-63, 
STS-71, and STS-74 missions will be incorporated in a large-
format feature film about NASA's cooperation with Russia.   
 
     The IMAX system consists of a space-qualified 65mm 
camera, lenses, rolls of 
film, lights and other equipment necessary for filming.  The 
IMAX and supporting equipment are stowed in the middeck of 
the orbiter.  An audio tape recorder with microphones will be 
used in the crew compartment to record audio sounds and crew 
comments during camera operations. 

13.0 Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) 

     Ham radio operators and students will attempt to make 
radio contacts with the orbiting Shuttle as part of the 
Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment, SAREX, during STS-79.  
Amateur radio has been flying aboard Space Shuttles since 
1983.

     Amateur radio operators from around the world will point 
their antennas at Atlantis, hoping to find the astronauts on 
the air.  Some of these amateurs have volunteered to assist 
student groups who have prepared questions to ask the 
astronauts during specially-scheduled contact times. 

     To make their radio contacts, the astronauts will use a 
radio on board the Shuttle, on frequencies used by ham radio 
operators.  For the students who participate in SAREX, the 
contact is the culmination of months of hard work. Many of 
the students have studied space science and communications, 
and have trained to use ham radio equipment and Shuttle-
tracking computer software.

     To operate amateur radio from the Space Shuttle, one or 
more of the astronauts must have an amateur radio license.  
Mission Specialist Jay Apt's amateur radio call sign is 
N5QWL.  Apt has flown on three previous Shuttle missions and 
has operated amateur radio during each flight.  

     John Blaha also will serve as a Mission Specialist, and 
his ham radio call sign is KC5TZQ.  Astronaut Carl Walz is 
KC5TIE; he participated in SAREX from Columbia during STS-65 
in July 1994, before earning his amateur radio license. 

     During SAREX missions, the astronauts will typically 
make the following types of amateur radio contacts:

     Scheduled radio contacts with schools;
     Random radio contacts with the amateur radio community;
     Personal contacts with the astronauts' families.

     SAREX is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League 
(ARRL), The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and 
NASA.  SAREX is supported by the Federal Communications 
Commission.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS

     Since this flight is a Shuttle-Mir docking mission, and 
SAREX and Mir amateur radio stations sometimes share the same 
downlink frequency (145.55 MHz), the SAREX Working Group has 
decided to use the following frequencies during this mission.

The crew will use separate receive and transmit frequencies.  
PLEASE do not transmit on the Shuttle's DOWNLINK frequency.  
The DOWNLINK is your receiving frequency.  The UPLINK is your 
transmitting frequency.

     FM Voice Downlink: 145.84 MHz
     FM Voice Uplink: 144.45, 144.47 MHz

      The crew will not favor either uplink frequency, so 
your ability to communicate with SAREX will be the "luck of 
the draw."  Transmit only when the Shuttle is within range of 
your station, and when the Shuttle's station is on-the-air.

CALL SIGNS:
     FM voice call signs N5QWL, KC5TIE, and KC5TZQ

     Members of the Goddard Amateur Radio Club (Greenbelt, 
MD) re-transmit live, Shuttle air-to-ground audio over the 
amateur frequencies from their club station, WA3NAN.  To 
listen-in, tune to amateur radio high frequency (HF) bands at 
3.86, 7.185, 14.295, 21.395, and 28.65 megahertz (MHz) and in 
the Maryland/DC area on a very high frequency (VHF) band at 
147.45 MHz.

14.0 STS-79 Crew Biographies

William F. Readdy (Captain, U.S. Naval Reserve) will serve 
as Commander (CDR) for STS-79.  Readdy was born January 24, 
1952, in Quonset Point, RI, but considers McLean, VA, to be 
his hometown. He graduated from McLean High School in 1970 
and received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical 
engineering (with honors) from the U.S. Naval Academy in 
1974.  He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 
the class of 1979.

     Readdy was selected as an astronaut by NASA in the 1987 
group.  A veteran pilot astronaut with two space flights, 
STS-42 in 1992 and STS-51 in 1993, he has logged over 429 
hours in space. 

Terrence W. Wilcutt (Lieutenant Colonel, USMC) will serve 
as the Pilot (PLT) for STS-79.  Wilcutt was born October 31, 
1949, in Russellville, KY. He graduated from Southern High 
School, Louisville, KY, in 1967 and received a bachelor of 
arts degree in math from Western Kentucky University in 1974.  
He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1986.

     Wilcutt was selected by NASA in January 1990 and became 
an astronaut in July 1991.  Wilcutt was the pilot on Mission 
STS-68 in 1994 and has logged 269 hours and 46 minutes in 
space.

Jay Apt (Ph.D.) will serve as Mission Specialist-1 (MS-1) on 
STS-79.  Apt was born April 28, 1949, in Springfield, MA, but 
considers Pittsburgh, PA, to be his hometown.  He graduated 
from Shady Side Academy, Pittsburgh, PA, in 1967.  Apt 
received a bachelor of arts degree in physics (magna cum 
laude), from Harvard College in 1971 and a doctorate in 
physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 
1976.

     Apt was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 
June 1985, and qualified as an astronaut in July 1986.  Apt 
has served as a mission specialist on three flights -- STS-37 
in 1991, STS-47 in 1992 and STS-59 in 1994.  With the 
completion of his third flight, Apt has logged a total of 604 
hours in space, including 10 hours and 49 minutes on two 
space walks.

Tom Akers (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF) will serve as Mission 
Specialist-2 (MS-2) on STS-79.  Akers was born May 20, 1951, 
in St. Louis, MO, but was raised and educated in his hometown 
of Eminence, MO.  He graduated from Eminence High School in 
1969.  Akers received a bachelor and master of science 
degrees in applied mathematics from the University of 
Missouri-Rolla in 1973 and 1975, respectively.  He graduated 
from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in Class 82B.

     Akers was selected for the astronaut program in 1987.  A 
veteran of three space flights, STS-41 in 1990, STS-49 in 
1992, and STS-61 in 1993, Akers has accumulated over 571 
hours of space flight.

Carl E. Walz (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF) will serve as 
Mission Specialist-3 (MS-3) 
on STS-79.  Walz was born on September 6, 1955, in Cleveland, 
OH.  He graduated from Charles F. Brush High School, 
Lyndhurst, OH in 1973.  He received a bachelor of science 
degree in physics from Kent State University, OH, in 1977, 
and a master of science in solid state physics from John 
Carroll University, OH, in 1979.  He graduated from the U.S. 
Air Force Test Pilot School in Class 83A.

    Walz was selected to be an astronaut in 1990.  He is a 
veteran of two spaceflights, STS-51 in September 1993 and 
STS-65 in July 1994.  Walz has accumulated 590 hours in 
space.

John E. Blaha (Colonel, USAF, Ret.) will serve as Mission 
Specialist-4 (MS-4, ascent) from  launch through docking with 
the Mir space station.  After docking, a crew exchange will 
occur and Blaha will officially become a member of the Mir 22 
crew.  As a station crew member, Blaha will conduct material 
science, fluid science, and life science research for five 
months with the Mir 22 and Mir 23 Cosmonaut crews.  In 
January 1997 Blaha will return to Earth on STS-81.

     Blaha was born August 26, 1942, in San Antonio, TX.  He 
graduated from Granby High School in Norfolk, VA, in 1960.  
Blaha received a bachelor of science in engineering science 
from the United States Air Force Academy in 1965 and a master 
of science in astronomical engineering from Purdue University 
in 1966.  He graduated in 1971 from the U.S. Air Force 
Aerospace Research Pilot School.

     Blaha was selected as an astronaut in May 1980.  He has 
logged 33 days in space on four space missions.  He served as 
commander on two flights - STS-58 in 1993 and STS-43 in 1991 
and as Pilot on two flights - STS-33 and STS-29, both in 
1989.

Shannon W. Lucid (Ph.D.) (MS-4, descent)  is the second 
NASA astronaut to serve as a researcher aboard the Mir 
station.  She has been aboard the orbiting facility since 
Atlantis undocked during Mission STS-76 in March.  On 
September 7, 1996, Lucid will reach her 169th day in space, 
thus surpassing Elena Kondakova for the record of most time 
in space by any woman on a single flight.  After the crew 
exchange with Blaha is completed, Lucid will serve as Mission 
Specialist-4 for the remainder of the STS-79 flight.

     Lucid was born January 14, 1943, in Shanghai, China, but 
considers Bethany, OK, to be her hometown.  She graduated 
from Bethany High School, in 1960.  Lucid received a bachelor 
of science degree in chemistry from the University of 
Oklahoma in 1963 and a master of science and doctor of 
philosophy degrees in biochemistry from the University of 
Oklahoma in 1970 and 1973, respectively.

     Lucid was selected by NASA in January 1978 and became an 
astronaut in August 1979.  She served as a mission specialist 
on four Space Shuttle missions --  STS 51-G in 1985, STS-34 
in 1989, STS-43 in 1991 and STS-58 in 1993.  She has logged 
over 838 hours in space.