Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 1 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

SPACE SHUTTLE 

MISSION 

STS-71 

PRESS KIT 

JUNE 1995 

SHUTTLE MIR MISSION-1 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 2 

STS-71 INSIGNIA 

STS071-S-001 -- The STS-71 insignia depicts the orbiter Atlantis in the process of the first international 

docking mission of the space shuttle Atlantis with the Russian Space Station Mir. The names of the 10 

astronauts and cosmonauts who will fly aboard the orbiter as shown along the outer border of the insignia. The 

rising sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era of cooperation between the two countries. The vehicles Atlantis 

and Mir are shown in separate circles converging at the center of the emblem symbolizing the merger of the 

space programs of the two space facing nations. The flags of the United States and Russia emphasize the equal 

partnership of the mission. The joint program symbol at the lower center of the insignia acknowledges the 

extensive contributions made by the Mission Control Centers (MCC) of both countries. The crew insignia was 

designed by aviation and space artist, Bob McCall, who also designed the crew insignia for the Apollo-Soyuz 

Test Project (ASTP) in 1975, the first international space docking mission. 

The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official 

use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the form of 

illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which we do not 

anticipate, it will be publicly announced. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 3 

NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS 

For Information on the Space Shuttle 

Ed Campion Policy/Management 202/358-1780 

 Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

 

 

Rob Navias Mission Operations, Astronauts 713/483-5111 

 Johnson Space Center 

 Houston, TX 

 

 

Bruce Buckingham 

 Kennedy Space Center, FL 

Launch Processing, KSC Landing 

Information 

407/867-2468 

 

June Malone External Tank/SRBs/SSMEs 205/544-0034 

 Marshall Space Flight Center 

 Huntsville, AL 

 

 

Cam Martin DFRC Landing Information 805/258-3448 

 Dryden Flight Facility 

 Edwards, CA 

 

For Information on STS-71 Experiments & Activities 

Rob Navias 

 Johnson Space Center 

 Houston, TX 

Mir Rendezvous and Docking 301/286-7277 

 

Debra Rahn 

 NASA Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

International Cooperation 202/358-1639 

 

Mike Braukus 

 NASA Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

Shuttle/Mir Science Operations 202/358-1979 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 4 

CONTENTS 

GENERAL BACKGROUND 

General Release 5 

Media Services Information 7 

Quick-Look Facts 8 

Crew Responsibilities 9 

Shuttle Abort Modes 10 

Payload and Vehicle Weights 11 

Summary Timeline 12 

Orbital Events Summary 13 

 

CARGO BAY PAYLOADS & ACTIVITIES 

U.S./Russia Space Cooperation 14 

Shuttle-Mir Rendezvous and Docking 18 

Orbiter Docking System 21 

Shuttle-Mir Science 26 

STS-71/Mir Protocol Activities 29 

 

IN-CABIN PAYLOADS 

IMAX 30 

Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II (SAREX-II) 31 

 

STS-71, Mir-18 and Mir-19 Biographies 33 

 

Chronology of Selected History in the First 100 American 

Human Spaceflights – 1961-1995 44 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 5 

RELEASE: 95-77 

SHUTTLE AND SPACE STATION MIR SET FOR HISTORIC LINK-UP 

Twenty years after the world's two greatest spacefaring nations and Cold War adversaries staged a dramatic 

link-up between piloted spacecraft, the space programs of the United States and Russia will again meet in Earth 

orbit when Space Shuttle Atlantis docks to the Mir Space Station in June. "This flight heralds a new era of 

friendship and cooperation between our two countries," said NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin. "It will lay 

the foundation for construction of an international Space Station later this decade." 

This flight also will mark America's 100th human space mission. (See chronology of American human space 

flights on page 45). 

The STS-71 mission is the first of seven planned Space Shuttle-Mir link-ups between 1995 and 1997, including 

rendezvous, docking and crew transfers, which will pave the way toward assembly of the international Space 

Station beginning in November 1997. 

The STS-71 crew will be commanded by Robert L. "Hoot" Gibson who will making his four space flight. 

Charles J. Precourt will serve as pilot and will be making his second space flight. The three STS-71 mission 

specialists aboard Atlantis will include Ellen S. Baker, Mission Specialist-1, who will be making her third 

flight, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Mission Specialist-2, who will be making his third flight and Bonnie Dunbar, 

Mission Specialist-3, who will be making her fourth space flight. 

Also aboard Atlantis will be Cosmonauts Anatoliy Y. Solovyev, making his fourth space flight, and Nikolai M. 

Budarin, making his first flight. Solovyev and Budarin are designated as the Mir 19 crew and will remain 

aboard Mir when Atlantis undocks from the nine-year old space station and returns to Earth with the Mir 18 

crew. 

Launch of Atlantis on the STS-71 mission is currently targeted for June 23, 1995 at approximately 5:06 p.m. 

EDT 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 available launch period, or "window" to launch Atlantis, is approximately five minutes each 

day. 

The STS-71 mission is scheduled to last 10 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes. A 5:06 p.m. launch on June 23 would 

be followed by a landing at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility on July 4 at 12:37 p.m. EDT. 

STS-71's rendezvous and docking with the Mir actually begins with the precisely timed launch of Atlantis 

setting it on a course for rendezvous with the Mir station. Over the next two days, periodic firings of Atlantis' 

small thruster engines will gradually bring the Shuttle to closer proximity to Mir. 

Unlike most rendezvous procedures that typically have the Shuttle approaching from directly in front of its 

target 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 than would occur along a standard 

Shuttle approach from directly in front of Mir. The R-Bar approach also reduces the small number of jet firings 

close to the Mir avoiding damage or contamination of its electricity-producing solar panels. 

Joint scientific investigations will be carried out inside the Spacelab module tucked in Atlantis' large cargo bay. 

These investigations will provide more knowledge about the human body and the microgravity environment. 

Research in seven different medical and scientific disciplines, begun during Mir 18, will conclude on STS-71. 

Of the 28 experiments being conducted as part of the joint U.S.-Russian cooperative effort, 15 will be 

performed as part of the STS-71 mission. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 6 

The experiments take advantage of the unique microgravity environment, which separates the effects of gravity 

from the effects of physiologic change occurring from other causes. Researchers will not only enhance 

knowledge about spaceflight-induced physiologic changes, but also advance understanding of such Earth-based 

conditions as anemia, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, kidney stones, balance disorders and immune 

deficiencies. 

At the end of joint docked activities, Solovyev and Budarin will assume responsibility for operations of the Mir 

station. The Mir-18 crew, who have been aboard the station since March 16, are Commander Vladimir 

Dezhurov, Flight Engineer Gennadiy Strekalov and Cosmonaut Researcher and American astronaut Norm 

Thagard. They will join the STS-71 crew for the return trip to Earth. Thagard will return home with the 

American record for a single space flight with more than 100 days in space. The previous record was held by 

the Skylab-4 crew with 84 days in 1973-1974. Thagard broke the record June 6, 1995. 

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 7 

MEDIA SERVICES INFORMATION 

NASA Television Transmission 

NASA television is available through the Spacenet-2 satellite system. Spacenet-2 is located on Transponder 5, 

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, 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 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 updated 

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 

The NASA Headquarters Public Affairs Internet Home Page provides access to the STS-71 mission press kit 

and status reports. The address for the Headquarters Public Affairs Home Page is: 

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

Informational materials, such as status reports and TV schedules, also are available from an anonymous FTP 

(File Transfer Protocol) 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 fax 

An additional service known as fax-on-demand will enable users to access NASA informational materials from 

their fax machines. Users calling (202) 358-3976 may follow a series of prompts and will automatically be 

faxed the most recent Headquarters news releases they request. 

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. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 8 

STS-71 QUICK LOOK FACTS 

Launch Date/Site: June 23, 1995 /Launch Pad 39A 

Launch Time: 5:06 p.m. EDT 

Launch Window: 5 minutes 

Orbiter: Atlantis (OV-104), 14th flight 

Orbit/Inclination: 213 nautical miles/51.6 degrees 

Mission Duration: 10 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes 

Landing Date: July 4, 1995 

Landing Time: 12:37 p.m. EDT 

Primary Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida 

Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - KSC 

 Transoceanic Abort Landing - Zaragoza, Spain 

 Ben Guerir, Morocco 

 Moron, Spain 

 Abort Once Around - Kennedy Space Center 

 

Crew: Robert "Hoot" Gibson, Commander (CDR) 

 Charlie Precourt, Pilot (PLT) 

 Ellen Baker, Mission Specialist 1 (MS 1) 

 Greg Harbaugh, Mission Specialist 2 (MS 2) 

 Bonnie Dunbar, Mission Specialist 3 (MS 3) 

 Anatoliy Solovyev, Mir 19 Commander (Ascent only) 

 Nikolai Budarin, Mir 19 Flight Engineer (Ascent only) 

 Vladimir Dezhurov, Mir 18 Commander (Entry only) 

 Gennadiy Strekalov, Mir 18 Flight Engineer (Entry only) 

 Norm Thagard, Mir 18 Cosmonaut-Researcher (Entry only) 

 

EVA Crewmembers: Harbaugh (EV 1), Baker (EV 2) 

Cargo Bay Payload: Spacelab-Mir 

 Orbiter Docking System 

Middeck Payloads: IMAX 

In-Cabin Payloads: SAREX-II 

Developmental Test Objectives/Detailed Supplementary Objectives 

DTO 301D: Ascent Structural Capability Evaluation 

DTO 307D: Entry Structural Capability 

DTO 312: External Tank Thermal Protection System Performance 

DTO 414: APU Shutdown Test 

DTO 624: Radiator Performance 

DTO 656: PGSC Single Event Upset Monitoring Configuration 

DTO 700-10: Orbiter Space Vision System Flight Video Taping 

DTO 805: Crosswind Landing Performance 

DTO 832: Target of Opportunity Navigation Sensors 

DTO 1118: Photographic and Video Survey of Mir Space Station 

DTO 1120: Mated Shuttle and Mir Free Drift Experiment 

DSO 487: Immunological Assessment of Crewmembers 

DSO 608: Effects of Spaceflight on Aerobic and Anaerobic Metabolism 

DSO 614: The Effect of Prolonged Spaceflight on Head and Gaze Stability during Locomotion 

DSO 624: Pre and Postflight Measurement of Cardiorespiratory Responses to Submaxima Exercise 

DSO 901: Documentary Television 

DSO 902: Documentary Motion Picture Photography 

DSO 903: Documentary Still Photography 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 9 

CREW RESPONSIBILITIES 

Payloads and Activities Prime Backup 

 

Mir Systems and Payloads Dunbar 

Spacelab Systems Precourt Gibson 

Spacelab Payloads Baker Dunbar 

Orbiter Docking System Harbaugh Precourt 

Rendezvous Gibson Precourt, Harbaugh 

Lasers Harbaugh Precourt 

EVA Harbaugh, Baker 

IV Crewmember Precourt 

DTOs/DSOs Precourt Gibson 

In-Flight Maintenance Harbaugh Precourt 

Medical Operations Baker Gibson 

Photography/TV Harbaugh Precourt 

Earth Observations Harbaugh Precourt 

SAREX Precourt Baker 

IMAX Baker Gibson 

Electronic Still Camera Baker 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 10 

SPACE 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-71 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. 

• Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) -- Loss of one or more main engines midway through powered flight 

would force a landing at either Zaragoza, Spain; 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 KSC until within gliding distance 

of the Shuttle Landing Facility. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 11 

PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS 

 Pounds

 

Orbiter (Atlantis) empty and 3 SSMEs 172,963 

Orbiter Docking Equipment 4,016 

Spacelab Module and Transfer Tunnel 1,891 

Spacelab Payloads 5,739 

IMAX Camera 252 

Detailed Test and Supplementary Objectives 18 

Shuttle System at SRB Ignition 4,511,749 

Orbiter Weight at Landing 214,700 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 12 

STS-71 SUMMARY TIMELINE 

Flight Day 1 Flight Day 8 

Ascent Atlantis Undocking and Flyaround 

OMS-2 Burn Separation Burn 

NC 1 Burn 

Flight Day 9 

Flight Day 2 Spacelab Investigations 

Spacelab Activation Prelanding Countermeasures 

Rendezvous Tool Checkout 

Centerline Camera Mounting Flight Day 10 

NC 2 and 3 Burns Spacelab Investigations 

 Pre-Landing Countermeasures 

Flight Day 3 

Mir Rendezvous Burns Flight Day 11 

Mir Docking Pre-Landing Countermeasures 

Hard Mate FCS Checkout 

Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony RCS Hot Fire 

Mir Safety Briefing RCS Hot Fire 

Soyuz Seat Liner Exchanges Spacelab Stow 

 Cabin Stow 

Flight Day 4 Recumbent Seat Setup 

Gift Exchange 

Joint Science Investigations Flight Day 12 

 Spacelab Deactivation 

Flight Days 5 and 6 Deorbit Prep 

Joint Science Investigations Deorbit Burn 

 KSC Landing 

Flight Day 7 

Joint Science Investigations 

Joint Crew News Conference 

Farewell Ceremony 

Off Duty Time 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 13 

STS-71 ORBITAL EVENTS SUMMARY 

Event MET 

Launch 0/00:00 

 

OMS-2 0/00:43 

Spacelab Activation 0/16:00 

TI Burn 1/14:17 

Mir Docking 1/17:22 

Hard Mate 1/17:36 

Hatch Opening, Welcoming 1/18:58 

Gift Exchange 2/14:15 

Crew News Conference 5/20:09 

Farewell Ceremony 5/21:55 

Atlantis Undocking and Flyaround 6/16:11 

Separation Burn 6/17:30 

Deorbit Burn 10/18:26 

KSC Landing 10/19:31 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 14 

U.S./RUSSIAN SPACE COOPERATION 

The International Space Station Program is Underway 

The international Space Station will be the preeminent, permanent orbiting science institute in space. It is being 

developed and assembled in three phases, each designed to maximize joint space experience and permit early 

utilization and return on a large joint investment involving 15 nations. 

In Phase I, Americans and Russians will work together in laboratories on Mir and the Shuttle. They will 

conduct joint spacewalks and practice space station assembly by adding new modules to Mir. American 

astronauts will live and work on Mir for months beside their Russian counterparts, amassing the first U.S. longduration space experience since Skylab (1973-1974). 

International Space Station Phase I began with Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev's flight aboard the Space 

Shuttle Discovery in February 1994 on STS-60. In February 1995, on the STS-63 mission, Discovery flew 

around the Russian Mir space station with cosmonaut Vladimir Titov aboard. During the fly around, Discovery 

stopped 37 feet from Mir -- a rehearsal for the first docking between Space Shuttle Atlantis and Mir in June 

1995. 

In March 1995, U.S. astronaut Dr. Norman Thagard flew to Mir for a three-month stay with two Russian 

cosmonauts, arriving there March 16. Thagard and his Russian crew mates will return to Earth aboard Atlantis, 

which also will deliver a new Russian crew to the Mir station. 

Phase I Impact on Phases II and III 

The goal of Phase I is to lay the groundwork for international Space Station Phases II and III. Phase II 

beginning in 1997 will place in orbit a core space station with a U.S. laboratory module, the first dedicated 

laboratory on the station. 

The U.S. laboratory will be put to work during utilization flights beginning in 1999 with Phase III, while 

assembly continues. Phase III ends when assembly is complete (scheduled for mid-2002). At that time, 

astronauts and cosmonauts from many countries will commence full time space research on the international 

Space Station. 

Phase I is contributing to the success of Phases II and III in four major areas: 

• Americans and Russians are working together on Earth and in space, practicing for the future international 

Space Station 

• Integration of U.S. and Russian hardware, systems, and scientific aims over a long period of time 

• Risk reduction-mitigation of potential surprises in operations, spacecraft environment, spacewalks, and 

hardware exchange 

• Early initiation of science and technology research 

The Space Station Mir 

Mir represents a unique capability -- an operational space station that can be permanently staffed by two or 

three cosmonauts. Visiting crews have raised Mir's population to six for up to a month. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 15 

Mir is the first space station designed for expansion. The 20.4-ton Core Module, Mir's first building block, was 

launched in February 1986. The Core Module provides basic services (living quarters, life support, power) and 

scientific research capabilities. It has two axial docking ports, fore and aft, for Soyuz-TM manned transports 

and automated Progress-M supply ships, plus four radial berthing ports for expansion modules. 

To date, the Russians have added three expansion modules to the Mir core: 

• Kvant. Berthed at the core module's aft axial port in 1987, the module weighs 11 tons and carries 

telescopes and equipment for attitude control and life support. 

• Kvant 2. Berthed at a radial port since 1989, the module weighs 19.6 tons and carries an EVA airlock, two 

solar arrays, and life support equipment. 

• Kristall. Berthed opposite Kvant 2 in 1990, Kristall weighs 19.6 tons and carries two stowable solar 

arrays, science and technology equipment, and a docking port equipped with a special androgynous 

docking mechanism designed to receive heavy (up to about 100 tons) spacecraft equipped with the same 

kind of docking unit. The androgynous unit was originally developed for the Russian Buran Shuttle 

program. The Russians will move Kristall to a different radial Mir port to make room for the new Spektr 

module, which was launched on May 20. Atlantis will use the androgynous docking unit on Kristall for the 

first Shuttle-Mir docking in June 1995. 

Three more modules, all carrying U.S. equipment, will be added to Mir in 1995 for international Space Station 

Phase I: 

• Spektr. Launched on a Russian Proton rocket from the Baikonur launch center in central Asia, Spektr was 

lofted into orbit on May 20. The module was berthed at the radial port opposite Kvant 2 after Kristall was 

moved out of the way. Spektr carries four solar arrays and scientific equipment (including more than 1600 

pounds of U.S. equipment). 

• Docking Module. The module will be launched in the payload bay of Atlantis and berthed at Kristall's 

androgynous docking port during the STS-74 mission in Fall 1995. The Docking Module will provide 

clearance for future Shuttle dockings with Mir and will carry two solar arrays -Ð one Russian and one 

jointly developed by the U.S. and Russia -- to augment Mir's power supply. 

• Priroda. Launch on a Russian Proton rocket is scheduled for December 1995. Priroda will berth at the 

radial port opposite Kristall and will carry microgravity research and Earth observation equipment 

(including 2,200 pounds of U.S. equipment). In late 1995, after Priroda is added, Mir will have a mass of 

more than 100 tons. The station will be made up of seven modules launched separately and brought 

together in space over 10 years. Experience gained by Russia during Mir assembly provides valuable 

experience for international Space Station assembly in Phases II and III.
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 16 

PHASE I SHUTTLE MISSION SUMMARIES 

STS-60 

Launch: Feb. 3, 1994 

Landing: Feb. 11, 1994 

This mission inaugurated international Space Station Phase I. Veteran Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev 

served as a mission specialist aboard Discovery. He conducted experiments beside his American colleagues in a 

Spacehab laboratory module carried in Discovery's payload bay. 

STS-63 

Launch: Feb. 3, 1995 

Landing: Feb. 11, 1995 

Discovery maneuvered around Mir and stopped 37 feet from the Kristall module's special androgynous docking 

unit, which Atlantis will use to dock with Mir on the STS-71 mission. Cosmonauts on Mir and astronauts on 

Discovery beamed TV images of each other's craft to Earth. Cosmonaut Vladimir Titov served on board 

Discovery as a mission specialist, performing experiments beside his American colleagues in a Spacehab 

module in the orbiter's payload bay. 

For a time it appeared that minor thruster leaks on Discovery might keep the two craft at a pre-planned 

contingency rendezvous distance of 400 feet. However, mission control teams and management in Kaliningrad 

and Houston worked together to determine that the leaks posed no threat to Mir, so the close rendezvous went 

ahead. The minor problem became a major confidence builder and joint problem-solving experience for later 

international Space Station phases. 

STS-71 

Planned launch date: June 23, 1995, 5:06 p.m., EDT 

Planned rendezvous date: June 26, 1995 

Planned landing date: July 4, 1995, 12:37 p.m., EDT 

Atlantis will launch seven crew members -- five U.S. astronauts and two Russian cosmonauts -- and, in its 

payload bay, a Spacelab module and an Orbiter Docking System for docking with Mir. The Orbiter Docking 

System is a cylindrical airlock with a Russian-built androgynous docking mechanism on top. The Orbiter 

Docking System will be carried on all docking missions. For STS-71, Atlantis will dock with an identical 

androgynous unit on Mir's Kristall module. 

The Space Shuttle will be used for the first time to change a space station crew, a task which will become a 

routine part of its duties in later international Space Station phases. Atlantis will drop off cosmonauts Anatoliy 

Solovyev and Nikolai Budarin, and pick up Gennadiy Strekalov, Vladimir Dezhurov, and U.S. astronaut 

Norman Thagard for return to Earth. They were launched from Russia in the Soyuz-TM 21 spacecraft on March 

14. 

Thagard and his Russian colleagues will be completing a three-month stay on Mir. Thagard is the first U.S. 

astronaut to have a long-duration stay on-orbit since the last U.S. Skylab mission in 1974. In fact, his mission 

broke the record for time on-orbit for a U.S. astronaut on June 6. 

The joint crew will carry out experiments similar to those planned for international Space Station Phases II and 

III. Atlantis will remain docked to Mir for five days. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 17 

STS-74 

Planned launch: October 1995 

Atlantis will carry the Russian-built Docking Module, which has multi-mission androgynous docking 

mechanisms at top and bottom. During the flight to Mir, the crew will use the orbiter's Remote Manipulator 

System robot arm to hoist the Docking Module from the payload bay and berth its bottom androgynous unit 

atop Atlantis' Orbiter Docking System. Atlantis will then dock to Kristall using the Docking Module's top 

androgynous unit. After two days, Atlantis will undock from the Docking Module's bottom androgynous unit 

and leave the Docking Module permanently docked to Kristall, where it will improve clearance between the 

Shuttle and Mir's solar arrays during subsequent dockings. 

Atlantis will deliver water, supplies, and equipment, including two new solar arrays -- one Russian and one 

jointly-developed -- to upgrade the Mir. It will return to Earth experiment samples, equipment for repair and 

analysis and products manufactured on the station. 

STS-76 

Planned launch: March 1996 

Atlantis will deliver U.S. astronaut Shannon Lucid to Mir for a three-month stay. The orbiter will carry a 

Spacehab module in its payload bay and will remain docked to the Russian station for five days. Astronauts 

Linda Godwin and Rich Clifford will conduct the first U.S. spacewalk outside the Mir to attach four 

experiments to the station's docking module. 

STS-79 

Planned Launch: August 1996 

The Space Shuttle will pick up Lucid for her return to Earth and deliver her replacement, U.S. astronaut Jerry 

Linenger, to Mir for approximately three months. U.S. astronauts will perform a spacewalk during the five-day 

docked phase. Atlantis will carry a Spacehab double module. 

STS-81 

Planned Launch: December 1996 

Linenger will return to Earth and another astronaut will take up residence on Mir. Two Russians or an 

American and a Russian will perform U.S. experiments as part of a spacewalk during or after the five-day 

docked phase. Atlantis will carry a Spacehab double module. 

STS-84 

Planned Launch: May 1997 

The astronaut delivered on STS-81 will be picked up and another astronaut dropped off. Atlantis will carry a 

Spacehab double module and will remain docked to Mir for five days. 

STS-86 

Planned Launch: September 1997 

Atlantis will pick up the astronaut dropped off on STS-84 and will deliver a joint U.S.-Russian solar dynamic 

energy module. As many as two spacewalks by U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts will be needed to 

deploy the energy module outside Mir. The solar dynamic system will heat a working fluid that will drive a 

turbine, generating more electricity than current photovoltaic solar arrays. The Mir solar dynamic energy 

module will test the system for possible use on the international Space Station. In addition, developing the solar 

dynamic energy module will provide joint engineering experience. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 18 

MIR RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING 

STS-71's rendezvous and docking with the Russian space station Mir actually begins with the precisely timed 

launch of Atlantis on a course for the station. Over the next two days, periodic small engine firings will 

gradually bring Atlantis to a point eight nautical miles behind Mir. At that time, on the third day of the flight, a 

Terminal Phase Initiation (TI) burn will be fired, and the final phase of the rendezvous will begin. Atlantis will 

close the final eight nautical miles to Mir during the next 90-minute orbit. 

As Atlantis moves in, the Shuttle's rendezvous radar system will begin tracking Mir and providing range and 

closing rate information to the Shuttle crew. As Atlantis nears 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 the final eight nautical miles, the Shuttle will have the opportunity for four small successive 

engine firings to fine-tune its approach using its onboard navigation information. Unlike most Shuttle 

rendezvous procedures, 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 the approach 

more than would occur along a standard Shuttle approach from directly in front of Mir. The R-Bar approach 

also reduces the small number of jet firings close to the Mir's solar panels. The manual phase of the rendezvous 

will begin just as Atlantis reaches a point about a half-mile below Mir when Commander Gibson takes the 

controls. Gibson will fly the Shuttle using the aft flight deck controls as Atlantis begins moving up toward Mir. 

Because of the approach from underneath Mir along the R-bar, Gibson 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 by exhaust from the Shuttle 

steering jets. 

Using a centerline camera fixed within the docking system in the payload bay, Gibson will center the Shuttle's 

docking mechanism with the Mir docking device on the end of the Kristall science module, continually refining 

this alignment as he approaches to within 300 feet of the station. If necessary, Gibson will then realign Atlantis 

by rotating the Shuttle to the correct orientation for docking. A 90-degree yaw maneuver of Atlantis may be 

required. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 19 

Plans call for Atlantis to spend 90 minutes station-keeping 250 feet from Mir while flight directors in Houston 

and at the Russian Mission Control Center outside Moscow review the status of their respective vehicles. 

Once a "go" is given for the final approach, Gibson will maneuver Atlantis at a rate of 0.1 feet per second until 

the orbiter is just 30 feet away. During the station-keeping period and the final approach, Gibson will radio the 

Mir crew by ship-to-ship communications, providing Shuttle status and keeping them informed of major events 

from that point on, including confirmation of contact, capture and conclusion of damping. Damping, the halt of 

any relative motion between the spacecraft after docking, is performed by springs within the docking device. 

Undocking, Separation and Mir Fly Around 

After over 100 hours of docked operations, the hatches will be closed on both Atlantis and the Mir, and the 

vestibule in the Shuttle's docking system will be depressurized. The initial separation will be performed by 

springs that will slightly push the Shuttle and the Mir away from each other on a command sent to the docking 

mechanism from an aft flight deck control panel in Atlantis. 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 springs have pushed Atlantis. away to a distance of about two feet from Mir, the 

docking devices will be clear of one another, and Gibson will turn Atlantis' steering jets back on. He will 

immediately lightly fire the Shuttle's jets in the Low-Z mode to begin very slowly moving away from Mir. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 20 

Atlantis will move away from Mir to a distance of about 400 feet, where Gibson will begin a fly around of the 

station. At that distance, Atlantis will circle Mir a little more than one-and-a-half times to gather detailed 

engineering pictures and video of the space station before firing its jets again to conclude the joint mission. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 21 

ORBITER DOCKING SYSTEM 

Atlantis and Mir will be linked by an orbiter docking system, jointly developed by Rockwell's Space Systems 

Division, Downey, CA, and RSC Energia, Kaliningrad, Russia, under a July 1992 modification to an existing 

Rockwell-NASA JSC Shuttle contract. The $95.2-million orbiter docking system consists of an external 

airlock, a supporting truss structure, a docking base, avionics required to operate the system, and a 632-pound 

Russian-built docking mechanism, called the androgynous peripheral assembly system (APAS), which is 

mounted on top of the airlock and docking base. The APAS was procured under a June 1993 subcontract to 

RSC Energia. 

Atlantis received extensive wiring changes to accommodate the new system, which measures nearly 15 feet 

wide, 6-1/2 feet long, and 13-1/2 feet high and weighs more than 3,500 pounds. It is installed near the forward 

end of the orbiter's payload bay and is connected by short tunnels to the existing airlock inside the orbiter's 

pressurized crew cabin and the pressurized Spacelab module, which is aft of the airlock in the payload bay. 

The APAS is a hybrid version of the docking system the Russians used in 1975 for the Apollo-Soyuz Test 

Project. It differs from its predecessor in several key respects. First, it is much more compact, with an overall 

external diameter of 60 inches compared to 80 inches on ASTP, although the inner egress tunnel diameter 

remains approximately the same. Second, the APAS docking mechanism has 12 structural latches, compared to 

eight on the ASTP. Third, the APAS guide ring and its extend/retract mechanism are packaged inside the egress 

tunnel rather than being outside of the mechanism as they were on ASTP. Finally, the three guide petals on the 

APAS point inboard rather than outboard. 

Both Atlantis and Mir are equipped with an APAS, which consists of a three-petal androgynous capture ring 

mounted on six interconnected ball screw shock absorbers, which operate like a sophisticated car suspension 

system. The absorbers arrest the relative motion of the two vehicles and prevent them from colliding. 

When the Shuttle crew is ready to begin the docking maneuver, it places the orbiter's docking mechanism in the 

active mode, or ready-to-dock configuration. In this configuration, the capture ring is extended outward about 

11 inches, and the mechanism's five locking devices, called fixators, are disengaged. The docking system of the 

target vehicle (Mir), also referred to as the passive vehicle, is in a non-operational, stowed mode. 

The orbiter crew's primary visual aid for aligning the docking mechanisms during rendezvous is a television 

camera mounted inside the airlock of the orbiter docking system. The camera views a target at the center of the 

Mir mechanism through a window in the upper hatch. 

Docking begins when the orbiter is maneuvered to bring the interfaces of the active docking mechanism in 

contact with Mir's passive mechanism. At this point, the maximum allowable axial rate of approach of the two 

vehicles is 0.2 foot per second. Minor misalignments of the two mechanisms of up to eight inches and five 

degrees are corrected as the orbiter interface is displaced and rotated so the capture ring can latch onto the 

opposing androgynous interface ring. This rotation is produced by the relative velocity of the two vehicles. If 

the alignments are exceeded, the passive half will not be captured, and the two vehicles will simply separate. 

Further docking attempts can then be made. 

Soft latching occurs when the capture ring alignment is complete and the interfaces are aligned. Each of the 

petals on Atlantis' APAS is equipped with two capture latches. The capture latch assemblies, which operate 

independently, grapple body mounts on the Mir APAS. 

The latches are designed to allow the vehicles to separate safely if only one or two of the latch assemblies 

engage. Once all the latches engage, all possible axes of rotation between the interfaces are removed, and Mir is 

captured. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 22 

The docking of these two massive vehicles is complicated by the orbiter's large center-of-mass offset from the 

docking mechanism's longitudinal axis, which significantly reduces the effective mass of the active vehicle at 

the docking interface, making capture more difficult. The orbiter's momentum provides the force required by 

the docking mechanism to overcome the relative misalignments between the vehicles at the docking interfaces, 

and preprogrammed firings of the orbiter's nose and tail thrusters assist in the capture. The center of mass offset 

also causes relative rotation after contact, which complicates the attenuation process. 

Five seconds after capture, dampers designed to reduce relative vehicle motion are activated for 30 seconds. 

Before the dampers are activated, a load-limiting clutch prevents either vehicle from being overloaded. The 

dampers are deactivated to allow the dampers to align the vehicles. 

After the relative motion of the two vehicles has subsided, the retraction phase of the docking process then 

begins. During this phase, the latched capture ring and passive vehicle are pulled into the orbiter mechanism. 

The five engaged fixators make the capture ring rigid and prevent relative vehicle misalignments from 

accumulating during retraction. 

Structural latching occurs at the completion of the capture ring retraction process. Twelve active structural 

latches located at the structural interface are grouped into two separate activated gangs of six latches each. A 

passive, immobile hook is located next to each active latch. The Mir mechanism also has these latches and 

hooks. In the process of structurally latching the orbiter and Mir, latch actuator motors deploy the orbiter's 

active latches, which hook onto Mir's passive hooks. The actuator drives the first hook directly, and a cable 

transmits power to the remaining five slave hooks. The hooks are driven beyond the point where the hook is 

overcenter. The overcenter hooks carry the sealing load, rather than the cables. Mir's active latches could also 

be used to hook onto the orbiter's passive hooks as a backup procedure. The entire docking process nominally 

will be completed in less than one hour. The final portion of the process, after capture, takes approximately 15 

minutes. 

While the vehicles are structurally attached, the orbiter docking system provides a shirt-sleeve environment for 

transferring crew members and equipment between the orbiter and Mir. 

At the end of the mission, the latches are unhooked after the docking base is depressurized, and preloaded 

separation springs "push" the vehicles apart at low velocity. After it reaches a safe distance from Mir, the 

orbiter performs a separation maneuver. 

The requirement that the ODS be at least dual fault tolerant to allow demating (and subsequent orbiter payload 

bay door closure) is achieved with two independent (no common cause failure mode) methods. If the primary 

separation method fails, pyrotechnic charges can be used to shear each of the orbiter's 12 active latch retention 

bolts and permit the springs to separate the vehicles. Each bolt has redundant power supplies. When fired, the 

pyrotechnic charges fracture the bolts, allowing the latch hook to rotate about an independent rotation point to 

release the mating hook. Hook rotation is powered by both the pyrotechnic charge and the off-center force 

created by the Belleville washers on the mating passive hook. A spring-loaded pin prevents hook rebound. 

A third method is available if the second also fails. This method requires two astronauts to perform a spacewalk 

to remove the 96 bolts that hold the docking base on the upper flange of the external airlock. For an EVA to be 

considered as an option, the station-to-orbiter interface must be rigidized to prevent relative motion between the 

orbiter and Mir during vehicle attitude control firings. In the EVA procedure, the capture ring would be 

extended to recapture the Mir, and either the orbiter or the Mir active structural hooks would be engaged to 

reestablish the interface. The EVA crew would then egress the vehicle and perform the 96-bolt removal 

procedure. 

The Energia docking mechanism design and hardware have undergone extensive testing to develop and qualify 

the system for the Mir mission. A number of tests were performed in Energia's six-degree-of-freedom test 

facility to quantify the limits of the mechanism's capture capability. A production unit was subjected to 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 23 

vibration, thermal, and life cycle testing to verify the design. Acceptance tests of the flight unit were conducted 

to verify the build process. An integrated checkout of the entire system was performed after the orbiter docking 

system was assembled. Another was performed after it was installed in Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center. 

Many firings of the pyrotechnic bolts alone and as part of latch subassemblies were conducted to certify the 

backup separation system. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 24 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 25 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 26 

SHUTTLE-MIR SCIENCE 

Joint scientific investigations by the two premier spacefaring nations continue with the flight of STS-71, the 

Spacelab-Mir mission, providing more knowledge about the human body and the microgravity environment. 

Research in seven different medical and scientific disciplines begun during Mir 18 will conclude on STS-71. Of 

the 28 experiments being conducted as part of the joint United States-Russian cooperative effort, 15 will be 

performed as part of the STS-71 mission. 

With Atlantis docked to Mir, data and samples collected during the Mir 18 tenure will be transferred to Atlantis 

for the return trip to Earth. In addition, 11 experiments will remain on Mir to be conducted by the Mir 19 crew. 

The metabolic research on STS-71 includes studies of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems; neurosensory 

research; hygiene, sanitation, and radiation research; behavior and performance research; fundamental biology 

research; and microgravity research. 

Metabolic Research 

Six experiments will examine a wide range of physiologic responses as investigators strive to understand how 

the body's mechanisms work in space, and how gravity affects the body on Earth. 

STS-71 will continue and expand the studies begun on the Mir to study human metabolism and endocrinology 

and to determine how fluids redistribute themselves in the body, how microgravity affects bone density and red 

blood cell production. In addition, crew members aboard Atlantis will participate in studies designed to 

determine if prolonged exposure to microgravity affects the body's ability to mount an antibody response, and 

whether immune cells are altered by exposure to microgravity. 

Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research 

Deconditioning of the cardiovascular and pulmonary system, with the occurrence of orthostatic intolerance (or 

lightheadedness upon standing) observed in returning crew members of long duration spaceflight is of primary 

interest to researchers. Researchers will measure changes in blood volume during flight and the pooling of 

blood in the legs and abdomen upon reentry. 

Exercise and the use of both Russian and American lower body negative pressure units will be used as tests and 

evaluated as countermeasures for their ability to protect those returning crew members. Using a device to mimic 

increasing and decreasing arterial pressure by applying suction and pressure to the neck, crew members will 

provide information about heart rate response to this changing pressure stimulus during and after space flight. 

The returning Mir 18 crew members will venture back to Earth in a reclining position. The changes in heart 

rate, blood pressure, voice and posture will be monitored during the reentry portion of STS-71. After landing, 

they will perform a "stand test" to measure the extent of their orthostatic intolerance following a prolonged stay 

on orbit. 

Neurosensory Research 

Investigations begun during Mir 18 focused on the mixed messages the body receives when the brain integrates 

nerve impulses from the eyes, inner ear, muscles and joints. The brain can no longer rely on gravity as a 

constant in determining body position and orientation. Two of these studies seek to enhance our understanding 

of how humans adapt to spaceflight and readapt to Earth's environment. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 27 

STS-71 will take a further look at neuromuscular function and muscle deconditioning during extended 

spaceflights. Crew members will measure muscle tone, strength and endurance by electromyography and 

utilization of oxygen during treadmill and other exercise. 

Hygiene, Sanitation, and Radiation Research 

Microgravity is not the only environmental challenge facing spaceflight crews. Recycled air and water, possible 

microbial contamination, and radiation exposure all must be studied and understood to ensure health in closed 

living systems. 

Two investigations will look at the radiation environment experienced during an extended stay in space, and 

two others will look at the presence of microbes or trace chemicals found in the air and water consumed by the 

astronauts. 

Microbial samples from both Mir and Atlantis, as well as samples from the astronauts themselves, will be 

studied to see if microgravity or the characteristics of the closed environment will affect microbial physiology 

or their interactions with the crew on orbit. Samples of air and water collected during the Mir 18 mission and 

during STS-71 also will be analyzed for any traces of atmospheric and water contaminants. 

Behavior & Performance Research 

Data from tests to study the long-term effects of microgravity on muscle coordination and mental acuity, 

collected during more than three months on Mir 18, will be returned to Earth aboard Atlantis. A Russian 

spacecraft control simulator used before, during and after flight, will allow researchers to measure crew 

member's functional state and manual control performance. 

Fundamental Biology Research 

Microgravity will be used as a research tool to study biological development. 

STS-71 will study how weightlessness affects embryo development by returning to Earth a set of pre-fertilized 

quail eggs incubated on board Mir. The incubation process was stopped at various stages of development, and 

the embryos placed in a fixative solution for later analysis. 

Improved sensors will be carried to orbit by Atlantis to be added to the Mir station greenhouse by the Mir 19 

crew. The updated greenhouse will then be ready for plant experiments on future NASA-Mir missions. 

Microgravity Research 

Living organisms are not the only things affected by microgravity. Inanimate objects and materials, including 

crystals, are affected by this unique environment. The presence of gravity on Earth makes it difficult to observe 

the basic processes of crystal growth. STS-71 will carry a protein crystal growth experiment into orbit. It will 

be transferred to Mir where the experiment will continue under the watchful eyes of the Mir 19 crew. 

With the experiment in space for an extended duration, researchers will be able to observe the crystallization of 

a number of large proteins that may be used in basic biological research, pharmacology and drug development. 

As the protein crystal growth experiments take place on Mir, the Space Acceleration Measurement System 

flown frequently on board the Shuttle, will be in place on board Mir to measure any motion caused by crew 

activity or engine firings. This information will aid scientists in determining the best location to house protein 

crystal growth experiments in order to produce the purest possible samples. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 28 

Protein Crystal Growth Experiment 

Principal Investigator: 

Dr. Alexander McPherson 

University of California, Riverside 

Riverside, CA 

STS-71 will carry several hundred protein samples, frozen in a thermos-bottle-like vacuum jacket or dewar, to 

the Mir space station. After they thaw, the proteins will crystallize until the dewar is retrieved by the STS-74 

crew in November. 

Proteins are important, complex biological molecules which serve a variety of functions in all living organisms. 

Determining their molecular structure will lead to greater understanding of their functions within those 

organisms. Many proteins can be grown as crystals and their structures analyzed by X-Ray diffraction. 

However, some crystals grown in Earth's gravity often have internal defects that make such analysis difficult or 

impossible. 

As demonstrated on Space Shuttle missions since 1985, certain protein crystals grown in space are larger, have 

fewer defects and have greater internal order than their Earth-grown counterparts. The two-week-long U.S. 

Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) mission in 1992 demonstrated that extended duration in orbit is especially 

valuable in protein crystal growth. 

The months-long growing time aboard Mir should produce large protein crystals of sufficient size and quality 

to compare with corresponding crystals grown in Earth-based laboratories. The Mir experiment will be used to 

evaluate the effectiveness of flash-frozen bath and liquid-liquid diffusion techniques for growing protein and 

virus crystals on long-duration space missions. Experience gained will help shape PCG investigations to be 

conducted aboard the international Space Station. 

In liquid-liquid diffusion, a protein solution and a precipitant fluid are brought into contact but not mixed. Over 

time, the fluids will diffuse into each other through random motion of molecules. The gradual increase in 

concentration of the precipitant within the protein solution causes the proteins to crystallize. This occurs very 

slowly, allowing formation of large crystals with highly uniform internal order -- essential for X-Ray 

diffraction analysis of crystals. Liquid-liquid diffusion is difficult on Earth because differences in solution 

densities allow mixing by gravity-driven thermal convection. In addition, the greater density of the crystals 

allows them to settle into inappropriate parts of the cell. 

A total of 46 different proteins, selected by a committee of scientists, are candidates for the Mir PCG 

experiment. The various samples will range in size from about five to 5,000 microliters. 

Equipment for the Mir experiment is simple and requires virtually no crew activity. A total of 250 to 500 

samples (depending on the mix of tubes and sizes chosen) will be divided into three bundles. The bundles will 

be stacked in a sealed aluminum cylinder, 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) wide and 13.5 inches (34.3 cm) long. The 

cylinder then will be placed inside an aluminum vacuum jacket, or dewar, lined with a calcium silicate 

absorbent. The absorbent will be filled with liquid nitrogen at -320 degrees Fahrenheit (-196 degrees Celsius) to 

flash freeze the samples, blocking diffusion and crystal growth until thawing occurs aboard Mir. 

Because the dewar has no active refrigeration, the liquid nitrogen will begin warming slowly and boiling off 

when the dewar is filled before launch. After Atlantis docks with Mir, the crew will secure the dewar in a quiet 

area of the Mir station to minimize vibration. The liquid nitrogen will continue to boil off into Mir's 

oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. In orbit, the samples will thaw after the nitrogen evaporates (over a period of 10 

days). This ensures that all crystallization will occur in the microgravity environment of space. The proteins 

will crystallize over the next few months at cabin temperature, 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius). The 

dewar will remain within a few degrees of that temperature through STS-74 landing and return of the samples 

to science investigators. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 29 

PROTOCOL ACTIVITIES DURING THE FIRST SHUTTLE/MIR DOCKING 

MISSION 

The protocol events planned while STS-71 and Mir are docked include: astronaut/cosmonaut handshakes, a 

welcoming ceremony, gift exchanges and a farewell ceremony -- all are planned for live NASA Television 

coverage. 

On flight day three, about 90 minutes after the two craft are docked, the hatch will open and Russian and U.S. 

commanders will enter the docking tunnel, shake hands and exchange greetings. Immediately following will be 

the welcoming ceremony, where all crewmembers will meet in Mir's core module for introductions and toasts to 

successful space missions. 

With the Russian and U.S. flags as a backdrop, the STS-71 and Mir crews will exchange gifts on flight day four 

in the Shuttle's Spacelab module. Gifts include a halved pewter medallion bearing a relief image of a docked 

Shuttle and Mir space station; the two halves will be joined during the ceremony. A 1/200th-scale model of the 

Shuttle and the Mir also will be joined. These gifts will be presented to the U.S. and Russian Heads of State and 

the leaders of the two space agencies after the mission. 

A proclamation will be signed by both crews certifying the date and time of the docking. The document also 

states: 

"The success of this endeavor demonstrates the desire of these two nations to work 

cooperatively to achieve the goal of providing tangible scientific and technical rewards 

that will have far-reaching effects to all people of the planet Earth." 

A farewell ceremony will take place aboard Mir. Crews are expected to share personal views of this unique 

experience with each other, before returning to their respective spacecraft to prepare for undocking. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 30 

IMAX 

NASA is using the IMAX film medium to document its space activities and better translate them to the public. 

This system, developed by IMAX Systems, Corp., Toronto, Canada, uses specially designed 70 mm film 

cameras and projectors to record and display very high definition, large screen pictures. 

NASA has flown IMAX camera systems on many Shuttle missions, including the recent STS-63 Shuttle-Mir 

rendezvous. NASA will continue to use IMAX cameras to collect footage for future productions. Film from 

previous missions was used to create the productions The Dream is Alive and The Blue Planet. 

In-Cabin IMAX Camera Equipment 

The IMAX system consists of a camera, lenses, rolls of film, lights, and other equipment that is necessary for 

filming. The IMAX and supporting equipment are stowed in the middeck for in-cabin use. The IMAX uses two 

film magazines that can be interchanged as part of the operation; each magazine runs for approximately three 

minutes. After the crew has used both magazines, they can reload with new film. Lenses are changed as 

necessary based on the shot. The IMAX will be installed on the orbiter approximately seven days prior to 

launch. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 31 

SHUTTLE AMATEUR RADIO EXPERIMENT-II (SAREX) 

Students in the U.S. and Russia will have a chance to speak via amateur radio with astronauts aboard the Space 

Shuttle Discovery during STS-71. Ground-based amateur radio operators ("hams") will be able to contact the 

Shuttle astronauts through a direct voice ham radio link as time permits. 

Space Shuttle Pilot Charlie Precourt (call sign KB5YSQ) and Mission Specialist Ellen Baker (KB5SIX) will 

talk to students in five schools in the U.S. and Russia using "ham radio." 

Students in the following schools will have the opportunity to talk directly with orbiting astronauts for 

approximately 4 to 8 minutes: 

• Forest Avenue School, Hudson, MA (N1QEQ) 

• Suffolk Community College, Seldon, NY (N2XOU) 

• Benbrook Elementary School, Benbrook, TX (N5SVW) 

• Redlands High School, Redlands, CA (KO6FP) 

• School Number 3 Yessentuki, Yessentuki, Russia (YA6HZ) 

The radio contacts are part of the SAREX (Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment) project, a joint effort by 

NASA, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). 

The project, which has flown on 17 previous Shuttle missions, is designed to encourage public participation in 

the space program and support educational initiatives through a program to demonstrate the effectiveness of 

communications between the Shuttle and low-cost ground stations using amateur radio voice and digital 

techniques. 

STS-71 SAREX Frequencies 

Important Note: Since the flight will be the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission, and SAREX and Mir amateur 

radio stations usually share the same downlink frequency (145.55), the SAREX Working Group has decided to 

make the following SAREX frequency changes for the STS-71 mission: 

For STS-71, SAREX transmissions from the Space Shuttle may be monitored on a worldwide downlink 

frequency of 145.84 MHz. 

The voice uplink frequencies are: 144.45 and 144.47 MHz 

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. 

Note: The astronauts will not favor any one of the above frequencies. Therefore, the ability to talk to an 

astronaut depends on selecting one of the above frequencies chosen by the astronaut. 

Additional Information for Amateur Radio Operators 

Several audio and digital communication services have been developed to disseminate Shuttle and SAREXspecific information during the flight. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 32 

The ARRL ham radio station (W1AW) will include SAREX information in its regular voice and teletype 

bulletins. 

The amateur radio station at the Goddard Space Flight Center, (WA3NAN), will operate around the clock 

during the mission, providing SAREX information, retransmitting live Shuttle air-to-ground audio, and 

retransmitting many SAREX school group contacts. 

Information about orbital elements, contact times, frequencies and crew operating schedules will be available 

during the mission from NASA ARRL (Steve Mansfield, 203/666-1541) and AMSAT (Frank Bauer, 301/286-

8496). AMSAT will provide information bulletins for interested parties on Internet and amateur packet radio. 

Current Keplerian elements to track the Shuttle are available from the NASA Spacelink computer information 

system (BBS), (205) 895-0028 or via Internet spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov., and the ARRL BBS (203) 666-0578. 

The latest element sets and mission information are also available via the Johnson Space Center (JSC) ARC 

BBS or the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) BBS. The JSC number is (713)244-5625, 9600 Baud or less. 

The GSFC BBS is available via Internet. The address is wa3nan.gsfc.nasa.gov. 

The Goddard Space Flight Center amateur radio club planned HF operating frequencies: 

3.860 

MHz 

7.18

5 

14.29

5 

21.39

5 

28.65

0 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 33 

STS-71 CREWMEMBERS 

STS071-S-002 -- Crew members for the STS-71 mission and the related Mir missions assemble for a crew 

portrait at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). In front are, left to right, Vladimir N. Dezhurov, Robert L. 

Gibson and Anatoliy Y. Solovyev, mission commanders for Mir-18, STS-71 and Mir-19, respectively. On the 

back row are, left to right, Norman E. Thagard, Gennadiy M. Strekalov, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Ellen S. 

Baker, Charles J. Precourt, Bonnie J. Dunbar and Nikolai M. Budarin. In a precedent-setting flight, Thagard 

later this month will be launched as a guest researcher along with Dezhurov, commander, and Strekalov, 

flight engineer, to Russia's Mir Space Station for a three month mission, designated as Mir 18. Then in late 

spring, as the assignment of STS-71, the Space Shuttle Atlantis will rendezvous with the Russian Mir Space 

Station to pick up the Mir 18 crew and transfer cosmonauts Solovyev and Budarin to the station for the Mir 

19 mission. 

No copyright is asserted for this photograph. If a recognizable person appears in the photo, use for 

commercial purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be used to state or imply the 

endorsement by NASA or by any NASA employee of a commercial product, process or service, or used in any 

other manner that might mislead. Accordingly, it is requested that if this photograph is used in advertising 

and other commercial promotion, layout and copy be submitted to NASA prior to release. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 34 

MIR-18 CREWMEMBERS 

S94-34941 -- Astronaut Norman E. Thagard, left, poses with two Russian cosmonauts with whom he will 

be launched into space early next year for a three-month mission. Designated Mir-18, the mission aboard 

the Russian space station Mir will include Mir-18 commander Vladimir N. Dezhurov (center) and crew 

member Gennadiy M. Strekalov (right). Following weeks of training together in Russia, the three spent 

part of the late spring and early summer in training at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX. 

No copyright is asserted for this photograph. If a recognizable person appears in the photo, use for 

commercial purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be used to state or imply the 

endorsement by NASA or by any NASA employee of a commercial product, process or service, or used in 

any other manner that might mislead. Accordingly, it is requested that if this photograph is used in 

advertising and other commercial promotion, layout and copy be submitted to NASA prior to release. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 35 

MIR-19 CREWMEMBERS 

S94-34942 -- Crewmembers for the Mir-19 mission, Anatoliy Y. Solovyev, left, mission commander 

and Nikolai M. Budarin flight engineer. The two cosmonauts will launch aboard space shuttle 

Atlantis on mission STS-71, dock with the Mir space station and replace Mir-18 cosmonauts 

Vladimir N. Dezhurov, mission commander, and flight engineer Gennadiy M. Strekalov who will 

return to Earth aboard Atlantis. 

No copyright is asserted for this photograph. If a recognizable person appears in the photo, use for 

commercial purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be used to state or 

imply the endorsement by NASA or by any NASA employee of a commercial product, process or 

service, or used in any other manner that might mislead. Accordingly, it is requested that if this 

photograph is used in advertising and other commercial promotion, layout and copy be submitted 

to NASA prior to release. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 36 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA – STS-71 CREWMEMBERS 

ROBERT L. "HOOT" GIBSON, COMMANDER 

STS-71 will be commanded by U.S. Navy Captain Robert L. Hoot Gibson, 48, who will be making his fifth 

spaceflight. 

Gibson was born in Cooperstown, NY, but considers Lakewood, CA, to be his hometown. He received an 

associate degree in engineering science from Suffolk County Community College in 1966 and a Bachelor's in 

aeronautical engineering from California Polytechnic State University in 1969. 

Gibson entered active duty with the Navy in 1969. He received primary and basic flight training at Naval Air 

Stations Saufley Field; Pensacola, FL; and Meridian, MS, and completed advanced flight training at the Naval 

Air Station at Kingsville, TX. While assigned to Fighter Squadrons 111 and 1 from April 1972 to September 

1975, he saw duty aboard the USS Coral Sea and the USS Enterprise, flying combat missions in Southeast 

Asia. He is a graduate of the Naval Fighter Weapons School, Top Gun. Gibson returned to the United States 

and an assignment as an F-14A instructor pilot with Fighter Squadron 124. He also graduated from the U.S. 

Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, MD, in June 1977, and later became involved in the test and 

evaluation of F-14A aircraft while assigned to the Naval Air Test Center's Strike Aircraft Test Directorate. 

Gibson was selected as an astronaut in 1978, and since then has logged more than 26 days in space. His first 

spaceflight was as pilot of STS-41B in February 1984. The flight accomplished the deployment of two 

communications satellites and tested rendezvous sensors and computer programs for the first time. He next flew 

as commander of STS-61C, a six-day flight that included the deployment of the SATCOM KU satellite and the 

completion in astrophysics and materials processing. Gibson's third trip to orbit was made in December 1988 on 

STS-27, a classified Department of Defense mission. 

He then returned to space for a fourth time on STS-47 in September 1992. The mission was a cooperative 

venture between the United States and Japan, focusing on more than 40 life science and materials processing 

experiments. From December 1992 to September 1994, Gibson served as chief of the Astronaut Office until he 

was selected to command the STS-71 mission. 

CHARLES J. PRECOURT, PILOT 

Air Force Lt. Col. Charles J. Precourt, 39, will serve as Atlantis' pilot during his second space flight. 

Precourt was born in Waltham, MA, but considers Hudson, MA, to be his hometown. He earned a bachelor's 

degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1977, and master's degrees in 

engineering management from Golden Gate University, and national security affairs and strategic studies from 

the U.S. Naval War College in 1988 and 1990, respectively. While at the Air Force Academy, Precourt also 

attended the French Air Force Academy in 1976 as part of an exchange program. 

Precourt graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese Air Force Base, TX, in 1978. Initially, he flew 

as an instructor pilot in the T-37, and later as a maintenance test pilot in the T-37 and T-38 aircraft. From 1982 

through 1984, he flew an operational tour in the F-15 Eagle at Bitburg Air Base in Germany. In 1985, he 

attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. Upon graduation he was 

assigned as a test pilot at Edwards where he flew F-15E, F-4, A-7 and A-37 aircraft until mid-1989, when he 

began studies at the U.S. Naval War College. 

Precourt was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1990. His technical assignments have included duties in the 

Astronaut Office operations Development Branch, working on ascent, entry and launch abort issues. Precourt 

flew his first space mission as a mission specialist on STS-55 in April 1993. The German-sponsored mission 

included almost 90 experiments designed to investigate life sciences, material sciences, physics, robotics and 

astronomy. At the conclusion of the flight, he had spent about 240 hours in orbit. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 37 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA – STS-71 CREWMEMBERS 

ELLEN S. BAKER, MISSION SPECIALIST 1 

Ellen S. Baker, M.D., 42, will be making her third spaceflight as Mission Specialist 1 for STS-71. 

Baker was born in Fayetteville, NC, but considers New York City to be her hometown. She received a 

bachelor's degree in geology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a doctorate of medicine 

degree from Cornell University in 1978. After completing medical school, Baker trained in internal medicine at 

the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX. She was certified by the American Board of 

Internal Medicine in 1981. 

Following her residency, Baker joined NASA as a medical officer at the Johnson Space Center. That same year 

she graduated from the Air Force Medicine Primary Course at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio. Baker 

was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1985. Her technical assignments have included working with flight 

crew procedures, flight software verification, operations and engineering support activities and Space Station 

operation issues. She also has served as chief of the Astronaut Appearance Office. 

Baker has logged more than 451 hours in space. Her first mission was STS-34 in October 1989 which 

successfully started the Galileo spacecraft on its journey to Jupiter. Her second mission was STS-50 in 

June/July 1992. The STS-50 crew spent about two weeks in orbit to conduct a series of scientific experiments 

involving crystal growth, fluid physics, fluid dynamics, biological science and combustion science. 

GREGORY J. HARBAUGH, MISSION SPECIALIST 2 

Two-time Shuttle veteran Gregory J. Harbaugh, 39, will serve as Mission Specialist 2. 

Harbaugh was born in Cleveland OH, but considers Willoughby, OH, his hometown. He holds a bachelor's 

degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Purdue University, and a master's degree in physical 

science from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. 

Harbaugh came to the Johnson Space Center after graduation from Purdue. Since 1978, he has held engineering 

and technical management positions in Space Shuttle flight operations. He also supported missions as a Data 

Processing Systems Officer from the Mission Control Center for most of the first 25 Shuttle flights. 

Selected as an astronaut in June 1987, Harbaugh's technical assignments have included work with the Shuttle 

Avionics Integration Laboratory, the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System and telerobotics systems 

development for Space Station. He also has supported the Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission 

development and extravehicular activity assessment for the international Space Station. 

Harbaugh's first mission, STS-39 in April/May 1991, was an eight-day unclassified Department of Defense 

mission involving research for the Strategic Defense Initiative. His second flight was STS-54 in January 1993. 

During the six-day mission, the TDRS-F satellite was deployed and Harbaugh participated in a 4-hour, 28-

minute space walk. Harbaugh also trained as a backup EVA crew member for the Hubble Space Telescope 

Servicing mission. With the two missions, Harbaugh has logged more than 343 hours in space. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 38 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA – STS-71 CREWMEMBERS 

BONNIE DUNBAR, MISSION SPECIALIST 3 

After training as backup to Mir 18 crew member Norm Thagard, Bonnie Dunbar, Ph.D., 46, will visit the 

Russian space station as STS-71's Mission Specialist 3. 

Dunbar, a native of Sunnyside, WA, received bachelor's and master's degrees in ceramic engineering from the 

University of Washington in 1971 and 1975, respectively; and a doctorate in biomedical engineering from the 

University of Houston in 1983. 

Following graduation in 1971, Dunbar worked for Boeing Computer Services for two years as a systems 

analyst. In 1975, she was invited to participate in research at Harwell Laboratories in Oxford, England, as a 

visiting scientist. 

Following her work in England, she accepted a senior research engineer position with Rockwell International 

Space Division in Downey, CA, where her responsibilities included developing equipment and processes for 

the manufacture of the Space Shuttle thermal protection system. She currently serves as an adjunct assistant 

professor in mechanical engineering at the University of Houston and serves on the Bioengineering Advisory 

Group. 

In 1978, Dunbar accepted a position as a payload officer/flight controller at the Johnson Space Center. She 

served as a guidance and navigation officer for the Skylab reentry mission in 1979 and was subsequently 

designated project officer/payload officer for the integration of several Shuttle payloads. 

Selected as an astronaut in 1981, Dunbar is a veteran of three space flights and has logged more than 761 hours 

in space. Her first flight, STS-61A, was a cooperative Spacelab mission with West Germany. The payload 

included more than 75 scientific experiments in the areas of physiological sciences, materials science, biology 

and navigation. In January 1990, Dunbar served as a mission specialist on STS-32. During the 10-day mission, 

crew members deployed the Syncom IV-F5 satellite and retrieved the Long Duration Exposure Facility. Dunbar 

also was principal investigator for the Microgravity Disturbance Experiment using the Fluids Experiment 

Apparatus on the mission. 

The third mission was STS-50 in June-July 1990 for which she served as payload commander. The crew 

operated around the clock for 13 days performing experiments in scientific disciplines such as protein crystal 

growth, electronic and infrared detector crystal growth, surface tension physics, zeolite crystal growth and 

human physiology. 

For the past year, Dunbar has been training in Star City, Russia, as back-up cosmonaut researcher for the Mir 

18 mission. Following the completion of her training in Russia, she returned to Houston to train for the STS-71 

flight. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 39 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA – MIR-18 CREWMEMBERS 

(returning on Atlantis) 

VLADIMIR N. DEZHUROV, MIR 18 COMMANDER 

Dezhurov, 32, is making his first spaceflight as commander of the Mir 18 mission. He is a lieutenant colonel in 

the Air Force. Born in the Yavas settlement of the Zubovo-Polyansk district in Moldovia, Russia, Dezhurov 

graduated from the S. I. Gritsevits Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School in 1983 with a pilot-engineer's 

diploma. After graduating, he served as a pilot and senior pilot in the Russian Air Force. In 1987, he was 

assigned to the Cosmonaut Training Center and underwent the general space training from December 1987 to 

June 1989. Since then he has continued training as a member of a group of test cosmonauts. He also has been a 

correspondence student at the Yuri A. Gagarin Air Force Academy since 1991. 

GENNADY M. STREKALOV, MIR 18 FLIGHT ENGINEER 

Four-time space veteran Strekalov, 54, is an instructor-test cosmonaut and department head at NPO Energia. 

Born in Mytishchi in the Moscow Region of Russia, Strekalov graduated from the N. E. Bauman Moscow 

Higher Technical School in 1965 with an engineer's diploma. Since then, he has worked at Energia and has 

been involved in experimental investigations and the testing of space technology. As part of an operations 

group, he participated in mission control for flights of scientific-research craft belonging to the Academy of 

Science. Strekalov's first spaceflight was a two-week mission in 1980 to the Salyut space station, completing an 

experimental flight aboard the Soyuz T-3 spacecraft. He visited Salyut again in April 1983 and in April 1984. 

From Aug. 1 to Dec. 10, 1990, Strekalov completed his fourth spaceflight as the flight engineer on the seventh 

primary expedition to the Mir orbital complex. At the completion of that flight, he had accumulated 153 days in 

space. 

NORMAN E. THAGARD, M.D., MIR 18 COSMONAUT RESEARCHER 

Four-time Shuttle veteran Thagard became the first American to ride on board a Russian launch vehicle when 

he was launched to the Russian space station on March 14, 1995. 

Born in Marianna, FL, Thagard considers Jacksonville, FL, to be his hometown. He attended Florida State 

University where he received bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering science in 1965 and 1966, 

respectively. In September 1966, he entered active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He achieved the 

rank of captain in 1967, was designated a naval aviator in 1968, and was then assigned to duty flying F-4s at 

the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, SC. He flew 163 combat missions in Vietnam before returning to the 

United States and an assignment as an aviation weapons division officer at the Beaufort Air Station. Thagard 

resumed his academic studies in 1971 and received a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Texas 

Southwestern Medical School in 1977. Prior to his joining NASA, he was interning in the Department of 

Internal Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. 

Thagard was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1978. His first space mission was as part of the crew of STS7 in June 1983. During the mission, crew members deployed two satellites, deployed and retrieved the Shuttle 

Pallet satellite, and conducted a series of scientific investigations. His second flight was STS-51B, the 

Spacelab-3 science mission, in April/May 1985. Thagard's duties on the mission included deploying the 

NUSAT satellite, caring for animals in the Research Animal Holding Facility and operating a variety of other 

experiments. Thagard went to orbit for a third time in May 1989 during the STS-30 mission. The mission's 

highlight was the deployment of the Magellan probe, the first U.S. planetary mission since 1978. His fourth 

flight in January 1992 was STS-42. The flight, called the International Microgravity Laboratory-1 mission, 

featured 55 experiments from 11 countries, which studied the effects of microgravity on material processing 

and life sciences. With the completion of his fourth mission, Thagard logged over 604 hours in space; however, 

because of his three-month mission on Mir, he now holds the American record for the most time spent on orbit. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 40 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA – MIR-19 CREWMEMBERS 

ANATOLY Y. SOLOVYEV, MIR 19 COMMANDER 

During the trip to Mir, Atlantis also will carry Mir 19 Commander Anatoliy Y. Solovyev and Flight Engineer 

Nikolai M. Budarin. 

Solovyev, 47, served from 1972 to 1976 as a senior pilot and group commander in the Far Eastern Military 

District. Since August 1976, he has been a student-cosmonaut at the Yuri A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training 

Center, completing his general space training in 1979. He is a test pilot third class and a test cosmonaut. 

In 1988, he was the commander of a Soviet-Bulgarian crew for an expedition that visited the Mir station. The 

flight lasted nine days. Then, from Feb. 11 to Aug. 9, 1990, Solovyev accomplished a 179-day flight on board 

the Mir orbital complex as commander for the sixth primary expedition. During the mission, the crew 

conducted a series of technological, geophysical and biomedical investigations; performed two spacewalks; and 

placed the Kristall module into service. 

Solovyev's third flight was a 189-day mission to Mir from July 27, 1992, to Feb. 1, 1993. Mission activities 

included the completion of a Russian-French science program with microgravity, biology, medical, 

biotechnology and other investigations. 

NIKOLAI M. BUDARIN, MIR 19 FLIGHT ENGINEER 

This will be the first space flight for Budarin, flight engineer for Mir 19. 

Budarin, 42, received a mechanical engineering degree from the S. Ordzhonikidze Moscow Aviation Institute 

in 1979. He then joined NPO Energia where he was involved in experimental investigations and testing of 

space technology. In 1989, Budarin was enrolled in a cosmonaut detachment as a candidate test cosmonaut, 

completing his training in 1991. He is a qualified test cosmonaut. He also has experience working with the 

primary operations group for space mission control. 

When Atlantis leaves, Solovyev and Budarin will stay at the Mir Station. The Mir 18 crew consisting of 

Commander Vladimir N. Dezhurov, Flight Engineer Gennadiy M. Strekalov and U.S. Astronaut and 

Cosmonaut Researcher Norman E. Thagard, M.D., will return to Earth with the STS-71 crew. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 41 

CHRONOLOGY OF SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS IN 

THE FIRST 100 AMERICAN HUMAN 

SPACEFLIGHTS, 1961-1995 

May 5, 1961 Freedom 7, the first piloted Mercury spacecraft (No. 7) carrying Astronaut Al 

Shepard Jr., was launched from Cape Canaveral by Mercury-Redstone (MR-3) 

vehicle, to an altitude of 115,696 feet and a range of 302 miles. It was the, first 

space flight involving human beings. Shepard demonstrated that individuals can 

control a vehicle during weightlessness and high G stresses, and significant 

scientific data were acquired. He reached a speed of 5,100 miles per hour and his 

flight lasted 14.8 minutes. 

 

Feb. 20, 1962 John Glenn became the first American to circle the Earth, making three orbits in his 

Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft. Despite some problems with spacecraft -- Glenn 

flew parts of the last two orbits manually because of an autopilot failure and left his 

jettisoned retrorocket pack attached to his capsule during reentry because of a loose 

heat shield -- this flight was enormously successful. The public, more than 

celebrating technological success, embraced Glenn as a personification of heroism 

and dignity. Among other engagements, Glenn addressed a joint session of 

Congress and participated in several ticker-tape parades around the country. 

 

May 15-16, 1963 The capstone of Project Mercury, the flight of Faith 7, took place on this date with 

the flight of astronaut L. Gordon Cooper, who circled the Earth 22 times in 34 

hours. 

 

Mar. 23, 1965 Following two unoccupied orbital and suborbital test flights, the first operational 

mission of Gemini took place on March 23, 1965. Mercury astronaut Gus Grissom 

command mission, with John W. Young, a Naval aviator chosen as an astronaut in 

1962, accompanying him. 

 

Jun. 23-25, 1965 The second piloted Gemini mission, GT-4, stayed aloft for four days and as Edward 

H. White II performed the first extravehicular activity (EVA) or spacewalk by an 

American. 

 

Oct. 11-22, 1968 The first piloted flight of the Apollo spacecraft, Apollo 7, and Saturn 1B launch 

vehicle, this flight involved astronauts Walter M. Schirra Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and 

Cunningham who tested hardware in Earth orbit. 

 

Dec. 21-27, 1968 On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 took off atop a Saturn V booster from the 

Kennedy Space Center with three astronauts aboard -- Frank Borman, James A. 

Lovell Jr. and William A. Anders -- for a historic mission to orbit the Moon. At first 

it was planned as a mission to test Apollo hardware in the relatively safe confines of 

low Earth orbit, but a senior engineer, George M. Low of the Manned Spacecraft 

Center at Houston, (renamed the Johnson Space Center in 1973), and Samuel C. 

Phillips, Apollo Program Manager at NASA headquarters, pressed for approval to 

make it a circumlunar The advantages of this could be important, both in technical 

and scientific knowledge gained as well as in a public demonstration of what the 

U.S. could achieve. In the summer of 1968 Low broached the idea to Phillips, who 

then carried it to the administrator, and in November the agency reconfigured the 

mission for a lunar trip. After Apollo 8 made one and a half Earth orbits, its third 

stage began a burn to put the spacecraft on a lunar trajectory. As it traveled outward 

the crew focused a portable television camera on Earth and for the first time 

humanity saw its home from afar, a tiny, lovely, and fragile "blue marble" hanging 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 42 

in the blackness of space. When it arrived at the Moon on Christmas Eve this image 

of Earth was even more strongly reinforced when the crew sent images of the planet 

back while reading the first part of the Bible -- "And God created the heavens and 

the Earth, and the Earth was without form and void" -- before sending Christmas 

greetings to humanity. The next day they fired the boosters for a return flight and 

"splashed down" in the Pacific Ocean on December 27. It was an enormously 

significant accomplishment coming at a time when American society was in crisis 

over Vietnam, race relations, urban problems, and a host of other difficulties. And if 

only for a few moments the nation united as one to focus on this epochal event. 

Two more Apollo missions occurred before the climax of the program, but they did 

little more than confirm that the time had come for a lunar landing. 

 

Jul. 16-24, 1969 The first lunar landing mission, Apollo 11 lifted off on July 16, 1969, and after 

confirming that the hardware was working well began the three day trip to the 

Moon. At 4:18 p.m. EST on July 20, 1969, the Lunar Module -- with astronauts 

Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin -- landed on the lunar surface while 

Michael Collins orbited overhead in the Apollo command module. After checkout, 

Armstrong set foot on the surface, telling the millions of listeners that it was "one 

small step for man -- one giant leap for mankind." Aldrin soon followed him out 

and the two plodded around the landing site in the 1/6 lunar gravity, planted an 

American flag but omitted claiming the land for the U.S. as had routinely been done 

during European exploration of the Americas, collected soil and rock samples, and 

set up some experiments. The next day they launched back to the Apollo capsule 

orbiting overhead and began the return trip to Earth, "splashing down" in the Pacific 

on July 24. 

 

Apr. 11-17,1970 The flight of Apollo 13 was one of the near disasters of the Apollo flight program. 

At 56 hours into the flight, an oxygen tank in the Apollo service module ruptured 

and damaged several of the power, electrical, and life support systems. People 

throughout the world watched and waited and hoped as NASA personnel on the 

ground and the crew, well on their way to the Moon and with no way of returning 

until they went around it, worked together to find a way safely home. While NASA 

engineers quickly determined that sufficient air, water, and electricity did not exist 

in the Apollo capsule to sustain the three astronauts until they could return to Earth, 

they found that the Lunar Module -- a self-contained spacecraft unaffected by the 

accident -- could be used as a "lifeboat" to provide austere life support for the return 

trip. It was a close-run thing, but the crew returned safely on April 17, 1970. The 

near disaster served several important purposes for the civil space program -- 

especially prompting reconsideration of the propriety of the whole effort while also 

solidifying in the popular mind NASA's technological genius. 

 

Jul. 26-Aug. 7, 1971 The first of the longer, expedition-style lunar landing missions, Apollo 15 was the 

first to include the lunar rover to extend the range of the astronauts on the Moon. 

They brought back one of the prize artifacts of the Apollo program, a sample of 

ancient lunar crust called the "Genesis Rock." 

 

Dec. 7-19, 1972 Apollo 17 was the last of the Apollo missions to the Moon, and the only one to 

include a scientist -- astronaut/geologist Harrison Schmitt -- as a member of the 

crew. 

 

May 25-Jun. 22, 

1973

Following the launch of the orbital workshop, Skylab, on May 14, 1973, the Skylab 

mission began. The workshop had developed technical problems due to vibrations 

during lift-off and the meteoroid shield -- designed also to shade Skylab's 

workshop from Sun's rays -- ripped off, taking with it one of the spacecraft's two 

solar panels, another piece wrapped around the other panel keeping it from properly 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 43 

deploying. In spite of this, the space station achieved a near-circular orbit at the 

desired altitude of miles. While NASA technicians worked on a solution to the 

problem, an intensive ten-day period followed before the Skylab 2 crew launched to 

repair the workshop. After substantial repairs requiring extravehicular activity 

(EVA), including deployment of parasol sunshade that cooled the inside 

temperatures to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, by June 4 the workshop was in full 

operation. In orbit the crew conducted solar astronomy and Earth resources 

experiments, medical studies, and five student experiments. This crew made 404 

orbits and carried out experiments for 392 hours, in the process making EVAs 

totaling six hours and 20 minutes. The first group of astronauts returned to Earth on 

June 22, 1973, and two other Skylab missions followed. 

 

Jul. 15-24, 1975 The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first international human space flight, 

taking place at the height of the détente between the United States and the Soviet 

Union during the mid-1970s. It was specifically designed to test the compatibility of 

rendezvous docking systems for American and Soviet spacecraft, and to open the 

way for international space rescue as well as future joint missions. To carry out this 

mission existing American Apollo and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft were used. The 

Apollo spacecraft was nearly identical to the one that orbited the Moon and later 

carried astronauts to Skylab, while the Soyuz craft was the primary Soviet vehicle 

used for cosmonaut flight since its introduction in 1967. A universal docking 

module was designed and constructed by NASA to serve as an airlock and transfer 

corridor between the two craft. Astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand, 

and Donald K. Slayton took off from Kennedy Space Center on July 15, to meet the 

already orbiting Soyuz spacecraft. Some 45 hours later the two craft rendezvoused 

and docked, and then Apollo and Soyuz crews conducted a variety of experiments 

over a two-day period. After separation, the Apollo vehicle remained in space an 

additional six days while Soyuz returned to Earth approximately 4 hours after 

separation. The flight was more a symbol of the lessening of tensions the two 

superpowers than a significant scientific endeavor, a sharp contrast with 

competition for international prestige that had fueled much of the space activities of 

both nations since the late 1950s. 

 

Apr. 12, 1981 Astronauts John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen flew Space Shuttle Columbia on

the first flight of the Space Transportation System (STS-1). Columbia, which takes 

its from three famous vessels including one of the first U.S. Navy ships to 

circumnavigate the globe, became the first airplane-like craft to land from orbit for 

reuse when it touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California at 

approximately 10:21 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on April 14th after a flight of two 

days, six hours and almost 21 minutes. The mission also was the first to employ 

both liquid- and solid-propellant engines for the launch of a spacecraft carrying 

humans. 

 

Jun. 18, 1983 Astronauts Robert L. Crippen and Frederick H. Hauck piloted Space Shuttle 

Challenger (STS-7) on a mission to launch two communications satellites and the 

reusable Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS 01). Sally K. Ride, one of three mission 

specialists on the first Shuttle flight with five crewmembers, became the first 

American woman astronaut. Challenger was named after the H. M. S. Challenger, 

an English research vessel operating from 1872 to 1876. 

 

Aug. 30, 1983 Astronauts Richard H. Truly and Daniel C. Brandenstein piloted Space Shuttle 

Challenger (STS-8) on another historic mission, carrying the first black American 

astronaut, Guion S. Bluford, into space as a mission specialist. The astronauts 

launched communications satellite Insat 1B into orbit. 

 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 44 

Nov. 28, 1983 Astronauts John W. Young and Brewster H. Shaw Jr. piloted Space Shuttle 

Columbia (STS-9) on a mission that carried the first non-U. S. astronaut to fly in 

the U.S. space program, West German Ulf Merbold. Columbia also transported 

Spacelab 1, the first flight of this laboratory in space, carrying more than 70 

experiments in 5 areas of scientific research: astronomy and solar physics, space 

plasma physics, atmospheric physics and Earth observations, life sciences, and 

materials science. 

Jan. 28, 1986 The Space Shuttle Challenger, STS-51L, was tragically destroyed and its crew of 

seven was killed, during its launch from the Kennedy Space Center about 11:40 

a.m. The explosion occurred 73 seconds into the flight as a result of a leak in one of 

two Solid Rocket Boosters that ignited the main liquid fuel tank. The crewmembers 

of the Challenger represented a cross-section of the American population in terms 

of race, gender, geography, background, and religion. The explosion became one of 

the most significant events of the 1980s, as billions around the world saw the 

accident on television and empathized with any one of the several crewmembers 

killed. The disaster prompted a thorough review of the shuttle program and NASA 

overall, leading to substantive reforms in the management structure, safety program, 

and procedures of human spaceflight. 

 

Apr. 24-29, 1990 During the flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-31) the crew deployed the 

Hubble Space Telescope. Soon after deployment, controllers found that the 

telescope was flawed by a "spherical aberration," a mirror defect only 1/25th the 

width of a human hair, that prevented Hubble from focusing all light to a single 

point. At first many believed that the spherical aberration would cripple the 43-footlong telescope, and NASA received considerable negative publicity, but soon 

scientists found a way with computer enhancement to work around the abnormality 

and engineers planned a servicing mission to fully correct it with an additional 

instrument. Even with the aberration, Hubble made many important astronomical 

discoveries, including striking images of galaxy M87, providing evidence of a 

potentially massive black hole. 

 

Dec. 2-12,1993 Astronauts Richard O. Covey and Kenneth D. Bowersox piloted Space Shuttle 

Endeavour (STS-61) on a highly successful mission to service the optics of the 

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and perform routine maintenance on the orbiting 

observatory. Following a precise and flawless rendezvous, grapple, and berthing of 

the telescope in the cargo bay of the Shuttle, the Endeavour flight crew, in concert 

with controllers at Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, and Goddard Space 

Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, completed all eleven planned servicing tasks 

during five extravehicular activities for full accomplishment of all STS-61 servicing 

objectives. This included installation of a new Wide Field & Planetary Camera and 

sets of corrective optics for all the other instruments, as well as replacement of 

faulty solar arrays, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and electrical components to restore 

the reliability of the observatory subsystem. Endeavour then provided HST with a 

reboost into a 321-nautical-mile, nearly circular orbit. Re-deployment of a healthy 

HST back into orbit using the shuttle robotic arm occurred at 5:26 a.m. EST on 

December 10th, and the telescope was once again a fully operational, free-flying 

spacecraft with vastly improved optics. Orbital verification of HST's improved 

capabilities occurred in early Jan., well ahead of the March schedule. Endeavour, 

the newest of the orbiters, was named after the eighteenth century vessel captained 

by British explorer Capt. James Cook. The new Shuttle craft took its maiden voyage 

in May 1992. 

 

Feb. 3-11, 1994 Astronauts Charles F. Bolden and Kenneth S. Reightler Jr., flew Space Shuttle 

Discovery (STS-60) on a historic mission featuring the first Russian cosmonaut to 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 45 

fly on a U.S. mission in space, Mission Specialist Sergei K. Krikalev, veteran of 

two lengthy stays aboard the Russian Mir Space Station. This mission underlined 

the newly inaugurated cooperation in space between Russia and the U.S., featuring 

Russia's becoming an international partner in the international space station effort 

involving the U.S. and its international partners. 

 

Feb. 3-11, 1995 Exactly one year after a major cooperative flight with the Russians in STS-60, 

NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery , this time STS-63, flew another historic mission 

featuring the flyby of the Russian Mir Space Station. It also featured the first time 

that a woman pilot, Eileen M. Collins, flew the Space Shuttle. 

ZH/Roger Launius/202-358-0383/June 7, 1995 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 46 

SHUTTLE FLIGHTS AS OF JUNE 1995 

68 TOTAL FLIGHTS OF THE SHUTTLE SYSTEM -- 43 SINCE RETURN TO FLIGHT 

STS-63 

02/03/95 - 02/11/95 

STS-64 

09/09/94 - 09/20/94 

STS-60 

02/03/94 - -2/11/94 

STS-65 

07/08/94 0 07/23/94 

STS-51 

09/12/93 - 09/22/93 

STS-62 

03/04/94 - 03/18/94 

STS-56 

04/08/83 - 04/17/93 

STS-58 

10/18/93 - 11/01/93 

STS-53 

12/02/92 - 12/09/92 

STS-55 

04/26/93 - 05/06/93 

STS-42 

01/22/92 - 01/30/92 

STS-52 

10/22/92 - 11/01/92 

STS-48 

09/12/91 - 09/18/91 

STS-66 

11/03/94 - 11/14/94 

STS-50 

06/25/92 - 07/09/92 

STS-39 

04/28/91 - 05/06/91 

STS-46 

07/31/92 - 08/08/92 

STS-40 

06/05/91 - 06/14/91 

STS-41 

10/06/90 - 10/10/90 

STS-45 

03/24/92 - 04/02/92 

STS-35 

12/02/90 - 12/10/90 

STS-51L 

01/28/86 

STS-31 

04/24/90 - 04/29/90 

STS-44 

11/24/91 - 12/01/91 

STS-32 

01/09/90 - 01/20/90 

STS-61A 

10/30/85 - 11/06/85 

STS-33 

11/22/89 - 11/27/89 

STS-43 

08/02/91 - 08/11/91 

STS-28 

08/08/89 - 08/13/89 

STS-51F 

07/29/85 - 08/06/85 

STS-29 

03/13/89 - 03/18/89 

STS-37 

04/05/91 - 04/11/91 

STS-67 

03/02/95 - 03/18/95 

STS-61C 

01/12/86 - 01/18/86 

STS-51B 

04/29/85 - 05/06/85 

STS-26 

09/29/88 - 10/03/88 

STS-38 

11/15/90 - 11/20/90 

STS-68 

09/30/94 - 10/11/94 

STS-9 

11/28/83 - 12/08/83 

STS-41G 

10/05/84 - 10/13/84 

STS-51-I 

08/27/85 - 09/03/85 

STS-36 

02/28/90 - 03/04/90 

STS-59 

04/09/94 - 04/20/94 

STS-5 

11/11/82 - 11/16/82 

STS-41C 

04/06/84 - 04/13/84 

STS-51G 

06/17/85 - 06/24/85 

STS-34 

10/18/89 - 10/23/89 

STS-61 

12/02/93 - 12/13/93 

STS-4 

06/27/82 - 07/04/82 

STS-41B 

02/03/84 - 02/11/84 

STS-51D 

04/12/85 - 04/19/85 

STS-30 

05/04/89 - 05/08/89 

STS-57 

06/21/93 - 07/01/93 

STS-3 

03/22/82 - 03/30/82 

STS-8 

08/30/83 - 09/05/83 

STS-51C 

01/24/85 - 01/27/85 

STS-27 

12/02/88 - 12/06/88 

STS-54 

01/13/93 - 01/19/93 

STS-2 

11/12/81 - 11/14/81 

STS-7 

06/18/83 - 06/24/83 

STS-51A 

11/08/84 - 11/16/84 

STS-61B 

11/26/85 - 12/03/85 

STS-47 

09/12/92 - 09/20/92 

STS-1 

04/12/81 - 04/14/81 

STS-6 

04/04/83 - 04/09/83 

STS-41D 

08/30/84 - 09/05/84 

STS-51J 

10/03/85 - 10/07/85 

STS-49 

05/07/92 - 05/16/92 

 

OV-102 

Columbia 

(17 flights) 

OV-099 

Challenger 

(10 flights) 

OV-103 

Discovery 

(20 flights) 

OV-104 

Atlantis 

(13 flights) 

OV-105 

Endeavour 

(8 flights)