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Template:Infobox spaceflight STS-96 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery, and the first shuttle flight to dock with the International Space Station. The shuttle carried the Spacehab module in the payload, filled with cargo for station outfitting. STS-96 launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 27 May 1999 at 06:49:42 AM EDT.

Crew[]

Position Astronaut
Commander Kent V. Rominger
Fourth spaceflight
Pilot Rick D. Husband
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Daniel T. Barry
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Ellen Ochoa
Third spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3 Tamara E. Jernigan
Fifth spaceflight
Mission Specialist 4 Julie Payette, CSA
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 5 Valery I. Tokarev, RKA
First spaceflight

Space walk[]

  • Jernigan and Barry – EVA 1
  • EVA 1 Start: 30 May 1999 – 02:56 UTC
  • EVA 1 End: 30 May 1999 – 10:51 UTC
  • Duration: 7 hours, 55 minutes

Mission highlights[]

STS-96 was a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station carrying the Spacehab Double Module (DM) 13th Spacehab overall (6th dual module use).

The Discovery carried to the ISS an Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) with parts for the Russian cargo crane STRELA, which was mounted to the exterior of the Russian station segment. Furthermore, the ICC carried the SPACEHAB Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS) and the "ORU Transfer Device" (OTD), an U.S. built crane.

Other payloads on STS-96 were the Student Tracked Atmospheric Research Satellite for Heuristic International Networking Equipment (STARSHINE), the Shuttle Vibration Forces Experiment (SVF) and the Orbiter Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring – HEDS Technology Demonstration (IVHM HTD).

The STARSHINE satellite consists of an inert, 483 millimetres (Template:Convert/round in) hollow sphere covered by 1,000 evenly distributed, flat, polished mirrors, each 1 inch in diameter. The payload consists of the STARSHINE satellite, integrated with the Pallet Ejection System (PES), then mounted inside a lidless carrier. The HH equipment consists of one HH Lightweight Avionics Plate (LAP), then mounted inside a lidless carrier. Additional HH equipment consists of one Hitchhiker Ejection System Electronics (HESE), one 5.0 cubic-foot (142 L) HH canister, and one Adapter Beam Assembly (ABA). The purpose of the mission was to train international student volunteer observers to visually track this optically reflective spacecraft during morning and evening twilight intervals for several months, calculate its orbit from shared observations, and derive atmospheric density from drag-induced changes in its orbit over time.

990527 STS96 Discovery launch smoke trail

Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-96 from Kennedy Space Center, 27 May 1999.

The Shuttle Vibration Forces (SVF) Experiment provided flight measurements of the vibratory forces acting between an aerospace payload and its mounting structure. The force transducers were incorporated into four custom brackets which replaced the existing brackets used to attach the 5 ft (1.5 m) standard canister to the side wall GAS adapter beam. The payload was activated automatically by the Orbiter Lift-off vibration and operated for approximately 100 seconds. STS-96 was the second flight of the SVF experiment.

The purpose of the Orbiter Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring- HEDS Technology Demonstration (IVHM HTD) was to demonstrate competing modern, off-the-shelf sensing technologies in an operational environment to make informed design decisions for the eventual Orbiter upgrade IVHM. The objective of IVHM was to reduce planned ground processing, streamline problem troubleshooting (unplanned ground processing), enhance visibility into systems operation and improve overall vehicle safety.

A copy of Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft real-time strategy game was also flown aboard STS-96.[1] It resides at Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, CA.

Wake-up calls[]

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, which was first used to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15.[2] Each track is specially chosen, often by their families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.[2][3]

Flight Day Song Artist/Composer Links
Day 2 "California Dreamin" Mamas and the Papas wav[dead link] mp3[dead link]
Transcript[dead link]
Day 3 "Danger Zone" Kenny Loggins wav[dead link] mp3[dead link]
Transcript[dead link]
Day 4 Themes from Star Wars Space Center Intermediate Band wav[dead link] mp3[dead link]
Transcript[dead link]
Day 5 "Morning Colors" US Coast Guard Band wav[dead link] mp3[dead link]
Transcript[dead link]
Day 6 "Amarillo by Morning" George Strait wav[dead link] mp3[dead link]
Transcript[dead link]
Day 7 "Exultate Jubilate" Mozart wav[dead link] mp3[dead link]
Transcript[dead link]
Day 9 "Free Bird" Lynyrd Skynyrd wav[dead link] mp3[dead link]
Transcript[dead link]

See also[]

References[]

  1. Galleries | Joystiq
  2. 2.0 2.1 Template:Cite news
  3. NASA (11 May 2009). "STS-96 Wakeup Calls". NASA. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-96/html/ndexpage.html. Retrieved 31 July 2009. 

External links[]

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