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| STS-79 | |
|---|---|
| Name | STS-79 |
| Mission type | Shuttle-Mir docking |
| Operator | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| Mission duration | 9 days, 3 hours, 15 minutes, 20 seconds |
| Launch date | September 16, 1996 |
| Launch vehicle | Space Shuttle Atlantis |
| Launch site | Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B |
| Landing date | September 25, 1996 |
| Landing site | Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility |
| Crew | William F. Readdy, Terrence W. Wilcutt, Jay Apt, Thomas D. Akers, Carl E. Walz, John Blaha |
| Orbit reference | Low Earth orbit |
| Apsis | gee |
STS-79
STS-79 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis in September 1996 that performed a docking with the Russian Mir space station as part of the Shuttle–Mir program. The flight carried a crew of six and facilitated a crew exchange that returned an astronaut from long-duration flight and delivered a successor for continuous international habitation. The mission advanced United States–Russia relations in spaceflight and contributed to preparations for the International Space Station.
The mission continued the Shuttle–Mir program sequence that followed earlier dockings such as the ones involving STS-71, STS-74, and STS-76. STS-79 supported long-duration operations on Mir involving personnel rotations including John Blaha and Shannon Lucid's predecessors, and integrated logistics transfers that involved hardware compatible with Spacehab modules and Russian hardware from RKK Energia. The flight advanced cooperative research initiated after the end of the Cold War and tied into policy frameworks shaped by agreements like the Space Cooperation Agreement between United States agencies and Roscosmos predecessors.
The six-person crew was commanded by veteran astronaut William F. Readdy, with pilot Terrence W. Wilcutt and mission specialists Jay Apt, Thomas D. Akers, Carl E. Walz, and John Blaha. The roster reflected a mix of shuttle flight experience and long-duration station expertise; John Blaha had crossed over from a prior long-duration stay on Mir and was exchanged with inbound Mir crew members representing RKK Energia coordination. Crew training involved interactions with Russian Space Agency protocols at facilities including Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and sessions with partners such as Johnson Space Center personnel.
Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B on September 16, 1996, using the Space Shuttle stack architecture that had been developed following earlier missions like STS-1 and implemented modifications traced to investigations such as those after STS-51-L. The orbiter executed a nominal ascent profile to reach Low Earth orbit for rendezvous operations. After completing the docking, transfer, and undocking phases, Atlantis performed deorbit burns and atmospheric entry, concluding with a runway touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility on September 25, 1996.
The rendezvous and docking sequence employed techniques derived from prior joint missions and rendezvous practices refined since operations such as Gemini 6A and Gemini 7 for on-orbit proximity work. Atlantis docked to the Mir core module's docking port, engaging the Androgynous Peripheral Attach System interface and conducting pressurized module transfers between the orbiter and the station. The docking enabled an exchange of long-duration crew accommodations, returning an astronaut who had lived aboard Mir and delivering a replacement trained in procedures developed in collaboration with RKK Energia and Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center instructors.
Cargo manifests included a Spacehab pressurized module configured to transport logistics, scientific racks, and personal effects exchanged with Mir crew. Experiments spanned disciplines pursued by organizations such as the National Institutes of Health collaborators and facilities aligned with Marshall Space Flight Center investigators; investigations included materials science, life sciences, and Earth observation tasks with instruments analogous to those used on prior missions like STS-60. Hardware transfers also encompassed spares and resupply items interoperable with Mir systems maintained by RKK Energia technicians.
Key mission events followed an orchestrated timeline: launch from Kennedy Space Center; phased orbital rendezvous; docking and hatch opening with Mir; multiday onboard transfer activities including cargo movement and joint crew operations; undocking; flyaround inspections performed by crew hands-on while coordinating with Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center; deorbit burn; atmospheric reentry; and runway landing at Kennedy Space Center. The timeline integrated procedures refined from experience in missions such as STS-71, STS-76, and STS-74 to optimize handover of station operations and scientific continuity.
Post-mission reviews conducted by NASA in coordination with RKK Energia examined logistics throughput, crew health metrics, and the performance of transferred hardware to inform subsequent operations on Mir and planning for the International Space Station program. Lessons influenced training regimens at Johnson Space Center and hardware provisioning managed by centers including Marshall Space Flight Center and production partners such as Rockwell International contractors. Operational findings contributed to policy and technical frameworks that supported later shuttle flights and long-duration station expeditions, reinforcing multinational cooperation exemplified by agreements with Roscosmos successors and allied space agencies.
Category:NASA space shuttle missions Category:1996 in spaceflight