STS-87

STS-87
NASA · Public domain · source
Mission name	STS-87
Space shuttle	Columbia
Launch date	November 19, 1997
Launch site	Kennedy Space Center
Landing date	December 5, 1997
Landing site	Kennedy Space Center

STS-87 was the 88th Space Shuttle mission and the 24th flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The mission was a 16-day flight, launched from Kennedy Space Center on November 19, 1997, and landed back at Kennedy Space Center on December 5, 1997. The crew consisted of astronauts from NASA, including Kevin Kregel, Steven Lindsey, Winston Scott, Kalpana Chawla, Takahiro Akiba, and Leonid Kadenyuk, who was the first Ukrainian astronaut to fly on a Space Shuttle mission, sponsored by National Space Agency of Ukraine and NASA. The mission was also supported by European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Mission Overview

The STS-87 mission was designed to conduct a variety of scientific experiments, including the deployment of the SPARTAN satellite, which was built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The crew also conducted experiments using the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML), which was developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA's Ames Research Center. The mission also included the testing of the AERCam Sprint, a small robotic camera system developed by NASA's Johnson Space Center and NASA's Langley Research Center. The crew worked closely with scientists from University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and California Institute of Technology to conduct the experiments.

Crew

The crew of STS-87 included Kevin Kregel, the mission commander, who had previously flown on STS-70 and STS-78. The pilot was Steven Lindsey, who had previously flown on STS-87 and would later fly on STS-95 and STS-104. The mission specialists included Winston Scott, who had previously flown on STS-87 and would later fly on STS-109, Kalpana Chawla, who had previously flown on STS-87 and would later fly on STS-107, Takahiro Akiba, who was a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut, and Leonid Kadenyuk, who was a National Space Agency of Ukraine astronaut. The crew trained at NASA's Johnson Space Center and European Astronaut Centre.

Mission Objectives

The primary objectives of the STS-87 mission were to deploy the SPARTAN satellite, conduct experiments using the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML), and test the AERCam Sprint robotic camera system. The crew also conducted a variety of scientific experiments, including the study of comets, asteroids, and the Earth's atmosphere, in collaboration with scientists from Harvard University, University of Chicago, and University of Texas at Austin. The mission also included the testing of new equipment and techniques, such as the use of NASA's Tethered Satellite System and the Space Shuttle's Remote Manipulator System, developed by NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and Canadian Space Agency.

Mission Timeline

The STS-87 mission began on November 19, 1997, with the launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center. The crew spent the first few days of the mission conducting experiments and deploying the SPARTAN satellite, which was built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. On November 25, 1997, the crew conducted a spacewalk to test the AERCam Sprint robotic camera system, developed by NASA's Johnson Space Center and NASA's Langley Research Center. The crew also conducted a variety of scientific experiments, including the study of comet Hale-Bopp and asteroid Mathilde, in collaboration with scientists from University of Arizona, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Wisconsin–Madison. The mission ended on December 5, 1997, with the landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia back at Kennedy Space Center.

Spacewalks

The STS-87 mission included two spacewalks, also known as Extravehicular Activity (EVA). The first spacewalk was conducted by Winston Scott and Takahiro Akiba on November 25, 1997, and lasted for 5 hours and 9 minutes. The second spacewalk was conducted by Scott and Akiba on December 3, 1997, and lasted for 4 hours and 59 minutes. During the spacewalks, the crew tested the AERCam Sprint robotic camera system and conducted a variety of scientific experiments, including the study of the Space Shuttle's thermal protection system, developed by NASA's Ames Research Center and NASA's Langley Research Center. The spacewalks were supported by Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center and European Space Agency's European Astronaut Centre. Category:Space Shuttle missions