STS-89 Fact Sheet

By Cliff Lethbridge

STS-89 — Endeavour

89th Space Shuttle Mission

12th Flight of Endeavour

Crew:

Terrence W. Wilcutt, Commander

Joe Frank Edwards, Jr., Pilot

Michael P. Anderson, Mission Specialist

Bonnie J. Dunbar, Mission Specialist

James F. Reilly II, Mission Specialist

Salizhan S. Sharipov, Mission Specialist

Embarking to Mir:

Andrew S.W. Thomas, Mission Specialist

Returning from Mir:

David A. Wolf, Mission Specialist

Orbiter Preparations:

Tow to Orbiter Processing Facility – March 28, 1997

Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building (For Storage) – April 8, 1997

Rollover to Orbiter Processing Facility – April 21, 1997

Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building (For Storage) – May 23, 1997

Rollover to Orbiter Processing Facility – June 4, 1997

Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building – December 12, 1997

Rollout to Launch Pad 39A – December 19, 1997

Launch:

January 22, 1998 – 9:48:15 p.m. EST. Launch was originally scheduled for January 15, 1998 but was postponed to January 20, 1998 and finally January 22, 1998 as per requests from Russian Space Agency officials to complete necessary repairs to the Mir Space Station. Launch occurred as scheduled with no delays.

Landing:

January 31, 1998 – 5:35:09 p.m. EST at Runway 15, Kennedy Space Center. Rollout distance was 9,790 feet. Rollout time was 70 seconds. Mission duration was 8 days, 19 hours, 46 minutes, 54 seconds. Landing occurred during the 139th orbit.

Mission Summary:

The prime objective of the mission was the eighth docking of a Space Shuttle to the Russian Mir Space Station, and the sixth consecutive transfer of astronauts aboard Mir.

Astronaut Thomas replaced astronaut Wolf aboard Mir. Wolf spent 119 days aboard Mir, and a total of 128 days in space before being returned to Earth.

Endeavour docked with Mir at 3:14 p.m. EST on January 24, 1998. Hatches between the two spacecraft were opened at 5:25 p.m. EST the same day. Astronaut Thomas officially replaced astronaut Wolf aboard Mir at 6:35 p.m. EST on January 25, 1998.

About 8,000 pounds of scientific equipment, logistics hardware and water were transferred from Endeavour to Mir during five days of joint docking operations. Undocking occurred at 11:57 a.m. EST on January 29, 1998.

On January 30, 1998 astronaut Anderson read a dedication to the workers who made the launch of Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite, possible. The 40th anniversary of the launch of Explorer I was celebrated on January 31, 1998.