This image of Jupiter moon Io and its surrounding sky is shown in false color. It was taken at 5 hours 30 minutes Universal Time on Nov. 9, 1996 by the solid state imaging CCD system aboard NASA Galileo spacecraft,

STS-85 Payload Specialist Bjarni V. Tryggvason gives a thumbs up as he is assisted with his ascent/reentry flight suit in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. He is a Canadian Space Agency astronaut and was born in Iceland. Tryggvason has also been a flight instructor for the Canadian Air Force. Tryggvason is the principal investigator of the Microgravity Vibration Isolation Mount now flying on the Russian Mir space station. During STS-85, Tryggvason will conduct vibration isolation mount and fluid physics investigations. His work to study how Shuttle vibrations affect the results of experiments will be valuable to the International Space Station program, since this experiment is planned for use on that space platform. Tryggvason will also conduct Bioreactor experiments and assist Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson with photography

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Official portrait of Roy D. Bridges Jr., director of Kennedy Space Center.

Soil Disturbance by Airbags

N-257 CVSRF: control rooms for 747 and ACSF cabs - LEFT SIDE; EOS - ACFS (Advanced Cab Flight Simulator) w. (l-r) Victor Loesche, Hector Reyes & Eric Jacobs and RIGHT SIDE; EOS - 747 Cab with (l-r) David Brown and Cindy Nguyen

STS-83 crew M113 driver training during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT

The crew assigned to the STS-84 mission included (seated front left to right) Jerry M Linenger, mission specialist; Charles J. Precourt, commander; and C. Michael Foale, mission specialist. On the back row (left to right) are Jean-Francois Clervoy (ESA), mission specialist; Eileen M. Collins, pilot; Edward T. Lu, mission specialist; Elena V. Kondakova (RSA), mission specialist; and Carlos I. Noriega, mission specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on May 15, 1997 at 4:07:48 am (EDT), the STS-84 mission served as the sixth U.S. Space Shuttle-Russian Space Station Mir docking.

Forward Ramp Within 360-degree Panorama

STS-85 Mission Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr., poses in his T-38 jet trainer after landing with his crew at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility from NASA’s Johnson Space Center to begin Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities for that mission. The TCDT includes a dress rehearsal of the launch countdown. The STS-85 mission is now targeted for Aug. 7. The primary payload aboard the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery is the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2). Other STS-85 payloads include the Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD), and Technology Applications and Science-1 (TAS-1) and International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-2 (IEH-2) experiments

Deflated Airbags & Terrain

The president of the Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, is flanked by Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk, at left, and backup Payload Specialist Yaroslav Pustovyi, at right, both of the National Space Agency of Ukraine, during prelaunch activities leading up to the scheduled Nov. 19 launch of STS-87. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite. During the mission, Kadenyuk will pollinate Brassica rapa plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment, or CUE, aboard Columbia during its 16-day mission. The CUE experiment is a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments that will fly in Columbia's middeck and will feature an educational component that involves evaluating the effects of microgravity on Brassica rapa seedlings. Students in Ukrainian and American schools will participate in the same experiment with Kadenyuk in space. Kadenyuk will be flying his first Shuttle mission on STS-87

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With drag chute deployed, the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery touches down on Runway 33 at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:07:59 a.m. EDT Aug. 19 to complete the 11-day, 20-hour and 27-minute-long STS-85 mission. At the controls are Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr. and Pilot Kent V. Rominger. The first landing opportunity on Aug. 18 was waved off due to the potential for ground fog. Also onboard the orbiter are Payload Commander N. Jan Davis, Mission Specialist Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson and Payload Specialist Bjarni V. Tryggvason. During the 86th Space Shuttle mission, the crew deployed the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the AtmosphereShuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) free-flyer to conduct research on the Earth’s middle atmosphere, retrieving it on flight day 9. The crew also conducted investigations with the Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD), Technology Applications and Science-1 (TAS-1) and International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-2 (IEH-2) experiments. Robinson also made observations of the comet Hale-Bopp with the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SWIS) while other members of the crew conducted biological experiments in the orbiter’s crew cabin. This was the 39th landing at KSC in the history of the Space Shuttle program and the 11th touchdown for Discovery at the space center

STS-83 crew member in the white room at Launch Pad 39A prior to entering the crew compartment of Columbia for launc

S82-E-5652 (17 Feb. 1997) --- Astronaut Gregory J. Harbaugh (solid stripe on EMU) uses Remote Manipulator System (RMS) as a cherry-picker device to service Hubble Space Telescope (HST). In cooperation with astronaut Joseph R. Tanner, nearby, the mission specialist was in the process of replacing the HST's Magnetic Sensing System (MSS) protective caps with new, permanent covers. This view was taken with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC).

Manufacturing Division (Code JM) Projects. Chris Radbourne on Cincinnati Hydro-Tel N-220 Model Machining & Contract fabrication Br Code-JMM

STS081-361-026 (12-22 Jan 1997) --- Astronaut John M. Grunsfeld, mission specialist, floats into the Spacehab Double Module (DM) bearing a freezer unit in support of experimentation, onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the Atlantis - Russia?s Mir Space Station docking mission.

S97-00253 (10 Dec. 1996) ---- After clearing the high bay door of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the space shuttle Atlantis slowly moves out to Launch Pad 39B along the crawlerway. Atlantis is scheduled to liftoff Jan. 12 on STS-81, the first Shuttle mission of 1997. The planned nine-day flight will include the fifth Shuttle-Mir docking.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Passing underneath the KSC Apollo/Saturn V inside the building are (from left): Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; and Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA STS-82 PREPARATIONS VIEW --- Scattered clouds at dawn provide the backdrop for the Space Shuttle Discovery as it moves along the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Crawlerway toward Launch Pad 39A in preparation for the STS-82 mission. The Space Shuttle is on a mobile launch platform, and the entire assemblage is being carried by a large tracked vehicle called the Crawler Transporter. A seven-member crew of astronauts will perform the second servicing of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the scheduled ten-day STS-82 flight. Launch is currently targeted for February 11, 1997.

Final prelaunch preparations are made at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, for liftoff of the Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle with the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft, at top. The black rectangular-shaped panel in front is one of ACE’s solar arrays. ACE will investigate the origin and evolution of solar phenomenon, the formation of solar corona, solar flares and acceleration of the solar wind. This will be the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. Liftoff is scheduled Aug. 24

NM23-48-003 (29 April 1997) --- Cosmonaut Vasili V. Tsibliyev, Mir-23 commander, operates at the end of the Russian Mir Space Station’s STRELA boom during a space walk on April 29, 1997. He was joined by United States astronaut Jerry M. Linenger, cosmonaut guest researcher, in an effort to deploy scientific instruments and retrieve other science hardware. At the lower left of the picture is the Kvant-1 module. Hovering above it is the Sofora tower, which was once used for an experiment in attitude control of the Mir.

STS-94 Mission Specialist Michael L. Gernhardt is assisted into his launch/entry suit by a suit technician in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. He first flew in this capacity on STS-69. He has been a professional deep sea diver and engineer and holds a doctorate in bioengineering. Gernhardt will be in charge of the Blue shift and as flight engineer will operate and maintain the orbiter while Halsell and Still are asleep as members of the Red shift. He will also back them up on the flight deck during the ascent and re-entry phases of the mission. Gernhardt and six fellow crew members will shortly depart the O&C and head for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 p.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window was opened 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center

Interior lights give the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) the appearance of a high-tech juke box. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87) soared from Launch Pad 39B on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4) and Spartan-201 satellite which were managed by scientists and engineers from the Marshall Space Flight Center. During the 16-day mission, the crew oversaw experiments in microgravity; deployed and retrieved a solar satellite; and tested a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Two crew members, Dr. Takao Doi and Winston Scott also performed a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers.

Apollo 7 Commander Walter M. "Wally" Schirra and his wife, Josephine, were among the many special NASA STS-83 launch guests who witnessed the liftoff of the Space Shuttle Columbia April 4 at the Banana Creek VIP Viewing Site at KSC. Columbia took off from Launch Pad 39A at 2:20:32 p.m. EST to begin the 16-day Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission

Lockheed Martin Missile Systems technicians prepare NASA’s Lunar Prospector spacecraft for mating to the Trans Lunar Injection Module of the spacecraft at Astrotech, a commercial payload processing facility, in Titusville, Fla. The small robotic spacecraft, to be launched for NASA on an Athena II launch vehicle by Lockheed Martin, is designed to provide the first global maps of the Moon’s surface compositional elements and its gravitational and magnetic fields. The launch of Lunar Prospector is scheduled for Jan. 5, 1998 at 8:31 p.m

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the heat shield of the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after the Cassini spacecraft, aboard which Huygens will be launched, returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station

The Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis touches down on Runway 33 at 9:22:44 a.m. EST Jan. 22 to conclude the fifth Shuttle-Mir docking mission and return NASA astronaut John Blaha to Earth after four months in space. Blaha was replaced by STS-81 Mission Specialist Jerry Linenger during the five days of docked operations. At main gear touchdown, the STS-81 mission duration was 10 days, 4 hours, 55 minutes. This was the 34th KSC landing in Shuttle history. Mission Commander Michael A. Baker flew Atlantis to a perfect landing, with help from Pilot Brent W. Jett, Jr. Other returning STS-81 crew members are Mission Specialists John M. Grunsfeld, Peter J. K. "Jeff" Wisoff and Marsha S. Ivins. Atlantis also brought back experiment samples from the Russian space station for analysis on Earth, along with Russian logistics equipment

The Atlas 1 payload fairing with the encapsulated GOES-K advanced weather satellite awaits transport to the launch pad. GOES-K was prepared for launch at the Astrotech Space Operations LP facility in Titusville. GOES-K will be the third spacecraft to be launched in the advanced series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The GOES satellites are owned and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); NASA manages the design, development and launch of the spacecraft. GOES-K is targeted for an <a href="http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/release/1997/63-97.htm">April 24 launch</a> aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas 1 expendable launch vehicle (AC-79) from Launch Complex 36, Pad B, Cape Canaveral Air Station. The launch window opens at 1:50 a.m. and extends to 3:09 a.m. EDT. Once in orbit, GOES-K will become GOES-10, joining GOES-8 and GOES-9 in space

STS-82 Mission Specialist Steven L. Smith gives a "thumbs up" while donning his launch and entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building. A suit technician stands ready to assist with final adjustments. This is Smith’s second space flight. He and the six other crew members will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Discovery awaits liftoff on a 10-day mission to service the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This will be the second HST servicing mission. Four back-to-back spacewalks are planned

KSC workers begin to remove a protective sheath from the Node 1 in its work stand in the Space Station Processing Facility. The module is the first element of the International Space Station to be manufactured in the United States and the first scheduled to be launched on the Space Shuttle. The Node 1 is currently scheduled to lift off aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in July 1998, along with Pressurized Mating Adapters (PMAs) 1 and 2. The 18-foot-in-diameter, 22-foot- long aluminum module was manufactured by the Boeing Co. at Marshall Space Flight Center. Once in space, the Node 1 will function as a connecting passageway to the living and working areas of the International Space Station. It has six hatches that will serve as docking ports to the U.S. laboratory module, U.S. habitation module, an airlock and other space station elements

STS079-S-062 (16-26 Sept. 1996) --- Astronaut John E. Blaha, here serving as a cosmonaut guest researcher onboard Russia's Mir Space Station, is pictured on the Spektr Module during his "move" from the Space Shuttle Atlantis. During the STS-79 mission, the crew used an IMAX camera to document activities aboard the space shuttle Atlantis and the various Mir modules. A hand-held version of the 65mm camera system accompanied the STS-79 crew into space in Atlantis' crew cabin. NASA has flown IMAX camera systems on many shuttle missions, including a special cargo bay camera's coverage of other recent Shuttle-Mir rendezvous and/or docking missions.

MGS Approach Image - 217.4° W Longitude

Resurfacing of the Jupiter-facing hemisphere of Io

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13

Western Tithonium Chasma/Ius Chasma, Valles Marineris

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Lisa Malone, Chief, Media Services Branch, NASA Public Affairs

STS081-S-010 (22 Jan. 1997) --- A drag chute is deployed as the Space Shuttle Atlantis rolls toward a wheels stopped mode on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to conclude the fifth Shuttle-Mir docking mission. Coming to a halt at 9:22:44 a.m. (EST), January 22, the mission also accomplished the return of astronaut John E. Blaha, cosmonaut guest researcher, who had been aboard Russia's Mir Space Station complex since mid September 1996. Blaha was replaced by Jerry M. Linenger during the five days of joint activities of the Mir-22 and STS-81 crew members while Atlantis and Mir were docked in Earth-orbit. At main gear touchdown, the mission's duration was 10 days, 4 hours and 55 minutes. This was the 34th space shuttle landing at KSC. The crew aboard at landing included astronauts Michael A. Baker, commander; Brent W. Jett, Jr., pilot; Blaha; and mission specialists Marsha S. Ivins, Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff and John M. Grunsfeld.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Space Shuttle Discovery on its Mobile Launcher Platform slowly moves through the high bay doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building en route to Launch Pad 39A, where Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the STS-82 mission on Feb. 11. A seven-member crew will perform the second servicing of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the 10-day STS-82 mission.

Proudly wearing red KSC Fire/Rescue hats, members of the STS-84 crew pause for a moment for a group photograph while participating in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities. From left, are Mission Specialists C. Michael Foale, Carlos I. Noriega, Jean-Francois Clervoy of the European Space Agency and Elena V. Kondakova of the Russian Space Agency; and Pilot Eileen Marie Collins, Mission Specialist Edward Tsang Lu and Commander Charles J. Precourt. STS-84 aboard Atlantis will be the sixth docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. After docking, Foale will transfer to the space station and become a member of the Mir 23 crew, replacing U.S. astronaut Jerry M. Linenger, who will return to Earth aboard Atlantis. Foale will live and work on Mir until mid-September when his replacement is expected to arrive on the STS-86 mission. STS-84 is targeted for a May 15 liftoff

Carried atop an orbiter transporter, the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis rolls into the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) . The "rollover" of the orbiter from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the nearby VAB is one of the prelaunch milestones. Atlantis is being readied for the next mission, STS-86, which is targeted for a September launch. STS-86 will be the seventh of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle orbiter with the Russian Space Station Mir

Matthew Koss lectures middle-school students about materials science research in space during the U.S. Microgravity Payload-4 (USMP-4) mission (STS-87, Nov. 19 - Dec. 5, 1997) in the visitor's center set up by the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE) team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)in Troy, NY. IDGE, flown on three Space Shuttle missions, is yielding new insights into virtually all industrially relevant metal and alloy forming operations. Photo credit: RPI

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Atop the crawler/transporter, the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis rolls out to Launch Complex 39A in preparation for mission STS-86, which is targeted for a September launch. STS-86 will be the seventh of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle orbiter with the Russian Space Station Mir

This photo shows the High Resolution Camera (HRC) for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), being integrated with the High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) in Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) 24-foot Vacuum Chamber at the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRC is one of the two instruments used at the focus of CXO, where it will detect x-rays reflected from an assembly of eight mirrors. The unique capabilities of the HRC stem from the close match of its imaging capability to the focusing of the mirrors. When used with CXO mirrors, the HRC makes images that reveal detail as small as one-half an arc second. This is equivalent to the ability to read a newspaper at a distance of 1 kilometer. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

STS081-E-05100 (12 Jan. 1997) --- Astronaut Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff, mission specialist, carries a stowage drawer from the middeck of the Space Shuttle Atlantis' crew cabin through a connective tunnel into the Spacehab Double Module (DM). In a few days, Wisoff and his five crew mates are scheduled to dock with Russia's Mir Space Station and pick up John E. Blaha, NASA astronaut who has been serving as a cosmonaut guest researcher since September, 1996. Astronaut Jerry M. Linenger will replace Blaha onboard Mir and the transfer will mark the second such direct exchange of cosmonaut guest researchers, though Linenger will be the fourth United States astronaut to spend a lengthy stay on Mir.

STS-94 Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr. (center) shakes hands with KSC Shuttle Launch Director James F. Harrington (in white cap) after an end-of-mission landing on Runway 33 of KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility July 17 to complete the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. Main gear touchdown occurred at 6:46:34 a.m. EDT, July 17. At right, STS-88 Mission Commander and Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) pilot Robert D. Cabana greets STS-94 Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas. In the background, KSC Center Director Roy D. Bridges Jr. meets with other members of the STS-94 crew

STS-87 Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., is assisted with her ascent and re-entry flight suit in the white room at Launch Pad 39B by Danny Wyatt, NASA quality assurance specialist. Kneeing before Dr. Chawla to assist her is George Schram, USA mechanical technician, as Dr. Chawla prepares to enter the Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia on launch day. STS-87 is the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201

Volcanically Active Regions on Io

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is placed atop its launch vehicle at Launch Complex 17A. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 24, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA

The five STS-86 mission specialists wave to the crowd of press representatives, KSC employees and other well-wishers as they depart from the Operations and Checkout Building. The three U.S. mission specialists (and their nicknames for this flight) are, from left, "too tall" Scott E. Parazynski, "just right" David A. Wolf and "too short" Wendy B. Lawrence. The two mission specialists representing foreign space agencies are Vladimir Georgievich Titov of the Russian Space Agency, in foreground at right, and Jean-Loup J.M. Chretien of the French Space Agency, CNES, in background at right. Commander James D. Wetherbee and Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield are out of the frame. STS-86 is slated to be the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Wolf is scheduled to transfer to the Mir 24 crew for an approximate four-month stay aboard the Russian space station. Parazynski and Lawrence were withdrawn from training for an extended stay aboard the Mir Parazynski because he was too tall to fit safely in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, and Lawrence because she was too short to fit into a Russian spacewalk suit. The crew is en route to Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Atlantis awaits liftoff on the planned 10-day mission

Large boulders are visible in this enlargement of pictures taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) lander camera on July 4, 1997. The landing site is in the dry flood channel named Ares Valles. The boulders probably represent deposits from one of the catastrophic floods that carved the ancient channel. Between the rocks is brownish windblown soil. The gray-tan sky results from dust particles in the atmosphere. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00609

Eclipse project QF-106 and C-141A climbs out under tow on first tethered flight December 20, 1997

STS-82 crew arrival for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT

Tiltrotor Aircraft, Transport Aircraft T-Cab moving into NASA Ames Vertical Motion Simulaotor (VMS) from I-Cab Fixed Base Area in bldg. N-243 using trolly.

STS-82 Mission Specialist Joseph R. "Joe" Tanner dons his launch and entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building with assistance from a suit technician. This is Tanner’s second space flight. He and the six other crew members will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Discovery awaits liftoff on a 10-day mission to service the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This will be the second HST servicing mission. Four back-to-back spacewalks are planned

The aft shield is installed on the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF). The European Space Agency's Huygens probe will be attached to the Cassini spacecraft which will explore the Titan moon of the Saturnian system

Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87) mid-deck, Leonid Kadenyuk, Ukrainian payload specialist, works with the Brassica rapa plants being grown for the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment (CUE). Kadenyuk joined five astronauts for 16-days in Earth-orbit in support of the United States Microgravity Payload 4 (USMP-4) mission.

STS081-318-020 (12-22 Jan. 1997) --- Astronaut Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff at biorack in the Spacehab Double Module (DM) checks on a botanical experiment, onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, during the Atlantis and Russia's Mir Space Station docking mission.

STS081-711-009 (12-22 Jan. 1997) --- As photographed with a 70mm handheld camera from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis, this image provides a northeastward panorama of the Florida peninsula, the northern Bahamas and Cuba as well as a synoptic view of the northern Caribbean region. Lake Okeechobee and the urban region around Miami are the two key visual points in Florida. The turquoise shallow water platforms around the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and south of Cuba contrast with the deep blue color of the deeper channels which separate Florida from Cuba and the Bahamas. Offshore breezes keep the coastal areas clear of clouds.

In preparation for Space Shuttle Mission STS-87, the orbiter Columbia is lifted into high bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The orbiter will be mated to the <a href="http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/nasafact/count3.htm#et">external tank</a> and <a href="http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/nasafact/ships.htm#srbs">solid rocket boosters</a> over the weekend and is slated to roll out to Pad 39B on Wednesday. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite

VL1 Digs A Deep Hole On Mars

STS-86 Mission Specialist David A. Wolf, at center facing camera, prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39A, with the assistance of Rick Welty, in foreground at center, United Space Alliance (USA) orbiter vehicle closeout chief; and closeout team members, in background from left, Jim Davis, NASA quality assurance specialist; and George Schramm, USA mechanical technician. STS-86 Mission Specialist Vladimir Georgievich Titov, in foreground at far left, is awaiting his turn

SIGB (Standard Interface Glove Box) & MRS (Middeck Rack Structure).

NASA's DC-8 Airborne Science platform landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to join the fleet of aircraft at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The white aircraft with a blue stripe running horizontally from the nose to the tail is shown with its main landing gear just above the runway. The former airliner is a "dash-72" model and has a range of 5,400 miles. The craft can stay airborne for 12 hours and has an operational speed range between 300 and 500 knots. The research flights are made at between 500 and 41,000 feet. The aircraft can carry up to 30,000 lbs of research/science payload equipment installed in 15 mission-definable spaces.

This photo shows a rubber glove and its attachment ring for the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

STS-85 Payload Commander N. Jan Davis gives a thumbs up as she is assisted with her ascent/reentry flight suit in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. She has logged nearly 400 hours in space on the STS-47 and STS-60 missions and holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering. Davis will have overall responsibility for the experiments conducted on STS-85. She will also deploy and retrieve the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the AtmosphereShuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) free-flyer and operate the prototype Japanese robotic arm. The primary payload aboard the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery is the CRISTA-SPAS-2. Other payloads on the 11-day mission include the Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD), and Technology Applications and Science-1 (TAS-1) and International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-2 (IEH-2) experiments

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Final preparations are under way to close the payload bay doors of the Space Shuttle Atlantis for the planned Sept. 25 liftoff of Mission STS-86. The primary payload is the SPACEHAB Double Module, part of which can be seen at top center. SPACEHAB will be used mainly as a large pressurized cargo container for the three-and-a-half tons of science/logistical equipment and supplies to be exchanged between Atlantis and the Russian Space Station Mir. STS-86 will be the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Mir. The 10-day flight also is scheduled to include the transfer of the sixth American to live and work aboard the Russian orbiting outpost. Liftoff of Atlantis and its seven-member crew is targeted for 10:34 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-82 Mission Specialist Steven A Hawley stands beside part of Discovery's Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm, at right, which he will operate for the capture, berthing and redeployment of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The robotic arm also will be used as work platform for the four spacewalkers. Hawley is the prime RMS operator on the flight, which will be the second HST servicing mission. He and the other six members of the crew are making a final inspection of the payload at Launch Pad 39A before launch. STS-82 is scheduled for liftoff on Feb. 11 during a 65-minute launch window that opens at 3:56 a.m. EST.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The International Space Station's Node 1 and Pressurized Mating Adapter-1 (PMA-1) are rotated by workers in KSC's Space Station Processing Facility. The node is rotated to provide access to different areas of the flight element for processing. Here, the node is rotated to provide access for the installation of heat pipe radiators and a flight computer. The node is scheduled to launch into space on STS-88, slated for a July 9 liftoff at 1:11 p.m. from KSC's Launch Pad 39B

One of Sojourner's two front cameras took this image of the Sagan Memorial Station on Sol 6. The lander and its deployed rear ramp are at upper left, while several large rocks appear at center. Sojourner was near the large rock Yogi when this image was taken. Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00673

STS-86 Mission Specialist David A. Wolf, the next U.S. astronaut slated to live and work on the Russian Space Station Mir, is all smiles after his arrival at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility on Monday. Wolf is making his second spaceflight on STS-86, scheduled to be the seventh docking of the Shuttle with the Mir. After the docking, Wolf will transfer to the Mir for an approximate four-month stay. He replaces U.S. astronaut C. Michael Foale, who arrived at Mir in May and will return to Earth with the remainder of the STS-86 crew

Endeavour moved from the Orbiter Processing Facility, bay 3, for temporary storage in the Vehicle Assembly Building to make room for the return of Atlantis on May 24, 1997

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS. -- (JSC 597-01586) -- Official portrait of astronaut Ellen S. Ochoa, mission specialist

STS-81 Pilot Brent W. Jett, Jr. dons his launch/entry suit in the suitup room of the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. He is on his second Shuttle mission. Jett will assist with several of the 44 Risk Mitigation and Human Life Sciences experiments during the 10-day space flight and will perform the intricate flyaround maneuver of the Russian Mir space station after the Space Shuttle Atlantis undocks on flight day eight. He and five crew members will shortly depart the O&C and head for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Atlantis will lift off during a 7-minute window that opens at 4:27 a.m. EST, January 12

The crew of STS-87 pose with their spouses in front of Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B during final prelaunch activities leading up to the scheduled Nov. 19 liftoff. From left to right are: Vera Kadenyuk, wife of Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine who is next to Vera; Mission Specialist Winston Scott and his wife, Marilyn; Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan, and his wife, Hitomi; Jeannie Kregel, who is married to Commander Kevin Kregel standing next to her; Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., and her husband, Jean-Pierre Harrison; and Pilot Steven Lindsey and his wife Diane. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite

This map corresponds to NASA KidSat image MET 00215424 of the northern regions of Sumatra that was captured on Sept., 1997 during the Shuttle flight STS-86.

STS082-710-028 (11-21 Feb. 1997) --- Southeastern Australia, looking southeast, from greater-than-usual altitudes: the view stretches from Lake Eyre (bottom right) -- which has an unusual amount of water after heavy rains in Australia's central desert -- all the way to Port Phillip Bay (top left) where the city of Melbourne is located. This view includes more than half of the state of South Australia (right), all of Victoria (top) and half of New South Wales. The boot-shaped peninsula top is the Yorke Peninsula, with Kangaroo Island beyond (south). Remnants of the dark green natural vegetation appear top left, most having been cleared for agriculture.

A NASA T-34C aircraft, used for safety chase, is shown flying above the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California in March 1997. The aircraft was previously used at the Lewis Research Center in propulsion experiments involving turboprop engines, and was used as a chase aircraft at Dryden for smaller and slower research projects. Chase aircraft accompany research flights for photography and video purposes, and also as support for safety and research. At Dryden, the T-34 is used mainly for smaller remotely piloted vehicles which fly slower than NASA's F-18's, used for larger scale projects. This aircraft was returned to the U.S. Navy in May of 2002. The T-34C, built by Beech, carries a crew of 2 and is nicknamed the Mentor.

The Space Shuttle Discovery cuts a bright swath through the early-morning darkness as it lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on a scheduled 10-day flight to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Liftoff of Mission STS-82 occurred on-time at 3:55:17 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. Leading the veteran crew is Mission Commander Kenneth D. Bowersox. Scott J. "Doc" Horowitz is the pilot. Mark C. Lee is the payload commander. Rounding out the seven-member crew are Mission Specialists Steven L. Smith, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Joseph R. "Joe" Tanner and Steven A. Hawley. Four of the astronauts will be divided into two teams to perform the scheduled four back-to-back extravehicular activities (EVAs) or spacewalks. Lee and Smith will team up for EVAs 1 and 3 on flight days 4 and 6; Harbaugh and Tanner will perform EVAs 2 and 4 on flight days 5 and 7. Among the tasks will be to replace two outdated scientific instruments with two new instruments the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). This is the second servicing mission for HST, which was originally deployed in 1990 and designed to be serviced on-orbit about every three years. Hubble was first serviced in 1993. STS-82 is the second of eight planned flights in 1997. It is the 22nd flight of Discovery and the 82nd Shuttle mission

NASA Ames Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS)VMS (Vertical Motion Simulator) F-Cab interior. Overhead view of cockpit.

STS082-S-009 (11 Feb 1997) --- The Space Shuttle Discovery clears Pad A at Launch Complex 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), as it heads for a scheduled 10-day mission in Earth-orbit. Launch occurred at 3:55:17 a.m. (EST), February 11, 1997. The crew members are astronauts Kenneth D. Bowersox, commander; Scott J. Horowitz, pilot; Mark C. Lee, payload commander; and mission specialists Steven A. Hawley, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Steven L. Smith and Joseph R. Tanner. The primary mission of the flight is to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). STS-82 represents the 22nd flight of Discovery and the 82nd Space Transportation System (STS) flight.

Manufacturing Division (Code JM) Projects. Susan Suffel working on AEM (Animal Enclosure Module) in N-212, Model Development & Advanced Composites Br. (Code JMC)

The crew of the STS-87 mission, scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia from Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), participates in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) at KSC. Getting a look at the Space Shuttle Columbia are, from left, Commander Kevin Kregel; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU); Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; Kadenyuk’s back-up, Yaroslav Pustovyi, Ph.D., also of NSAU; and Mission Specialist Winston Scott. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay

This view of the Earth shows a wonderfully unique but physically impossible view of the southern hemisphere and Antarctica. While a spacecraft could find itself directly over the Earth pole, roughly half of the image should be in darkness!

Wide-Angle Image of Saturn Rings

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Endeavour rolls out to Launch Pad 39A, the destination of its journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building, for final preparations for liftoff of the STS-89 mission. Endeavour and its crew of seven are targeted for a Jan. 22 launch. STS-89 will be the eighth Shuttle docking with the Russian Space Station Mir as part of Phase 1 of the International Space Station program. Mission Specialist Andy Thomas, Ph.D., will succeed Mission Specialist David Wolf, M.D., as the last NASA astronaut scheduled for a long-duration stay aboard Mir

STS-83 Mission Commander James D. Halsell talks to the media at Launch Complex 39A during the crew's <a href="http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/release/1997/40-97.htm">Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT).</a

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr. and Pilot Kent V. Rominger at the controls and the Mate/Demate Device (MDD) and the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in the background, the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery touches down on Runway 33 at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:07:59 a.m. EDT Aug. 19 to complete the 11-day, 20-hour and 27-minute-long STS-85 mission. The first landing opportunity on Aug. 18 was waved off due to the potential for ground fog. Also onboard the orbiter are Payload Commander N. Jan Davis, Mission Specialist Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson and Payload Specialist Bjarni V. Tryggvason. During the 86th Space Shuttle mission, the crew deployed the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) free-flyer to conduct research on the Earth’s middle atmosphere, retrieving it on flight day 9. The crew also conducted investigations with the Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD), Technology Applications and Science-1 (TAS-1) and International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-2 (IEH-2) experiments. Robinson also made observations of the comet HaleBopp with the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SWIS) while other members of the crew conducted biological experiments in the orbiter’s crew cabin. This was the 39th landing at KSC in the history of the Space Shuttle program and the 11th touchdown for Discovery at the space center

The third stage of the Lockheed Martin Athena launch vehicle arrives at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station before it is mated to the second stage. The protective covering for safe transportation is removed before the third stage is lifted on the launch pad. Athena is scheduled to carry the Lunar Prospector spacecraft for an 18-month mission that will orbit the Earth’s moon to collect data from the lunar surface. Scientific experiments to be conducted by the Prospector include locating water ice that may exist near the lunar poles, gathering data to understand the evolution of the lunar highland crust and the lunar magnetic field, finding radon outgassing events, and describing the lunar gravity field by means of Doppler tracking. The launch is now scheduled for early-January 1998

STS-86 Commander James D. Wetherbee arrives in a T-38 jet at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), a dress rehearsal for launch. STS-86 will be the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. The mission is targeted for a Sept. 25 launch aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Pressurized Mating Adapter-1 (PMA-1), scheduled to fly on Space Shuttle mission STS-88 is undergoing processing in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF). A PMA is a cone-shaped connector that will be attached to Node 1, the space station’s structural building block, during ground processing. STS-88 is the first International Space Station assembly flight.

STS082-709-097 (18 Feb. 1997) --- Backdropped against the darkness of space, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is lifted by the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) from its berth in the cargo bay of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery following its servicing by the astronauts and just prior to its release back into space. Two teams of space walkers alternated Extravehicular Activity (EVA) days to complete five total days of servicing chores on the orbiting HST observatory.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Thomas Lippitt of NASA's Advanced Systems Development (ASD) laboratory observes robotic operations as Chris Nicholson, owner of Deep Sea Systems, and Bill Jones of NASA's ASD laboratory operate the unmanned robotic submersible recovery system, known as Max Rover, during a test of the system at the Trident Pier at Port Canaveral. The submersible is seen in the water with the Diver Operated Plug (DOP). Kennedy Space Center's solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval team and ASD laboratory staff hope that the new robotic technology will make the process of inserting the plug safer and less strenuous. Currently, scuba divers manually insert the DOP into the aft nozzle of a jettisoned SRB 60 to 70 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. After the plug is installed, water is pumped out of the booster allowing it to float horizontally. It is then towed back to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Station for refurbishment. Deep Sea Systems of Falmouth, Mass., built the submersible for NASA

Carried atop an orbiter transporter, the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis makes the short journey from Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). This photo was taken from the roof of the 525-foot-tall VAB. The "rollover" of the orbiter is one of the prelaunch milestones. Atlantis is being readied for the next mission, STS-86, which is targeted for a September launch. STS-86 will be the seventh of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle orbiter with the Russian Space Station Mir

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers prepare to close the payload bay doors of the Space Shuttle Atlantis in preparation for the planned Sept. 25 liftoff of Mission STS-86. The primary payload is the SPACEHAB Double Module, at center, which will be used mainly as a large pressurized cargo container for the three-and-a-half tons of science/logistical equipment and supplies to be exchanged between Atlantis and the Russian Space Station Mir. STS-86 will be the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Mir. The 10-day flight also is scheduled to include the transfer of the sixth American to live and work aboard the Russian orbiting outpost. Liftoff of Atlantis and its seven-member crew is targeted for 10:34 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- In preparation for Space Shuttle Mission STS-87, Columbia rolls out to Launch Complex 39B atop the crawler-transporter. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite. Launch is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 19

S85-E-5052 (12 August 1997) --- Sunrise over the continental United States, as seen from the Space Shuttle Discovery, on flight day six. The photograph was taken with the Electronic Still Camera (ESC).

STS-84 Mission Specialist Carlos I. Noriega prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39A with help from white room closeout crew members. The fourth Shuttle mission of 1997 will be the sixth docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. The commander is Charles J. Precourt. The pilot is Eileen Marie Collins. The five mission specialists are C. Michael Foale, Carlos I. Noriega, Edward Tsang Lu, Jean-Francois Clervoy of the European Space Agency and Elena V. Kondakova of the Russian Space Agency. The planned nine-day mission will include the exchange of Foale for U.S. astronaut and Mir 23 crew member Jerry M. Linenger, who has been on Mir since Jan. 15. Linenger transferred to Mir during the last docking mission, STS-81; he will return to Earth on Atlantis. Foale is slated to remain on Mir for about four months until he is replaced in September by STS-86 Mission Specialist Wendy B. Lawrence. During the five days Atlantis is scheduled to be docked with the Mir, the STS-84 crew and the Mir 23 crew, including two Russian cosmonauts, Commander Vasily Tsibliev and Flight Engineer Alexander Lazutkin, will participate in joint experiments. The STS-84 mission also will involve the transfer of more than 7,300 pounds of water, logistics and science equipment to and from the Mir. Atlantis is carrying a nearly 300-pound oxygen generator to replace one of two Mir units which have experienced malfunctions. The oxygen it generates is used for breathing by the Mir crew

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, undergoes further processing in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

STS-86 crew members pose for a group photograph outside the hatch to the crew cabin of the Space Shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39A. Kneeling in front, from left, are Mission Specialists Vladimir Georgievich Titov of the Russian Space Agency, David A. Wolf and Wendy B. Lawrence. Standing, from left, are Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield, Mission Specialist Scott E. Parazynski, Commander James D. Wetherbee, and Mission Specialist Jean-Loup J.M. Chretien of the French Space Agency, CNES. STS-86 will be the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. During the docking, Wolf will transfer to the orbiting Russian station and become a member of the Mir 24 crew, replacing U.S. astronaut C. Michael Foale, who has been on the Mir since the last docking mission, STS-84, in May. Launch of Mission STS-86 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis is targeted for Sept. 25