Space Shuttle Projects

These five STS-97 crew members posed for a traditional portrait during training. On the front row, left to right, are astronauts Michael J. Bloomfield, pilot; Marc Garneau, mission specialist representing the Canadian Space Agency (CSA); and Brent W. Jett, Jr., commander. In the rear, wearing training versions of the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) space suits, (left to right) are astronauts Carlos I. Noriega, and Joseph R. Tarner, both mission specialists. The primary objective of the STS-97 mission was the delivery, assembly, and activation of the U.S. electrical power system onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The electrical power system, which is built into a 73-meter (240-foot) long solar array structure consists of solar arrays, radiators, batteries, and electronics. The entire 15.4-metric ton (17-ton) package is called the P6 Integrated Truss Segment and is the heaviest and largest element yet delivered to the station aboard a space shuttle. The electrical system will eventually provide the power necessary for the first ISS crews to live and work in the U.S. segment. The STS-97 crew of five launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavor on November 30, 2000 for an 11 day mission.