Mission STS-96

Mission description

Patch STS-96
(Credit: Canadian Space Agency)
Launch
Date: May 27, 1999
Time: 6:49:42 a.m. EDT
Site: Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Landing
Date: June 6, 1999
Time: 2:02:43 a.m. EDT
Site: Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Mission duration: 9 days 19 h 13 min 57 s
Flight number: STS-96
Orbiter vehicle: Discovery
Payloads:
ISS-2A.1 (Logistics and Outfitting), SPACEHAB (Double module), The SPACEHAB is a large, Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC), STARSHINE, Shuttle Vibration Forces (SVF), Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring system (IVHM).
On May 27, 1999 at 6:49 a.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT), Space Shuttle Discovery was launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) carrying an international crew of seven astronauts. On their third day of flight, the crew of STS-96 made history when the shuttle docked for the first time with the International Space Station (ISS). Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Julie Payette had the distinction of becoming the first Canadian to board the Station.
STS-96 delivered a slew of equipment to the ISS (such as stowage racks, computers, medical and sanitary equipment, etc.) all vital to making the Station—consisting at that time of only the Zarya and Unity modules—a habitable orbital outpost. External equipment was also installed, including construction tools as well as two cranes from the shuttle's cargo bay.
Among her many tasks, Julie Payette had the opportunity to test the Canadarm's Space Vision System, a Canadian-made technology.

Mission STS-96 crew
From left to right.
Daniel T. Barry, Kent V. Rominger, Julie Payette, Ellen Ochoa, Valery Tokarev, Rick D. Husband, Tamara E. Jernigan.(Credit: NASA)
- Date modified: