STS-71 Mission Summary
Launch
June 27 , 1995,
3:32:19.044 p.m. EDT
Launch was originally targeted for late May, but slipped into June to
accommodate Russian space program activities necessary for first Space
Shuttle/Mir Space Station docking, including series of spacewalks to reconfigure
station for docking and launch of new Spektr module to Mir containing
U.S. research hardware. Launch set for June 23 scrubbed when rainy weather
and lightning prevented loading of external tank earlier that day. Second
try June 24 scrubbed at T-9-minute mark, again due to persistent stormy
weather in central Florida, coupled with short 10-minute launch window.
Liftoff re-set for June 27, and final countdown proceeded smoothly.
Landing
July 7, 1995,
10:54:34 a.m. EDT
Runway 15, Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Rollout distance: 8,364 feet (2,549
meters). Rollout time: 51 seconds. Mission duration: nine days, 19 hours,
22 minutes, 17 seconds. Landed revolution 153. Runway switched from 33
to 15 about 20 minutes before touchdown due to concerns of Chief Astronaut
Robert Cabana, flying Shuttle Training Aircraft, about clouds blocking
runway landing aids from view. After landing, President Clinton phoned
congratulations to crew on successful mission and extended invitation
to visit White House.
Crew
List
Robert
L. Gibson, Commander
Charles
J. Precourt, Pilot
Ellen
S. Baker, Mission Specialist
Bonnie
J. Dunbar, Mission Specialist
Gregory
J. Harbaugh, Mission Specialist
Mir
19 Crew - Arriving
Anatoly
Solovyev & Nikolai
Budarin
Mir-18 Crew - Departing
Norman
E. Thagard, Vladimir
Dezhurov, & Gennady
Strekalov
Crew
Biographies
Mission
Highlights
