List of space shuttle missions

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U.S. shuttle Columbia landing at the end of STS-73 (November 5, 1995)

This is a list in table format of all missions flown by space shuttles launched between 1980 and 2011. It also includes lists of the 1977 manned test flights of the shuttle orbiter and of the shuttle's unflown rescue missions. The information displayed in the tables includes the flight order, mission designation, launch date, length of mission, shuttle used, number of crew members (launched/landed) and landing site. Summary statistics for all shuttle missions are provided in separate tables. Only the United States flew human spaceflight missions in its Space Shuttle program,[1] while the Soviet Union flew one unmanned space flight of the Buran.[2] Several European countries and Japan were also involved in the Shuttle program through the participation of astronauts from those countries, sponsorship of scientific experiments, and the funding, building, and organizational and scientific control of the Spacelab module.

Contents

[edit] Flight numbering

The U.S. space shuttle program was officially referred to as the Space Transportation System (STS). Specific shuttle missions were therefore designated with the prefix "STS". Initially, the launches were given sequential numbers indicating order of launch, such as STS-9. This scheme continued for 25 launches and 8 cancellations up to STS-33.[2]

Subsequent to the Apollo 13 mishap, due to NASA Administrator James M. Beggs' fear of the number 13 and consequent unwillingness to number a forthcoming flight as STS-13,[3][4][5][6] beginning in 1984, each mission was also assigned a code, such as STS-41-B, with the first digit indicating the federal fiscal year offset into the program (so 41-B was scheduled for FY 1984, 51-L originally for FY 1985 and the third flight in FY 1995 would have been named 151-C), the second digit indicating the launch site (1 was Kennedy Space Center and 2 was Shuttle Launch Complex (SLC) 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, although Vandenberg was never used), and the letter indicating scheduling sequence. As with the sequential numbers, these codes were assigned when the launches were initially scheduled and were not changed as missions were delayed or rescheduled.[2]

Although the codes were adopted from STS-41-B through STS-51-L the sequential numbers were used internally at NASA on all processing paperwork. Flights were assigned with sequential numbers from STS-9 through STS-33. With the resumption of flights in 1988, NASA restarted with STS-26R, the "reflight" suffix to disambiguate from prior missions. This continued through STS-33R.[2]

After the Challenger disaster, a sequential numbering system only was used, with the number according to counting from the beginning, although, unlike the initial system, the assignment of numbers was based on the initial schedule and may not reflect launch order. The letter indicated that the intermediate numbering system applied, and e.g. flight STS-51 (a mission carried out by Discovery in 1993) was many years after STS-51-A (Discovery's second flight in 1984).[2]

[edit] Flight statistics

Shuttle Atmospheric
test flights		 Flight days Longest flight First flight Last flight
ALT Date ALT Date
Enterprise 5 00d 00h 19m 00d 00h 05m ALT-12 Aug 12, 1977 ALT-16 Oct 26, 1977
Shuttle Flights Flight days Orbits Longest flight First flight Last flight Mir/ISS
docking
STS Launched STS Launched
Columbia † 28 300d 17h 47m 15s 4,808 17d 15h 53m 18s STS-1 Apr 12, 1981 STS-107 † Jan 16, 2003 0 / 0
Challenger † 10 62d 07h 56m 15s 995 08d 05h 23m 33s STS-6 Apr 04, 1983 STS-51-L † Jan 28, 1986 0 / 0
Discovery 39 364d 22h 39m 29s 5,830 15d 02h 48m 08s STS-41-D Aug 30, 1984 STS-133 Feb 24, 2011 1 / 13
Atlantis 33 306d 14h 12m 43s 4,848 13d 20h 12m 44s STS-51-J Oct 03, 1985 STS-135 July 8, 2011 7 / 12
Endeavour 25 296d 03h 34m 02s 4,677 16d 15h 08m 48s STS-49 May 07, 1992 STS-134 May 16, 2011 1 / 12
Total 135 1330d 18h 9m 44s 21,158 9 / 37

† Destroyed

[edit] List of shuttle flights

See also: Timeline of Space Shuttle missions

[edit] Test flights

The following list includes Enterprise's free flights, but not other captive-carry flight tests.

Order Flight date Mission Shuttle Crew Duration* Landing Site Notes
1 August 12, 1977 ALT-12[7] Enterprise 2 00d 00h 05m Edwards First free flight of Space Shuttle; first non-captive flight of Enterprise
2 September 13, 1977 ALT-13 Enterprise 2 00d 00h 05m Edwards Second free flight
3 September 23, 1977 ALT-14 Enterprise 2 00d 00h 05m Edwards Third free flight
4 October 12, 1977 ALT-15 Enterprise 2 00d 00h 02m Edwards Fourth free flight; first flight without tailcone (operational configuration)
5 October 26, 1977 ALT-16 Enterprise 2 00d 00h 02m Edwards Final free flight; final non-captive flight of Enterprise

* Note - The durations listed count only the orbiter free-flight time, and not total time aloft along with airborne time atop of the 747 SCA.

[edit] Launches and orbital flights

No. Launch Date Mission Shuttle Crew Duration Rendezvous
with		 Landing Site Notes
1 April 12, 1981 STS-1 Columbia 2 02d 06h Edwards First reusable orbital spacecraft flight; first flight of Columbia
2 November 12, 1981 STS-2 Columbia 2 02d 06h Edwards First reuse of a manned orbital space vehicle; first test of Canadarm robot arm; Truncated due to fuel cell problem.
3 March 22, 1982 STS-3 Columbia 2 08d 00h White Sands Shuttle R&D flight, first and only landing at White Sands, New Mexico
4 June 27, 1982 STS-4 Columbia 2 07d 01h Edwards Last shuttle R&D flight, first DoD payload
5 November 11, 1982 STS-5 Columbia 4 05d 02h Edwards Multiple comsat deployments. First EVA of program canceled due to suit problems
6 April 4, 1983 STS-6 Challenger 4 05d 00h Edwards TDRS deployment; first flight of Challenger; first space shuttle extra-vehicular activity
7 June 18, 1983 STS-7 Challenger 5 06d 02h Edwards First US woman in space Sally Ride; Multiple comsat deployments; First deployment and retrieval of a satellite SPAS
8 August 30, 1983 STS-8 Challenger 5 06d 01h Edwards Comsat deployment, first flight of an African American in space, Guion Bluford; test of robot arm on heavy payloads with Payload Flight Test Article, First night landing
9 November 28, 1983 STS-9 Columbia 6 10d 07h Edwards First Spacelab mission
10 February 3, 1984 STS-41-B Challenger 5 07d 23h Kennedy Comsat deployments, first untethered spacewalk by Bruce McCandless II with Manned Maneuvering Unit; first landing at KSC; dry run of equipment for Solar Max rescue
11 April 6, 1984 STS-41-C Challenger 5 06d 23h Solar Max Edwards Solar Max servicing (first satellite rescue by astronauts), LDEF deployment
12 August 30, 1984 STS-41-D Discovery 6 06d 00h Edwards Multiple comsat deployments; first flight of Discovery, test of OAST-1 Solar Array
13 October 5, 1984 STS-41-G Challenger 7 08d 05h Kennedy Earth Radiation Budget Satellite deployment; First flight of two women in space Ride and Sullivan; First spacewalk by US woman, Kathryn Sullivan; First Canadian in space Marc Garneau
14 November 8, 1984 STS-51-A Discovery 5 07d 23h Palapa & Westar Kennedy Multiple comsat deployments, retrieval of two other comsats Palapa B2 and Westar VI which were subsequently refurbished on Earth and reflown
15 January 24, 1985 STS-51-C Discovery 5 03d 01h Kennedy First classified Department of Defense (DoD) mission; Magnum satellite deployment
16 April 12, 1985 STS-51-D Discovery 7 06d 23h Kennedy Multiple comsat deployments, first flight of a sitting politician in space, Jake Garn, first impromptu EVA of program to fix Syncom F3 (Leasat 3)
17 April 29, 1985 STS-51-B Challenger 7 07d 00h Edwards Spacelab mission
18 June 17, 1985 STS-51-G Discovery 7 07d 01h Edwards Multiple comsat deployments. Flight of first member of royalty, Saudi, Muslim, and Arab in space, Sultan Salman Al Saud.
19 July 29, 1985 STS-51-F Challenger 7 07d 22h Edwards Spacelab mission
20 August 27, 1985 STS-51-I Discovery 5 07d 02h Leasat-3 Edwards Multiple comsat deployments, rescue of Syncom F3 (Leasat-3) by Astronauts
21 October 3, 1985 STS-51-J Atlantis 5 04d 01h Edwards Second classified DoD mission; DSCS satellite deployment; first flight of Atlantis
22 October 30, 1985 STS-61-A Challenger 8 07d 00h Edwards Spacelab-D1, Germany funded mission, last successful mission of Challenger
23 November 26, 1985 STS-61-B Atlantis 7 06d 21h Edwards Multiple comsat deployment, EASE/ACCESS experiment. First Mexican in space, Rodolfo Neri Vela
24 January 12, 1986 STS-61-C Columbia 7 06d 02h Edwards Comsat deployment, flight of US Representative Bill Nelson
25 January 28, 1986 STS-51-L Challenger 7 00d 00h 01m 13s N/A Planned TDRS deployment, Loss of vehicle and crew, Teacher in Space Flight
26 September 29, 1988 STS-26 Discovery 5 04d 01h Edwards TDRS deployment; first post Challenger flight
27 December 2, 1988 STS-27 Atlantis 5 04d 09h Edwards Third classified DoD mission; Lacrosse 1 deployment
28 March 13, 1989 STS-29 Discovery 5 04d 23h Edwards TDRS-D/IUS, IMAX, SHARE I space station radiator experiment.
29 May 4, 1989 STS-30 Atlantis 5 04d 00h Edwards Magellan Venus probe deployment
30 August 8, 1989 STS-28 Columbia 5 05d 01h Edwards Fourth classified DoD mission; Satellite Data System deployment
31 October 18, 1989 STS-34 Atlantis 5 04d 23h Edwards Galileo Jupiter probe deployment, IMAX
32 November 22, 1989 STS-33 Discovery 5 05d 00h Edwards Fifth classified DoD mission; Magnum/IUS
33 January 9, 1990 STS-32 Columbia 5 10d 21h LDEF Edwards SYNCOM IV-F5 satellite deployment, LDEF retrieval, IMAX
34 February 28, 1990 STS-36 Atlantis 5 04d 10h Edwards Sixth classified DoD mission; Misty reconnaissance satellite deployment
35 April 24, 1990 STS-31 Discovery 5 05d 01h Edwards Hubble Space Telescope deployment
36 October 6, 1990 STS-41 Discovery 5 04d 02h Edwards Ulysses/IUS solar probe deployment
37 November 15, 1990 STS-38 Atlantis 5 04d 21h Kennedy Seventh classified DoD mission. Likely SDS2-2 deployed.
38 December 2, 1990 STS-35 Columbia 7 08d 23h Edwards Use of ASTRO-1 observatory
39 April 5, 1991 STS-37 Atlantis 5 05d 23h Edwards Compton Gamma Ray Observatory deployment
40 April 28, 1991 STS-39 Discovery 7 08d 07h Kennedy First unclassified DoD mission; military science experiments
41 June 5, 1991 STS-40 Columbia 7 09d 02h Edwards Spacelab mission
42 August 2, 1991 STS-43 Atlantis 5 08d 21h Kennedy TDRS deployment
43 September 12, 1991 STS-48 Discovery 5 05d 08h Edwards Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite deployment
44 November 24, 1991 STS-44 Atlantis 6 06d 22h Edwards DSP satellite deployment
45 January 22, 1992 STS-42 Discovery 7 08d 01h Edwards Spacelab mission
46 March 24, 1992 STS-45 Atlantis 7 08d 22h Kennedy ATLAS-1 science platform
47 May 7, 1992 STS-49 Endeavour 7 08d 21h Edwards Intelsat VI repair; first flight of Endeavour. First 3 person EVA. ASEM space station truss experiment EVA, record four EVAs total for mission.
48 June 25, 1992 STS-50 Columbia 7 13d 19h Kennedy Spacelab mission
49 July 31, 1992 STS-46 Atlantis 7 07d 23h Kennedy EURECA (European Retrievable Carrier) and the joint NASA/Italian Space Agency Tethered Satellite System (TSS)
50 September 12, 1992 STS-47 Endeavour 7 07d 22h Kennedy Spacelab-J, Japan funded mission
51 October 22, 1992 STS-52 Columbia 6 09d 20h Kennedy LAGEOS II, microgravity experiments
52 December 2, 1992 STS-53 Discovery 5 07d 07h Edwards Partially classified 10th and final DoD mission. Likely deployment of SDS2 satellite.
53 January 13, 1993 STS-54 Endeavour 5 05d 23h Kennedy TDRS-F/IUS deployment
54 April 8, 1993 STS-56 Discovery 5 09d 06h Kennedy ATLAS-2 science platform
55 April 26, 1993 STS-55 Columbia 7 09d 23h Edwards Spacelab-D2, Germany funded mission
56 June 21, 1993 STS-57 Endeavour 6 09d 23h Kennedy SPACEHAB, EURECA
57 September 12, 1993 STS-51 Discovery 5 09d 20h Kennedy ACTS satellite deployed, SPAS-Orfeus with IMAX camera.
58 October 18, 1993 STS-58 Columbia 7 14d 00h Edwards Spacelab mission
59 December 2, 1993 STS-61 Endeavour 7 10d 19h HST Kennedy Hubble Space Telescope servicing
60 February 3, 1994 STS-60 Discovery 6 07d 06h Kennedy SPACEHAB, Wake Shield Facility
61 March 4, 1994 STS-62 Columbia 5 13d 23h Kennedy Microgravity experiments
62 April 9, 1994 STS-59 Endeavour 6 11d 05h Edwards Shuttle Radar Laboratory-1
63 July 8, 1994 STS-65 Columbia 7 14d 17h Kennedy Spacelab mission
64 September 9, 1994 STS-64 Discovery 6 10d 22h Edwards Multiple science experiments; SPARTAN
65 September 30, 1994 STS-68 Endeavour 6 11d 05h Edwards Space Radar Laboratory-2
66 November 3, 1994 STS-66 Atlantis 6 10d 22h Edwards ATLAS-3 science platform
67 February 3, 1995 STS-63 Discovery 6 08d 06h Mir Kennedy Mir rendezvous, Spacehab, IMAX
68 March 2, 1995 STS-67 Endeavour 7 16d 15h Edwards ASTRO-2
69 June 27, 1995 STS-71 Atlantis 7/8 09d 19h Mir Kennedy First Shuttle-Mir docking
70 July 13, 1995 STS-70 Discovery 5 08d 22h Kennedy TDRS-G/IUS deployed
71 September 7, 1995 STS-69 Endeavour 5 10d 20h Kennedy Wake Shield Facility, SPARTAN
72 October 20, 1995 STS-73 Columbia 7 15d 21h Kennedy Spacelab mission
73 November 12, 1995 STS-74 Atlantis 5 08d 04h Mir Kennedy 2nd Shuttle-Mir docking. Delivered docking module. IMAX cargo bay camera.
74 January 11, 1996 STS-72 Endeavour 6 08d 22h Space Flyer Unit Kennedy Retrieved Japan's Space Flyer Unit, 2 EVAs.
75 February 22, 1996 STS-75 Columbia 7 15d 17h Kennedy Tethered satellite reflight, lost due to broken tether.
76 March 22, 1996 STS-76 Atlantis 6/5 09d 05h Mir Edwards Shuttle-Mir docking
77 May 19, 1996 STS-77 Endeavour 6 10d 00h Kennedy SPACEHAB; SPARTAN
78 June 20, 1996 STS-78 Columbia 7 16d 21h Kennedy Spacelab mission
79 September 16, 1996 STS-79 Atlantis 6/6 10d 03h Mir Kennedy Shuttle-Mir docking
80 November 19, 1996 STS-80 Columbia 5 17d 15h Kennedy Wake Shield Facility; ASTRO-SPAS
81 January 12, 1997 STS-81 Atlantis 6/6 10d 04h Mir Kennedy Shuttle-Mir docking
82 February 11, 1997 STS-82 Discovery 7 09d 23h HST Kennedy Hubble Space Telescope servicing
83 April 4, 1997 STS-83 Columbia 7 03d 23h Kennedy Truncated due to fuel cell problem
84 May 15, 1997 STS-84 Atlantis 7/7 09d 05h Mir Kennedy Shuttle-Mir docking
85 July 1, 1997 STS-94 Columbia 7 15d 16h Kennedy Spacelab mission
86 August 7, 1997 STS-85 Discovery 6 11d 20h Kennedy CRISTA-SPAS
87 September 25, 1997 STS-86 Atlantis 7/7 10d 19h Mir Kennedy Shuttle-Mir docking
88 November 19, 1997 STS-87 Columbia 6 15d 16h Kennedy Microgravity experiments, 2 EVAs, SPARTAN
89 January 22, 1998 STS-89 Endeavour 7/7 08d 19h Mir Kennedy Shuttle-Mir docking
90 April 17, 1998 STS-90 Columbia 7 15d 21h Kennedy Spacelab mission
91 June 2, 1998 STS-91 Discovery 6/7 09d 19h Mir Kennedy Last Shuttle-Mir docking
92 October 29, 1998 STS-95 Discovery 7 08d 21h Kennedy SPACEHAB; John Glenn flies again
93 December 4, 1998 STS-88 Endeavour 6 11d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 2A: Node 1. First Shuttle ISS assembly flight
94 May 27, 1999 STS-96 Discovery 7 09d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS supply
95 July 23, 1999 STS-93 Columbia 5 04d 22h Kennedy Chandra X-ray Observatory deployed
96 December 19, 1999 STS-103 Discovery 7 07d 23h HST Kennedy Hubble Space Telescope servicing
97 February 11, 2000 STS-99 Endeavour 6 11d 05h Kennedy Shuttle Radar Topography Mission
98 May 19, 2000 STS-101 Atlantis 7 09d 21h ISS Kennedy ISS supply
99 September 8, 2000 STS-106 Atlantis 7 11d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS supply
100 October 11, 2000 STS-92 Discovery 7 12d 21h ISS Edwards ISS assembly flight 3A: Z1 truss
101 November 30, 2000 STS-97 Endeavour 5 10d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 4A: P6 solar arrays, radiators
102 February 7, 2001 STS-98 Atlantis 5 12d 21h ISS Edwards ISS assembly flight 5A: Destiny lab
103 March 8, 2001 STS-102 Discovery 7/7 12d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS supply, crew rotation
104 April 19, 2001 STS-100 Endeavour 7 11d 21h ISS Edwards ISS assembly flight 6A: robotic arm; First spacewalk by a Canadian Chris Hadfield
105 July 12, 2001 STS-104 Atlantis 5 12d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 7A: Quest Joint Airlock
106 August 10, 2001 STS-105 Discovery 7/7 11d 21h ISS Kennedy ISS supply, crew rotation
107 December 5, 2001 STS-108 Endeavour 7/7 11d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS supply, crew rotation
108 March 1, 2002 STS-109 Columbia 7 10d 22h HST Kennedy Hubble Space Telescope servicing, last successful mission for Columbia before STS-107
109 April 8, 2002 STS-110 Atlantis 7 10d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 8A: S0 truss
110 June 5, 2002 STS-111 Endeavour 7/7 13d 20h ISS Edwards ISS supply, crew rotation, Mobile Base System
111 October 7, 2002 STS-112 Atlantis 6 10d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 9A: S1 truss
112 November 23, 2002 STS-113 Endeavour 7/7 13d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 11A: P1 truss, crew rotation, last successful mission before STS-107
113 January 16, 2003 STS-107 Columbia 7 15d 22h N/A (Ken.) SPACEHAB; Loss of vehicle and crew before landing at KSC
114 July 26, 2005 STS-114 Discovery 7 13d 21h ISS Edwards First post Columbia flight. Flight safety evaluation/testing, ISS supply/repair, MPLM Raffaello
115 July 4, 2006 STS-121 Discovery 7/6 12d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS Flight ULF1.1: Supply, crew rotation, MPLM Leonardo
116 September 9, 2006 STS-115 Atlantis 6 11d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 12A: P3/P4 Truss, Solar Arrays
117 December 9, 2006 STS-116 Discovery 7/7 12d 21h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 12A.1: P5 Truss & Spacehab-SM, crew rotation
118 June 8, 2007 STS-117 Atlantis 7/7 13d 20h ISS Edwards ISS assembly flight 13A: S3/S4 Truss, Solar Arrays, crew rotation
119 August 8, 2007 STS-118 Endeavour 7 12d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 13A.1: S5 Truss & Spacehab-SM & ESP3. First use of SSPTS (Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System)
120 October 23, 2007 STS-120 Discovery 7/7 15d 02h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 10A: US Harmony module, crew rotation
121 February 7, 2008 STS-122 Atlantis 7/7 12d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 1E: European Laboratory Columbus, crew rotation
122 March 11, 2008 STS-123 Endeavour 7/7 15d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 1J/A: JEM ELM PS & SPDM, crew rotation
123 May 31, 2008 STS-124 Discovery 7/7 13d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 1J: JEM - Japanese module Kibo & JEM RMS
124 November 14, 2008 STS-126 Endeavour 7/7 15d 20h ISS Edwards ISS assembly flight ULF2: MPLM Leonardo, crew rotation
125 March 15, 2009 STS-119 Discovery 7/7 12d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 15A: S6 Truss, Solar Arrays
126 May 11, 2009 STS-125 Atlantis 7 12d 21h HST Edwards Last Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission (HST SM-04). Final Non-ISS flight.
127 July 15, 2009 STS-127 Endeavour 7/7 15d 16h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 2J/A: JEM Exposed Facility (EF) & JEM ELM ES.
128 August 28, 2009 STS-128 Discovery 7/7 13d 21h ISS Edwards ISS assembly flight 17A: MPLM Leonardo & 6 person ISS crew.
129 November 16, 2009 STS-129 Atlantis 6/7 10d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight ULF3: ExPRESS Logistics Carriers (ELCs) 1 & 2.
130 February 8, 2010 STS-130 Endeavour 6 13d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 20A: Node 3 and Cupola
131 April 5, 2010 STS-131 Discovery 7 15d 03h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight 19A: Utility and Logistics Flight 4: Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo.
132 May 14, 2010 STS-132 Atlantis 6 11d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight ULF4: Mini-Research Module 1.
133 February 24, 2011 STS-133 Discovery 6 12d 19h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight ULF5, PMM Leonardo (to be left permanently attached), ELC 4. Final flight of Discovery.
134 May 16, 2011 STS-134 Endeavour 6 15d 18h ISS Kennedy ISS assembly flight ULF6, ELC 3, ROEU, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. Final flight of Endeavour.
135 July 8, 2011 STS-135 Atlantis 4 12d 18h ISS Kennedy Payload Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Raffaello. Final flight of Atlantis, final flight of the Space Shuttle program.

[edit] Cancelled missions

Main article: Cancelled Space Shuttle missions

One initial emergency flight abort (RTLS) sub-orbital test mission was canceled due to high risk. Many other planned missions were canceled due to the late development of the shuttle, and the Challenger and Columbia disasters.

[edit] Contingency missions

Main article: STS-3xx

STS-300 was the designation for the Space Shuttle Launch on Need (LON) missions to be launched on short notice for STS-114 and STS-121, in the event that the shuttle became disabled or damaged and could not safely return to Earth.[8][9][10] After STS-121, the rescue flight for STS-115, if needed, would have been STS-301. After STS-115, the rescue mission designations were based on the corresponding regular mission that would be replaced should the rescue mission be needed. For example, the STS-116 rescue mission was branded STS-317, because the normal mission scheduled after STS-116 was STS-117. Should the rescue mission have been needed, the crew and vehicle for STS-117 would assume the rescue mission profile and become STS-317. All potential rescue missions were to be launched with a crew of four, and would return with ten or eleven crew members, depending on the number of crew launched on the rescued shuttle. Missions were expected to last approximately eleven days. None of the planned contingency missions was ever flown.

No contingency mission was planned for STS-135, the final shuttle mission. Instead, NASA planned to effect any required rescues one-by-one, using Russian Soyuz spacecraft.[11]

Year Contingency mission Supported mission Year Contingency mission Supported mission
2005 STS-300 Atlantis STS-114 Discovery 2007 STS-320 Atlantis STS-120 Discovery
2006 STS-300 Atlantis STS-121 Discovery 2008 STS-323 Discovery ¹ STS-122 Atlantis
STS-301 Discovery STS-115 Atlantis STS-324 Discovery STS-123 Endeavour
2007 STS-317 Atlantis STS-116 Discovery STS-326 Endeavour STS-124 Discovery
STS-318 Endeavour STS-117 Atlantis 2009 STS-400 Endeavour STS-125 Atlantis
STS-322 Discovery STS-118 Endeavour 2011 STS-335 Atlantis STS-134 Endeavour
¹ Originally scheduled to be Endeavour, changed to Discovery due to contamination issues.[12]

[edit] Buran

Soviet Space Shuttle Buran at an airshow in 1989
Main article: Buran (spacecraft)

Buran was a reusable spacecraft built by the Soviet space program, similar in orbiter design to the US Space Shuttle, and intended for manned flights in the Buran program. Buran flew one test mission, designated 1K1, on November 15, 1988. The spacecraft was launched unmanned from and landed at Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh S.S.R. and flew two orbits, traveling 83,707 km (52,013 mi) in 3 hours, 25 minutes (0.14 flight days). Buran never flew again; the Buran program was cancelled shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[13] In 2002, the collapse of the hangar in which it was stored destroyed the Buran orbiter.

[edit] See also

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[edit] References

  1. ^ NASA (2008). "Space Shuttle Mission Archives". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/archives/2005.html. Retrieved November 25, 2008. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Jenkins, Dennis R. (2007). Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System. Voyageur Press. pp. 524 pages. ISBN 0963397451. 
  3. ^ "Robert L. Crippen", NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project, 26 May 2006.
  4. ^ "Terry J. Hart", NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project, 10 April 2003.
  5. ^ "Paul J. Weitz", NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project, 26 March 2000.
  6. ^ "James D. A. van Hoften", NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project, 5 December 2007.
  7. ^ The Approach and Landing Test Programme encompassed 16 separate tests of Enterprise, covering taxi tests, unmanned and manned flights on the SCA and finally the free flight tests.
  8. ^ NASA (2005). "Contingency Shuttle Crew Support (CSCS)/Rescue Flight Resource Book" (pdf). NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/153444main_CSCS_Resource_%20Book.pdf. Retrieved November 25, 2008. 
  9. ^ NASA (2005). "Flight Readiness Review BriefingTranscript" (pdf). NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/150494main_frr_brief_20060617.pdf. Retrieved November 25, 2008. 
  10. ^ Bergin, Chris (2007). "NASA sets new launch date targets through to STS-124". CSCS flight numbers. NasaSpaceflight.com. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2007/04/nasa-sets-new-launch-date-targets-through-to-sts-124/. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
  11. ^ Ned, Potter (July 8, 2011). "NASA Space Shuttle: Only Four Astronauts on Final Launch From Cape Canaveral". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/nasas-space-shuttle-risky-missions-atlantis-flight/story?id=14030398. Retrieved July 8, 2011. 
  12. ^ NASA Spaceflight.com STS-122: Atlantis Launches – Endeavour LON doubt Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  13. ^ Encyclopedia Astronautica (2008). "Buran". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/craft/buran.htm. Retrieved November 25, 2008. 

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