STS-67 facts for kids
ASTRO-2 in Endeavour's payload bay
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| Names | Space Transportation System-67 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Astronomy |
| Operator | NASA |
| Mission duration | 16 days, 15 hours, 8 minutes, 48 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 11,100,000 kilometres (6,900,000 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 262 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Endeavour |
| Payload mass | 13,116 kilograms (28,916 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 7 |
| Members |
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| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | March 2, 1995, 06:38:13 UTC, 1:38:13 am EDT |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | March 18, 1995, 21:47:01 UTC, 1:47:01 pm PDT |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 22 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee | 305 kilometres (190 mi) |
| Apogee | 305 kilometres (190 mi) |
| Inclination | 28.45 degrees |
| Period | 91.5 min |
  Left to right – Front row: Oswald, Jernigan, Gregory; Back row: Parise, Lawrence, Grunsfeld, Durrance |
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STS-67 was an exciting human spaceflight mission that took place in 1995. It used the Space Shuttle Endeavour to travel into orbit. The main goal of this mission was to study the universe using special telescopes. These telescopes looked at ultraviolet light, which helps scientists learn more about stars, galaxies, and other cosmic objects. The mission also tested new ways to control spacecraft in orbit.
Contents
Meet the Crew
Seven brave astronauts were part of the STS-67 mission. They worked together to complete all the scientific experiments and operate the Space Shuttle.
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Stephen S. Oswald  Third and last spaceflight |
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| Pilot | William G. Gregory Only spaceflight |
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| Mission Specialist 1 | John M. Grunsfeld First spaceflight |
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| Mission Specialist 2 Flight Engineer |
Wendy B. Lawrence  First spaceflight |
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| Mission Specialist 3 | Tamara E. Jernigan Third spaceflight |
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| Payload Specialist 1 | Samuel T. Durrance Second and last spaceflight |
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| Payload Specialist 2 | Ronald A. Parise Second and last spaceflight |
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| Member of Blue Team Member of Red Team |
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Crew Seat Assignments
The astronauts had specific seats for launch and landing. These seats were located on the flight deck and mid-deck of the Space Shuttle.
| Seat | Launch | Landing |  Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck. Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oswald | ||
| 2 | Gregory | ||
| 3 | Grunsfeld | Jernigan | |
| 4 | Lawrence | ||
| 5 | Jernigan | Grunsfeld | |
| 6 | Durrance | ||
| 7 | Parise | ||
Exploring the Universe: Astro-2
The main part of the STS-67 mission was called Astro-2. This was a special laboratory in space designed to study ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light is a type of energy that we cannot see with our eyes. Earth's atmosphere blocks most UV light from space, so scientists need to send telescopes above the atmosphere to study it.
Astro-2 carried three powerful telescopes:
- The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT)
- The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT)
- The Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE)
These telescopes observed many different things in space. They looked at objects within our own Solar System, distant stars, glowing clouds of gas called nebulae, and even other galaxies. The data collected helped scientists understand more about how the universe works. Astro-2 was a follow-up to an earlier mission, Astro-1. It gathered even more detailed information from parts of the sky that Astro-1 could not see.
Controlling Spacecraft Motion
Another important experiment on STS-67 was the Middeck Active Control Experiment, or MACE. This was an engineering test to learn how to better control the movement of spacecraft. Imagine trying to keep a camera perfectly still while floating in space – it's tricky!
MACE had special parts like spinning wheels and sensors. These parts could create small movements, like tiny shakes. The experiment then tested a "closed loop control system." This system is like a smart computer program that can sense these movements and then make adjustments to keep the spacecraft steady.
During the mission, Commander Stephen S. Oswald and Pilot William G. Gregory spent many hours testing MACE. They tried out about 200 different situations to see how well the system could stop unwanted movements. The information from MACE helped engineers design better control systems for future spacecraft. This ensures that future space missions can stay stable for important tasks like taking clear pictures or docking with other spacecraft.
Other science experiments on the Middeck included the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II (SAREX-II). This allowed astronauts to communicate with amateur radio operators on Earth.
Small Experiments, Big Discoveries
The Space Shuttle Endeavour also carried two smaller experiments called "Get Away Special" (GAS) payloads. These were like small, self-contained science packages. They were sponsored by the Australian Space Office.
These GAS experiments also focused on ultraviolet observations. They aimed to study distant galaxies and the hot gas found in space. One canister had a special door that opened to expose a UV telescope. The other canister held video recorders to store all the data and batteries to power the experiments.
STS-67 was a very long mission for the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It was the longest flight ever for Endeavour and the longest Space Shuttle mission that was not flown by the Columbia.
Mission Patch Story
Every space mission has a special patch, and STS-67 was no different! The patch for this mission shows a spiral galaxy, the planet Jupiter, and four of its moons. Together with the seven stars on the patch, these symbols represent the mission's number, 67, in the Space Shuttle program. The image shows Endeavour flying past with the Astro-2 telescopes.
See also
- List of human spaceflights
- List of Space Shuttle missions
- Outline of space science
- Space Shuttle
- STS-80 (17 day 8 hour Shuttle mission)
- STS-78 (16 day 21 hour Shuttle mission)
- STS-73 (15 days 21 hours Shuttle mission)
