STS-80 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
STS-80

The Wake Shield Facility takes flight for a third time, after being deployed by Columbia's Canadarm
Mission type	Research
Operator	NASA
Mission duration	17 days, 15 hours, 53 minutes, 18 seconds
Distance travelled	11,000,000 kilometres (6,800,000 mi)
Orbits completed	279
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Columbia
Payload mass	13,006 kilograms (28,673 lb)
Crew
Crew size	5
Members	Kenneth D. Cockrell Kent Rominger Story Musgrave Thomas David Jones Tamara E. Jernigan
Start of mission
Launch date	19 November 1996, 19:55:47 (1996-11-19UTC19:55:47Z) UTC
Launch site	Kennedy LC-39B
End of mission
Landing date	7 December 1996, 11:49:05 (1996-12-07UTC11:49:06Z) UTC
Landing site	Kennedy SLF (Rwy 33)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee	318 kilometres (198 mi)
Apogee	375 kilometres (233 mi)
Inclination	28.45 degrees
Period	91.5 min
Left to right - Seated: Rominger, Cockrell; Standing: Jernigan, Musgrave, Jones Space Shuttle program ← STS-79 STS-81 →

STS-80 was a Space Shuttle mission flown by the Space Shuttle Columbia. It was a very long trip into space! The mission was originally planned for October 1996. However, it was delayed until November 19, 1996. The landing was also delayed by two days because of bad weather.

This mission became the longest Space Shuttle flight ever. It lasted 17 days, 15 hours, and 53 minutes. Even though two spacewalks were planned, they had to be cancelled. This was because of a problem with the airlock hatch. Astronauts Tom Jones and Tammy Jernigan could not leave the orbiter.

Meet the Crew of STS-80

During the landing, Story Musgrave stayed on the flight deck. He filmed the spacecraft coming back into Earth's atmosphere. He used the windows above his head to get a great view!

What Happened on the Mission?

• The mission launched two special satellites into space.
• After they finished their jobs, Columbia successfully brought them back.
• The first satellite, ORFEUS-SPAS II, was launched on the first day. It was brought back on day sixteen.
• The second satellite, Wake Shield Facility-3, was launched on day four. It was retrieved three days later.
• This mission holds the record for the longest Space Shuttle flight in history.
• Astronaut Story Musgrave made history on this flight. He became the only person to fly on all five Space Shuttles: Challenger, Atlantis, Discovery, Endeavour, and Columbia.
• Musgrave also tied a record for the most spaceflights. He also set a record for being the oldest man in space at the time. These records have since been broken by other astronauts.

What Did Columbia Carry?

The payload being prepared for launch. You can see the WSF-3 being lowered in, and ORFEUS-SPAS II already in place.

The Space Shuttle Columbia carried two special satellites. Both of these satellites had flown in space before. The mission also carried equipment for two spacewalks that were planned. These spacewalks would have helped prepare for building the International Space Station.

Here are some of the main things Columbia carried:

• Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer-Shuttle Pallet Satellite II (ORFEUS-SPAS II): This satellite had special telescopes to study light from space.
• Wake Shield Facility (WSF-3): This satellite helped create very pure materials.
• Space Experiment Module (SEM): This module held student science projects.
• EVA Development Flight Tests (EDTF-5): This was equipment to test tools for spacewalks.
• Other experiments: These included studies on plant growth, how blood flows in space, and new ways to manage heat on spacecraft.

Amazing Science Projects

The ORFEUS SPAS satellite is getting ready for launch.

Columbia carried two satellites that were released and later brought back. The first was the Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer-Shuttle Pallet Satellite II (ORFEUS-SPAS II). This satellite had a powerful telescope called ORFEUS. It used two special tools to look at light from far and extreme ultraviolet parts of the spectrum.

Another tool on the satellite studied gas between stars. The satellite worked perfectly! It made 422 observations of almost 150 different things in space. These ranged from our own moon to stars in other galaxies and even a quasar. This was the second time ORFEUS-SPAS II flew. Because of better equipment, it collected more than twice the data of its first flight.

The Wake-Shield Facility (WSF) was also released from Columbia. This satellite created a super-empty space behind it. This allowed scientists to make very thin layers of special materials called semiconductors. These are used in advanced electronics like computer chips. The WSF made seven of these thin films. Columbia's robotic arm then grabbed it after three days in space. This was the third mission for the 12-foot-diameter (3.7 m) craft. It was designed and built by the University of Houston.

Another important part of the mission was the Space Experiment Module (SEM). This module carried science projects chosen from students! It was the first time this program flew. Some of the experiments studied how bacteria grew on food in space. Others looked at how crystals form or how gravity affects a pendulum.

Other experiments included:

• NIH.R4: This tested how spaceflight affects blood flow.
• Biological Research in Canister (BRIC): This looked at how tobacco and tomato plants grew in space.
• Visualization in an Experimental Water Capillary Pumped Loop (VIEW-CPL): This tested a new way to keep spacecraft cool.
• Commercial MDA ITA Experiment: These were experiments from high school and middle school students.

Getting Ready for Launch

Columbia is rolled out to launch pad 39B.

Launch of STS-80.

Astronauts for the STS-80 mission were chosen on January 17, 1996. Getting the Space Shuttle ready for launch takes a lot of time and effort! The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) were put together starting September 9, 1996. The launch date was first moved from October 31 to November 8.

Workers had to replace two windows on Columbia. NASA worried they might break after so many flights. Columbia was moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building on October 9 for final preparations. On October 11, Columbia was attached to its large external fuel tank. The payload, which included the satellites and experiments, was also loaded.

The Shuttle was then rolled out to Launch Pad 39B on October 16. After a review on October 28, more checks were needed for the rocket motors. A fuel pump also failed, causing more delays. Bad weather forecasts pushed the launch back even further. Finally, STS-80 launched on November 19, 1996.

STS-80 Landing.

Wake-Up Calls in Space

NASA has a fun tradition of playing music to astronauts to wake them up. This started during the Gemini program and was first used on Apollo 15. Each song is chosen carefully, often by the astronauts' families. The songs usually have a special meaning to one of the crew members or relate to what they will be doing that day.