STS-81 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
STS-81

View of Mir from Atlantis, with the Soyuz-TM Fregat and Progress 233 docked
Mission type	Shuttle-Mir
Operator	NASA
Mission duration	10 days, 4 hours, 56 minutes, 30 seconds
Distance travelled	6,100,000 kilometres (3,800,000 mi)
Orbits completed	160
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Atlantis
Payload mass	2,250 kilograms (4,960 lb)
Crew
Crew size	6
Members	Michael A. Baker Brent W. Jett, Jr. Peter J.K. Wisoff John M. Grunsfeld Marsha S. Ivins
Launching	Jerry M. Linenger
Landing	John E. Blaha
Start of mission
Launch date	12 January 1997, 09:27:23 (1997-01-12UTC09:27:23Z) UTC
Launch site	Kennedy LC-39B
End of mission
Landing date	22 January 1997, 14:23:51 (1997-01-22UTC14:23:52Z) UTC
Landing site	Kennedy SLF Runway 33
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee	380 kilometres (240 mi)
Apogee	392 kilometres (244 mi)
Inclination	51.6 degrees
Period	92.2 min
Docking with Mir
Docking port	SO starboard
Docking date	15 January 1997, 03:54:49 UTC
Undocking date	20 January 1997, 02:15:44 UTC
Time docked	4 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes 55 seconds
Left to right - Front: Jett, Baker; Back: Grunsfeld, Blaha, Wisoff, Linenger, Ivins Space Shuttle program ← STS-80 STS-82 →

STS-81 was a Space Shuttle mission in January 1997. The Space Shuttle Atlantis traveled to the Mir space station. This mission was part of a program where American astronauts visited and lived on the Russian Mir station.

Meet the Crew

The crew for STS-81 included six astronauts. Michael Baker was the Commander, leading the mission. Brent Jett, Jr. was the Pilot, responsible for flying the Space Shuttle. Peter Wisoff, John Grunsfeld, and Marsha Ivins were Mission Specialists. They helped with experiments and operations.

A special part of this mission was an astronaut exchange. Jerry Linenger flew up to Mir to live there for several months. He replaced John Blaha, who had been living on Mir since September 1996.

Mission Highlights

Atlantis launches at the start of the STS-81 mission to the Mir Space Station.

STS-81 was the fifth time a Space Shuttle visited the Mir space station. It was also the second mission where a U.S. astronaut swapped places with another. Astronaut John Blaha had been living on Mir for 118 days. He was replaced by astronaut Jerry Linenger, who would stay on Mir for more than four months. Linenger later returned to Earth on Space Shuttle Mission STS-84.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis carried a special module called SPACEHAB. This module provided extra space for experiments and supplies. During the five days that Atlantis was docked to Mir, the crews moved water and other important items between the two spacecraft.

Experiments and Discoveries

The STS-81 mission included many experiments. These studies covered areas like new technology, Earth sciences, biology, and human life sciences. Scientists hoped the information gathered would help plan the International Space Station. It also helped them understand how humans and living things behave in space.

A fun moment happened on January 18. While Atlantis was docked to Mir, astronaut John Grunsfeld made a phone call. He called a radio show called "Car Talk" from space! The show hosts were also graduates of the same university as Grunsfeld.

Transferring Supplies

Mission Specialists Jerry Linenger, John Blaha, and Jeff Wisoff gather around a table, trying Russian food.

This mission involved the largest transfer of items between the Shuttle and Mir up to that point. About 2,710 kilograms (6,000 pounds) of supplies were moved. This included 635 kilograms (1,400 pounds) of water and 516.1 kilograms (1,138 pounds) of U.S. science equipment. Also, 1,000.7 kilograms (2,206 pounds) of Russian supplies were transferred to Mir.

When Atlantis returned to Earth, it brought back 570 kilograms (1,257 pounds) of U.S. science materials. It also carried 404.5 kilograms (892 pounds) of Russian supplies.

One exciting item returned to Earth was a crop of wheat. These were the first plants to complete their entire life cycle in space, growing from seed to seed. This was a big step in understanding how to grow food for long space missions.

Astronaut Exchange Details

John Blaha had arrived at Mir on September 19, 1996, with the crew of STS-79. He joined the Mir 22 crew, which included Commander Valeri Korzun and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Kaleri. Jerry Linenger worked with the Mir 22 crew until the Mir 23 crew arrived in February.

The docking of Atlantis with Mir happened on January 14 at 10:55 PM EST. The hatch opened a few hours later on January 15. Linenger officially took Blaha's place at 4:45 AM. Blaha had spent 118 days on the station.

During the five days they were docked, the crews moved nearly 2,722 kilograms (6,000 pounds) of supplies to Mir. This included about 725 kilograms (1,600 pounds) of water. They also moved about 516 kilograms (1,138 pounds) of U.S. science equipment and 1,001 kilograms (2,207 pounds) of Russian equipment. About 1,100 kilograms (2,425 pounds) of materials were brought back to Earth on Atlantis.

The crew also tested a special treadmill system on the Shuttle. This system was designed to reduce vibrations. It was planned for use in the Russian part of the International Space Station.

Space Shuttle Atlantis lands at the Kennedy Space Center, ending the STS-81 mission.

Atlantis undocked from Mir on January 19 at 9:15 AM EST. After undocking, the Shuttle flew around Mir to take pictures and gather data. The mission ended successfully with no major problems with Atlantis.

Wake-up Calls

NASA has a tradition of playing music to astronauts to wake them up. This started during the Gemini program and was first used for the Apollo 15 mission. Each song is chosen carefully, often by the astronauts' families. The songs usually have a special meaning to a crew member or relate to their daily tasks.