STS-87

STS-87
AERCam Sprint, one of the USMP-4 payloads, in flight above Columbia's payload bay
NamesSpace Transportation System-87
Mission typeMicrogravity research
Technology development
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID1997-073A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.25061
Mission duration15 days, 16 hours, 35 minutes, 01 seconds
Distance travelled10,500,000 kilometres (6,500,000 mi)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSpace Shuttle Columbia
Landing mass102,717 kilograms (226,452 lb)
Payload mass4,451 kilograms (9,813 lb)
Crew
Crew size6
Members
Start of mission
Launch date19 November 1997, 19:46 (1997-11-19UTC19:46Z) UTC
Launch siteKennedy, LC-39B
End of mission
Landing date5 December 1997, 12:20 (1997-12-05UTC12:21Z) UTC
Landing siteKennedy, SLF Runway 33
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude273 kilometres (170 mi)
Apogee altitude279 kilometres (173 mi)
Inclination28.45 degrees
Period90.0 min

Left to right - in orange: Chawla, Lindsey, Kregel, Kadenyuk; in white: Scott, Doi
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STS-87 was a Space Shuttle mission launched from Launch Complex 39B of the Kennedy Space Center on 19 November 1997. It was the 88th flight of the Space Shuttle and the 24th flight of Columbia. The mission goals were to conduct experiments using the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4), conduct two EVAs, and deploy the SPARTAN-201 experiment. This mission marked the first time an EVA was performed from Columbia. EVAs from Columbia were originally planned for STS-5 in 1982 and STS-80 in 1996, but were canceled due to spacesuit and airlock problems, respectively.[1][2] It also marked the first EVA conducted by a Japanese astronaut, Takao Doi.

  1. ^ "Shuttle's 'Can Deliver' Crew Grilled". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 17 November 1982. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "STS-80 Mission Control Center Status Report #27". www.nasa.gov. NASA. 30 November 1996. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.