Launch from Cape Canaveral (
KSC); landing on Cape
Canaveral (
KSC).
It was the fourth Shuttle-MIR docking mission. Following a two day solo
flight the Atlantis docked with the MIR space station on 19.09.1996. Common
mission with the
22nd MIR
resident crew (19. - 24.09.1996). Main goal of the mission was the partly
crew exchange of the MIR resident crew (Shannon
Lucid returned to Earth with STS-79 and John
Blaha
remained on MIR together with the
22nd MIR resident
crew).
1,8 tons supplies and equipment were also transferred
between the MIR and the Shuttle including an
IMAX camera. STS-79 also
marked second flight of SPACEHAB module in support of Shuttle-MIR activities
and first flight of SPACEHAB Double Module configuration. The forward portion
of the double module housed experiments conducted by the crew before, during
and after Atlantis is docked to the Russian space station. The aft portion of
the double module housed the logistics equipment to be transferred to the
Russian space station.
