- VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
- LOCATION: On orbit
- OFFICIAL KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: May 27, 1999 at 6:50 a.m. EDT
- TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 6, 1999 at 1:58 a.m. EDT
- LAUNCH WINDOW: 10 minutes
- ISS DOCKING DATE: May 29, 1999 at 12:25 a.m. EDT
- ISS UNDOCKING DATE: June 3, 1999 at 6:37 p.m. EDT
- MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 20 hours and 37 minutes
- CREW: Rominger, Husband, Ochoa, Jernigan, Barry, Payette, Tokarev
- ADDITIONAL PAYLOADS: ICC, STARSHINE, SVF AND IVHM
- ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees
THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1999 (7:46 AM EDT)
(Launch Day)
STS-96 -- 2nd U.S. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLIGHT - SPACEHAB DOUBLE MODULENOTE: Space Shuttle Discovery and the seven-member STS-96 flight crew lifted-off on time today at 6:49:42 a.m. The launch team worked no significant technical issues throughout the day's countdown activities. Today's launch marks the beginning of Shuttle Discovery's 26th flight and the 94th Shuttle flight in history.
Discovery and crew will rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station on Flight Day 3. The Shuttle and ISS will remain docked for six days while the crew transfers some 4,000 pounds of equipment, tools, computers and clothes to the ISS for future use by downstream construction crews.
Solid Rocket Booster recovery operations are under way, off the eastern coast of Florida NASA's recovery ships Freedom Star and Liberty Star are expected to return to Port Canaveral with the boosters in tow tomorrow.
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