STS-91

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  25356 / 98034A Launch date - time  02 Jun 1998 - 22:06:24 UT Launch site  KSC, LC39A Launch vehicle  Space Shuttle Orbiter  Discovery #24 (OV-103) Primary payload  Spacehab SH-11 Mass (kg)   Launch Crew  Precourt, Gorie, Chang-Diaz Lawrence, Kavandi, Ryumin Docking date - time  04 Jun 1998 - 17:00 UT Target spacecraft/port  Mir/SO module Earth orbit on :    - Perigee / Apogee  350 / 373 km    - Inclination  51.7°    - Period  91.8 min Undocking date - time  08 Jun 1998 - 16:01 UT Landing date - time  12 Jun 1998 - 18:00 UT Landing location  KSC, Runway 15 Flight Duration  9d 19h 54m Nbr orbits  155 Landing crew  Precourt, Gorie, Chang-Diaz, Lawrence,  Kavandi, Ryumin, Thomas  (crew STS-91 & STS-89)

Crew

Description:

• For mission STS-91, Discovery's payload bay has a new configuration. Forward in the bay is the external airlock and docking system. Behind this is the tunnel adapter, which on most earlier missions was between the docking system and the main cabin. Behind the tunnel adapter is the Spacehab tunnel, followed by a single Spacehab module. The Spacehab module carries water, food, and equipment for Mir. Further aft in the payload bay is the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. This particle physics experiment uses a new cross-bay carrier, containing a large (3000 kg) magnet and scintillator detectors which will be used in a search for antiprotons and antinuclei in cosmic rays.
• Eight GAS canisters are also installed in the payload bay. Bay 6 port has SEM-3, with high school experiments, and an inert canister containing commemorative flags. Bay 6 starboard has G-648 (Canadian space agency organic thin films experiment) and another canister of flags. Bay 13 port has G-765 (Canadian space agency fluids experiment) and SEM-5 (high school passive experiments). Bay 13 starboard has two small size (2.5-cubic foot) containers, G-090 and G-743.

Summary:

Mission details:

• The final shuttle-Mir mission, STS-91 recovered NASA astronaut Andy Thomas from the Mir station and took Russian space chief and ex-cosmonaut Valeri Ryumin to Mir for an inspection tour of the ageing station.
• Shuttle mission STS-91 was launched at 22:06 UTC on Jun 2, 1998. This was the first test of the super lightweight Al-Li external tank, designed to increase shuttle payload to the Mir / International Space Station orbit by 4,000 kg. At 22:15 UTC Discovery entered a temporary 74 x 324 km x 51.6 deg orbit, with the OMS-2 burn three quarters of an hour later circulising the chase orbit.
• Discovery docked with the SO module on Mir at 17:00 UTC on June 4. Andy Thomas became part of the Discovery crew, Valeriy Ryumin carried out an inspection tour of Mir, and NASA equipment was retrieved from the station.
• Discovery undocked at 1601 UTC on Jun 8, ending NASA participation in the Mir program. STS-91 landed on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center at 18:00 UTC on Jun 12.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel KSC: Jun 2 1998.

Docking cancel Baikonur. Credit: J. Vd Dr.

Cosmic Mail: Cover with 2 black Mir boardcancel, STS-91 undocking date boardcancel: 080698, signed by the crew on board.

Undocking cancel Baikonur. Credit: J. Vd Dr.

Docking cancel Korolev. Credit: J. Vd Dr.

Undocking cancel Korolev. Credit: J. Vd Dr.