Shuttle-Mir History/Shuttle Flights & Mir Increments/STS-89

History

Shuttle Flights & Mir Increments - STS-89: Thomas Succeeds Wolf

January 22 - 31, 1998

Space Shuttle: Endeavour

Crew: Wilcutt, Edwards, Reilly, Anderson, Dunbar, Sharipov

Embarking to Mir: Thomas

Returning from Mir: Wolf

STS-89 delivered Cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov to Mir and replaced U.S. Mir astronaut David Wolf with Andy Thomas, after Wolf had spent 119 days onboard Mir and a total of 128 days on-orbit. Initially, Thomas found his Sokol pressure suit did not fit, and the crew exchange was allowed to proceed only after Wolf's suit was adjusted to fit Thomas. Once on Mir, Thomas was able to make adequate adjustments to his own suit which he would have worn if the crew needed to return to Earth in the Soyuz capsule.

Endeavour was the first orbiter after Atlantis to dock with Mir, and it delivered more than 8,000 pounds of scientific equipment, logistical hardware, and water. STS-89 carried 23 science and technology experiments. Spacehab payloads included investigations concerning X-rays, bioprocessing, granular materials mechanics, radiation measurements, and others. Investigations performed in the shuttle's cabin included tissue engineering, biological aquatic systems, telemedicine, and human performance.

In her Oral History, Bonnie Dunbar said: "When we opened the hatch, it was Anatoly and Pavel Vinogradov. It was really fun to see Anatoly. So one of the things we did before we closed the hatch and left is [that] I went in on the other side of the hatch and they took a picture of Anatoly and [me] inside the Mir before I came back over, and when Mission Control in Moscow called us after undocking, they asked me what side of the hatch I was on. I told them, unfortunately, I was on the shuttle side."

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Page last updated: 06/14/1999