STS-79

Seventeenth Atlantis flight.

This flight will be the fourth to rendezvous and dock with the MIR space station.

This was the first exchange of astronauts when John Blaha replaced Shannon Lucid, who had been on the MIR since late March.

This was the first Shuttle to carry a double SPACEHAB module.

The forward portion of this module was used to conduct experiments while on orbit, while the aft portion was used to house food, clothing, experiments, supplies and spare equipment to be transferred to the MIR.

Landed September 26, 1996 at Kennedy Space Center, FL.

Mission Duration: 243 hours 18 minutes 26 seconds. 

Launch Date: September 14, 1996

Launch Vehicle: Atlantis

Crew: Commander: William F. Readdy

Pilot: Terence W. Wilcutt

Mission Specialists: Thomas D. Akers, Jerome Apt, Carl E. Walz

MIR-23, Ascent Only: MS: John Blaha, MIR-22,

Decent Only: MS: Shannon Lucid, MIR-22

Decent Only: Cdr: Valery Korzum, MIR-22, Desent Only: FE: Alexandrer Kaleri