NASA HISTORY: Space Shuttle Atlantis Launches From Cape Canaveral June 27, 1995

100th U.S. crewed space launch conducted from Cape Canaveral

ABOVE VIDEO:  STS-71 launch & landing.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-71 launched on this day in 1995 from Cape Canaveral, marking a number of firsts in human spaceflight.

The launch was the 100th U.S. crewed space launch conducted from Cape Canaveral and the first docking of the joint U.S.-Russian Shuttle-Mir Program.

The previous mission, STS-63, had approached Mir, but did not dock, and the first on-orbit changeout of a Shuttle crew.

Launch was originally targeted for late May, but slipped into June to accommodate Russian space program activities necessary for the first space shuttle/Mir Space Station docking, including series of spacewalks to reconfigure station for docking and launch of new Spektr module to Mir containing U.S. research hardware.

The launch set for June 23 scrubbed when rainy weather and lightning prevented loading of the external tank earlier that day. A second try on June 24 scrubbed at the T-9-minute mark, again due to persistent stormy weather in central Florida, coupled with short 10-minute launch window.

Liftoff reset for June 27, and final countdown proceeded smoothly.

For next five days, about 100 hours total, joint U.S.-Russian operations conducted, including biomedical investigations, and transfer of equipment to and from Mir.

Fifteen separate biomedical and scientific investigations were conducted, using Spacelab module installed in aft portion of Atlantis’ payload bay, and covering seven different disciplines: cardiovascular and pulmonary functions; human metabolism; neuroscience; hygiene, sanitation and radiation; behavioral performance and biology; fundamental biology; and microgravity research.

Pictured below are crewmembers of STS-71, Mir-18, and Mir-19 inside the Spacelab Science Module.

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