Space Shuttle Endeavour - STS-97

Mission Badge Local Copy

Her mission, designated STS-97, was actually the 15th flight of the Endeavour orbiter and the 101st Space Shuttle mission.

The five-man crew:

• Commander - Brent W. Jett (front right)
• Pilot - Michael J. Bloomfield (front left)
• Mission Specialist - Marc Garneau, representing the Canadian Space Agency (center)
• Mission Specialist - Carlos I. Noriega (rear left)
• Mission Specialist - Joseph R. Tanner (rear right)

Both of the mission specialists at the rear are wearing training versions of the Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) spacesuits which they will use during the mission.

Crew STS-97 Local Copy

Endeavour's mission is to provide the first of the much-needed very large solar arrays to the 3-man crew aboard "Alpha" - the International Space Station.

The three astronauts on the station were not even able to enter the American Unity Module already attached to Alpha before this flight due to the fact that they could not generate enough power to heat the module.

This solar array, properly called the P6 Integrated Truss Segment the first of four planned for the space station, would fix that problem and provide power for some planned modules to be added in 2001.

The array was to be the largest single object ever put into space, with a wingspan of 74 meters (240 feet) - larger than that of a Jumbo Jet.

It would make the space station visible to the naked eye from the ground.

The payload for this flight was extremely heavy at roughly 18 tons and was going to require that Endeavour burn more fuel than any previous Shuttle flight. In total this would mean that this was the heaviest Shuttle ever to fly - so far.

The Space Shuttle Orbiter OV-105, more commonly known as Endeavour, began mission STS-97 really way back on 22 February, 2000 when she landed from her last mission - STS-99.

After landing checks were completed and the shuttle made safe, she entered one of the myriad of buildings near the VAB called an Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF). In OPF number 2 she was prepared for her flight at the end of November.

After a lot of work preparing the shuttle to fly again, and after other significant efforts required for this mission, including the installation of her very heavy payload, Endeavour was transferred to the Vehicle Assembly Building on 25 October, 2000.

In the VAB Local Copy

In the VAB Local Copy

In the VAB Local Copy

Mated to EFT & SRB's Local Copy

Here, Endeavour is tipped-up on her tail and raised all the way to the roof of the cavernous VAB. She is then moved towards the External Fuel Tank (EFT) and lowered down to mate the two together - along with the already-fueled Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's).

Leaving VAB Local Copy

Rollout Local Copy

Rollout Local Copy

Rollout Local Copy

Rollout Local Copy

The EFT and SRB's are sat on top of the movable launch platform inside the VAB. When she was ready, one of NASA's giant mechanical Crawler Transporters was brought in under the mobile pad and the whole lot set off for Launch Pad 39B.

Approaching Pad Local Copy

On the Pad Local Copy

This 0.9 mph part of Endeavour's trip into space would prove to be quite problematic however.

A problem developed with a cleat on one of the massive crawler's tracks on 31 October, 2000 required that the shuttle's progress be stopped until it was repaired in-situ.

Once done, the shuttle continued to the Pad and was successfully installed there later that day.

Across the Water 1024x683

(Blurred) 1024x683

These photo's were taken from the end of the pier at Jetty Park near Cocoa Beach, FL. I'm positioned nearly 12 miles away from Launch Complex 39B

The Jetty 1024x683

The Jetty 1024x683

There were not very many people on the jetty itself when this photo was taken shortly after dark (about 7pm). However it quickly got a lot busier as the launch hour approached. It also got a lot colder too!