Article Posted on : - Nov 26, 2009

Atlantis also named as 'OV-104 "Atlantis' is the fourth orbiter to become operational at Kennedy Space Center.

Atlantis launched her first space flight, STS-51-J on Oct. 3, 1985, with a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense. Later the vehicle carried four more DOD payloads on another missions. The shuttle weighs 51,315 lbs when empty and goes to 171,000 lbs after the installation of main engines. It is a 140 feet long and 29 feet wide ocean research ship featuring 17 members in its crew and room for five scientists.

NASA's two-masted boat served the primary research vessel for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966 after which Atlantis became operational. Planetary probes Magellan, Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and Galileo are such noteworthy aircraft for which Atlantis acted as an on-orbit launch site.

With the shuttle Mir mission STS-71, Atlantis opened up its first seven missions to dock with the Russian space station. First time ever U.S exchanged crew on-orbit during ‘Mission Mir’. Atlantis and Mir formed the largest spacecraft in orbit at that time. Since 85 the space shuttle is still in action and continuing with many successful space missions.

Atlantis flight list

Launch date              Designation      Notes

1985 October 3           STS-51-J                First Atlantis mission; mission dedicated to Department of Defense.
 
1985 November 26    STS-61-B 3            Communications satellites deployed: MORELOS-B, AUSSAT-2 and SATCOM KU-2.
 
1988 December 2      STS-27 39B           Mission dedicated to Department of Defense.

1989 May 4                   STS-30 39B           Deployed Magellan probe.

1989 October 18         STS-34 39B            Deployed Galileo probe.

1990 February 28        STS-36 39A            Mission dedicated to Department of Defense.

1990 November 15     STS-38 39A            Mission dedicated to Department of Defense.

1991 April 5                   STS-37 39B           Deployed Compton Gamma Ray Observatory.

1991 August 2              STS-43 39A            Deployed TDRS-5.

1991 November 24      STS-44 39A            Mission dedicated to Department of Defense.

1992 March 24              STS-45 39A           Carried Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) mission 1.

1992 July 31                  STS-46 39A            Deployed ESA European Retrievable Carrier and NASA Tethered Satellite System.

1994 November 3         STS-66 39B            Carried ATLAS mission 3.

1995 June 29                 STS-71 39A            First shuttle docking with space station Mir.

1995 November 12       STS-74 39A           Carried docking module to Mir.

1996 March 22                STS-76 39B           Rendezvous with Mir, including crew transfer of Shannon Lucid.

1996 Sept 16                   STS-79                    Rendezvous with Mir, including crew transfer of Shannon Lucid and John Blaha.

1997 January 12             STS-81 39B            Rendezvous with Mir, including crew transfer of John Blaha and Jerry Linenger.

1997 May 15                   STS-84 39A            Rendezvous with Mir, including crew transfer of Jerry Linenger and Michael Foale.

1997 Sept 25                 STS-86                     Rendezvous with Mir, including crew transfer of Michael Foale and David A. Wolf.

2000 May 19                  STS-101 39            A International Space Station assembly mission (re-supply ISS).

2000 Sept 8                   STS-106 39B          International Space Station assembly mission (re-supply ISS).

2001 February 7            STS-98 39A             International Space Station assembly mission (carried and assembled the Destiny Laboratory Module).

2001 July 12                   STS-104 39B          International Space Station assembly mission (carried and assembled the Quest Joint Airlock).

2002 April 8                     STS-110 39B          International Space Station assembly mission (carried and assembled the S0 truss segment).

2002 October 7               STS-112 39B         International Space Station assembly mission (carried and assembled the S1 truss segment).

2006 Sept 9                     STS-115 39B          International Space Station resupply and construction (P3 and P4 truss segments).

2007 June 8                    STS-117 39A           International Space Station resupply and construction (S3 and S4 truss segments).

2008 February 7             STS-122 39A            International Space Station construction (Columbus laboratory).

2009 May 11                   STS-125 39A            Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 4.

2009 Nov 16                   STS-129 39A              International Space Station construction (ELC-1/ELC-2) Oct. 3,

-Courtesy:
NASA