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
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