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STS-81

The KidSat camera is scheduled to fly next on STS-81 in December, 1996, on the space shuttle Atlantis.  The Flight Plan hasn't been finalized yet, but the astronaut crew has been chosen, and their flight will be similar to earlier Shuttle-Mir docking flights.  The KidSat portion of the flight will be similar to that of STS-76 (the first flight of the KidSat camera).

The Astronauts:

There will be a crew of 6 astronauts on STS-81.  The space shuttle will drop off one of them, Jerry Linenger, for a 5 month stay on Mir.  The shuttle will also pick up and bring home astronaut John Blaha, who will have been on Mir for several months.  The astronauts are:

Michael A. Baker (Commander)- Baker has been an astronaut since 1985.  He has spent time as CAPCOM in the Mission Control Center, and has flown on 3 previous shuttle flights.  STS-81 will be Baker's fourth space flight.

Brent W. Jett, Jr. (Pilot)- Jett joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1992.  On his first shuttle flight, STS-73 in January of 1996, he went on a space walk to retrieve a Japanese Space Flyer unit.  STS-81 will be his second space flight.

John M. Grunsfeld (Mission Specialist)- Grunsfeld joined NASA as an astronaut in 1992.  His first flight was in 1995 on STS-67.  This record-breaking 16-day mission marked the second flight of the Astro observatory, a unique complement of three telescopes.  The flight of STS-81 will be Grunsfeld's second.

Marsha S. Ivins (Mission Specialist)- Ivins started working for NASA in 1974, and became an astronaut in 1984.  She has been a CAPCOM in Mission Control, and has flown on three previous shuttle flights.  STS-81 will be her fourth trip in space.

J.M. (Jerry) Linenger (Mission Specialist)- Linenger has been an astronaut since 1992.  He has flown on one previous space shuttle flight.  After the space shuttle Atlantis docks with Mir, Linenger will stay aboard Mir for five to six months.  He has prepared for this by training at the Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Peter J.K. "Jeff" Wisoff (Mission Specialist)- Wisoff has been an astronaut since 1991.  He has served as a CAPCOM, and worked on the flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL).  Having flown on two previous missions, STS-81 will be Wisoff's third space flight.

07/10/96

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