Endeavour To Begin ISS Assembly
News story originally written on November 27, 1998
The Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to launch on December 3rd, 1998
to begin assembly of the International Space Station. Endeavour will
carry the first connection node, called Unity. The crew of STS-88 will
attach the node to the Russian-built Zarya control module which was
launched on November 20th.
"This flight will clearly demonstrate the unique capabilities of the Space
Shuttle and of astronauts and cosmonauts to assemble large structures in
space," said George Abbey, Director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
"STS-88 will showcase the Shuttle as the safe and reliable workhorse of
the space station era and other future activites in Earth orbit."
The Unity module has six hatches, which will connect different sections
of the station: the U.S. laboratory module, Node 3, an exterior framework
for the station, an airlock, a multi-windowed cupola, and the control
module.
The crew of STS-88 consists of: Robert Cabana as Mission Commander;
Fredrick Sturckow as pilot; Nancy Currie, Sergei Krikalev, Jerry Ross, and
James Newman as Mission Specialists.
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