The M.A.R.S. Payload
Space Shuttle Mission STS 101
The M.A.R.S. Payload
Space Shuttle Mission STS 101
| On Monday, April
24, 2000, the space shuttle Atlantis was scheduled for launch from
the Kennedy Space Center, Pad 39A, at 4:15 pm, Florida's time (3:15 pm ISD's time). The launch was postponed on Monday (April 24th) and again on Tuesday (April 25th) due to crosswinds greater than 17 mph. NASA attempted a third time to launch Atlantis on Wednesday afternoon, April 26th, at 3:27 pm Florida time (2:27 pm ISD's time). Although weather at the Kennedy Space Center was good for launch on Wednesday, windy and cloudy conditions at the emergency landing site in Morocco forced controllers to postpone launch of Space Shuttle Mission STS-101 yet again. When the space shuttle Atlantis finally launched at 6:11 a.m. on May 19, 2000, it carried a part of the Indiana School for the Deaf into space with it -- seeds from Maryann's Prairie. The seeds and freeze-dried protozoa were tucked away inside a canister that was bolted inside the pay load bay of Atlantis. The primary mission
objectives for STS-101 was to deliver over 5,000 pounds of equipment and
supplies to the International
Space Station (ISS), perform a spacewalk (EVA) and then reboost the
space station into a higher orbit from 230 statute miles to 250 statute
miles. Mission STS-101 was the third Shuttle mission devoted to International
Space Station (ISS) construction. The canister holding ISD's seeds and protozoa will be returned to the high school science classes this fall for further experiments. These web pages provide photos and information about this on-going project. |