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NASA hails 'outstanding' Columbia mission
July 17, 1997
Web posted at: 10:19 a.m. EDT (1419 GMT)From Correspondent John Holliman
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (CNN) -- Tired but satisfied, the crew of the U.S. space shuttle Columbia touched down at Kennedy Space Center Thursday morning after completing a successful 16-day science mission.
Columbia settled onto the Kennedy Space Center's runway at 6:46 a.m. EDT in near-perfect weather conditions.
The seven-person crew accomplished all mission objectives put on hold last April when power problems forced the abrupt end to an identical shuttle flight after only four days in orbit.
Shuttle Columbia lands Large-frame QuickTime movie
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Small-frame QuickTime movie
966 K / 28 sec. / 160x120 pixels"As much as the other one was a bummer, this is a real trip," said Columbia Payload Specialist Roger Crouch.
The purpose of STS-94 was to conduct nearly three dozen experiments in the Microgravity Science Laboratory housed in the shuttle's cargo bay. Many of the experiments centered on building fires in space.
"The mission has been executed in an outstanding way. All of the science objectives, including the highly desirables, have been accomplished," space shuttle program manager Tommy Holloway said during a post-landing news conference. (
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Entry flight director Linda Ham said the entry team received the shuttle in "excellent shape." (
After April's disappointment, the shuttle crew got bonus scientific results this time around. Mission and payload specialists set 206 small fires in sealed chambers, 62 more than planned, in a variety of combustion tests. Scientists hope to discover how to design more efficient, less polluting fuels for Earth by measuring the amount of soot fires generate in space.
The crew also used a Japanese-built furnace to melt metals into perfect spheres, testing how they react in space. The experiment could help earthbound manufacturing processes.
But pyrotechnics were not the only show during mission; spinach and clover crops played their own part in microgravity experiments. The plant experiments were aimed at benefiting future space travelers who would need to grow their own food to fly to Mars or live on the moon.
Looking ahead
NASA mission manager Teresa Vanhooser said she wasn't disappointed that the research was overshadowed by news about Mars and about Russia's crippled Mir space station.
"I'm sure that when the papers come out in all the scientific journals that they'll get their due respect," she said.
Shuttle Commander Jim Halsell said he was ready to see his family.
"The opportunity to (have been) up there is great and it's the opportunity to appreciate some of the things you've missed," he said.
With Columbia's mission completed so smoothly, ground managers at the Kennedy Space Center said they're already preparing for the next shuttle mission.
The Discovery orbiter's planned August 7 launch will see it put an astronomy satellite into orbit for a few days and then bring it back to Earth.
- CNN In-Depth: Space
Related stories:
- Mir commander declared unfit for repairs - July 16, 1997
- Shuttle crew thrilled as mission winds down - July 14, 1997
- Shuttle astronauts resume delayed science mission - July 2, 1997
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