STS-80 is jam packed with everything the shuttle program has to offer, which makes sense since it's the longest flight of the entire program! We've got two free-flying payloads, a troublesome EVA, and a reentry to remember.
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John Blaha is settling in for his four month stay on Mir. Science experiments, clattering fans, limited communications, 14 hour days, and the first ever NASA in-space handover await.
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Shannon Lucid has been waiting for her ride home and John Blaha is ready to swap in as America's next long duration spacefarer. We'll also fix our SRBs, try to heat up some metal, and enjoy some barbecue in Atlantis.
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On this flight we'll be setting new duration records, studying the muscles of the crew, and waking up to some on-theme music. Let's just hope there's enough fuel to make it to orbit!
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On STS-77, we've got one of the strangest shuttle payloads I've ever seen, a satellite that's passively stabilized by aerodynamic forces (mostly), a bunch of SPACEHAB experiments, and a blast from the past.
Also, here's that deployment video of IAE that I recommend looking up.. wait until you hear about it first! https://youtu.be/adatQ59j6sc?t=1485
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Errata: In the outro I mention how I'm not familiar with any passively stabilized spacecraft. This neglects the entire category of spinners, which is kind of their whole point. But I was thinking of "passively stabilized by aerodynamic forces" and just didn't use my words.
Astronaut Dan Tani joins us once again and talks about what the astronaut interview process was like, what day to day life was like before being assigned to a mission, wearing the "astronaut suit", what makes a good team, and some sage advice from John Young.
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Shannon Lucid is ready to become the second American to perform a long duration aboard the Russian space station Mir. All she'll need to do is survive Russian language class, memorize a few bolt names, and find her missing shoe.
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Errata: I said that Usachov was selected as an astronaut, when clearly he was selected as an astronaut.
On STS-76, the space shuttle will finally shuttle someone to space! Plus the first American EVA outside a space station in 22 years, antics in the SPACEHAB tunnel, and thoughts about 1996 web design.
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On STS-75 we'll take another try at the Tethered Satellite System. It didn't work so great on STS-46, but with much of the same crew and a little luck, maybe it will go better. Also on this flight, starting fires in space, and disembodied consciousnesses.
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After checking in with it for years, Galileo has finally arrived at Jupiter. For the 150th episode of The Space Above Us, let's find out what the Galileo orbiter and probe did while they were out there and why it was worth the wait.
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I'm taking my first break this week! So instead of an episode, I tell the tale of my first rocket launch, what it's like, and what you can do to make yours even better.
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On Endeavour's tenth flight, we're somehow going to deploy one satellite, but pick up two! Plus more EVA development, zero-gravity karate, and a farewell to a frequent flyer.
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We've docked at Mir before, but moving the Kristall module around is such a hassle. What if we could just make it a little longer so the shuttle could dock with it in its usual location? Also, please don't keep your ice cream next to the blood and urine samples.
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Columbia is back from the shop and is sporting some new upgrades, but seems reluctant to leave Earth on its 18th voyage. Once on orbit, we'll do some science, learn why TV is good, and perform some magic tricks!
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Endeavour is back on the launch pad with two payloads to both deploy and retrieve. One of those payloads looks a whole lot like a gigantic frisbee, something that would be sure to get the attention of any dog (or dog crew) nearby.
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On STS-70 it's time to complete the TRDSS constellation! Or at least the first generation. We'll also resist putting fish eggs on crackers, buy some decoy owls, and wonder why so many people from Ohio are trying to escape Earth.
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Norm Thagard is about to become America's first Cosmonaut. What challenges will he encounter during his four months on the Russian space station Mir? And why are they bringing so much juice?
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Twenty years after the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, four years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and around a hundred days after the launch of Norm Thagard, it's time to finally see a space shuttle dock with Mir.
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ASTRO-1 was a huge success, shining new light (more or less literally) on the universe with its ultraviolet observatory. But that was almost 30 flights ago. It's time for the new and improved ASTRO-2 to see what's out there. We'll also answer that question I'm sure everyone was wondering: which moon is ugliest?
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After all this talk about the Russian space station Mir, how about we take a close up look for ourselves? A REALLY close look.
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On STS-66 we welcome Atlantis back from its long maintenance period, further probe the upper atmosphere, test out a new rendezvous technique, and discover what is perhaps the worst payload name of all time.
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No, it's not a glitch in the Matrix, we're flying the same experiment on the same shuttle! Don't worry, we still find plenty to say. Oh, and Jupiter's about to explode, so that's pretty cool.
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Space Shuttle Discovery is all loaded up with a grab bag of shuttle program favorites. Rendezvous, tech demonstrations, even an untethered EVA! Just be careful for the ghosts in the bathroom..
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Space Shuttle Columbia is flying for the 17th time, carrying the International Microgravity Laboratory 2 payload. With fish, newts, and bubbles, it sounds more like a witch's brew than an advanced research laboratory. But don't let vague descriptions fool you! Also, who can leap long Spacelabs in a single bound? None other than IML Man, of course!
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Errata: Around 4:48 I say "[...] sitting behind the Pilot on the middeck [...]" when, of course, the Pilot sits on the flight deck. Got myself all mixed up with MS1/MS3 out of position.
We've got a giant radar in the payload bay, bubbles in the water, and we're ready to learn about somebody's favorite type of lizard. It's time for STS-59!
Errata: Around two minutes into the episode I use the term "frequency" multiple times when "wavelength" is correct. Really, since the wavelength is just the speed of light divided by the frequency if you know one you know the other, but still, I used the wrong term.