United Space Alliance STS-116 Space Shuttle Discovery / OV-103
Rocket Launch Video Stream
Meet the Astronaut Crew
Mark L. Polansky
- Birthday: 06/02/1956
- Role: Commander
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 02/07/2001
- Last Flight: 07/15/2009
Mark Lewis "Roman" Polansky is an American aerospace engineer and research pilot and a former NASA astronaut. Polan...
William Oefelein
- Birthday: 03/29/1965
- Role: Pilot
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 12/10/2006
- Last Flight: 12/10/2006
William Anthony "Bill" Oefelein is an American test pilot instructor and former NASA astronaut who, on his only spa...
Joan Higginbotham
- Birthday: 08/03/1964
- Role: Mission Specialist
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 12/10/2006
- Last Flight: 12/10/2006
Joan Elizabeth Higginbotham is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut. She flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery miss...
Christer Fuglesang
- Birthday: 03/18/1957
- Role: Mission Specialist
- Nationality: Sweden
- First Flight: 12/10/2006
- Last Flight: 08/29/2009
Arne Christer Fuglesang (born March 18, 1957 in Stockholm) is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched...
Nicholas Patrick
- Birthday: 11/19/1964
- Role: Mission Specialist
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 12/10/2006
- Last Flight: 02/08/2010
Nicholas James MacDonald Patrick, Ph.D. is a British-American engineer and a former NASA astronaut. His flight on the 2006 Di...
Robert Curbeam
- Birthday: 03/05/1962
- Role: Mission Specialist
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 08/07/1997
- Last Flight: 12/10/2006
Robert Lee Curbeam, Jr. is a former NASA astronaut and captain in the United States Navy.
Curbeam graduated ...
Sunita Williams
- Birthday: 09/19/1965
- Role: Mission Specialist
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 12/10/2006
- Last Flight: 06/05/2024
Sunita Lyn "Suni" Williams is a retired American astronaut and a retired U.S. Navy officer. Williams served aboard ...
About the STS-116 Mission
- Type: Human Exploration
- Orbit: Low Earth Orbit
- Launch Cost: $450,000,000
STS-116 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. Discovery lifted off on 9 December 2006 at 20:47:35 EST. A previous launch attempt on 7 December had been canceled due to cloud cover. It was the first night launch of a space shuttle since STS-113 in November 2002. The mission is also referred to as ISS-12A.1 by the ISS program. The main goals of the mission were delivery and attachment of the International Space Station's P5 truss segment, a major rewiring of the station's power system, and exchange of ISS Expedition 14 personnel.
Launch Pad & Location
Launch Complex 39B
Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
The Launch Complex 39B launch pad has hosted 59 rocket launches, including 58 orbital launch attempts. The Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA launch site has been the location for 281 total rocket launches.
The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of NASA's ten field centers. Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Shuttle Rocket
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS). Five complete Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles were built and flown on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011.
Learn more about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Shuttle Rocket
About United Space Alliance
United Space Alliance (USA) is a spaceflight operations company. USA is a joint venture which was established in August 1995 as a Limited Liability Company (LLC), equally owned by Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the United Space Alliance Space Shuttle STS-116 launch scheduled?
The United Space Alliance Space Shuttle STS-116 launch was scheduled for:
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Where can I watch the United Space Alliance Space Shuttle STS-116 launch video?
You can watch the United Space Alliance Space Shuttle launch video on this page. The official video includes full mission coverage with multiple camera angles, onboard views, and expert commentary covering pre-launch procedures, liftoff, stage separation, and payload deployment.
Where did the United Space Alliance Space Shuttle STS-116 mission launch from?
The United Space Alliance Space Shuttle rocket launched from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA. The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of NASA's ten field centers. Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).
What rocket was used for the STS-116 mission?
The STS-116 mission launched aboard a United Space Alliance Space Shuttle rocket. The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS). Five complete Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles were built and flown on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. Detailed rocket specifications and performance data are available in the rocket details above.
What weather conditions could have delayed the United Space Alliance Space Shuttle STS-116 launch?
The United Space Alliance Space Shuttle STS-116 launch could have been delayed by various weather conditions including lightning within 10 nautical miles, high winds (especially upper-level winds), thick cloud layers, precipitation, and poor visibility. Weather must be favorable at the launch site, downrange landing zones, and abort landing sites.
How can I get updates if the United Space Alliance Space Shuttle STS-116 launch was delayed?
This page was updated in real-time with the latest United Space Alliance Space Shuttle launch status, including any delays or scrubs for the STS-116 mission. You can also check our space launch schedule for historical launch information. Our mobile app provides push notifications for instant alerts about launch status changes. Official United Space Alliance live streams provided the most immediate range updates during the launch window.