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. Polansky received the nickname "Roman" as a joke,...
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 spaceflight, piloted the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission....
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 mission STS-116 as a mission specialist.
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 aboard the STS-116 Space...
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 Discovery STS-116 mission made him the...
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 from Woodlawn High School, Baltimore County, Maryland...
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 the International Space Station as a participant...
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
| Launches | 59 |
|---|---|
| Orbital Launch Attempts | 58 |
| Total Launches | 283 |
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).
NASA 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.
| Length | 56.1 m |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 8.0 m |
| Stages | 2 |
| Launch Mass | 2,030.0 T |
| Takeoff Thrust | 28,200.0 kN |
| LEO Capacity | 27,500 kg |
| Launch Cost | $450,000,000 |
| Maiden Flight | 4/12/1981 |
Mission Spacecraft
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103) was the spacecraft used for this mission. It is a NASA Spaceplane designed for Carrying a crew of 7 astronauts along with cargo to Low Earth Orbit. and traveled to International Space Station.
Space Shuttle Discovery (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of the orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully operational orbiters to be built. Its first mission, STS-41-D, flew from August 30 to September 5, 1984. Over 27 years of service it launched and landed 39 times, gathering more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. Discovery became the third operational orbiter to enter service, preceded by Columbia and Challenger. It embarked on its last mission, STS-133, on February 24, 2011 and touched down for the final time at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, having spent a cumulative total of almost a full year in space. Discovery performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions. It also carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. Discovery was the first operational shuttle to be retired, followed by Endeavour and then Atlantis. The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable LEO spacecraft system operated 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), taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights in 1982. In addition to the prototype whose completion was cancelled, five complete Shuttle systems were built and used on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST); conducted science experiments in orbit; and participated in construction and servicing of the International Space Station. The Shuttle fleet's total mission time was 1322 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds. 14 days
| Type | Spaceplane |
|---|---|
| Agency | NASA |
| Serial Number | OV-103 |
| Status | Retired |
| Destination | International Space Station |
| Maiden Flight | 4/12/1981 |
| Mission End | 12/22/2006 |
| Flights | 39 |
| Crew Capacity | 7 |
| Human Rated | Yes |
| Height | 56.1 m |
| Diameter | 8.7 m |
| Payload Capacity | 27,500 kg |
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.
| Total Launches | 51 |
|---|---|
| Successful | 50 |
| Failed | 1 |
| Consecutive Success | 22 |
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.
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