Never Miss a Rocket Launch

Get the Space Launch Schedule your way with our apps, content, and supporter benefits.

Get Our Mobile App

View the launch schedule, receive notifications, and watch live video on iOS or Android.

Go Ad-Free

Support us on Patreon for just $3/month and enjoy an ad-free website experience.

Get Social

Receive the daily launch schedule and follow our latest launch coverage on social media.

Lockheed Space Operations Company STS-96 Space Shuttle Discovery / OV-103

Launch Status
Success

Rocket Launch Video Stream

Meet the Astronaut Crew

NASA Astronaut Kent Rominger, STS-96 Commander

Kent Rominger

Astronaut details for Kent Rominger
Birthday08/07/1956
RoleCommander
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight10/20/1995
Last Flight04/19/2001

Kent Vernon "Rommel" Rominger is an American former astronaut, former NASA Chief of the Astronaut Office at Johnson Space Center, and a Captain in the...

NASA Astronaut Rick Husband, STS-96 Pilot

Rick Husband

Astronaut details for Rick Husband
Birthday07/12/1957
RolePilot
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight05/27/1999
Last Flight01/16/2003

Rick Douglas Husband (July 12, 1957 – February 1, 2003) (Colonel, USAF) was an American astronaut and fighter pilot. He traveled into space twice: as...

Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Julie Payette, STS-96 Mission Specialist

Julie Payette

Astronaut details for Julie Payette
Birthday10/20/1963
RoleMission Specialist
NationalityCanada
First Flight05/27/1999
Last Flight07/15/2009

Julie Payette CC CMM COM CQ CD (born October 20, 1963) is the current Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. Before assuming...

ROSCOSMOS Astronaut Valeri Tokarev, STS-96 Mission Specialist

Valeri Tokarev

Astronaut details for Valeri Tokarev
Birthday10/29/1952
RoleMission Specialist
NationalityRussia
First Flight05/27/1999
Last Flight10/01/2005

Valeri Ivanovich Tokarev (Russian: Валерий Иванович Токарев; born October 29, 1952) is a Russian Air Force Colonel and test cosmonaut at the Yuri A. Gagarin...

NASA Astronaut Daniel T. Barry, STS-96 Mission Specialist

Daniel T. Barry

Astronaut details for Daniel T. Barry
Birthday12/30/1953
RoleMission Specialist
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight01/11/1996
Last Flight08/10/2001

Daniel Thomas Barry is an American engineer, scientist, and a retired NASA astronaut. He was a contestant on the CBS reality television program Survivor: Panama,...

NASA Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, STS-96 Mission Specialist

Ellen Ochoa

Astronaut details for Ellen Ochoa
Birthday05/10/1958
RoleMission Specialist
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight04/08/1993
Last Flight04/08/2002

Ellen Ochoa is an American engineer, former astronaut and the current Director of the Johnson Space Center. Ochoa became director of the center upon the...

NASA Astronaut Tamara E. Jernigan, STS-96 Mission Specialist

Tamara E. Jernigan

Astronaut details for Tamara E. Jernigan
Birthday05/07/1959
RoleMission Specialist
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight06/05/1991
Last Flight05/27/1999

Tamara Elizabeth "Tammy" Jernigan, Ph.D. is an American scientist and former NASA astronaut and a veteran of five shuttle missions.

About the STS-96 Mission

Mission details for STS-96
TypeHuman Exploration
OrbitLow Earth Orbit
Launch Cost$450,000,000

STS-96 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery, and the first shuttle flight to dock with the International Space Station. The shuttle carried the Spacehab module in the payload, filled with cargo for station outfitting. STS-96 launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 27 May 1999 at 06:49:42 AM EDT.

Launch Pad & Location

Launch Complex 39B

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Launch statistics for Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Launches59
Orbital Launch Attempts58
Total Launches283

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).

Find the best place to watch the launch from Florida

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.

Rocket specifications for NASA Space Shuttle
Length56.1 m
Diameter8.0 m
Stages2
Launch Mass2,030.0 T
Takeoff Thrust28,200.0 kN
LEO Capacity27,500 kg
Launch Cost$450,000,000
Maiden Flight4/12/1981

Learn more about the NASA Space Shuttle Rocket

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

Spacecraft details for Space Shuttle Discovery
TypeSpaceplane
AgencyNASA
Serial NumberOV-103
StatusRetired
DestinationInternational Space Station
Maiden Flight4/12/1981
Mission End6/6/1999
Flights39
Crew Capacity7
Human RatedYes
Height56.1 m
Diameter8.7 m
Payload Capacity27,500 kg

About Lockheed Space Operations Company

Launch statistics for Lockheed Space Operations Company
Total Launches65
Successful64
Failed1
Consecutive Success49

Learn more about Lockheed Space Operations Company

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-96 launch scheduled?

The Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-96 launch was scheduled for:
.

Where can I watch the Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-96 launch video?

You can watch the Lockheed Space Operations Company 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 Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-96 mission launch from?

The Lockheed Space Operations Company 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-96 mission?

The STS-96 mission launched aboard a Lockheed Space Operations Company 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 Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-96 launch?

The Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-96 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 Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-96 launch was delayed?

This page was updated in real-time with the latest Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle launch status, including any delays or scrubs for the STS-96 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 Lockheed Space Operations Company live streams provided the most immediate range updates during the launch window.

Last Updated

Last Updated:

guest
0 Comments