On this day in space! Sept. 7, 1995: NASA launches its 100th astronaut flight on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-69 mission
On Sept. 7, 1995, the space shuttle Endeavour launched on mission STS-69, NASA's 100th astronaut flight. Here's why it mattered.
On September 7, 1995, the space shuttle Endeavour embarked on mission STS-69, marking NASA's 100th successful crewed spaceflight. The shuttle launched from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying a five-astronaut crew commanded by David Walker. The 11-day mission focused on scientific experiments, deploying and retrieving satellites, and testing methods for building the International Space Station.
One notable experiment, the Spartan 201-03 payload, aimed to study the sun's outer atmosphere, while the Wake Shield Facility-2 sought to create an ultravacuum environment for growing thin films. The mission also included a single spacewalk by astronauts Jim Voss and Michael Gernhardt, who practiced building techniques for the International Space Station.
Interestingly, the crew nicknamed themselves the Dog Crew II, with each member adopting a dog name: David Walker as Red Dog, Kenneth Cockrell as Cujo, Jim Voss as Dog Face, Jim Newman as Pluto, and Michael Gernhardt as Under Dog.
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