STS-114 To Be First Mission To Return To Flight
The STS-114 crew,
augmented by three new members, is in place for the Space Shuttle's
Return to Flight mission. Three Mission Specialists have been added
to the four astronauts already in training for the STS-114 mission
planned for launch no earlier than September 2004.
The new crew members, Andrew Thomas (Ph.D.), Wendy Lawrence
(Capt., USN) and Charles Camarda (Ph.D.) join mission commander
Eileen Collins (Col., USAF), Pilot James Kelly (Lt. Col., USAF),
Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson (Ph.D) and Soichi Noguchi, of
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, who were named to this
flight in 2001.
"STS-114 is going to be a complex developmental test flight, and
this crew has the right set of skills and experience to help get
the Space Shuttles safely flying again," said NASA's Associate
Administrator for Space Flight William Readdy. "STS-114 was always
slated to have a crew of seven. But now, instead of three crew
rotating on-and-off the International Space Station, all crew
members will be dedicated to the STS-114 mission objectives,"
Readdy said.
The major mission
objectives of the STS-114 flight have shifted from International
Space Station logistics and crew rotation to testing and evaluating
new procedures for flight safety. This includes Shuttle inspection
and repair techniques. It also includes a smaller set of Space
Station tasks from what was scheduled before the Shuttle Columbia
accident in February.
"This is a demanding mission and the addition of Andy, Wendy and
Charlie, to this already well-qualified crew, ensures they have all
the skills necessary to meet the challenge of Return to Flight and
the resumption of Space Shuttle support of the International Space
Station," said Bob Cabana, Director of Flight Crew Operations at
NASA's Johnson Space Center.
"Andy brings a wealth of experience in all areas of operations
from his previous Shuttle flights and Mir space station mission.
Wendy is a superb robotics operator with detailed knowledge of all
the Shuttle systems. Charlie has been actively involved with the
thermal protection system repair activities and has trained as a
backup Space Station crew member. He is thoroughly familiar with
the systems on board the International Space Station," Cabana
said.
"When coupled with Eileen, Jim, Steve and Soichi, who were
already trained to perform the assembly tasks on this mission, the
full crew will have the expertise and crew time to accomplish all
mission objectives," Cabana said.
Collins served as pilot
on STS-63 in 1995 and STS-84 in 1997. She flew as commander in 1999
on STS-93. Kelly piloted his first mission aboard STS-102 in 2001.
Robinson was on STS-85 in 1997 and STS-95 in 1998. He served as a
backup show stoppers for Expedition 4. Thomas, a long-duration
Russian Space Station Mir veteran, also served aboard STS-77 in
1996, STS-89 and 91 to and from the Mir in 1998, and STS-102 in
2001. Lawrence, another space veteran, brings experience from
STS-67 in 1995, STS-86 in 1997, and STS-91 in 1998. Noguchi and
Camarda, both selected as astronauts in 1996, will make their first
flight to space on STS-114.