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Content Enable editor Use plain text Code entry NASA Logo STS-85 Occurred 29 years ago The main STS-85 payloads included the satellite known as Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 CRISTA-SPAS-02. CRISTA; a Japanese Manipulator Flight Development (MFD); the Technology Applications and Science (TAS-01); and the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker (IEH-02). Orbiter Discovery mission duration 11 days, 19 hours, 18 minutes, 47 seconds Launch Aug. 7, 1997 Landing Aug. 19, 1997 Six astronauts in orange spacesuits pose for crew portrait in front of American and Canadian flag. Five NASA astronauts and a Canadian payload specialist pause from their training schedule to pose for the traditional crew portrait for their mission, STS-85. In front are astronauts Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (right), mission commander, and Kent V. Rominger, pilot. On the back row, from the left, are astronauts Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Stephen K. Robinson, and N. Jan Davis, all mission specialists, along with the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) payload specialist, Bjarni Tryggvason. The five launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on August 7, 1997 at 10:41:00 a.m. (EDT). Major payloads included the satellite known as Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 CRISTA-SPAS-02. CRISTA; a Japanese Manipulator Flight Development (MFD); the Technology Applications and Science (TAS-01); and the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker (IEH-02). NASA Mission Facts Mission: CRISTA-SPAS-02 Space Shuttle: Discovery Launch Pad: 39A Launched: August 7, 1997, 10:41:00 a.m. EDT Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida Landing: August 19, 1997, 7:07:59 a.m. EDT Runway: 33 Rollout Distance: 8,792 feet Rollout Time: 68 seconds Revolution: 185 Mission Duration: 11 days, 19 hours, 18 minutes, 47 seconds Orbit Altitude: 173 statute miles Orbit Inclination: 51.6 degrees Miles Traveled: 4.7 million Crew Curtis L. Brown, Jr., Commander Kent V. Rominger, Pilot Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson, Mission Specialist N. Jan Davis, Mission Specialist Bjarni Tryggvason, Payload Specialist Mission Highlights STS-85 carried a complement of payloads in the cargo bay that focused on Mission to Planet Earth objectives as well as preparations for International Space Station assembly: the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-02); the Japanese Manipulator Flight Development (MFD); the Technology Applications and Science-01 (TAS-1) and the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-02 (IEH-02). This was second flight of CRISTA-SPAS payload. CRISTA-SPAS-02 also represented the fourth mission in a cooperative venture between the German Space Agency (DARA) and NASA. Payload included three telescopes and four spectrometers, deployed on flight day one, to gather data about Earth’s middle atmosphere. After more than 200 hours of free flight, CRISTA-SPAS was retrieved on Aug. 16. The three CRISTA telescopes collected 38 full atmospheric profiles of the middle atmosphere. A total of 22 sounding rockets and 40 balloons were launched to provide correlating data. Complementary instrument, the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) also performed well. Data from STS-85 and first CRISTA-SPAS flight, STS-66 in 1994, expected to yield new insight into distribution of ozone in Earth’s atmosphere. Once science operations were complete, CRISTA-SPAS was used in a simulation exercise to prepare for first International Space Station (ISS) assembly flight, STS-88, with the payload being manipulated as if it were the Functional Cargo Block (FGB) that will be attached to ISS Node 1. TAS-1 was a Hitchhiker payload carrying eight experiments designed to demonstrate faster, better, cheaper avionics and processes: Solar Constant Experiment (SOLCON), Infrared Spectral Imaging Radiometer (ISIR) and Shuttle Laster Altimeter (SLA), all part of NASA’s Mission to Planet Earth program; and the Critical Viscosity of Xenon (CVX), Space Experiment Module (SEM); Two Phase Flow (TPF); Cryogenic Flight Experiment (CFE) and Stand Alone Acceleration Measurement Device and the Wide Band Stand Alone Acceleration Measurement Device (SAAMD/WBSAAMD). All the experiments were completed successfully. MFD designed to evaluate use of the Small Fine Arm that will be part of the future Japanese Experiment Module’s Remote Manipulator System on ISS. Despite some glitches, MFD completed a series of exercises by crew on orbit as well as operators on ground. Two unrelated Japanese experiments, Two-Phase Fluid Loop Experiment (TPFLEX) and Evaluation of Space Environment and Effects on Materials (ESEM), were mounted near the Small Fine Arm in the payload bay. IEH-02 was flying a second time and consisted of four experiments, all of which performed well on-orbit: Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-2 (SEH); Ultraviolet Spectrography Telescope for Astronomical Research (UVSTAR); Distribution and Automation Technology Advancement – Colorado Hitchhiker and Student Experiment of Solar Radiation (DATA-CHASER); and Shuttle Glow Experiment-5 and -6, all with common objective to investigate solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) flux and EUV emissions of the Jupiter Io plasma torus system. In-cabin payloads: Bioreactor Demonstration System-3 (BDS-3), a cell biology research payload which has flown previously. On this flight, BDS used for growing colon cancer cells to a larger size than can be achieved on Earth. Protein Crystal Growth – Single locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES); Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX); Shuttle Ionospheric Modification with Pulsed Local Exhaust (SIMPLEX); Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SWUIS), used to observe the Hale-Bopp comet; two Get Away Special (GAS) payloads; Biological Research in Canisters-10 (BRIC-10), one in a series of flights; and the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE). Crew also worked with the Orbiter Space Vision System (OSVS), which will be used during ISS assembly. OSVS features series of dots strategically placed on various payload and vehicle stuctures that permit precise alignment and pointing capability. Orbiter performance was nominal throughout the mission. STS-85 17 Images Go To Gallery Resources Six astronauts in orange spacesuits pose for crew portrait in front of American and Canadian flag. STS-85 Press Kit Get an overview of the STS mission, its crew and activities during this mission. Columbia in blue sky after the STS-62 launching Discovery Fact Sheet An overview of this shuttle's flights. Shuttle News See All Shuttle News News Release 3 Min Read NASA’s Day of Remembrance Honors Fallen Heroes of Exploration Article 5 Min Read NASA’s Northrop Grumman CRS-23 Infographics & Hardware Image Article 1 Min Read Anatomy of a Space Shuttle Image Article 1 Min Read Saxophone in Space Featured Story Retired Space Shuttle Locations Shuttle Atlantis – Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Shuttle Discovery – Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Shuttle Endeavour – California Science… Read the Story Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Humans In Space International Space Station Space Shuttle Astronauts NASA Logo National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. About NASA's Mission Join Us Home News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA NASA en Español(opens in new tab) Follow NASA More NASA Social Accounts NASA Newsletters Sitemap For Media Privacy Policy FOIA No FEAR Act Office of the IG(opens in new tab) Budget & Annual Reports Agency Financial Reports Contact NASA Accessibility Page Last Updated: May 01, 2025 Page Editor: Michele Ostovar Responsible NASA Official: Abigail Bowman

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