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 Fossum and Sellers on the end of Discovery's Orbiter Boom Sensor System during the mission's first EVA | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-121 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | ISS logistics |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2006-028A |
| SATCAT no. | 29251 |
| Mission duration | 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes, 54 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 8,500,000 kilometres (5,300,000 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 202 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Discovery |
| Launch mass | 121,092 kilograms (266,962 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 7 up 6 down |
| Members | |
| Launching | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | July 4, 2006, 18:37:55 UTC |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39B |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | July 17, 2006, 13:14:43 UTC |
| Landing site | Kennedy, SLF Runway 15 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 352.8 kilometres (219.2 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 354.2 kilometres (220.1 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.6 degrees |
| Period | 91.6 minutes |
| Docking with ISS | |
| Docking port | PMA-2 (Destiny forward) |
| Docking date | 6 July 2006 14:52 UTC |
| Undocking date | 15 July 2006 10:08 UTC |
| Time docked | 8 days, 19 hours, 16 minutes |
 (L-R) Wilson, Fossum, Lindsey, Sellers, Kelly, Reiter, Nowak. | |
STS-121 was a 2006 Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery on its 32nd flight. The main purposes of the mission were to test new safety and repair techniques introduced following the Columbia disaster of February 2003 as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and German European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Reiter to the ISS.[1]
After two weather-related delays, the shuttle successfully launched on Tuesday, July 4, 2006, at 14:37:55 EDT. It was the first and only shuttle launch on the United States' Independence Day. The mission lasted for 13 days before landing at the Kennedy Space Center on July 17, 2006, at 09:14:43 EDT.
STS-121 was also designated the ISS Assembly Mission ULF 1.1. As the mission followed on from STS-114 in carrying out the recommendations made in response to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board report, it was considered a Return to Flight test mission. Its successful launch and landing led NASA to fully resume regular Space Shuttle launches in the construction of the ISS.
- ^ "STS-121 Nasa Press Kit" NASA Press Kit – STS-121, May 2006.