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 Atlantis mates with Mir's Docking Module | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-76 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Shuttle–Mir |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1996-018A |
| SATCAT no. | 23831 |
| Mission duration | 9 days, 5 hours, 15 minutes, 53 seconds (achieved) |
| Distance travelled | 6,100,000 km (3,800,000 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 145 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | OV-104 |
| Launch mass | 111,740 kg (246,340 lb) |
| Landing mass | 95,396 kg (210,312 lb) |
| Payload mass | 6,753 kg (14,888 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 6 up 5 down |
| Members | |
| Launching | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 22 March 1996, 08:13:03.999 UTC[1]: 2 |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39B |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 31 March 1996, 13:28:56.8 UTC[1]: 8 |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 22 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 389 km (242 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 411 km (255 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.60° |
| Period | 92.50 minutes |
| Docking with Mir | |
| Docking port | SO starboard |
| Docking date | 24 March 1996, 02:50:09.9 UTC[1]: 4 |
| Undocking date | 29 March 1996, 01:08:03.4 UTC[1]: 5 |
| Time docked | 4 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes, 54 seconds |
 STS-76 mission patch  Back: Clifford, Lucid, Godwin Front: Sega, Chilton, Searfoss | |
STS-76 was NASA's 76th Space Shuttle mission, and the 16th mission for Atlantis. STS-76 launched on 22 March 1996 at 08:13:04 UTC from Kennedy Space Center, launch pad 39B. STS-76 lasted over 9 days, traveled about 6,100,000 km (3,800,000 mi) while orbiting Earth an estimated 145 times, and landing at 13:28:57 UTC on 31 March 1996 at Edwards Air Force Base, runway 22.
The flight was the third Shuttle mission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir, as part of the Shuttle–Mir program, carrying astronaut Shannon Lucid to the orbital laboratory to replace NASA astronaut Norman Thagard. STS-76 also carried a SPACEHAB single module along with Lucid, and on flight day 6, Linda M. Godwin and Michael R. Clifford performed the first U.S. spacewalk around two docked spacecraft since the last Skylab mission in 1974.