- Published on
On this day in space! Sept. 7, 1995: NASA launches its 100th astronaut flight on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-69 mis...
- Authors
- Name
- DeepHorus
On Sept. 7, 1995, NASA marked a historic milestone as space shuttle Endeavour lifted off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-69. The launch represented the agency's 100th successful crewed spaceflight, a testament to the growing routine of human space exploration. Endeavour carried five astronauts on an 11-day mission packed with science and technology demonstrations.
The crew was commanded by David Walker, with Kenneth Cockrell as pilot. Jim Voss served as payload commander, while Jim Newman and Michael Gernhardt rounded out the team as mission specialists. Together, they conducted experiments, deployed and retrieved satellites, and performed a nearly seven-hour spacewalk.
The mission achieved a first for NASA: deploying two different payloads for space science in a single flight. The Spartan 201-03 satellite studied the sun's outer atmosphere as it transitioned into solar wind. It was the third of four Spartan 201 missions flown aboard the shuttle.
The other payload was the Wake Shield Facility-2, a saucer-shaped stainless steel disk designed as an in-space factory. It created an ultravacuum environment to grow thin films for advanced electronics. The disk was deployed twice and successfully produced four of seven planned thin films, also conducting an Air Force electrical field experiment.
Astronauts Voss and Gernhardt spent 6 hours and 46 minutes outside Endeavour during the mission's only spacewalk. They tested thermal upgrades to NASA's EVA suits, along with new tools and techniques for building the International Space Station. These tests were crucial for the station's future assembly.
The STS-69 milestone demonstrated that flying humans in space was no longer an occasional feat but a dependable capability. It also paved the way for complex multi-payload missions and orbital construction. The mission's success reinforced NASA's confidence in long-duration spaceflight operations.
NASA also noted a lighthearted tradition: the crew was designated 'Dog Crew II,' with nicknames including Red Dog, Cujo, Dog Face, Pluto, and Under Dog. The mission's legacy lives on in the ISS and in the advanced materials research it enabled. Endeavour's STS-69 flight remains a key chapter in space history.
