Crew & Mission

(STS072-S-002 -August 1995) --- These six astronauts are in training for their mission scheduled aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour later this year. Astronauts Brian Duffy (right front) and Brent W. Jett (left front) are mission commander and pilot, respectively. Mission specialists (back row, left to right) are Winston E. Scott, Leroy Chiao, Koichi Wakata and Daniel T. Barry. Wakata is an international mission specialist representing Japan’s National Space Development Agency (NASDA) based at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).

The Artwork

(STS072-S-001 -May 1995) ---The crew patch of STS-72 depicts the Space Shuttle Endeavour and some of the payloads on the flight. The Japanese satellite, Space Flyer Unit (SFU) is shown in a free-flying configuration with the solar array panels deployed. The inner gold border of the patch represents the SFU's distinct octagonal shape. Endeavour will rendezvous with and retrieve SFU at an altitude of approximately 250 nautical miles. The Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology's (OAST) flyer satellite is shown just after release from the Remote Manipulator System (RMS). The OAST satellite will be deployed at an altitude of 165 nautical miles to fly free for two days gathering scientific data. The payload bay contains equipment for the secondary payloads - the Shuttle Laser Altimeter (SLA) and the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Instrument (SSBUI). There are two space walks planned to test hardware for assembly of the International Space Station. The stars represent the hometowns of the crew members in the United States and Japan.