Crew & Mission

(STS087-S-002 -September 1997) --- Five astronauts and a payload specialist take a break from training at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) to pose for the STS-87 crew portrait. Wearing the orange partial pressure launch and entry suits, from the left, are Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; Steven W. Lindsey, pilot; Kevin R. Kregel, mission commander; and Leonid K. Kadenyuk, Ukrainian payload specialist. Wearing the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suits are astronauts Winston E. Scott and Takao Doi, both mission specialists. Doi represents Japan’s National Space Development Agency (NASDA). The flight is scheduled as a 16-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

The Artwork

(STS087-S-001 -August 1997) --- The STS-87 patch is shaped like a space helmet symbolizing the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) on the mission in support of testing of tools for the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). Earth is shown reflected on the backside of the helmet. The Space Shuttle Columbia forms the interface between the Earth and the heavens, the back and front sides of the helmet in profile. The three red lines emerging from Columbia represent the astronaut symbol as well as the robot arm, which will be used to deploy and retrieve the Spartan satellite. The letters 'ug' represent the payloads studying microgravity science in space on this United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4) mission. Gold flames outlining the helmet visor represent the corona of the Sun, which will be studied by Spartan. The flag of Ukraine is next to the name of the payload specialist who is the first person from that nation to fly on the Space Shuttle.