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United Space AllianceSpace ShuttleLaunch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
STS-116
Launched
December 10, 2006
Summary
STS-116 launched on an United Space Alliance Space Shuttle from Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA on December 10, 2006. It was United Space Alliance's 33rd launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 4,809th orbital launch attempt. It was the 117th Space Shuttle flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Discovery (STS-116), one of 11 catalogued objects, reached a 232 × 258 km orbit inclined 51.6°. 7 crew members flew: Christer Fuglesang, Joan Higginbotham, Robert Curbeam, Mark L. Polansky, William Oefelein, Nicholas Patrick and Sunita Williams. The spacecraft was Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103). 11 objects from this launch are catalogued, 6 of them payloads.
- Watch
- STS-116 launch & landing (12-9-06)3210andLiftoff
- Vehicle
- Space Shuttle · United Space AllianceInternational Space Station, Space Shuttle
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Human Exploration · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 117th Space Shuttle flight · 3rd this yearUnited Space Alliance's 33rd launch3rd this yearhumanity's 4,809th orbital launch attempt59th orbital launch attempt this year
Launch crew
Christer FuglesangMission Specialist · ESA · age 49 · first flight
Joan HigginbothamMission Specialist · NASA · age 42 · first flight
Robert CurbeamMission Specialist · NASA · age 44 · 3rd flight
Mark L. PolanskyCommander · NASA · age 50 · 2nd flight
William OefeleinPilot · NASA · age 41 · first flight
Nicholas PatrickMission Specialist · NASA · age 42 · first flight
Sunita WilliamsMission Specialist · NASA · age 41 · first flight
Landing crew
- Christer FuglesangMission Specialist · ESA
- Joan HigginbothamMission Specialist · NASA
Thomas ReiterMission Specialist · ESA- Robert CurbeamMission Specialist · NASA
- Mark L. PolanskyCommander · NASA
- William OefeleinPilot · NASA
- Nicholas PatrickMission Specialist · NASA
Spacecraft
Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103)
Space Shuttle Discovery (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of the orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully operational orbiters to be built. Its first mission, STS-41-D, flew from August 30 to September 5, 1984. Over 27 years of service it launched and landed 39 times, gathering more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. Discovery became the third operational orbiter to enter service, preceded by Columbia and Challenger. It embarked on its last mission, STS-133, on February 24, 2011 and touched down for the final time at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, having spent a cumulative total of almost a full year in space. Discovery performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions. It also carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. Discovery was the first operational shuttle to be retired, followed by Endeavour and then Atlantis.
- Destination: International Space Station
- Mission length: 12 days
- Docked December 11, 2006 at Destiny forward
Space Shuttle Discovery successfully landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility after this mission.
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Discovery (STS-116) · NORAD 29647 · 2006-055 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 11 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2006-055A
- Epoch
- 2006-12-10 02:26:45 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.13274907 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0019261
- Inclination
- 51.6349°
- Ascending node
- 0.6943°
- Arg. of perigee
- 207.3376°
- Mean anomaly
- 328.8641°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0.0000078842
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
11 catalogued: 6 payloads, 5 components
- Discovery (STS-116) · NORAD 29647 · docked December 11, 2006
- MEPSI 2A · NORAD 29660 · re-entered March 8, 2007
- Navy-OSCAR-60 · NORAD 29661 · re-entered May 30, 2007
- NMARS · NORAD 29662 · re-entered May 6, 2007
- Navy-OSCAR-61 (ANDE-RR) · NORAD 29664 · re-entered December 25, 2007
- Navy-OSCAR-62 (ANDE-FCL) · NORAD 29667 · re-entered May 25, 2008
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
STS-116 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. Discovery lifted off on 9 December 2006 at 20:47:35 EST. A previous launch attempt on 7 December had been canceled due to cloud cover. It was the first night launch of a space shuttle since STS-113 in November 2002. The mission is also referred to as ISS-12A.1 by the ISS program. The main goals of the mission were delivery and attachment of the International Space Station's P5 truss segment, a major rewiring of the station's power system, and exchange of ISS Expedition 14 personnel.
Pad
Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
56th launch from Launch Complex 39B, 3rd this year · 134th from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
59 launches from this pad · 283 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
91 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did STS-116 launch?
STS-116 launched on December 10, 2006. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch STS-116?
Coverage: STS-116 launch & landing (12-9-06). Watch the replay
What rocket launched STS-116?
Space Shuttle, flown by United Space Alliance. Space Shuttle spec sheet
Where did STS-116 launch from?
Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.
What orbit did STS-116 reach?
Discovery (STS-116), one of 11 catalogued objects, reached a 232 × 258 km orbit inclined 51.6°.
How many satellites did STS-116 launch?
6 payloads from this launch are catalogued (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is STS-116 part of?
International Space Station and Space Shuttle. About International Space Station