United Space AllianceSpace ShuttleLaunch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
STS-86
Launched
September 26, 1997

Summary
STS-86 launched on an United Space Alliance Space Shuttle from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA on September 26, 1997. It was United Space Alliance's 8th launch, 6th this year and humanity's 4,175th orbital launch attempt. It was the 87th Space Shuttle flight and the 7th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 263 × 305 km orbit inclined 51.7°. 7 crew members flew: Jean-Loup Chrétien, Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov, Jim Wetherbee, David Wolf, Wendy B. Lawrence, Scott E. Parazynski and Michael J. Bloomfield. The spacecraft was Space Shuttle Atlantis (OV-104). One object from this launch is catalogued.
- Watch
- STS-86 launch (9-25-97)3210andLiftoff
- Vehicle
- Space Shuttle · United Space AllianceMir, Shuttle–Mir, Space Shuttle
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Human Exploration · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 87th Space Shuttle flight · 7th this yearUnited Space Alliance's 8th launch6th this yearhumanity's 4,175th orbital launch attempt57th orbital launch attempt this year
Launch crew
Jean-Loup ChrétienMission Specialist · CNES · age 59 · 3rd flight
Vladimir Georgiyevich TitovMission Specialist · RFSA · age 50 · 5th flight
Jim WetherbeeCommander · NASA · age 44 · 4th flight
David WolfMission Specialist · NASA · age 41 · 2nd flight
Wendy B. LawrenceMission Specialist · NASA · age 38 · 2nd flight
Scott E. ParazynskiMission Specialist · NASA · age 36 · 2nd flight
Michael J. BloomfieldPilot · NASA · age 38 · first flight
Landing crew
Jean-Loup ChrétienMission Specialist · CNES
Vladimir Georgiyevich TitovMission Specialist · RFSA
Jim WetherbeeCommander · NASA
Michael FoaleMission Specialist · NASA
Wendy B. LawrenceMission Specialist · NASA
Scott E. ParazynskiMission Specialist · NASA
Michael J. BloomfieldPilot · NASA
Spacecraft
Space Shuttle Atlantis (OV-104)
Space Shuttle Atlantis (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV‑104) is a Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States. Constructed by the Rockwell International company in Southern California and delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in Eastern Florida in April 1985, Atlantis is the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built. Its maiden flight was STS-51-J from 3 to 7 October 1985. Atlantis embarked on its 33rd and final mission, also the final mission of a space shuttle, STS-135, on 8 July 2011. STS-134 by Endeavour was expected to be the final flight before STS-135 was authorized in October 2010. STS-135 took advantage of the processing for the STS-335 Launch On Need mission that would have been necessary if STS-134's crew became stranded in orbit. Atlantis landed for the final time at the Kennedy Space Center on 21 July 2011. By the end of its final mission, Atlantis had orbited the Earth a total of 4,848 times, traveling nearly 126,000,000 mi (203,000,000 km) or more than 525 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
- Destination: Mir
- Mission length: 10 days
- Docked September 27, 1997 at Mir SO starboard
Space Shuttle Atlantis successfully landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility after this mission.
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Atlantis (STS-86) · NORAD 24964 · 1997-055 · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1997-055A
- Epoch
- 1997-09-26 03:34:17 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.99106947 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0031464
- Inclination
- 51.6551°
- Ascending node
- 298.6716°
- Arg. of perigee
- 350.5296°
- Mean anomaly
- 267.3752°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0.000007351
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
1 catalogued: 1 payload
- Atlantis (STS-86) · NORAD 24964 · docked September 27, 1997
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
STS-86 was a Space Shuttle Atlantis mission to the Mir space station. This was the last Atlantis mission before it was taken out of service temporarily for maintenance and upgrades, including the glass cockpit.
Pad

Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
64th launch from Launch Complex 39A, 6th this year · 104th from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
224 launches from this pad · 283 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
49 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did STS-86 launch?
STS-86 launched on September 26, 1997. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch STS-86?
Coverage: STS-86 launch (9-25-97). Watch the replay
What rocket launched STS-86?
Space Shuttle, flown by United Space Alliance. Space Shuttle spec sheet
Where did STS-86 launch from?
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.
What orbit did STS-86 reach?
It reached a 263 × 305 km orbit inclined 51.7°.
Which program is STS-86 part of?
Mir and Shuttle–Mir and Space Shuttle. About Mir
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