| STS-76
activities focused on Mir resupply requirements, so few experiments were
conducted. The payload bay configuration included the Orbiter Docking System
in the forward area and the SPACEHAB Module toward the aft. STS-76 marked
the first logistics flight of the SPACEHAB Module in support of Shuttle-Mir
resupply. The module served as a stowage area for a large supply of equipment
slated for transfer to the space station, but also carried the European
Space Agency's Biorack experiment rack for on-orbit research. Additional
experiments included the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX); KidSat,
a project that gives middle school students the opportunity to participate
in space exploration; and Trapped Ions in Space (TRIS), a Naval Research
Laboratory experiment flown in a Get Away Special (GAS) canister in the
payload bay. |