CREW:
Michael A. Baker, Commander; Brent W. Jett, Jr., Pilot; John M. Grunsfield, Mission Specialist; Marsha S. Ivins, Mission Specialist; Peter J.K. "Jeff" Wisoff, Mission Specialist; John E. Blaha, Mission Specialist (down); Jerry Linenger, Mission Specialist (up)

LAUNCH INFO:
Date: Jan. 12, 1997
Time: 4:27 a.m. EST
Site: Kennedy Space Center, FL

SHUTTLE FLIGHT:
Orbiter: Atlantis (OV-104)
Orbit Altitude: 184 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.6°
Mission Duration: 10 Days, 4 hours, 55 minutes

MIR DOCKING:
Docking: 5th Mir Docking
Dock Date: Jan. 14, 1997
Dock Time: 10:55 p.m. EST
Undock Date: Jan. 19, 1997
Undock Time: 9:15 p.m. EST

LANDING INFO:
Date: Jan. 22, 1997
Time: 9:22 a.m. EST
Site: Kennedy Space Center, FL

PAYLOAD(S):
SPACEHAB-LDM Logistics Double Module (FU2/FU3)

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The STS-81 crew lifts off on the Space Shuttle Atlantis from Launch Pad 39B on January 12, 1997 to dock with the Mir Space Station. STS-81 is the fifth Shuttle-Mir docking mission and features the transfer of Linenger to Mir to replace astronaut John Blaha, who had been on the orbital laboratory since Sept. 19 after his arrival during the STS-79 mission.

During STS-81, Shuttle and Mir crews conducted risk mitigation, human life science, microgravity and materials processing experiments that provide data for the design, development and operation of the International Space Station.

The primary payload was the SPACEHAB Logistics Double Module. The LDM provides space for more than 2,000 pounds of hardware, food and water for transfer to the Russian Space Station Mir during five days of docking operations during the 10-day mission. The SPACEHAB LDM is also used to return experiment samples from Mir to Earth for analysis and for microgravity experiments during the mission.