148 - STS-74 - Putting out the Welcome Mat (Mir Docking Module)

December 9, 2021·31 min·2 clips

Chris Hadfield used a limp robot arm trick to force the docking module onto the shuttle with a thruster jump.

This episode details Space Shuttle mission STS-74, which delivered a docking module to the Russian Mir space station. Host Chris Gebhardt examines the mission's role in simplifying future shuttle dockings and facilitating the Shuttle-Mir program. The crew of Space Shuttle Atlantis included Commander Ken Cameron, Pilot Jim Halsell, and Mission Specialists Chris Hadfield, Jerry Ross, and Bill MacArthur. The primary payload was a docking module, designed and built in under two years to extend the Kristall module and allow shuttle docking without repositioning Mir's solar arrays. The module was 4.7 meters long, weighed 4,000 kilograms, and featured APAS docking adapters on both ends. Launch occurred on November 12, 1995, after a one-day scrub due to weather at transatlantic abort sites. A U.S. federal government shutdown during the mission halted most NASA public updates, leading the crew to use coded language like "parking" to inquire about the situation. Chris Hadfield operated the shuttle's robotic arm to install the docking module onto the orbiter's docking system, using a technique where the arm went limp as thrusters pushed the orbiter upward to engage the mechanism. A stuck equipment bag in the airlock briefly prevented the crew from opening the hatch to the newly installed module. Commander Ken Cameron manually docked Atlantis to Mir, guided by cameras moved to the docking module, in a maneuver so smooth the Mir crew reported not feeling the contact. The mission transferred approximately 140 kg of food, 320 kg of experiments, 400 kg of water, and gases to Mir, while returning 360 kg of science samples to Earth. The crews celebrated the first gathering of astronauts from America, Russia, Europe, and Canada on one vehicle, marking the United Nations' 50th anniversary with a photo. Atlantis delivered a new foldable guitar to Mir, replacing an older model originally from the Salyut 7 station. The crew also brought a new refrigerator for Mir and, according to Bill MacArthur's anecdote, successfully negotiated to fill it with ice cream that had to be consumed before Atlantis departed. Post-docking science included studies of orbiter glow and analyses of Mir's structural dynamics during thruster firings. Mission Specialist Bill MacArthur noted a peculiar unused VHF antenna in the payload bay, which ground controllers instructed the crew not to operate. The episode concludes with Atlantis landing after 8 days, 4 hours, and 30 minutes, having left the docking module for future shuttle visits. The tone is educational and conversational, blending technical details with human anecdotes and historical context. Listeners interested in space engineering, international cooperation, and behind-the-scenes mission stories will enjoy this episode. Those seeking a deep dive into scientific experiments or dramatic narrative tension might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A quiet but pivotal shuttle mission that makes orbital work feel concrete and earned.

STS-74 reads as a mission story about infrastructure more than spectacle. The shuttle delivers a docking module to Mir and turns a difficult first step into something that feels repeatable.

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Why you'd press play

You want to hear Mir get a safer doorway.

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