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The Top 5 Longest Space Shuttle Flights
| Flight | Date of Flight | Duration of mission | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | STS - 80 Columbia | Nov 19th to Dec 7th, 1996 | 17 days, 8 hours, 53 minutes |
| 2 | STS - 78 Columbia | Jun 20th July 7th, 1996 | 16 days, 21 hours, 48 minutes |
| 3 | STS - 67 Endeavour | Mar 2 to Mar 18th, 1995 | 16 days, 15 hours, 9 minutes |
| 4 | STS - 73 Columbia | Oct 20th to Nov 5th, 1995 | 15 days, 21 hours, 53 minutes |
| 5 | STS - 90 Columbia | Apr 17th to May 3rd, 1998 | 15 days, 21 hours, 15 minutes |
Special Report
- Extended duration missions began in 1992 when the orbiter Columbia, outfitted with Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) hardware, embarked on the longest shuttle flight to date at that time, Mission STS-50. Endeavour later became the second orbiter in the fleet to be outfitted with EDO hardware for longer flights. Typical shuttle flights last about 10 days; extended duration flights initially lasted up to about 13 days and now can be approximately 16 days in length. (a.)
- STS stands for "Space Transportation System". (a.)
- Astronauts have fewer red blood cells while they are in space. Most of the iron absorbed from food goes into new red blood cells. If astronauts were to eat foods high in iron, the iron would be stored in their bodies and could cause health problems. (a.)
- While in orbit, the space shuttle circles the planet at some 17,500 miles (28,000 kilometres) an hour, which means that the crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. (b.)
- The last mission disaster for the space shuttle program to date was on February 1st, 2003 when STS-107 Columbia was lost during entry. Seven astronauts lost their lives. The cause of the disaster was blamed on vertical tail fin failure. The reason for the failure: apparently the left wing was hit by a piece of foam from the Space Shuttle External Tank during launch. Mission STS - 107 was the 113th Space Shuttle launch. The space shuttle program was put on hold until July 26, 2005 when missions resumed with STS-114. (a.)
- NASA. (2011). "NASA Facts". Retrieved Jan, 2011.
- National Geographic. (2011). "Space Shuttle Program". Retrieved Jan, 2011 from: http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/space-exploration/space-shuttle-program.html
Tags:
Space & The Universe, Science & Technology, Top 5 Longest
Sources: Various.
List Notes: List last updated January 22, 2011.
Sources: Various.
List Notes: List last updated January 22, 2011.
