STS-97 Crew Members

Crew Members

Commander:    Brent W. Jett
Brent Jett (Cdr., USN), 42, leads an all-veteran crew on Endeavour’s flight to install the sprawling U.S. solar arrays on the International Space Station (ISS) during the STS-97 mission.

Jett is responsible for the overall success of the flight and the safety of his crew. He will fly Endeavour to its linkup with a new docking port on the ISS and supervise the deployment of the arrays, which when unfurled, will span 240 feet wingtip to wingtip.

After his last flight, Jett spent almost a year as the Director of Operations for NASA at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, overseeing the training of U.S. astronauts involved in preparations for flights to the ISS.

Previous Space Flights:
Jett is making his third trip into space, having flown as Pilot on the STS-72 mission in 1996 and the STS-81 mission in 1997 to the Mir Space Station.

Ascent Seating:   Flight Deck - Port Forward
Entry Seating:     Flight Deck - Port Forward

Pilot:    Michael J. Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield (Lt. Col., USAF), 41, is making his second flight into space as Pilot on the STS-97 mission.

On Endeavour’s flight to the ISS, Bloomfield will assist Jett during the rendezvous and approach to the ISS and will be at the controls for Endeavour’s undocking from the Station and a subsequent flyaround of the new facility. He will operate Endeavour’s robot arm during two space walks planned for the mission, maneuvering a pair of astronauts around the ISS as they conduct their assembly work.

Previous Space Flights:
Bloomfield first flew as Pilot of the STS-86 mission to the Mir Space Station in 1997 which delivered Astronaut David Wolf to the Russian outpost and brought Mike Foale home after a four-month stay.

Ascent Seating:   Flight Deck - Starboard Forward
Entry Seating:     Flight Deck - Starboard Forward
RMS

Mission Specialist 1:    Joseph R. Tanner
Joe Tanner, 50, is making his third flight into space and is designated as Mission Specialist 1 (MS 1). For the flight, he will be seated on the flight deck for Endeavour’s launch and the middeck for entry and landing.

He will be responsible for the operation of Endeavour’s docking system and will join Noriega for two ISS assembly space walks during this flight. Tanner will work with Noriega to install the photovoltaic arrays on the ISS, hook up electrical and data cables, relocate the Station’s S-band communications system and conduct other tasks to prepare the ISS for the arrival of the U.S. Laboratory Destiny early next year.

Tanner will be designated as EV 1 during the two space walks, and will wear the spacesuit bearing the red stripes. Tanner will assist Marc Garneau in the transfer and stowage of logistical items and hardware for the Expedition One crew, aboard the ISS. The former Navy pilot will also share prime responsibility for the systems of the solar arrays and will operate an IMAX camera during the flight to document the crew’s activities.

Previous Space Flights:
Tanner flew on the STS-66 mission in 1994 and conducted a pair of space walks on the STS-82 mission in 1997 to refurbish the Hubble Space Telescope.

Ascent Seating:   Flight Deck - Starboard Aft
Entry Seating:     Mid Deck - Port
EV1

Mission Specialist 2:    Marc Garneau
Dr. Marc Garneau, 51, of the Canadian Space Agency, is making his third flight into space on the STS-97 mission, having earned the distinction of becoming the first Canadian to fly in space 16 years ago. As Mission Specialist 2 (MS 2), Garneau will serve as flight engineer during Endeavour’s launch and landing.

Garneau will assist crewmate Noriega in using a variety of navigational tools to assist Jett in the rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station.

During docked operations, Garneau will use the Canadian-built robot arm to install the large U.S. solar arrays on the ISS. Garneau also will serve as onboard choreographer during the two space walks planned for the flight.

Once aboard the ISS, Garneau will oversee the transfer of cargo to the Expedition One crew and will help ISS Commander Bill Shepherd, Soyuz Commander Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev in the stowage of equipment and other supplies.

Previous Space Flights:
He first flew on the STS-41G mission in 1984 and returned to space in 1996 on the STS-77 mission.

Ascent Seating:   Flight Deck - Center Aft
Entry Seating:     Flight Deck - Center Aft
RMS

Mission Specialist 3:    Carlos I. Noriega
Carlos Noriega (Lt. Col., USMC), 41, is making his second flight into space aboard Endeavour. Noriega serves as Mission Specialist 3 (MS 3) on STS-97, responsible for the onboard computers and the navigational tools which will be used to assist Jett in his rendezvous with the ISS.

Noriega shares responsibility for all of the systems of the large solar arrays that will be installed on the ISS to provide the most powerful source of electricity of any orbiting spacecraft. During the two space walks in which he and Tanner will supervise the solar array installation and other Station assembly work, Noriega will be designated EV 2, and will wear the pure white spacesuit.

Noriega will be seated in Endeavour’s middeck for launch and will take a seat on the Shuttle’s flight deck for entry and landing.

Previous Space Flights:
Noriega previously flew on the STS-84 mission in 1997, visiting the Mir Space Station as part of the Shuttle/Mir Program.

Ascent Seating:   Mid Deck - Port
Entry Seating:     Flight Deck - Starboard Aft
EV2

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Updated: 11/09/2000

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