STS-98 Crew Members

Crew Members

Commander:    Kenneth D. Cockrell
Ken Cockrell, 50, is the Commander of Atlantis for the first flight of 2001 to install the U.S. Laboratory Destiny to the International Space Station.

As Commander, Cockrell is primarily responsible for overall mission success and safety of the flight, and will be at the controls for Atlantis’ docking to the ISS on the third day of the mission.

Cockrell will be the lead for the initial activation of Destiny’s systems from a control panel at the aft flight deck of Atlantis after the facility is installed and will back up Marsha Ivins in the operation of Atlantis’ robot arm, which will be used to install Destiny, relocate a station docking port to the aft berthing mechanism on Destiny and transport Atlantis’ space walkers to various locations on the ISS during their three excursions outside the shuttle.

Previous Space Flights:
A former Navy test pilot, Cockrell is making his fourth flight into space, having previously served as a Mission Specialist on STS-56 in 1993, as Pilot on STS-69 in 1995 and as Commander on STS-80 in 1996.

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

Pilot:    Mark L. Polansky
Mark Polansky, 44, is Atlantis’ Pilot for the STS-98 mission to install the U.S. Laboratory Destiny to the International Space Station.

Polansky will be responsible for Atlantis’ key propulsion, hydraulic and guidance systems during launch and landing and will assist Commander Ken Cockrell during Atlantis’ rendezvous with the ISS. Polansky also will be at Atlantis' controls during the post undocking flyaround of the station. Photographs taken during the flyaround are used to document the current conditions of the station following the addition of the Destiny module.

In addition, Polansky will be the intravehicular crew member, or choreographer, for the three space walks to be conducted by Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam to help install Destiny to the Unity module, hook up critical umbilical lines between the newly arrived laboratory and other Station components and perform other Station assembly tasks.

Previous Space Flights:
Making his first flight during STS-98, Polansky is a former Air Force test pilot who joined NASA in 1992 as an aerospace engineer and research test pilot prior to becoming an astronaut.

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

Mission Specialist 1:    Robert L. Curbeam
Bob Curbeam (Cdr., USN), 38, is making his second flight into space aboard Atlantis to deliver the U.S. Laboratory Destiny to the International Space Station, having first flew on the STS-85 mission in 1997.

Curbeam is Mission Specialist 1 (MS 1) for the STS-98 mission and will be one of two space walkers during the flight. He is designated Extravehicular crewmember 2 (EV 2) for the three space walks he will conduct with Tom Jones and will wear the pure white spacesuit. He and Jones will help to install the laboratory on the Unity module, hook up umbilical lines between Destiny and the Unity module and perform other Station assembly tasks. He will also be responsible for the operation of Atlantis’ docking system which will be used to link up to a similar device on the ISS.

Curbeam will be seated on Atlantis’ flight deck for launch and down on the middeck for landing.

Previous Space Flights:
STS-98 is Curbeam's second space flight.

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

Mission Specialist 2:    Marsha S. Ivins
Marsha Ivins, 49, is making her fifth flight into space on Atlantis’ mission to install the U.S. Laboratory Destiny to the International Space Station.

Ivins will serve as flight engineer during Atlantis’ launch and landing, backing up Commander Ken Cockrell and Pilot Mark Polansky on the shuttle’s flight deck as Mission Specialist 2 (MS 2).

Ivins will play a key role during the flight, with primary responsibility for the operation of Atlantis’ robot arm which will be used to install Destiny to the Unity module, relocate a Station docking port to the aft berthing mechanism on Destiny and transport Atlantis’ space walkers to various locations on the ISS during their three excursions outside the Shuttle. Ivins will also join Commander Ken Cockrell for the initial activation of laboratory systems and the rest of her crewmates for the outfitting of the laboratory itself. Ivins will also be the lead for the transfer of cargo from Atlantis to the ISS and the stowage of used items on Atlantis transferred from the Station.

Ivins will also be responsible for much of the photography and television tasks on the mission, in documenting the continuing assembly of the growing orbital outpost.

Previous Space Flights:
Ivins previously flew on the STS-32 mission in 1990, the STS-46 mission in 1992, the STS-62 mission in 1994 and the STS-81 mission to the Russian Mir Space Station in 1997.

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

Mission Specialist 3:    Thomas D. Jones
Tom Jones (Ph.D.), 45, will be making his fourth flight into space on Atlantis’ mission to install the U.S. Laboratory Destiny to the International Space Station.

Jones will serve as Mission Specialist 3 (MS 3) and will be down on the middeck for launch and on the flight deck for landing. Jones is designated Extravehicular crewmember 1 (EV 1) for the three space walks he and Bob Curbeam will conduct during Atlantis’ mission and wear the spacesuit bearing the red stripes on the elbows and the knees.

Jones and Curbeam will help to install the Destiny laboratory on the Unity module, hook up umbilical lines between Destiny and Unity and perform other Station assembly tasks. Jones will also join his crewmates for the outfitting of the laboratory once they enter Destiny on the fifth day of the mission. Jones is responsible for many of Atlantis’ navigation systems during the Shuttle’s rendezvous with the ISS and will perform Earth observation photography during the flight, using his expertise from his first two missions on which he served as the Payload Commander for a series of radar systems to study the Earth’s topography and environment.

Previous Space Flights:
Jones previously flew on the STS-59 and 68 missions in 1994 and the STS-80 mission in 1996.

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

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Updated: 01/11/2001

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