Space Shuttle Orbiter OV-104 ATLANTIS was named after a two masted ketch operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institude from 1931 to 1966. It travelled more than half a million miles, performing scientific research, ATLANTIS was replaced by ATLANTIS II, and the original ATLANTIS was then used as a summer school ship.
Orbiter ATLANTIS milestones:
Contract award: 29 January 1979 Start assembly crew module: 03 March 1980 Start assembly aft-fuselage: 23 November 1981 Wings arrive from Grumman at Palmdale: 13 June 1983 Start final assembly: 02 December 1983 Final assembly complete: 10 April 1984 Roll-out at Palmdale: 06 March 1985 Transport from Palmdale to Edwards: 03 April 1985 Delivery to KSC: 09 April 1985 Flight Readiness Firing(*): 05 September 1985 First space flight: 03 October 1985
(*)Flight Readiness Firing was on pad 39A and the duration was 20 seconds.MISSIONS:
FLIGHT LAUNCH LANDING DURATION STS-51J OCTOBER 3, 1985 OCTOBER 7, 1985 4 days, 1 hr. 45 min. 30 sec STS-61B NOVEMBER 26, 1985 DECEMBER 3, 1985 6 days, 21 hrs 4 min. 49 sec. STS-27 DECEMBER 2, 1988 DECEMBER 6, 1988 4 days, 9 hrs. 5 min. 37 sec. STS-30 MAY 4, 1989 MAY 8, 1989 4 days, 56 min 28 sec. STS-34 OCTOBER 18, 1989 OCTOBER 23, 1989 4 days, 23 hrs 39 min. 20 sec STS-36 FEBRUARY 28, 1990 MARCH 4, 1990 4 days, 10 hrs 18 min. 22 sec STS-38 NOVEMBER 15, 1990 NOVEMBER 20, 1990 4 days, 21 hrs 54 min. 27 sec STS-37 APRIL 5, 1991 APRIL 11, 1991 5 days, 23 hrs 32 min. 45 sec STS-43 AUGUST 2, 1991 AUGUST 11, 1991 8 days, 21 hrs 22 min. 27 sec STS-44 NOVEMBER 24, 1991 DECEMBER 1, 1991 6 days, 22 hrs 52 min. 27 sec. STS-45 MARCH 24, 1992 APRIL 2, 1992 8 days, 22 hrs 9 min. STS-46 JULY 31, 1992 AUGUST 8, 1992 7 days, 23 hrs 16 min. 10 sec STS-66 NOVEMBER 3, 1994 NOVEMBER 14, 1994 10 days-22 hrs 34 min. 2 sec. STS-71 JUNE 27, 1995 JULY 7, 1995 9 days, 19 hrs 22 min. 15 sec STS-74 NOVEMBER 12, 1995 NOVEMBER 20, 1995 8 days, 4 hrs. 30 min. 42 sec STS-76 MARCH 22, 1996 MARCH 31, 1996 9 days, 5 hrs. 15 min. 53 sec STS-79 SEPTEMBER 16, 1996 SEPT. 26, 1996 10 days, 4 hrs 19 min. 28 sec STS-81 JANUARY 12, 1997 JANUARY 22, 1997 10 days, 4 hrs 55 min. STS-84 MAY 15, 1997 MAY 24, 1997 09 days, 5 hrs 19 min. 56 sec. STS-86 SEPTEMBER 26, 1997 OCTOBER 06, 1997 10 days, 19 hrs 20 min. 50 sec. STS-101 MAY 19, 2000 MAY 29, 2000 9 days, 20 hrs 10 min. STS-106 SEPTEMBER 08, 2000 SEPTEMBER 20, 2000 11 days, 19 hrs 11 min. STS-98 FEBRUARY 07, 2001 FEBRUARY 20, 2001 12 days, 21 hrs 21 min. STS-104 JULY 12, 2001 JULY 24, 2001 12 days, 18 hrs 36 min. 39 sec. STS-110 APRIL 08, 2002 APRIL 19, 2002 10 days, 19 hrs, 43 min. 48 sec. STS-112 OCTOBER 07, 2002 OCTOBER 18, 2002 10 days, 19 hrs, 58 min. 44 sec. STS-114 MAY 2003