Mission number vs launch order

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Andy Williams - 19 Aug 2005 01:41 GMT

Why is STS-121 out of numerical order, directly following STS-114,
with later missions to be designated STS-115, 116 etc.?

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Joe Delphi - 19 Aug 2005 01:59 GMT

> Why is STS-121 out of numerical order, directly following STS-114,
> with later missions to be designated STS-115, 116 etc.?

Because mission numbers are assigned years in advance of the actual mission
and lots of stuff happens in between the the time a mission number is
assigned and the time the actual launch takes place.

JD

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Steen - 19 Aug 2005 08:55 GMT

> Because mission numbers are assigned years in advance of the actual
> mission and lots of stuff happens in between the the time a mission
> number is assigned and the time the actual launch takes place.

Which makes me wonder: is there a list somewhere of shuttle missions, where
the value n in STS-n actually *was* the n'th shuttle mission (eg. STS-1,
STS-26 and STS-100)?

/steen

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Greg D. Moore (Strider) - 19 Aug 2005 09:05 GMT

> > Because mission numbers are assigned years in advance of the actual
> > mission and lots of stuff happens in between the the time a mission
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> the value n in STS-n actually *was* the n'th shuttle mission (eg. STS-1,
> STS-26 and STS-100)?

Yes, though I can't recall where.

The earliest ones were pretty much 1-1.

Then the whole STS-xyA scheme came along.

> /steen

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Brian Lawrence - 19 Aug 2005 14:26 GMT

>> Because mission numbers are assigned years in advance of the actual
>> mission and lots of stuff happens in between the the time a mission
>> number is assigned and the time the actual launch takes place.
>
> Which makes me wonder: is there a list somewhere of shuttle missions, where the value n in STS-n
> actually *was* the n'th shuttle mission (eg. STS-1, STS-26 and STS-100)?

STS 1-9
26-27
44
55
58
60
64
66
70
75-84
89-91
114

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Brian Lawrence
Brian_W_Lawrence@msn.com
Wantage, Oxfordshire, UK

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Steen - 19 Aug 2005 14:50 GMT

> STS 1-9
> 26-27
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> 89-91
> 114

Great, thanks!

/steen

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Jorge R. Frank - 19 Aug 2005 14:33 GMT

>> Because mission numbers are assigned years in advance of the actual
>> mission and lots of stuff happens in between the the time a mission
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> where the value n in STS-n actually *was* the n'th shuttle mission
> (eg. STS-1, STS-26 and STS-100)?

Don't recall a concise list, but the two longest streaks were 1-9 and 75-
84.

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JRF

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Jorge R. Frank - 19 Aug 2005 03:09 GMT

> Why is STS-121 out of numerical order, directly following STS-114,
> with later missions to be designated STS-115, 116 etc.?

Flights are numbers in the order they are added to the manifest, not in the
order they fly. When STS-121 was added, STS-114 to 120 were already on the
manifest, so it got the next available number.

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JRF

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Brian Thorn - 19 Aug 2005 03:13 GMT

>Why is STS-121 out of numerical order, directly following STS-114,
>with later missions to be designated STS-115, 116 etc.?

Because STS-121 was added to the launch schedule after the Columbia
disaster. Rather than change all the paperwork for all the later
missions in which payloads, crew, experiments, supplies, etc. have
already been assigned (STS-115 becoming STS-116, etc.) NASA simply
altered the earliest flight number for which the paperwork changes
would be manageable. That was STS-121.

Previously, STS-114 had been a Space Station resupply and crew
exchange mission. When Return-to-Flight tasks had to be added to the
mission (specifically, testing tile repair technology) it was decided
to split STS-114 into two flights, with the crew exchange part of the
mission going to the new STS-121.

Brian

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Andy Williams - 19 Aug 2005 03:44 GMT

> > Why is STS-121 out of numerical order, directly following STS-114,
> > with later missions to be designated STS-115, 116 etc.?

> Because STS-121 was added to the launch schedule after the Columbia
> disaster. Rather than change all the paperwork for all the later
> missions in which payloads, crew, experiments, supplies, etc. have
> already been assigned (STS-115 becoming STS-116, etc.) NASA simply
> altered the earliest flight number for which the paperwork changes
> would be manageable. That was STS-121.

> Previously, STS-114 had been a Space Station resupply and crew
> exchange mission. When Return-to-Flight tasks had to be added to the
> mission (specifically, testing tile repair technology) it was decided
> to split STS-114 into two flights, with the crew exchange part of the
> mission going to the new STS-121.

Thanks, that clears it up.

Is there an online resource that lists mission objectives? I have
been googling, but have not found such a list.

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Andy Williams
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Ted Molczan - 19 Aug 2005 04:31 GMT

>> > Why is STS-121 out of numerical order, directly following STS-114,
>> > with later missions to be designated STS-115, 116 etc.?
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> Is there an online resource that lists mission objectives? I have
> been googling, but have not found such a list.

Here is some information:

http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/shuttle/future/index.html

Ted Molczan

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Mike Chinander - 30 Aug 2005 20:29 GMT

>Thanks, that clears it up.
>
>Is there an online resource that lists mission objectives? I have
>been googling, but have not found such a list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_shuttle_missions

Click on the mission number (e.g., STS-114) to get mission details.

--Mike

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boringguy - 19 Aug 2005 21:15 GMT

0    1981 Apr 12 - - 12:00 GMT    STS-01 (OFT-1)    LC39A    Columbia F01
1    1981 Nov 12 - - 15:10 GMT    STS-02 (OFT-2)    LC39A    Columbia F02
2    1982 Mar 22 - - 16:00 GMT    STS-03 (OFT-3)    LC39A    Columbia F03
3    1982 Jun 27 - - 15:00 GMT    STS-04 (OFT-4)    LC39A    Columbia F04
4    1982 Nov 11 - - 12:19 GMT    STS-5        LC39A    Columbia F05
5    1983 Apr 4 - - 18:30 GMT    STS-6        LC39A    Challenger F01
6    1983 Jun 18 - - 11:33 GMT    STS-7        LC39A    Challenger F2
7    1983 Aug 30 - - 06:32 GMT    STS-8        LC39A    Challenger F03
8    1983 Nov 28 - - 16:00 GMT    STS-9 (41-A)    LC39A    Columbia F06
9    1984 Feb 3 - - 13:00 GMT    STS-11 (41-B)    LC39A    Challenger F04
10    1984 Apr 6 - - 13:58 GMT    STS-13 (41-C)    LC39A    Challenger F05
11    1984 Aug 30 - - 12:43 GMT    STS-16 (41-D)    LC39A    Discovery F01
12    1984 Oct 5 - - 10:48 GMT    STS-17 (41-G)    LC39A    Challenger F6
13    1984 Nov 8 - - 12:28 GMT    STS-19 (51-A)    LC39A    Discovery F02
14    1985 Jan 24 - - 19:55 GMT    STS-20 (51-C)    LC39A    Discovery F03
15    1985 Apr 12 - - 13:55 GMT    STS-23 (51-D)    LC39A    Discovery F4
16    1985 Apr 29 - - 16:04 GMT    STS-24 (51-B)    LC39A    Challenger F7
17    1985 Jun 17 - - 11:31 GMT    STS-25 (51-G)    LC39A    Discovery F05
18    1985 Jul 29 - - 21:07 GMT    STS-26 (51-F)    LC39A    Challenger F8
19    1985 Aug 27 - - 11:16 GMT    STS-27 (51-I)    LC39A    Discovery F06
20    1985 Oct 3 - - 15:21 GMT    STS-28 (51-J)    LC39A    Atlantis F01
21    1985 Oct 30 - - 17:16 GMT    STS-30 (61-A)    LC39A    Challenger F9
22    1985 Nov 1             STS-31 (51-H)    LC39A    Atlantis F02
23    1986 Jan 12 - - 11:55 GMT    STS-32 (61-C)    LC39A    Columbia F07
24    1986 Jan 28 - - 16:38 GMT    STS-33 (51-L)    LC39B    Challenger F10
25    1988 Sep 1             STS-26R (51-K)    LC39B    Discovery F07
26    1988 Dec 2 - - 14:38 GMT    STS-27R        LC39B    Atlantis F03
27    1989 Mar 13 - - 14:52 GMT    STS-29R        LC39B    Discovery F08
28    1989 May 4 - - 18:43 GMT    STS-30R        LC39B    Atlantis F04
29    1989 Aug 8 - - 12:43 GMT    STS-28R        LC39B    Columbia F08
30    1989 Oct 18 - - 17:02 GMT    STS-34        LC39B    Atlantis F05
31    1989 Nov 23 - - 00:28 GMT    STS-33R        LC39B    Discovery F09
32    1990 Jan 9 - - 12:43 GMT    STS-32R        LC39A    Columbia F9
33    1990 Feb 28 - - 07:55 GMT    STS-36        LC39A    Atlantis F06
34    1990 Apr 24 - - 12:28 GMT    STS-31R        LC39B    Discovery F10
35    1990 Oct 6 - - 11:45 GMT    STS-41        LC39B    Discovery F11
36    1990 Nov 15 - - 23:45 GMT    STS-38        LC39A    Atlantis F07
37    1990 Dec 2 - - 06:43 GMT    STS-35        LC39B    Columbia F10
38    1991 Apr 5 - - 14:24 GMT    STS-37        LC39B    Atlantis F08
39    1991 Apr 28 - - 11:31 GMT    STS-39        LC39A    Discovery F12
40    1991 Jun 5 - - 13:25 GMT    STS-40        LC39B    Columbia F11
41    1991 Aug 2 - - 15:07 GMT    STS-43        LC39A    Atlantis F09
42    1991 Sep 12 - - 23:11 GMT    STS-48        LC39A    Discovery F13
43    1991 Nov 25 - - 23:45 GMT    STS-44        LC39A    Atlantis F10
44    1992 Jan 22 - - 14:52 GMT    STS-42        LC39A    Discovery F14
45    1992 Mar 24 - - 13:14 GMT    STS-45        LC39A    Atlantis F11
46    1992 May 7 - - 23:45 GMT    STS-49        LC39B    Endeavour F01
47    1992 Jun 25 - - 16:21 GMT    STS-50        LC39A    Columbia F12
48    1992 Jul 31 - - 13:57 GMT    STS-46        LC39B    Atlantis F12
49    1992 Sep 12 - - 14:23 GMT    STS-47        LC39B    Endeavour F02
50    1992 Oct 22 - - 17:09 GMT    STS-52        LC39B    Columbia F13
51    1992 Dec 2 - - 13:26 GMT    STS-53        LC39A    Discovery F15
52    1993 Jan 13 - - 13:55 GMT    STS-54        LC39B    Endeavour F03
53    1993 Apr 8 - - 05:31 GMT    STS-56        LC39B    Discovery F16
54    1993 Apr 25 - - 14:50 GMT    STS-55        LC39A    Columbia F14
55    1993 Jun 21 - - 13:07 GMT    STS-57        LC39B    Endeavour F04
56    1993 Sep 12 - - 11:45 GMT    STS-51        LC39B    Discovery F17
57    1993 Oct 18 - - 14:53 GMT    STS-58        LC39B    Columbia F15
58    1993 Dec 2 - - 09:27 GMT    STS-61        LC39B    Endeavour F05
59    1994 Feb 3 - - 12:10 GMT    STS-60        LC39A    Discovery F18
60    1994 Mar 4 - - 13:53 GMT    STS-62        LC39B    Columbia F16
61    1994 Apr 9 - - 11:05 GMT    STS-59        LC39A    Endeavour F06
62    1994 Jul 8 - - 16:43 GMT    STS-65        LC39A    Columbia F17
63    1994 Sep 9 - - 22:22 GMT    STS-64        LC39B    Discovery F19
64    1994 Sep 30 - - 11:16 GMT    STS-68        LC39A    Endeavour F07
65    1994 Nov 3 - - 17:00 GMT    STS-66        LC39B    Atlantis F13
66    1995 Feb 3 - - 05:22 GMT    STS-63        LC39B    Discovery F20
67    1995 Mar 2 - - 06:38 GMT    STS-67        LC39A    Endeavour F08
68    1995 Jun 27 - - 19:32 GMT    STS-71        LC39A    Atlantis F14
69    1995 Jul 13 - - 13:42 GMT    STS-70        LC39A    Discovery F21
70    1995 Sep 7 - - 15:09 GMT    STS-69        LC39A    Endeavour F08
71    1995 Oct 20 - - 13:53 GMT    STS-73        LC39B    Columbia F18
72    1995 Nov 12 - - 12:30 GMT    STS-74        LC39A    Atlantis F15
73    1996 Jan 11 - - 09:41 GMT    STS-72        LC39B    Endeavour F09
74    1996 Feb 22 - - 20:18 GMT    STS-75        LC39B    Columbia F19
75    1996 Mar 22 - - 08:13 GMT    STS-76        LC39B    Atlantis F16
76    1996 May 19 - - 09:18 GMT    STS-77        LC39B    Endeavour F10
77    1996 Jun 20 - - 14:49 GMT    STS-78        LC39B    Columbia F20
78    1996 Sep 16 - - 08:54 GMT    STS-79        LC39A    Atlantis F17
79    1996 Nov 19 - - 19:55 GMT    STS-80        LC39B    Columbia F21
80    1997 Jan 12 - - 09:27 GMT    STS-81        LC39B    Atlantis F18
81    1997 Feb 11 - - 08:55 GMT    STS-82        LC39A    Discovery F22
82    1997 Apr 4 - - 19:20 GMT    STS-83        LC39A    Columbia F22
83    1997 May 15 - - 08:07 GMT    STS-84        LC39A    Atlantis F19
84    1997 Jul 1 - - 18:02 GMT    STS-94        LC39A    Columbia F /
85    1997 Aug 7 - - 14:41 GMT    STS-85        LC39A    Discovery F23
86    1997 Sep 26 - - 02:34 GMT    STS-86        LC39A    Atlantis F20
87    1997 Nov 19 - - 19:46 GMT    STS-87        LC39B    Columbia F24
88    1998 Jan 23 - - 02:48 GMT    STS-89        LC39A    Endeavour F11
89    1998 Apr 17 - - 18:19 GMT    STS-90        LC39B    Columbia F25
90    1998 Jun 2 - - 22:06 GMT    STS-91        LC39A    Discovery F24
92    1998 Oct 29 - - 17:03 GMT    STS-95        LC39B?    Discovery F25
93    1998 Dec 4 - - 09:35 GMT    STS-88        LC39A    Endeavour F12
93    1999 May 27 - - 10:49 GMT    STS-96        LC39B    Discovery F26
94    1999 Jul 23 - - 04:28 GMT    STS-93        LC39B    Columbia F26
95    1999 Dec 20 - - 00:50 GMT    STS-103        LC39B    Discovery F27
98    2000 Feb 11 - - 17:43 GMT    STS-99        LC39A    Endeavour F13
99    2000 May 19 - - 10:11 GMT    STS-101        LC39A    Atlantis F21
100    2000 Sep 8 - - 12:45 GMT    STS-106        LC39B    Atlantis F22
101    2000 Oct 11 - - 23:17 GMT    STS-92        LC39A    Discovery F28

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boringguy

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boringguy - 19 Aug 2005 23:19 GMT

Here is a list of the first 100 missions and their mission numbers:
http://pdxmedia.tripod.com/stsflights.tx

--
boringguy

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Space Forum / Shuttle / August 2005

Mission number vs launch order