STS-91

STS-91 was Space Shuttle Discovery's June 1998 mission to Mir and the ninth and final docking flight of the Shuttle-Mir program. Commanded by Charles Precourt, the mission launched from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A on June 2 and docked with Mir on June 4. During the docked phase, the Shuttle and Mir crews transferred water, experiment hardware, supplies, and returning U.S. research items, while Andrew Thomas joined Discovery for the trip home after his long-duration Mir residency. The flight closed NASA's Phase 1 Shuttle-Mir work, which gave U.S. crews long-duration station experience before full International Space Station assembly. Discovery also carried the first flight of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, SPACEHAB logistics, Get Away Special payloads, and several middeck and station risk-mitigation experiments. Discovery undocked from Mir on June 8 and landed at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility on June 12, 1998, after 9 days, 19 hours, 54 minutes, and 2 seconds in space.