STS-98

STS-98 was a Space Shuttle Atlantis mission to the International Space Station in February 2001. Kenneth Cockrell commanded the flight, Mark Polansky served as pilot, and Marsha Ivins, Robert Curbeam, and Thomas Jones flew as mission specialists. The mission delivered Destiny, the first U.S. laboratory module for the station, and installed it on Unity using Atlantis' robotic arm while Curbeam and Jones supported the work outside during three EVAs. Ivins operated the robotic arm for major assembly moves, including handling Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 and lifting Destiny from the payload bay into position. The Shuttle and station crews also transferred supplies to Expedition 1 and prepared the new laboratory for activation. Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A on February 7 and landed at Edwards Air Force Base on February 20 after the mission was extended by weather at Kennedy. Because the catalog does not yet model all of Curbeam's later STS-116 EVAs, the STS-98 EVAs are source-verified but intentionally deferred from mission activity rows until his full EVA set can be represented together.