Imagery

From the Gallery: Three STS-101 mission specialists gather for a photo beneath the ship's bell in the space station's Unity Module. The same trio would become the Expedition Two crew in 2001.

STS-101 Outfits International Space Station
Space Shuttle Atlantis spent nearly 10 days in space in May 2000, six of which were spent docked with the International Space Station.

The seven-member crew included Commander James Halsell, Pilot Scott Horowitz and Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Susan Helms, Yury Usachev, James Voss and Jeff Williams. For Usachev -- representing the Russian Space Agency -- Voss and Helms, the short visit to the station was a preview of the much longer time they would spend aboard the outpost as the Expedition Two crew in 2001.

While docked with the space station, the crew refurbished and replaced components in both the Zarya and Unity Modules. Voss and Williams performed a 6.5-hour space walk the day after docking to install a Russian Strela cargo boom on the outside of Zarya. They also replaced a faulty radio antenna and performed several other tasks in advance of space walks on future station assembly missions.

The top priority of STS-101 was to replace four of six 800-ampere power-producing batteries in the Zarya Module. Zarya received additional new equipment -- four cooling fans, three fire extinguishers, 10 smoke detectors and an onboard computer. A suspect radio frequency power distribution box in Unity used as part of the early S-band communications system was also replaced.

Glass Cockpit

Atlantis' new glass cockpit is a marked improvement over the old: Eleven new full-color, flat-panel display screens replace 32 gauges and electromechanical displays and four cathode-ray tube displays. Cockpit is 34 kilograms (75 pounds) lighter and uses less power than before. Color displays provide easier pilot recognition of key functions.

Vehicle Enhancements Update Space Shuttle
On STS-101, Atlantis flew as the most updated space shuttle ever, outfitted with a new "glass cockpit" and other state-of-the-art upgrades to key systems, including more than 100 new modifications incorporated during a 10-month period at Boeing's Palmdale, Calif., shuttle factory in 1998.

Among the improvements: Atlantis’ airlock was relocated to the payload bay to prepare for International Space Station assembly flights; the communications system was updated; several weight reduction measures were installed; enhancements were made to provide additional protection to the cooling system; and the crew cabin floor was strengthened.

Fact Sheets:
STS Upgrades (608 Kb pdf)
Multifunction Electronic Display System (99 Kb pdf)