Endeavour Delivers Expedition Five Crew
The International Space Station received a new crew and a new platform for its robotic arm when STS-111 visited in June 2002. STS-111, which was the 14th shuttle mission to visit the orbital outpost, launched June 5 and landed June 19.

STS-111 delivered the Expedition Five crew to the station and returned the Expedition Four crew to Earth. Space Shuttle Endeavour also delivered and the Mobile Base System, or MBS. The STS-111 astronauts also performed three spacewalks. Among the objectives completed during the spacewalks was permanent installation of the MBS onto the station and replacement of a wrist roll joint on the station's robotic arm. The STS-111 crew also unloaded supplies and science experiments from the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, which made its third trip to the orbital outpost.

When Endeavour landed, it marked the end of a record-setting flight by the Expedition Four crew. Expedition Four crew spent 196 days in space, which gives Flight Engineers Carl Walz and Dan Bursch the U.S. space flight endurance record. The previous record was 188 days. Walz also holds the U.S. record for cumulative time in space with 231 days, and Bursch is second with 227 days. STS-111 Mission Specialist Franklin Chang-Díaz become only the second human to launch into space seven times during the mission.

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Spacewalks STS-111 spacewalker Franklin Chang-Díaz.

STS-111 Crew Completes 3 EVAs
Three spacewalks were performed during STS-111’s stay at the International Space Station to continue on-orbit construction and to do some maintenance work. The spacewalkers were Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Díaz and Philippe Perrin. During the first spacewalk, which occurred on Flight Day 5, they prepared the Mobile Remote Servicer Base System, or MBS, for installation onto the station's Mobile Transporter on Flight Day 6. They also set the stage for the P6 Truss' relocation during a future flight.

The focus of STS-111's second extravehicular activity, or EVA, was the outfitting and permanent attachment of the MBS onto the station. This spacewalk occurred on Flight Day 7. The primary task during the final spacewalk, which occurred on Flight Day 9, was the replacement of a wrist roll joint on the station's robot arm.

All three spacewalks were based from the station's Quest Airlock. STS-111 Pilot Paul Lockhart served as the spacewalk coordinator and Commander Ken Cockrell operated Endeavour's robot arm. Expedition Four Flight Engineer Carl Walz and Expedition Five Commander Valery Korzun and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson operated the station's robot arm.