This week in 1995, the STS-74 mission launched aboard the space shuttle Atlantis from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. This was the second docking of the shuttle to the Russian Mir space station and continued Phase I activities, which led to the construction of the International Space Station later in the decade. Today, the Payload Operations Integration Center at Marshall serves as “science central” for the space station, working 24/7, 365 days a year in support of the orbiting laboratory’s scientific experiments.
The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the Marshall History Program’s webpage. (NASA)