STS-122

Occurred 17 years ago

STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station, flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. STS-122 marked the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st Space Shuttle flight overall.

Space Shuttle

Atlantis

mission duration

13 days

Launch

Feb. 7, 2008

Landing

Feb. 20, 2008

These seven astronauts took a break from training to pose for the STS-122 crew portrait. From the left (front row) are astronauts Stephen N. Frick, commander; the European Space Agency’s, or ESA’s, Léopold Eyharts; and Alan G. Poindexter, pilot. From the left (back row) are astronauts Leland D. Melvin, Rex J. Walheim, Stanley G. Love and ESA’s Hans Schlegel, all mission specialists. Eyharts joined Expedition 16 in progress to serve as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station. The crewmembers are attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits.

NASA

Mission Facts

Launch: Feb. 7, 2008, 2:45 p.m. EST

Landing: Feb. 20, 2008, 9:07 a.m. EST

Orbiter: Atlantis

Mission: STS-122/1E (121st space shuttle flight)

Launch Window: 10 minutes

Launch Pad: 39A

Mission Duration: 13 days

Landing Site: KSC

Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Primary Payload: 24th station flight (1E), Columbus Laboratory
Miles Traveled: 5.3 million

Crew:

Steve Frick, Commander

Alan Poindexter, Pilot

Rex Walheim, Mission Specialist

Stanley Love, Mission Specialist

Leland Melvin, Mission Specialist

Hans Schlegel, Mission Specialist

Léopold Eyharts, Mission Specialist, Embarking to International Space Station

Daniel Tani, Flight Engineer, Returning from International Space Station

Mission Highlights

A veteran space flier, Navy Cmdr. Stephen N. Frick, commanded the STS-122 shuttle mission to deliver the European Space Agency’s Columbus Laboratory to the International Space Station. Navy Cmdr. Alan G. Poindexter served as pilot. Mission specialists included Air Force Col. Rex J. Walheim, Stanley G. Love, Leland D. Melvin and European Space Agency astronaut Hans Schlegel. Poindexter, Love and Melvin made their first spaceflight on this mission.

Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani, who flew to the space station on the STS-120 mission, returned home with the STS-122 crew. STS-122 delivered European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts to the complex.

STS-122 was the 24th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.