WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

The STS-88 crew, in front of the orbiter Endeavour on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility, show their joy at their successful mission with a thumbs up for media gathered nearby. From left, they are Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross and Nancy J. Currie, Pilot Frederick W. "Rick" Sturckow, Commander Robert D. Cabana, and Mission Specialists James H. Newman and Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev, a Russian cosmonaut. Endeavour touched down at 10:53:29 p.m. EST after a nearly 12-day, flawless mission. On the 4.6-million-mile mission, Endeavour carried the U.S.-built Unity connecting module to begin construction of the International Space Station. The crew successfully mated Unity with the Russian-built Zarya control module during three space walks. With this mission, Ross completed seven space walks totaling 44 hours and 9 minutes, more than any other American space walker. Newman moved into third place for U.S. space walks with a total of 28 hours and 27 minutes on four excursions.