Atlantis brings astronaut home from Mir

January 22, 1997
Web posted at: 9:50 a.m. EST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (CNN) -- John Blaha's 128-day stay in space came to a close Wednesday morning as the space shuttle Atlantis coasted across Florida to touch down at Kennedy Space Center.

(1.7MB/32 sec. Shuttle landing- Small frame QuickTime movie)
(3.4MB/32 sec. Shuttle landing- Large frame QuickTime movie)

Overcast skies forced NASA to delay the landing from its scheduled 7:47 a.m. time, but Commander Mike Baker guided the ship to a picture-perfect landing at 9:22 a.m.

Atlantis left Earth January 12 on its fifth trip to Mir in the last year and a half. The shuttle spent five days docked to the station while the two crews transferred nearly four tons of supplies.

The 54-year-old Blaha joined the two Russians aboard the space station Mir on September 16, replacing astronaut Shannon Lucid. He was replaced last week by Jerry Linenger, who will stay on Mir until May.

Blaha said he was anxious to see his wife, Brenda, when he returns home.

"If they would have brought her up on (Atlantis) and she was over there now with me on the Mir, I'd be happy to still be there," he said when the shuttle separated from the station.

Blaha said he was depressed early in his mission, and said he would have preferred private quarters and the company of a fellow American.

 

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Related stories:

• Shuttle Atlantis pulls away from Mir - January 19, 1997
• Atlantis prepares to undock from Mir - January 19, 1997
• Contact: Atlantis docks with Mir - January 15, 1997
• Atlantis blasts off for Mir rendezvous - January 12, 1997
• Atlantis slated for pre-dawn liftoff - January 11, 1997
• Atlantis undocks from fourth Mir docking - September 23, 1996

Related sites:

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• Space Station Mir Info Page
• NASA Shuttle STS-81 Mission Page
  • Tracking the mission
  • Watch the crew - NASA TV
  • Watch the crew - streaming video
  • Listen to the Mission - real audio
  • Meet the Crew

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