This article outlines notable events occurring in 1997 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.
Cassini–Huygens launch
Orbital launches
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January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September
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October
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November
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December
Suborbital launches
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January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September
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October
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November
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December
Deep-space rendezvous Date (GMT)SpacecraftEventRemarks20 February Galileo 2nd flyby of Europa 5 April Galileo 3rd flyby of Ganymede 7 May Galileo 4th flyby of Ganymede 25 June Galileo 2nd flyby of Callisto 27 June NEAR Flyby of 253 Mathilde Closest approach: 4 July Mars Pathfinder Landed on Mars Location: Ares Vallis; first Mars rover and rover on another planet11 September Mars Global Surveyor Areocentric orbit injection 17 September Galileo 3rd flyby of Callisto 6 November Galileo 3rd flyby of Europa 16 December Galileo 4th flyby of Europa
EVAs Start date/timeDurationEnd timeSpacecraftCrewFunctionRemarks14 February04:346 hours11:16STS-82Mark C. LeeSteven SmithSwapped out the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph for the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer and replaced the Faint Object Spectrograph with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. Stowed the GHRS and FOS for return to Earth in the payload bay.Hubble Space Telescope servicing15 February03:257 hours27 minutes10:52STS-82DiscoveryJoseph R. TannerReplaced a Fine Guidance Sensor and an Engineering and Science Tape Recorder with spare replacement units. Also installed the Optical Control Electronics Enhancement Kit.Hubble Space Telescope servicing16 February02:537 hours11 minutes10:04STS-82DiscoveryMark C. LeeSteven SmithReplaced a Data Interface Unit with a spare unit and replaced a reel-to-reel tape drive Engineering and Science Tape Recorder with a solid-state digital version. Also replaced one of the four Reaction Wheel Assembly units that help point the telescope at targets.Hubble Space Telescope servicing17 February03:456 hours34 minutes10:19STS-82DiscoveryGregory J. HarbaughJoseph R. TannerReplaced the Solar Array Drive Electronics package with a spare, also replaced the covers of the satellite's magnetometers. Installed thermal blankets over areas of degraded insulation.Hubble Space Telescope servicing18 February03:155 hours17 minutes08:32STS-82DiscoveryMark C. LeeSteven SmithInstalled more thermal insulation on three more areas that had undergone degradation.Hubble Space Telescope servicing29 April05:104 hours59 minutes10:09Mir EO-23Kvant-2Vasily TsibliyevJerry M. LinengerInstalled the Optical Properties Monitor on the exterior of Kristall. Used the Strela crane to move to the Kvant-2 module. At Kvant-2 they retrieved two American experiments, the Partial Impact Experiment and the Mir Sample Experiment, from the Kvant-2 hull, and installed the Benton Radiation Dosimeter on Kvant-2.First use of the new Orlan-M space suit.22 August11:143 hours16 minutes14:30Mir EO-24 Anatoly SolovyevPavel VinogradovReconnected power cabling to the Spektr solar arrays, thus restoring part of the power lost in the collision. Although the spacewalkers were able to recover equipment and supplies from the module, they were not able to find the puncture hole.Internal EVA to inspect the damaged Spektr module6 September01:076 hours07:07Mir EO-24Kvant-2Anatoly Solovyev/Michael FoaleSolovyev rode the Strela crane operated by Foale on the base block to Spektr to inspect for damage. Although an extensive documentation and search of Spektr, he was unable to find the hole. Before he returned to the airlock, Foale collected the radiation dosimeter installed outside earlier.Foale became the first person to conduct EVAs in both American and Russian spacesuits.1 October17:295 hours1 minute22:30STS-86Mir Scott E. ParazynskiVladimir TitovRetrieved the four Mir Environmental Effects Packages from the docking module surface. Also installed the Solar Array Cap to the docking module, to be used to plug the hole in the Spektr module on a future EVA. To close out the EVA, the spacewalkers tested the Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue jet packs. 20 October09:406 hours38 minutes16:18Mir EO-24 Anatoly SolovyevPavel VinogradovAttempted to install three control cables between the solar array servo motors to the special adapter plate that seals Spektr from the rest of Mir. After cleaning up some of the debris and loose items in Spektr, Solovyev was able to connect the three cables to the servos. But even after an effort that extended into the "emergency oxygen supply" of the Orlan space suits, Solovyev was only able to connect two of the cables to the adapter plate.Internal EVA to repair the damaged Spektr module3 November03:326 hours4 minutes09:36Mir EO-24Kvant-2Anatoly SolovyevPavel VinogradovReleased a minispunik (mini-satellite) into orbit. The spacewalkers then dismantled the old solar panel MSB-4 on Kvant-1. They stowed the panel on the outside of the base block.6 November00:126 hours12 minutes06:24Mir EO-24Kvant-2Anatoly SolovyevPavel VinogradovInstalled a new solar array on Kvant-1 to replace the panel removed on their previous spacewalk.25 November00:027 hours43 minutes07:45STS-87Winston E. ScottTakao DoiCaptured the Spartan satellite by hand and secured it in the payload bay. Then the spacewalking team set up and tested a crane that will be used to construct the International Space Station.Doi became the first Japanese spacewalker.3 December09:094 hours59 minutes14:09STS-87ColumbiaWinston E. ScottTakao DoiConducted more testing and evaluation of the crane in the payload bay. They repeated many of the same crane motion tests with smaller objects than in the earlier EVA. During the EVA a small free-flying video camera was deployed to record the work.
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Footnotes