Endeavour (STS-77) launched 1996

STS-77 crew

Front row (L-R): Curtis Brown, John Casper

Back row (L-R): Daniel Bursch, Mario Runco, Marc Garneau, Andrew Thomas

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-77), launched May 19, 1996, carried a Coca-Cola fountain dispenser into space as part of opening the commercial space frontier.  Its crew consisted of Commander John Casper, Pilot Curtis Brown, Andrew Thomas, Daniel Bursch, Mario Runco, and Marc Garneau (CSA).

The Coca-Cola dispenser was developed for use on the Endeavour to see if carbonated beverages can be produced in microgravity, which causes bubble nucleation resulting in foam formation.

They returned to Earth May 29.

Columbia (STS-62) launched 1994

STS-62 crew

Front row (L-R): Andrew Allen, John Casper

Back row (L-R): Charles Gemar, Marsha Ivins, Pierre Thuot

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-62), launched March 4, 1994, was a continuation of microgravity experiments.  Its crew consisted of Commander John Casper, Pilot Andrew Allen, Pierre J. Thuot, Charles Gemar, and Marsha Ivins.

They returned to Earth March 18.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut John Casper!

John Casper, born July 9, 1943 in Greenville, South Carolina, is a veteran of 4 space shuttle flights.  After getting a Maser of Science degree in Astronautics from Purdue University in 1967, he attended U.S. Air Force to become a fighter pilot. He flew 229 combat missions in the Vietnam War. 

He served as pilot on his first space flight on Atlantis (STS-36) February-March 1990.  It was a Department of Defense flight so its payload was confidential.

His second flight was as commander on Endeavour (STS-54) January 1993, during which the fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite was deployed.

Casper was assigned as commander aboard Columbia (STS-62) in March 1994.  The landing of the mission was chronicled by the Discovery Channel for a special featuring the Space Shuttle program.

His fourth and final mission was as commander aboard Endeavour (STS-77) in May 1996.  A Coca-Cola fountain dispense with Coca-Cola and Diet Coke was taken aboard. 

Atlantis (STS-36) launched 1990

 

Left to right: Pierre Thuot, John Casper, John Creighton, Richard Mullane, David Hilmers

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Atlantis, launched February 28, 1990, was the sixth flight for Atlantis and carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense.  Its crew consisted of Commander John Creighton, Pilot John Casper, mission specialists Pierre Thuot, David Hilmers and Richard Mullane.

It has been theorized that the crew deployed a reconnaissance satellite "Misty" for the DoD, but that is still classified.

Atlantis returned to Earth March 4.

Endeavour (STS-54) launched 1993

Left to right: Mario Runco, John Casper, Don McMonagle, Susan Helms, Greg Harbaugh

 Mission patch

Space Shuttle Endeavour launched January 13, 1993 on its third mission (STS-54). Her crew was Commander John Casper, Pilot Donald McMonagle, Mission Specialist 1 Mario Runco, Jr., Mission Specialist 2 Gregory Harbaugh and Mission Specialist Susan Helms.

On the fifth day of the mission, Mario Runco and Greg Harbaugh spent almost 5 hours in the open cargo bay conducting space-walking tests to show how people could work in space.

Endeavour returned January 19.