Endeavour (STS-111) launched 2002

STS-111 crew (L-R): Philippe Perrin, Paul Lockhart, Kenneth Cockrell, Franklin Chang Diaz

STS-111 mission patch

Expedition 5 crew (L-R): Valery Korzun, Peggy Whitson, Sergei Treshchov

Expedition 4 crew (L-R): Daniel Bursch, Yuri Onufrienko, Carl Walz

Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-111), launched June 5, 2002, carried members of Expedition 5 to the International Space Station.  Endeavour's crew consisted of Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart, Philippe Perrin (CNES), and Franklin Chang Diaz on his seventh and final flight.  The members of Expedition 5 consisted of Valery Korzun (Roscosmos), Peggy Whitson, and Sergei Treshchov (Roscosmos).

Chang Diaz and Perrin conducted three EVAs during the mission.  Endeavour returned to Earth after almost two weeks in space with the members of Expedition 4: Yuri Onufrienko (Roscosmos), Carl Walz, and Daniel Bursch.

Atlantis (STS-98) launched 2001

STS-98 crew (L-R): Robert Curbeam, Mark Polansky, Marsha Ivins, Kenneth Cockrell and Thomas Jones

STS-98 Mission patch

Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-98), launched February 7, 2001, was the first flight of the twenty-first century.  Its crew consisted of Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky, Robert Curbeam, Marsha Ivins and Thomas Jones.  The mission delivered the Destiny Laboratory Module to the International Space Station and was installed during three EVAs by Tom Jones and Robert Curbeam. 

They returned to Earth February 20.

Endeavour (STS-69) launched 1995

STS-69 crew

Seated (L-R): Kenneth Cockrell, David Walker; 

Standing (L-R): Michael Gernhardt, James Newman, James Voss

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-69) launched September 7, 1995 for the 100th successful manned spaceflight for NASA.  Its crew consisted of Commander David Walker, Pilot Kenneth Cockrell, James Voss, James Newman, and Michael Gernhardt.

It was also the second flight of the Wake Shield Facility.  Other experiments investigated bone loss during space flights, monitoring and measuring long-term variations in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) from the sun and tested assembly techniques for the International Space Station.

They returned to Earth September 18.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Kenneth Cockrell!

Kenneth Cockrell, born April 9, 1950 in Austin, Texas, is a veteran of five shuttle missions.  He was selected as an astronaut in January 1990.

His first flight was on Discovery (STS-56) as mission specialist in April 1993. 

His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-69) as pilot in September 1995.  During the mission, the Wake Shield Facility was deployed.

His third mission was on Columbia (STS-80) as commander November-December 1996.

He served as commander on his fourth mission on Atlantis (STS-98) to the International Space Station in February 2001, the first flight of the 21st century.

His final mission was on Endeavour (STS-111) in June 2002 to the ISS.  The mission carried the crew of Expedition 5 and returned with Expedition 4.

In 2006, he was reassigned to the Flight Crew Operations' Aircraft Operations Division at Ellington Field.

Discovery (STS-56) launched 1993

STS-56 crew: Seated (L-R):  Stephen Oswald, Kenneth Cameron; 

Standing (L-R): Kenneth Cockrell, Michael Foale, Ellen Ochoa

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-56), launched April 8, 1993, was the first flight with a Latina astronaut.  Its crew consisted of Commander Kenneth Cameron, Pilot Stephen Oswald, Michael Foale, Kenneth Cockrell and Ellen Ochoa.

During the flight, the crew made a brief radio contact with the Russian space station Mir.  They returned to Earth April 17.

Columbia (STS-80) launched 1996

Back row (L-R): Tamara Jernigan, Thomas Jones

Front row (L-R): Kent Rominger, Story Musgrove, Kenneth Cockrell

Mission patch

Columbia blasted off November 19, 1996 was the longest Space Shuttle flight, lasting 17 days, 15 hours and 53 minutes.  Her crew was Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Kent Rominger, Mission Specialist Story Musgrave, Mission Specialist Thomas Jones and Mission Specialist Tamara Jernigan.

Tom Jones and Tamara Jernigan were to have performed two EVAs but both were cancelled.