Front row (L-R): Kalpana Chawla, Steve Lindsey, Kevin Kregel, Leonid Kadeniuk
Back row (L-R): Winston Scott, Takao Doi
Mission patch
Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87), launched November 19, 1997, was the first EVA conducted by a Japanese astronaut. Its crew consisted of Commander Kevin Kregel, Pilot Steve Lindsey, Kalpana Chawla, Winston Scott, Takao Doi (JAXA), and Leonid Kadeniuk (first Ukrainian astronaut).
Scott and Doi conducted two EVAs, which lasted almost 13 hours total.
Takao Doi, born September 18, 1954 in Tokyo, Japan, is a veteran of two Space Shuttle flights.
His first flight was aboard Columbia (STS-87) as mission specialist in November-December 1997. During the mission he conducted two EVAs with fellow astronaut Winston Scott, becoming the first Japanese astronaut to conduct a spacewalk.
His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-123) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in March 2008. The mission delivered the first module of the Japanese Experiment Module.
Kalpana Chawla, born March 19, 1962 in India, was the first female Indian astronaut. Her official birth date was changed to July 1, 1961 so she could become eligible for the "matriculation exam", which is why I have a blog post also celebrating her "new" birth date. After obtaining her Bachelor's, she moved to the US and completed her Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Her first trip into space was aboard Columbia (STS-87) as mission specialist in November-December 1997. The mission continued experiments with the Microgravity Laboratory program.
Her second trip into space was aboard Columbia (STS-107) as mission specialist in January-February 2003. Unfortunately, the shuttle disintegrated upon re-entry and broke up over north Texas, killing all crew members.
Chawla is remembered in a number of ways. An asteroid has been named after her, as one of seven named after the Columbia's crew. A studen apartment complex at Florida Institute of Technology here in Melbourne is named for her. UTA opened a dorm named in her honor in 2004.
Leonid Kadenyuk, born January 28, 1951, is the first astronaut from Ukraine. He was selected for the Soviet space program to be a test pilot for the Soviet Buran program, but that didn't last.
He flew on Columbia (STS-87) as a payload specialist in November-December 1997. He did not return to space.
Asteroid 399673 Kadenyuk was named in his honor in 2004
Winston Scott, born August 6, 1950 in Miami, Florida, is a veteran of two space shuttle missions. He graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School and was considered one of the school's best trumpet players.
He completed flight training from the US Navy and has flown more than 20 different military and civilian aircraft and logged more than 5000 hours in flight.
His first mission into space was aboard Endeavour (STS-72) as mission specialist in January 1996. He performed an EVA on January 17 with fellow astronaut Leroy Chiao for almost 7 hours.
His second flight was aboard Columbia (STS-87) November-December 1997 as mission specialist. He performed two EVAs with astronaut Takao Doi for a total of almost 12 hours in space. They are the first EVAs conducted by a Japanese astronaut.
He retired from NASA and the US Navy in July 1999.
Winston Scott, born August 6, 1950, is the veteran of two space shuttle missions. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music from Florida State University but then went into Aeronautical Engineering and got a Masters from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
He first went into space aboard Endeavour (STS-72) in January 1996 as mission specialist. He performed his first EVA during the flight.
His second mission was on Columbia (STS-87) in November-December 1997, when he performed two more EVAs.
Scott wrote a book Reflections From Earth Orbit, which is about his experiences in space.
Kevin Kregel, born September 16, 1956 in Amityville, NY, is a veteran of four shuttle flights. Starting in the Air Force, he resigned to go to work for NASA in 1990. His first Space Shuttle flight was aboard Discovery (STS-70) in July 1995, which deployed a NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.
Kregel's second trip into space was aboard Columbia (STS-78) in December 1996, a multi-national effort with 10 countries and 5 space agencies cooperating.
He was commander of Columbia for mission STS-87 in November 1997 and spoke to President Bill Clinton over the phone on Thanksgiving Day.
His final trip was aboard Endeavour (STS-99) in February 2000. The crew mapped more than 47 million miles of Earth's land surface.
