{"id":13072,"date":"2025-02-12T18:14:59","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T22:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/25-years-ago-sts-99-the-shuttle-radar-topography-mission\/"},"modified":"2025-02-12T18:14:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T22:14:59","slug":"25-years-ago-sts-99-the-shuttle-radar-topography-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/25-years-ago-sts-99-the-shuttle-radar-topography-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Years Ago: STS-99, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

25 Years Ago: STS-99, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission<\/h2>\n

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On Feb. 11, 2000, space shuttle Endeavour took to the skies on its 14th<\/sup> trip into space on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The international STS-99 crew included Commander Kevin Kregel<\/a>, Pilot Dominic Gorie<\/a>, and Mission Specialists Gerhard Thiele<\/a> of Germany representing the European Space Agency, Janet Kavandi<\/a>, Janice Voss<\/a>, who served as payload commander on the mission, and Mamoru Mohri<\/a> of the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan, now the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

During their 11-day mission, the astronauts used the radar instruments in Endeavour\u2019s payload bay to obtain elevation data on a near global scale. The data produced the most complete, high-resolution digital elevation model of the Earth. The SRTM comprised a cooperative effort among NASA with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, managing the project, the Department of Defense\u2019s National Imagery and Mapping Agency, the German space agency, and the Italian space agency. Prior to SRTM, scientists had a more detailed topographic map of Venus than of the Earth, thanks to the Magellan<\/a> radar mapping mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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\"Circular<\/figure>
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The STS-99 crew patch. <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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\"Group<\/figure>
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Official photo of the STS-99 crew of Janice Voss, left, Mamoru Mohri of the National Space Development Agency of Japan, now the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kevin Kregel, Dominic Gorie, Gerhard Thiele of Germany representing the European Space Agency, and Janet Kavandi.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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\"Circular<\/figure>
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The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission patch.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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\"Schematic<\/figure>
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Schematic of the Space Radar Topography Mission payloads including the deployed mast. <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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\"Image<\/figure>
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The mast antenna during preflight processing. <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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