Two Canadian space science experiments will fly on the mission. Results from these and similar experiments flow into a wide range of universities and industries, providing Canada with new knowledge-based products and services to compete in international markets. What happens in space today will affect the quality of life on Earth tomorrow."

STS-77 is a rendezvous and proximity mission using the SPARTAN-207 satellite, a scientific satellite that offers a simple, reusable and relatively low cost method of collecting valuable scientific data on a wide range of scientific problems. Once again, in deploying and retrieving SPARTAN, the Canadarm will play an enabling role in an important space mission leading to the assembly of the International Space Station.

The six-member crew of Endeavour will have a busy schedule on their nine-day mission. In addition to the SPARTAN satellite deployment and retrieval, mission highlights include a number of scientific experiments carried in the commercial SPACEHAB laboratory module housed in the shuttle's cargo bay. A Canadian led, multinational experiment called the Commercial Float Zone Furnace (CFZF) will process 12 sample materials contributed by scientists from Canada, the United States and Germany to produce high-quality crystals. These pure crystals could be used in manufacturing a wide variety of high technology products, including semiconductors, computer chips, lasers, infra-red detectors and many more.

STS-77 will also carry the Aquatic Research Facility (ARF), designed and built in Canada, which will allow researchers to conduct sophisticated studies of small aquatic animals. This research will provide important information on the earliest stages of development and on the feeding patterns of these small marine species which form the basic food for larger ocean-dwelling fish.

Marc Garneau is one of the six Canadian astronauts selected in 1983. He flew as a Payload Specialist on the Space Shuttle Challenger during Mission 41-G in October 1984. In July 1992, Dr. Garneau was selected for Mission Specialist training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

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