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The STS-82 mission was the second in a series of planned servicing missions to the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope ("HST"), which had been placed in orbit on 24 April 1990 by Discovery during STS-31. The first servicing mission was done by Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-61. Work performed by Discovery's crew significantly upgraded the scientific capabilities of the HST and helped to keep the telescope functioning smoothly until the next scheduled servicing missions, which were STS-103 in 1999 and STS-109 in 2002.
 

The STS-82 mission was the second in a series of planned servicing missions to the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope ("HST"), which had been placed in orbit on 24 April 1990 by Discovery during STS-31. The first servicing mission was done by Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-61. Work performed by Discovery's crew significantly upgraded the scientific capabilities of the HST and helped to keep the telescope functioning smoothly until the next scheduled servicing missions, which were STS-103 in 1999 and STS-109 in 2002.
 

The primary mission of the MEIDEX payload was to study the temporal and spatial distribution and physical properties of atmospheric desert dust over North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Saharan regions. The aim was achieved by a remote sensing experiment operated by the astronauts aboard the shuttle. Also, MEIDEX accomplished diverse secondary science objectives by performing slant visibility observations, sea-surface reflectivity observations, desert surface observations and observations of Transient Luminous Events, better known as sprites.

The FREESTAR payload includes six separate experiments mounted on a crossbay HH
Multipurpose Equipment Support Structure (MPESS). Experiments include:

• The Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX), managed by the Israeli Space Agency (ASI) and Tel-Aviv University (TAU) and sponsored by NASA/HQ Code Y.
• The Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding Experiment-02 (SOLSE-02), managed by NASA/GSFC Code 916, Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch and sponsored by NASA/HQ Code Y.
• The Critical Viscosity of Xenon-2 (CVX-2), managed by NASA/Glenn Research Center (GRC) and sponsored by NASA/HQ Code U.
• The Solar Constant Experiment-3 (SOLCON-3), managed by the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMIB) and sponsored by NASA/HQ Code Y.
• The Low Power Transceiver (LPT), managed by NASA/GSFC Code 450 and sponsored by NASA/HQ Code M, with collaboration from the GSFC/ Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO).
• The Space Experiment Module (SEM), managed by the NASA/GSFC SSPPO

SPARTAN 201 is a small, Shuttle-launched and -retrieved satellite, whose mission is to study the Sun. SPARTAN 201's science payload consists of two telescopes: the Ultraviolet Coronal Spectrometer (UVCS) and the White Light Coronagraph (WLC). Destroyed on STS-51L, redeployed on STS-56, STS-64 and STS-69.

The Heat Pipe Performance (HPP-2) Experiment investigated the thermal performance and fluid dynamics of heat pipes operating under microgravity conditions. The experiment was manifested on STS-66 as a secondary middeck payload, and was launched on November 3, 1994.

The Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) was a satellite launched on 5 March 1999 on the Pegasus XL rocket into a polar orbit between 409 km and 426 km above the Earth's surface. WIRE was intended to be a four-month infrared survey of the entire sky at 21-27 micrometres and 9-15 micrometres, specifically focusing on starburst galaxies and luminous protogalaxies.

This image is of a flown version of the STS-41C mission.

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) – also known as the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP), and Explorer 80 – is a spacecraft which measures differences in the temperature of the Big Bang's remnant radiant heat – the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation – across the full sky.  Headed by Professor Charles L. Bennett, Johns Hopkins University, the mission was developed in a joint partnership between the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Princeton University.

Goddard Space Flight Center's Special Payloads Division. Responsible for such payloads as SPARTAN 204

ASTRO-E was launched at 10:30 AM February 10, 2000 (Japan Standard Time). Unfortunately, it did not achieve orbit. 42 seconds into the flight, the first stage nozzle failed, causing a loss of thrust and near complete loss of attitude control. The second and third stages worked properly, but were not able to make up the loss of altitude from the first stage. The satellite was not contacted on the first orbit, and is assumed to have reentered and burned up.

Getaway Special was a NASA program that offered interested individuals, or groups, opportunities to fly small experiments aboard the Space Shuttle. The program, which was officially known as the Small, Self-Contained Payloads program, was canceled following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on February 1, 2003.

The Hitchhiker Program (HH) was a NASA program established in 1984 and administered by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was designed to allow low-cost and quick reactive experiments to be placed on board the Space Shuttle. The program was discontinued after the failure of STS-107.

The Hitchhiker Program (HH) was a NASA program established in 1984 and administered by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was designed to allow low-cost and quick reactive experiments to be placed on board the Space Shuttle. The program was discontinued after the failure of STS-107.

Getaway Special was a NASA program that offered interested individuals, or groups, opportunities to fly small experiments aboard the Space Shuttle. The program, which was officially known as the Small, Self-Contained Payloads program, was canceled following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on February 1, 2003.
The Hitchhiker Program (HH) was a NASA program established in 1984 and administered by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was designed to allow low-cost and quick reactive experiments to be placed on board the Space Shuttle. The program was discontinued after the failure of STS-107.
 

The CASSINI/Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) is a major science instrument aboard
NASA's CASSINI Orbiter to Saturn. It will measure the infrared energy from Saturn, its rings
and its moons, especially Titan, in order to study their structure and composition. It is was built
by NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, with significant hardware contributions from
England and France.