Space Shuttle

Flight Details 3

STS-51J/21 (Atlantis)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 10/03/85
• Flight Time: 004d 01h 46m
• Number of Orbits: 0066 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• Karol J. Bobko
• Ronald J. Grabe
• David C. Hilmers
• Robert L. Stewart
• William Pailes

Payloads:

• None

Payloads:

• DOD DSCS 3-2 (Defense Satellite Communications System)
• DOD DSCS 3-3 (Defense Satellite Communications System)

Mission Highlights: This maiden flight of the fourth space shuttle, Atlantis, was a classified Department of Defense mission. However, it was believed that two DSCS military communications satellites were deployed during the flight. Atlantis landed at Edwards AFB.

STS-61A/22 (Challenger)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 10/30/85
• Flight Time: 007d 00h 45m
• Number of Orbits: 0114 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• Henry H. Hartsfield
• Steven R. Nagel
• Guion S. Bluford
• James F. Buchli
• Bonnie J. Dunbar
• Reinhard Furrer (West Germany)
• Ernst Messerschmidt (West Germany)
• Wubbo Ockels (Netherlands)

EVA's:

• None

Payloads:

• Spacelab D-1
• Glomr

Mission Highlights: This dedicated German Spacelab mission was controlled from the German Space Operations Center in Munich, West Germany. A variety of biomedical, Earth resources, and materials processing experiments were conducted during the flight. A Department of Defense relay satellite was also deployed. Challenger landed at Edwards AFB.

STS-61B/23 (Atlantis)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 11/26/85
• Flight Time: 006d 21h 05m
• Number of Orbits: 0111 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• Brewster H. Shaw
• Bryan D. O'Connor
• Mary L. Cleave
• Sherwood C. Spring
• Jerry L. Ross
• Charles D. Walker
• Rodolfo Neri-Vela (Mexico)

EVA's:

• 05h 05m - space walk
• 06h 00m - space walk

Payloads:

• Morelos B
• Aussat 2
• Satcom Ku-1

Mission Highlights: After deploying three communications satellites, Ross and Spring conducted two space walks. During these space walks, they practiced techniques for erecting structures for possible future space stations. The structures being tested consisted of ACCESS, a 3-sided tower structure, and EASE, a triangular structure. The astronauts found the erection of these structures to be a fairly easy task. Atlantis landed at Edwards AFB.

STS-61C/24 (Columbia)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 01/12/86
• Flight Time: 006d 20h 04m
• Number of Orbits: 0098 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• Robert L. Gibson
• Charles F. Bolden
• Steven A. Hawley
• George D. Nelson
• Franklin R. Chang-Diaz
• Robert J. Cenker
• Rep. C. William Nelson

EVA's:

• None

Payloads:

• Satcom Ku-2

Mission Highlights: This was a relatively low-profile mission, encompassing the deployment of one communications satellite and a number of biomedical experiments. Observations were also made of Halley's Commet during the flight. It was the first flight for the shuttle Columbia after a 2-year refurbishment at the Rockwell International assembly plant. Columbia landed at Edwards AFB.

STS-51L/25 (Challenger)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 01/28/86
• Flight Time: 000d 00h 01m
• Number of Orbits: 0000 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• Francis R. Scobee
• Michael J. Smith
• Judith A. Resnick
• Ellison S. Onizuka
• Ronald E. McNair
• Gregory B. Jarvis
• Sharon Christa McAuliffe

EVA's:

• None

Payloads:

• TDRS 2 (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite)
• Spartan 2

Mission Highlights: What was to have been an ambitious flight to portray the future of space to young Americans through the eyes of a teacher in space turned into tragedy as Challenger exploded only 72 seconds into the flight. Investigations concluded that a seal between segments of the right solid rocket booster failed, allowing flames to cut a restraining strap, thus allowing the booster to twist into the external fuel tank. The tank erupted, destroying the Challenger and killing the entire crew. The mission had called for deployment of the second TDRS data relay satellite and extensive observations of Halley's Comet by the Spartan 2 payload.

STS-26 (Discovery)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 09/29/88
• Flight Time: 004d 00h 59m
• Number of Orbits: 0064 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• Frederick H. Hauck
• Richard D. Covey
• John M. Lounge
• David C. Hilmers
• George D. Nelson

EVA's:

• None

Payloads:

• TDRS 3 (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite)

Mission Highlights: The launch of Discovery represented the return of the United States to manned spaceflight, after the Challenger accident of 32 months earlier. Although the main mission objective was to launch the TDRS data relay satellite, the flight was important in rebuilding NASA and American confidence to proceed with the civilian space program. Discovery was launched by redesigned solid rocket boosters and had many internal improvements, including a crew escape system. Discovery landed at Edwards AFB.

STS-27 (Atlantis)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 12/02/88
• Flight Time: 004d 09h 00m
• Number of Orbits: 0070 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• Robert L. Gibson
• Guy S. Gardner
• Richard M. Mullane
• Jerry L. Ross
• William M. Shephard

EVA's:

• None

Payloads:

• DOD Lacrosse

Mission Highlights: The second post-Challenger space shuttle flight was a secret military mission to deploy a classified payload believed to be the Lacrosse imaging radar reconnaissance satellite. Atlantis landed at Edwards AFB.

STS-29 (Discovery)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 03/13/89
• Flight Time: 004d 23h 39m
• Number of Orbits: 0079 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• Michael L. Coats
• John E. Blaha
• James F. Buchli
• Robert C. Springer
• James P. Bagian

EVA's:

• None

Payloads:

• TDRS 4 (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite)

Mission Highlights: The primary objective of this 4-day mission was to deploy the TDRS data relay satellite. This was the third TDRS placed into orbit (TDRS 2 was lost in the Challenger explosion) and completed the tracking and data relay network needed for future planned scientific missions like the Hubble Space Telescope. Discovery landed at Edwards AFB.

STS-30 (Atlantis)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 05/04/89
• Flight Time: 004d 00h 56m
• Number of Orbits: 0064 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• David M. Walker
• Ronald J. Grabe
• Mary L. Cleave
• Mark C. Lee
• Norman G. Thagard

EVA's:

• None

Payloads:

• Magellan

Mission Highlights: This flight was the first in a series of high priority missions to launch important space science probes that had been delayed after the Challenger accident. The Magellan spacecraft was deployed by Atlantis on a trajectory toward Venus, where Magellan would use high-resolution radar to map almost the entire planet. Atlantis landed at Edwards AFB.

STS-28 (Columbia)

Mission Statistics:

• Date: 08/08/89
• Flight Time: 005d 01h 56m
• Number of Orbits: 0080 orbits

Astronaut Crew:

• Brewster H. Shaw
• Richard N. Richards
• James C. Adamson
• David C. Leetsma
• Mark N. Brown

EVA's:

• None

Payloads:

• DOD classified (AFP-731)

Mission Highlights: This mission for the Department of Defense deployed a classified satellite. Speculation was that the satellite was a new generation photo reconnaissance satellite. Columbia landed at Edwards AFB.

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Last Updated: January 1, 2003