Orbiter: Challenger (STA-099, OV-99)
- Pad 39-A (29)
- 17th Shuttle mission
- 7th Flight OV-O99
- 3rd Rollback
Crew:
- Robert F. Overmyer (2), Commander
- Frederick D. Gregory (1), Pilot
- Don L. Lind (1), Mission Specialist 1
- Norman E. Thagard (2), Mission Specialist 2
- William E. Thornton (2), Mission Specialist 3
- Lodewijk van den Berg (1), Payload Specialist 1
- Taylor G. Wang (1), Payload Specialist 2
Milestones:
- Flow A:
- OPF - Oct. 13,1984
- VAB - Feb. 10,1985
- PAD - Feb. 15,1985
- Flow B (rollback):
- VAB - March 4,1985
- OPF - March 7, 1985
- VAB - April 10,1985
- PAD - April 15, 1985
Payload:
- SPACELAB-3
Launch:
- April 29,1985,12:02:18 p.m. EDT.
- Flight first manifested as 51-E; rolled back from pad due to timing problem with TDRS-B payload.
- Mission 51-E cancelled; orbiter remanifested with 51-B payloads.
- Launch April 29 delayed two minutes,18 seconds due to a launch processing system failure.
- Launch Weight: 246,880 lbs.
Orbit:
- Altitude: 222nm
- Inclination: 57.0 degrees
- Orbits: 111
- Duration: Seven days zero hours, eight minutes, 46 seconds.
- Distance: 2,890,383 miles
Hardware:
- SRB: BI-016
- SRM: L016(HPM)
- ET : 17/LWT-10
- MLP : 2
- SSME-1: SN-2023
- SSME-2: SN-2020
- SSME-3: SN-2021
Landing:
- May 6, 1985,9:11:04 a.m. PDT, Runway 17, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
- Rollout distance: 8.317 feet.
- Rollout time: 59 seconds.
- First Crosswind Landing.
- Orbiter returned to KSC May 11,1985.
- Landing Weight: 212,465 lbs.
Mission Highlights:
Primary payload was Spacelab-3. First operational flight for Spacelab orbital laboratory series developed by European Space Agency. Five basic discipline areas: materials sciences, life sciences, fluid mechanics, atmospheric physics and astronomy main mission objective with Spacelab-3 was to provide high quality microgravity environment for delicate materials processing and fluid experiments. Two monkeys and 24 rodents observed for effects of weightlessness. Of 15 Spacelab primary experiments conducted, 14 considered successful. Two Get Away Specials on board.