Orbiter: Challenger (STA-099, OV-99)
- Pad 39-A (19)
- 7th Shuttle mission
- 2nd Flight OV-99
- Extended mission
- Diverted landing
- 1st US Woman in Space
Crew:
- Robert L. Crippen (2), Commander
- Frederick H. Hauck (1), Pilot
- John M. Fabian (1), Mission Specialist
- Sally K. Ride (1), Mission Specialist
- Norman E. Thagard (1), Mission Specialist
Milestones:
- OPF - April 17,1983
- VAB - May 21,1983
- PAD - May 26, 1983
Payload:
- ANIK-C2
- PALAPA-B1
- SPAS-01
- OSTA-2
- MLR(2)
- CFES(3)
- GAS(x7)
Launch:
-
June 18,1983,7:33:00 a.m. EDT. Launch proceeded as scheduled with no delays. Launch Weight: 249,178 lbs.
Orbit:
- Altitude: 160nm-170nm
- Inclination: 28.5 degrees
- Orbits: 97
- Duration: Six days, two hours, 23 minutes, 59 seconds.
- Distance: 2,530,567 miles
Hardware:
- SRB: BI-007
- SRM: 007LW(SPM)
- ET : 7/SWT-6
- MLP : 1
- SSME-1:
- SSME-2:
- SSME-3:
Landing:
-
June 24, 1983, 6:56:59 a.m. PDT, Runway 15, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 10,450 feet. Rollout time: 75 seconds. Planned landing at KSC scrubbed due to poor weather conditions. Mission extended two revolutions to facilitate landing at Edwards. Orbiter returned to KSC June 29, 1983. Landing Weight: 204,043 lbs.
Mission Highlights:
Sally Ride became first American woman to fly in space. Two com- munications satellites deployed, ANIK C-2 for TELESAT Canada and PALAPA-B1 for Indonesia, both attached to Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) motors. Seven Get Away Special canisters in cargo bay held variety of experiments, including ones studying affects of space on social behavior of ant colony in zero gravity. Ten experiments mounted on Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS-01) performed research in forming metal alloys in microgravity and use of remote sensing scanner. Orbiter's small control rockets fired while SPAS-01 held by remote manipulator system to test movement on extended arm. Experiment 1: Investigate space sickness carried out. Other payloads: Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-2 (OSTA-2). Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES): Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR) and one Shuttle Student Involvement (SSIP) experiment.