STS-51-D
Encyclopedia
STS-51-D was the sixteenth flight of NASA
's Space Shuttle program
, and the fourth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery
. The launch of STS-51-D from Kennedy Space Center
(KSC), Florida
, on 12 April 1985 was delayed by 55 minutes, after a boat strayed into the restricted Solid Rocket Booster
(SRB) recovery zone. STS-51-D was the third mission to be extended in the shuttle program.
On 19 April, after a week-long flight, Discovery conducted the fifth shuttle landing at KSC. The shuttle suffered extensive brake damage and a blown tire during landing. This forced all subsequent shuttle landings to be done at Edwards Air Force Base
in California
, until the development and implementation of nose wheel steering made landings at KSC more feasible.
s: TELESAT-l (ANIK C-1) and SYNCOM
IV-3 (also known as Leasat-3). TELESAT-1 was attached to a Payload Assist Module (PAM-D) motor and successfully deployed. SYNCOM
IV-3, however, failed to initiate antenna deployment and spin-up, or ignite its perigee kick motor upon deployment. The mission was consequently extended by two days to ensure that the satellite's spacecraft sequencer start lever was in its proper position. Griggs and Hoffman performed an EVA
to attach "Flyswatter" devices to the shuttle's "Canadarm" Remote Manipulator System (RMS). Seddon then engaged the satellite's start lever using the RMS, but again the post-deployment sequence did not begin.
Discovery' s other mission payloads included the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) III, which was flying for sixth time; two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments; the American Flight Echo-cardiograph (AFE); two Getaway Specials
; a set of Phase Partitioning Experiments (PPE); an astronomical photography verification test; various medical experiments; and "Toys in Space," an informal study of the behavior of simple toys in a microgravity environment, with the results being made available to school students upon the shuttle's return.
During the shuttle's landing at KSC on 19 April 1985, extensive brake damage was suffered, and a landing gear tire blew. This prompted future shuttle flights to land at Edwards Air Force Base
until effective nose wheel steering could be implemented to reduce risks during landing.
. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Space Shuttle program
Space Shuttle program
NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...
, and the fourth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
. The launch of STS-51-D from Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
(KSC), Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, on 12 April 1985 was delayed by 55 minutes, after a boat strayed into the restricted Solid Rocket Booster
Solid rocket booster
Solid rocket boosters or Solid Rocket Motors, SRM, are used to provide thrust in spacecraft launches from the launchpad up to burnout of the SRBs. Many launch vehicles include SRBs, including the Ariane 5, Atlas V , and the NASA Space Shuttle...
(SRB) recovery zone. STS-51-D was the third mission to be extended in the shuttle program.
On 19 April, after a week-long flight, Discovery conducted the fifth shuttle landing at KSC. The shuttle suffered extensive brake damage and a blown tire during landing. This forced all subsequent shuttle landings to be done at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, until the development and implementation of nose wheel steering made landings at KSC more feasible.
Crew
Mission parameters
- MassMassMass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
:- Orbiter Liftoff: 250891 lbs
- Orbiter Landing: 198014 lbs
- Payload: 28747 lbs
- Orbit:
- Syncom release
- PerigeePerigeePerigee is the point at which an object makes its closest approach to the Earth.. Often the term is used in a broader sense to define the point in an orbit where the orbiting body is closest to the body it orbits. The opposite is the apogee, the farthest or highest point.The Greek prefix "peri"...
: 166 nautical miles (307.4 km) - Apogee: 244 nautical miles (451.9 km)
- Perigee
- Telesat release
- PerigeePerigeePerigee is the point at which an object makes its closest approach to the Earth.. Often the term is used in a broader sense to define the point in an orbit where the orbiting body is closest to the body it orbits. The opposite is the apogee, the farthest or highest point.The Greek prefix "peri"...
: 160 nautical miles (296.3 km) - Apogee: 244 nautical miles (451.9 km)
- Perigee
- Syncom release
- InclinationInclinationInclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
: 28.5° - PeriodOrbital periodThe orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
: 94.4 min
Spacewalk
- Hoffman and Griggs – EVA 1
- EVA 1 Start: 16 April 1985
- EVA 1 End: 16 April 1985
- Duration: 3 hours, 06 minutes
Mission summary
During STS-51-D, the shuttle crew deployed two communications satelliteCommunications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
s: TELESAT-l (ANIK C-1) and SYNCOM
Syncom
Syncom started as a 1961 NASA program for active geosynchronous communication satellites, all of which were developed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications...
IV-3 (also known as Leasat-3). TELESAT-1 was attached to a Payload Assist Module (PAM-D) motor and successfully deployed. SYNCOM
Syncom
Syncom started as a 1961 NASA program for active geosynchronous communication satellites, all of which were developed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications...
IV-3, however, failed to initiate antenna deployment and spin-up, or ignite its perigee kick motor upon deployment. The mission was consequently extended by two days to ensure that the satellite's spacecraft sequencer start lever was in its proper position. Griggs and Hoffman performed an EVA
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
to attach "Flyswatter" devices to the shuttle's "Canadarm" Remote Manipulator System (RMS). Seddon then engaged the satellite's start lever using the RMS, but again the post-deployment sequence did not begin.
Discovery
Getaway Special
Getaway Special was a NASA program that offered interested individuals, or groups, opportunities to fly small experiments aboard the Space Shuttle...
; a set of Phase Partitioning Experiments (PPE); an astronomical photography verification test; various medical experiments; and "Toys in Space," an informal study of the behavior of simple toys in a microgravity environment, with the results being made available to school students upon the shuttle's return.
During the shuttle's landing at KSC on 19 April 1985, extensive brake damage was suffered, and a landing gear tire blew. This prompted future shuttle flights to land at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
until effective nose wheel steering could be implemented to reduce risks during landing.
Wake-up calls
NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, and first used music to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.
| Flight Day | Song | Artist/Composer |
|---|---|---|
| Day 2 | "Top of the World Top of the World (The Carpenters song) "Top of the World" is the name of a 1972 song by The Carpenters. Originally recorded for and released on the duo's 1972 studio album A Song for You, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in late 1973, becoming the duo's second U.S. number-one single... " |
The Carpenters The Carpenters Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and... |
| Day 3 | "Rescue Aid Society" | Song from the Disney film, The Rescuers The Rescuers The Rescuers is a 1977 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions and first released on June 22, 1977. The 23rd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film is about the Rescue Aid Society, an international mouse organization headquartered in New York and shadowing... |
See also
- Space explorationSpace explorationSpace exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
- Space ShuttleSpace ShuttleThe Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
- List of space shuttle missions
- List of human spaceflights chronologically