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STS-29

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STS-29
STS-29 Discovery, OV-103, external tank (ET) separation
Credit: NASA

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AKA: Discovery. Launched: 1989-03-13. Returned: 1989-03-18. Number crew: 5 . Duration: 4.99 days.

Payloads: Deploy IUS (Inertial Upper Stage) with Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-D. Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space; IMAX 70mm camera; Shuttle Student Involvement Project (SSIP) experiments: SSIP 82-8, Effects of Weightlessness in Space Flight on the Healing of Bone Fractures, and SSIP 83-9, Chicken Embryo Development in Space; Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

Orbits of Earth: 79. Distance traveled: 3,218,687 km. Orbiter Liftoff Mass: 116,281 kg. Orbiter Mass at Landing: 88,353 kg. Payload to Orbit: 17,280 kg. Payload Returned: 4,472 kg. Landed at: Concrete runway 22 at Edwards AFB, California. Landing Speed: 379 kph. Touchdown miss distance: 364 m. Landing Rollout: 2,846 m.

NASA Official Mission Narrative

Mission Name: STS-29 (28)
DISCOVERY (8)
Pad 39-B (9)
28th Shuttle mission
8th Flight OV-103

Crew:
Michael L. Coats (2), Commander
John E. Blaha (1), Pilot
James P. Bagian (1), Mission Specialist 1
James F. Buchli (3), Mission Specialist 2
Robert C. Springer (1), Mission Specialist 3

Milestones:
OPF - Oct 9, 1988
VAB - Jan. 23, 1989
PAD - Feb. 3, 1989

Payload:
TDRS-D,IMAX-01,SHARE-1
Mission Objectives:

Launch:
March 13, 1989,9:57:00 a.m. EST. Launch manifested Feb. 18 reassessed for late February/early March launch to replace suspect liquid oxygen turbopumps on Discovery's three main engines and faulty master events controller. Launch March 13 delayed one hour, 50 minutes due to morning ground fog and upper winds. Launch Weight: 256,357 lbs.
Orbit:
Altitude: 184nm
Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Orbits: 80
Duration: 4 days, 23 hours, 38 minutes, 52 seconds.
Distance: 2,000,000 miles (approx)

Hardware:
SRB: BI-031
SRM: 360L003
ET : 36/LWT-29
MLP : 2
SSME-1: SN-2031
SSME-2: SN-2022
SSME-3: SN-2028

Landing:
March 18, 1989, 6:35:51 s.m. PST, Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 9,339 feet. Rollout time: 53 seconds. Orbiter returned to KSC March 24,1989. Landing Weight: 194,789 lbs.

Mission Highlights:
Primary payload, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-4 (TDRS-4) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), became third TDRS deployed. After deployment, IUS propelled satellite to geosynchronous orbit. Secondary payloads: Orbiter Experiments Autonomous Supporting Instrumentation System-1 (OASIS-1); Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced Radiator Experiment (SHARE); Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); Chromosomes and Plant Cell Division (CHROMEX); two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments; and Air Force experiment using orbiter as calibration target for ground-based experiment for Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) in Hawaii. Crew also photographed Earth with hand held IMAX camera.

Photo Gallery

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STS-29 STS-29 Discovery, OV-103, crew on flight deck prepares for re-entry Credit: NASA

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STS-29 STS-29 IUS with TDRS-D drifts above Earth's surface during post deployment Credit: NASA

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STS-29 STS-29 IUS with TDRS-D after deployment from Discovery, OV-103 Credit: NASA

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STS-29 STS-29 onboard view of sun glint over Earth Credit: NASA

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STS-29 STS-29 Pilot Blaha with SE83-9 "Chix in Space" incubator on OV-103's middeck Credit: NASA

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STS-29 STS-29 Pilot Blaha has blood flow checked by MS Bagian on OV-103's middeck Credit: NASA

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• STS-29 - . Call Sign: Discovery. Crew: Bagian, Blaha, Buchli, Coats, Springer. Payload: Discovery F08 / SHARE. Mass: 17,280 kg (38,090 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bagian, Blaha, Buchli, Coats, Springer. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-29. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Discovery. Duration: 4.99 days. Decay Date: 1989-03-18 . USAF Sat Cat: 19882 . COSPAR: 1989-021A. Apogee: 308 km (191 mi). Perigee: 297 km (184 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 90.60 min.

  Manned five crew. Deployed TDRS 4. Payloads: Deploy IUS (Inertial Upper Stage) with Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-D. Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space; IMAX 70mm camera; Shuttle Student Involvement Project (SSIP) experiments: SSIP 82-8, Effects of Weightlessness in Space Flight on the Healing of Bone Fractures, and SSIP 83-9, Chicken Embryo Development in Space; Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.

• STS-29 - Wakeup Song: I Got You (I Feel Good) - . Flight: STS-29. "I Got You (I Feel Good)" James Brown CAPCOM: David Low.

• STS-29 - Wakeup Song: Marine Corps Hymn - . Flight: STS-29. "Marine Corps Hymn" - tribute to mission specialiSTS- Bob Springer and Jim Buchli CAPCOM: Ken Cameron.

• STS-29 - Wakeup Song: Star Trek - . Flight: STS-29.

  "Star Trek" - Discovery crew woke Mission Control with theme, followed by congratulatory comments from William Shatner. Mission Control responded with a medley of school songs from crew members' alma maters:"Anchors Aweigh", The Air Force Song ("Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder"), and Drexel University"Fight Song" CAPCOM: G. David Low. He responded with ad lib:"Discovery, Houston - Beam Me Up, Scotty"

• STS-29 - Wakeup Song: Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It's Off To Work We Go - . Flight: STS-29. "Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It's Off To Work We Go" from movie"Snow White" - Discovery crew woke up Mission Control with this song. Mission Control replied with"Stars and Stripes Forever". CAPCOM: G. David Low.

• STS-29 - Wakeup Song: What a Wonderful World - . Flight: STS-29.

  "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong preceded by recordings of astronauts' children shouting such things as"Get up, Dad, get out of bed and get to work" and"Hi, daddy, this is your darling daughter telling you to wake up" The crew responded with"Homeward Bound" by Simon and Garfunkel.

• Landing of STS-29 - . Return Crew: Bagian, Blaha, Buchli, Coats, Springer. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bagian, Blaha, Buchli, Coats, Springer. Program: STS. Flight: STS-29. STS-29 landed at 14:31 GMT. .