STS-51-C

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STS-51-C

Part of STS

STS-51-C
Launch of Shuttle Discovery and the STS 51-C mission
Credit: NASA

First shuttle military mission. Deployed USA 8 (Aquacade ELINT spacecraft). Experienced blow-by in both nozzle joints and erosion and blow-by in two case joints.

AKA: Discovery. Launched: 1985-01-24. Returned: 1985-01-27. Number crew: 5 . Duration: 3.06 days.

Orbits of Earth: 48. Landed at: Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Landing Speed: 342 kph. Touchdown miss distance: 839.00 m. Landing Rollout: 2,240.00 m. Payloads: Department of Defence classified payloads.

NASA Official Mission Narrative

Mission Name: 51-C (15)
DISCOVERY (3)
Pad 39-A (27)
15th Shuttle mission
3rd Flight OV-103
4th KSC landing

Crew:
Thomas K. Mattingly II (3), Commander
Loren J. Shriver (1), Pilot
Ellison S. Onizuka (1), Mission Specialist 1
James F. Buchli (1), Mission Specialist 2
Gary E. Payton (1), Payload Specialist 1

Milestones:
OPF - Nov. 16,1984
VAB - Dec. 21, 1984
PAD - Jan. 5,1985

Payload:
DoD 85-1
Mission Objectives:

Launch:
January 24, 1985, 2:50:00 p.m. EST. Launch Jan. 23 scrubbed due to freezing weather conditions. (Orbiter CHALLENGER scheduled for Mission 51-C, but thermal tile problems forced substitution of Discovery.) Launch Weight: 250,891 lbs
Orbit:
Altitude: 220nm
Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Orbits: 49
Duration: 3 days, 1 hour, 33 minutes, 23 seconds.
Distance: 1,250,000 miles

Hardware:
SRB: BI-015
SRM: 015LW(HPM)
ET : 14/LWT-7
MLP : 1
SSME-1: SN-2109
SSME-2: SN-2018
SSME-3: SN-2012

Landing:
January 27, 1985, 4:23:23 p.m. EST, Runway 15, Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Rollout distance: 7,352 feet. Rollout time: 50 seconds. Landing Weight: classified.

Mission Highlights:
First mission dedicated to Department of Defense. U.S. Air Force Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster deployed and met mission objectives.

More at: STS-51-C.

Family: Manned spaceflight. People: Buchli, Mattingly, Onizuka, Payton, Shriver. Country: USA. Spacecraft: Discovery. Projects: STS. Launch Sites: Cape Canaveral. Agency: NASA, NASA Houston.

Photo Gallery

STS-51-C
Credit: www.spacefacts.de

STS-51-C
Astronaut Ellison Onizuka eating with chopsticks on the middeck
Credit: NASA

STS-51-C
Astronauts Onizuka and Shriver pose in middeck
Credit: NASA

STS-51-C
Mission Specialist Ellison Onizuka seated at commander's station
Credit: NASA

STS-51-C
Landing of the shuttle Discovery at end of STS 51-C mission
Credit: NASA

1985 January 24 - . 19:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: MLP1. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.

STS-51-C - . Call Sign: Discovery. Crew: Buchli, Mattingly, Onizuka, Payton, Shriver. Payload: Discovery F03 / Magnum 1 [IUS]. Mass: 116,884 kg (257,685 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Buchli, Mattingly, Onizuka, Payton, Shriver. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-51-C. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Discovery. Duration: 3.06 days. Decay Date: 1985-01-27 . USAF Sat Cat: 15496 . COSPAR: 1985-010A. Apogee: 341 km (211 mi). Perigee: 332 km (206 mi). Inclination: 28.40 deg. Period: 91.30 min.
Manned five crew. Deployed USA 8 (Aquacade ELINT spacecraft). Orbits of Earth: 48. Landed at: Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Landing Speed: 342 kph. Touchdown miss distance: 839.00 m. Landing Rollout: 2,240.00 m. Payloads: Department of Defence classified payloads.

1985 January 27 - .

Landing of STS-51-C - . Return Crew: Buchli, Mattingly, Onizuka, Payton, Shriver. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Buchli, Mattingly, Onizuka, Payton, Shriver. Program: STS. Flight: STS-51-C. STS-51-C landed at 21:28 GMT. .

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