STS-61A Fact Sheet
Written and Edited by Cliff Lethbridge
STS-61A -- Challenger

22nd Space Shuttle Mission 9th Flight of Challenger Crew: Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr., Commander Steven R. Nagel, Pilot James F. Buchli, Mission Specialist Guion S. Bluford, Jr., Mission Specialist Bonnie J. Dunbar, Mission Specialist Reinhard Furrer, Payload Specialist Ernst Messerschmid, Payload Specialist Wubbo J. Ockels, Payload Specialist

Orbiter Preparations:

Tow to Orbiter Processing Facility - August 12, 1985
Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building - October 12, 1985
Rollout to Launch Pad 39A - October 16, 1985

Launch:

October 30, 1985 - 12:00:00 noon EST. Launch occurred as scheduled
with no delays.

Landing:

November 6, 1985 - 9:44:53 a.m. PST at Runway 17, Edwards Air Force Base, California. Rollout distance was 8,304 feet. Rollout time was 45 seconds. Mission duration was 7 days, 0 hours, 44 minutes, 53 seconds. Landing occurred during the 112th orbit.

Mission Summary:

The mission was dedicated to the (West) German Spacelab D-1 laboratory, which included 75 numbered experiments. Experiments centered around basic and applied microgravity research in materials science, life science and technology, communications and navigation.

Certain flight operations related to Spacelab D-1 were controlled directly from the German Space Operations Center at Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich. Other payloads included the Global Low Orbiting Message Relay (GLOMR) which was a satellite deployed from a GAS canister.

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© Copyright 1998 by Clifford J. Lethbridge