STS-1 (1)

COLUMBIA (1)

Pad 39-A (13)

1st Shuttle mission

1st Flight OV-102

Crew:

John W. Young (5), Commander

Robert L. Crippen (1), Pilot

Backup Crew:

Joseph H. Engle (0), Commander

Richard H. Truly (0), Pilot

Milestones:

03/24/79 - Arrival from Dryden

03/25/79 - Move to OPF-1 (610 days)

11/24/80 - Move to VAB-3 (35 days)

12/29/80 - Move to PAD-39A (105 days)

02/20/81 - Flight Readiness Firing (FRF)

04/12/81 - Launch

04/14/81 - Landing

04/28/81 - Return to KSC (14 days)

Payload:

DFI,ACIP

Mission Objectives:

 

Demonstrate safe launch into orbit and safe return of the orbiter and crew. Verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle - orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank.

Payloads included the Developmental Flight Instrumentation (DFI) and the Aerodynamic Coefficient Identifications Package (ACIP) pallet containing equipment for recording temperatures, pressures and acceleration levels at various points on the vehicle.

Launch:

April 12, 1981, 7:00:03 a.m, EST. Launch April 10 postponed due to timing skew in orbiter's general purpose computer system. Backup flight software failed to synchronize with primary avionics software system. Countdown proceeded on schedule April 12. First 24 Shuttle liftoffs - STS-1 through 61-C - were from Pad 39-A. Launch Weight: 219,258 lbs.

Orbit:

Altitude: 166nm

Inclination: 40.3 degrees

Orbits: 37

Duration: 2 Days, 6 hours, 20 min, 53 seconds

Distance: 1,074,567 miles

Hardware:

SRB: BI-001

SRM: 001SW(SPM)

ET : 2/SWT-1

MLP : 1

SSME-1: SN-2007

SSME-2: SN-2006

SSME-3: SN-2005

Landing:

April 14, 1981, 10:20:57 a.m. PST, Runway 23, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 8,993 feet. Rollout time: 60 seconds. Orbiter returned to KSC April 28, 1981. Landing Weight: 194,184 lbs.

Mission Highlights:

Primary mission objectives of the maiden flight were to check out the overall Shuttle system, accomplish a safe ascent into orbit and to return to Earth for a safe landing. All of these objectives were met successfully and the Shuttle's worthiness as a space vehicle was verified.

Major systems tested successfully on first flight of Space Trans- portation System. Orbiter sustained tile damage on launch and from overpressure wave created by solid rocket boosters. Sub sequent modifications to water sound suppression system eliminated problem. Sixteen tiles lost and 148 damaged.

The only payload carried on the mission was a Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) package which contained sensors and measuring devices to record orbiter performance and the stresses that occurred during launch, ascent, orbital flight, descent and landing.

Post-flight inspection of the Columbia revealed that an overpressure wave which occurred when the SRB ignited resulted in the loss of 16 heat shield tiles and damage to 148 others. In all other respects, however, Columbia came through the flight with flying colors, and it was to fly the next four Shuttle missions.

Columbia was returned to Kennedy Space Center.from California on April 28 atop its 747 carrier aircraft.  

 STS-2 (2)

COLUMBIA (2)

Pad 39-A (14)

2nd Shuttle mission

2nd Flight OV-102

1st Flight of RMS

Shortened mission

Crew:

Joe H. Engle (1), Commander

Richard H. Truly (1), Pilot

Backup Crew:

Thomas K. Mattingly (1), Commander

Henry W. Hartsfield (0), Jr., Pilot

Milestones:

04/29/81 - Move to OPF-1

08/10/81 - Move to VAB-3

08/31/81 - Move to PAD-39A (21 days)

11/12/81 - Launch

11/14/81 - Landing

11/25/81 - Return to KSC (11 days)

Payload:

OFT(MAPS,SIR-A,SMIRR,FILE,OCE),OSTA-A,DFI(2),ACIP(2),IECM

Mission Objectives:

         Demonstrate safe re-launch and safe return of the orbiter and crew. Verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle - orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank.

Payloads included the Orbital Flight Test Pallet consisting of the Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellite (MAPS) experiment, the Shuttle Multispectral Infrared Radiometer (SMIRR) experiment, the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A) experiment, the Features Identification and Location Experiment (FILE) and the Ocean Color Experimetn (OCE). Also included was the 11,048 lb Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) pallet, the Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP), the Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM) and the 5,395 lb Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications Pallet (OSTA-1).

Launch:

November 12, 1981, 10:09:59 a.m. EST. Launch on Oct. 9 was rescheduled when nitrogen tetroxide spill occurred during loading of forward reaction control system (RCS). Launch Nov. 4 delayed and then scrubbed when countdown computer called for hold in countdown due to apparent low reading on fuel cell oxygen tank pressures. During hold, high oil pressures discovered in two of three auxiliary power units (APUs) that operate hydraulic system. APU gear boxes flushed and filters replaced, forcing launch reschedule Launch Nov. 12 delayed two hours, 40 minutes to replace multiplexer/demultiplexer and additional nine minutes, 59 seconds to review systems status. Modifications to launch platform to overcome solid rocket booster overpressure problem were effective.

Modifications of the water sound suppression system at the pad to absorb the solid rocket booster overpressure wave during launch were effective -- no tiles were lost and only 12 were damaged. Launch Weight: 320,708 lbs

Orbit:

Altitude: 157nm

Inclination: 38.0 degrees

Orbits: 37

Duration: Two days, Six hours, 13 minutes, 12 seconds

Distance: 1,074,757 miles

Hardware:

SRB: BI-002

SRM: 002SW(SPM)

ET : 3/SWT-2

MLP: 1

SSME-1: SN-2007

SSME-2: SN-2006

SSME-3: SN-2005

Landing:

November 14, 1981, 1:23:11 p.m. PST, Runway 23, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 7,711 feet. Rollout time: 50 seconds. Mission shortened by approximately three days due to number one fuel cell failure. Orbiter returned to KSC Nov. 25,1981. Landing Weight: 204,262 lbs.

Mission Highlights:

Planned five day mission cut nearly three days due to failure of one of three fuel cells that produce electricity and drinking water, but 90 percent of mission objectives achieved, including first time remote manipulator system tests. Mission scientists satisfied with data from Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-1 (OSTA-1) Earth observation experiments mounted on Spacelab pallet in payload bay.

The flight marked the first time a manned space vehicle had been reflown with a second crew: Joe H. Engle, commander, and Richard H. Truly, pilot. It again carried the DFI package, as well as the OSTA-l payload -- named for the NASA Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications -- which consisted of a number of remote sensing instruments mounted on a Spacelab pallet in the payload bay. These instruments, including the Shuttle Imaging Radar-A (SIR-1), successfully carried out remote sensing of Earth resources, environmental quality, ocean and weather conditions. In addition, the Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm was successfully operated in all its various operating modes for the first time.