SPACE SHUTTLE Mission Archive 1982 

STS-3 (3)

COLUMBIA (3)

Pad 39-A (15)

3rd Shuttle mission

3rd Flight OV-102

Extended mission

2nd RMS Mission

1st White Sands landing

Crew:

Jack R. Lousma (2), Commander

C. Gordon Fullerton (1), Pilot

Backup Crew:

(after STS-3, backup crews were no longer named)

Thomas K. Mattingly (1), Commander

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

Milestones:

OPF - Nov. 26,1981

VAB - Feb. 3, 1982

PAD - Feb, 16, 1982

Payload:

OSS-1,DFI(3),MLR,EEVT,HBT,SSIP(x1),GAS(x1)

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 8,740lb Office of Space Science (OSS-1) Pallet consisting of the Plant Lignification Experiment, the Plasma Diagnostic Package (PDP), the Vehical Charging and Potential (VCAP) experiment, the Space Shuttle Induced Atmosphere experiment, the Thermal Canister experiment, the Solar Flare X-Ray Polarimeter, the Solar Ultraviolet and Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM), the Contamination Monitor Package and the Foil Microabrasion Package. Also in the payload bay was the 11,048lb Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) Pallet and the 448lb Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP).

The crew compartment housed the Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR) experiment and the Heflex Bioengineering Test (HBT) experiment.

Launch:

March 22, 1982, 11:00:00 a.m. EST. Launch delayed one hour due to failure of heater on nitrogen gas ground support line. Launch Weight: 235,415 lbs.

Orbit:

Altitude: 147nm

Inclination: 38.0 degrees

Orbits: 130

Duration: Eight days, zero hours. four minutes, 46 seconds.

Distance: 3,334,904 miles

Hardware:

SRB: BI-003

SRM: 003SW(SPM)

ET : 4/SWT-3

MLP: 1

SSME-1: SN-2007

SSME-2: SN-2006

SSME-3: SN-2005

Landing:

March 30, 1982,9:04:46 a.m. MST, Runway 17, Northrup Strip, White Sands, N.M. Rollout distance: 13,737 feet. Rollout time: 84 seconds. Landing site changed from Edwards to White Sands due to wet conditions on Edwards dry lake bed landing site. High winds at White Sands resulted in one day extension of mission, Some brake damage upon landing and dust storm caused extensive contamination of orbiter. Orbiter returned to KSC April 6, 1982. Landing Weight: 207,072 lbs.

Mission Highlights:

Testing continued of Space Shuttle systems for qualification for operational flights. Testing of remote manipulator system and measurements of thermal response of orbiter in various attitudes to sun conducted. Get Away Special test canister and Spacelab pallet-mounted experiments for NASA's Office of Space Science- 1 (OSS-1) carried in payload bay. 0SS-1 obtained data on near- Earth space environment, including contamination (gases, dust, etc.) introduced into space by orbiter itself. Other experiments: Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR), Electrophoresis Equipment Verification Test (EEVT), Heflex Bioengineering Test (HBT) and first Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiment. Problems encountered: space sickness, malfunctioning toilet, thermostat difficulty and unexplained static interfering with crew sleep. Auxiliary power unit registered overheating during ascent, but functioned properly during descent. Three communications links lost.

STS-4 (4)

COLUMBIA (4)

PAD 39-A (16)

4th Shuttle mission

4th Flight OV-102

3rd RMS Mission

Crew:

Thomas K. Mattingly (2), Commander

Henry W. Hartsfield (1), Jr., Pilot

Milestones:

OPF - April 7, 1982

VAB - May 19,1982

PAD - May 26, 1982

Payload:

DoD 82-1,CFES(1),CIRRIS,MLR(2),IECM,SSIP(x2),GAS (G-001),VPCF

Mission Objectives:

Launch:

June 27, 1982, 11:00:00 a.m. EDT. Launch proceeded as scheduled with no delays. Launch weight: 241,664 lbs.

Orbit:

Altitude: 197nm

Inclination: 28.5 degrees

Orbits: 113

Duration: Seven days, One hour, Nine minutes, 31 seconds.

Distance: 2,900,000 miles

Hardware:

SRB: BI-004

SRM: 004SW(SPM)

ET : 5/SWT-4

MLP: 1

SSME-1: SN-2007

SSME-2: SN-2006

SSME-3: SN-2005

Landing:

July 4,1982,9:09:31 a.m. PDT, Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 9.878 feet. Rollout time: 64 seconds. First landing-on 15.000-foot-long concrete runway at Edwards. Orbiter returned to KSC July 15,1982. Landing Weight: 208,946 lbs

Mission Highlights:

Final Space Transportation System research and development flight. In addition to classified Department of Defense payload, cargo included first Get Away Specials, (G-001) which contained nine experiments from Utah State University; first commercial experiment involving Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES); Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR); Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM), which was deployed, and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments. Crew rock data for two medical experiments on themselves, operated remote manipulator arm to swing IECM around orbiter, and took photos of lightning activity in Earth's atmosphere. Two solid rocket booster casings lost when main parachutes failed and they impacted water and sank. Some rainwater penetrated protective coating of several tiles while orbiter on pad. On orbit, affected area turned toward sun and water vaporized, preventing further tile damage from freezing water.

STS-5 (5)

COLUMBIA (5)

Pad 39-A (17)

5th Shuttle mission

5th Flight OV-102

Crew:

Vance D. Brand (2), Commander

Robert F. Overmyer (1), Pilot

Joseph P. Allen (1), Mission Specialist

William B. Lenoir (1), Mission Specialist

Milestones:

OPF - July 16, 1982

VAB - Sept 9, 1982

PAD - Sept 21, 1982

Payload:

ANIK-C3,SBS-C

Mission Objectives:

Click here for Additional Info on STS-5

Launch:

November 11, 1982, 7:19:00am EST. Launch proceeded as scheduled with no delays. Launch Weight: 247,113 lbs.

Orbit:

Altitude: 184nm

Inclination: 28.5 degrees

Orbits: 81

Duration: Five days, two hours, 14 minutes 26 seconds.

Distance: 2,110,849 miles

Hardware:

SRB: BI-005

SRM: 005SW(SPM)

ET : 6/SWT-5

MLP: 1

SSME-1: SN-2007

SSME-2: SN-2006

SSME-3: SN-2005

Landing:

November 16, 1982, 6:33:26 a.m. PST, Runway 22. Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 9,553 feet. Rollout time 63 seconds. Orbiter returned to KSC Nov. 22, 1982. Landing Weight: 202,480 lbs.

Mission Highlights:

First Shuttle operational mission deployed two commercial com- munications satellites, ANIK C-3 for TELESAT Canada and SitS- C for Satellite Business Systems. Each equipped with Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) solid rocket motor, which fired about 45 minutes after deployment, placing each satellite into highly elliptical orbit. One Get Away Special and three Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments conducted. First scheduled space walk in Shuttle program canceled due to malfunction of space suit.