STS-26

STS-26
	TDRS-C and its IUS in the payload bay of Discovery
Names	Space Transportation System-26; STS-26R
Mission type	Return to Flight and; TDRS-C deployment
Operator	NASA
COSPAR ID	1988-091A
SATCAT no.	19547
Mission duration	4 days, 1 hour, 0 minute, 11 seconds (achieved)
Distance travelled	2,703,000 km (1,680,000 mi)
Orbits completed	64
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Discovery
Launch mass	115,487 kg (254,605 lb)
Landing mass	88,078 kg (194,179 lb)
Payload mass	21,082 kg (46,478 lb)
Crew
Crew size	5
Members	Frederick H. Hauck ; Richard O. Covey ; John M. Lounge ; David C. Hilmers ; George D. Nelson ;
Start of mission
Launch date	September 29, 1988, 15:37:00 UTC
Rocket	Space Shuttle Discovery
Launch site	Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B
Contractor	Rockwell International
End of mission
Landing date	October 3, 1988, 16:37:11 UTC
Landing site	Edwards Air Force Base,; Runway 17
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude	301 km (187 mi)
Apogee altitude	306 km (190 mi)
Inclination	28.45°
Period	90.60 minutes
Instruments
	Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF); Aggregation of Red Blood Cells (ARC); Earth-Limb Radiance Experiment (ELRAD); Isoelectric Focusing Experiment (IFE); Infrared Communications Flight Experiment (IRCFE); Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE); Orbiter Experiments Autonomous Supporting Instrumentation System (OASIS); Phase Partitioning Experiment (PPE); Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids (PVTOS-2); Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); Two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP); Voice Control Unit (VCU);
	; STS-26 mission patch; ; Back row: John M. Lounge, David C. Hilmers, George D. Nelson ; Front row: Richard O. Covey and Frederick H. Hauck Space Shuttle program ← STS-51-L (25) STS-27 →

Last updated July 11, 2023

STS-26 was the 26th NASA Space Shuttle mission and the seventh flight of the orbiter Discovery. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on September 29, 1988, and landed four days later on October 3, 1988. STS-26 was declared the "Return to Flight" mission, being the first mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of January 28, 1986. It was the first mission since STS-9 to use the original Space Transportation System (STS) numbering system, the first to have all its crew members wear pressure suits for launch and landing since STS-4, and the first mission with bailout capacity since STS-4. STS-26 was also the first U.S. space mission with an all-veteran crew since Apollo 11, with all of its crew members having flown at least one prior mission.

The mission is technically designated STS-26R, as the original STS-26 designation previously belonged to STS-51-F (also known as Spacelab-2). Likewise all flights with the STS-26 through STS-33 designations would require the R in their documentation to avoid conflicts in tracking data between the old and new flight designations.^[1]

Crew


Position	Astronaut
Commander	Frederick H. Hauck Third and last spaceflight
Pilot	Richard O. Covey Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1	John M. Lounge Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2	David C. Hilmers Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3	George D. Nelson Third and last spaceflight

The crew roster for STS-26 was based on the original crew assignment for STS-61-F, which would have launched the Ulysses probe from Challenger in 1986. Ulysses was eventually launched on STS-41. Hauck, Lounge and Hilmers were all assigned to that flight, with Roy D. Bridges Jr. as pilot. Bridges never flew again after the Challenger disaster, but would eventually become the director of Langley Research Center (LRC).

Covey was the CAPCOM operator during the STS-51-L launch who uttered the words, "Challenger, go at throttle up", shortly after which the orbiter disintegrated. He also would have been the CAPCOM operator for the canceled STS-61-F mission during launch and landing.

Mission summary

Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, at 11:37:00 a.m. EDT on September 29, 1988, 975 days after the Challenger disaster. The launch was delayed by one hour and thirty-eight minutes due to unseasonable and unusual light winds, and the need to replace fuses in the cooling systems of two crew members' flight suits. The suits were repaired, and a waiver was issued for the wind conditions after officials determined there was a sufficient safety margin for wind loads on the orbiter's wing leading edges. At T-1:30, it was proposed that the launch be delayed at T-0:31 due to a cabin air pressure issue. It was quickly determined that the cabin pressure had been increased slightly by the activation of the oxygen systems in the crew's flight suits, and the launch was conducted without further delay. The shuttle crew, all veteran astronauts, included Commander Frederick H. "Rick" Hauck, Pilot Richard O. Covey, and Mission Specialists John M. "Mike" Lounge, George D. "Pinky" Nelson and David C. Hilmers.

The primary payload for the STS-26 mission, TDRS-C, was successfully deployed, and 11 scheduled mid-deck scientific and technological experiments were carried out. The orbiter sustained only minor Space Shuttle thermal protection system tile damage, and the redesigned post-Challenger solid rocket boosters showed no signs of leakage or overheating at any of the joints.

Two minor problems occurred during the flight. After ascent, the Flash Evaporator System for cooling the orbiter iced up and shut down, increasing the crew cabin temperature to approximately 31 °C (88 °F). The problem was resolved on Flight Day 4 and cooler temperatures resulted. A Ku-band antenna for communications was deployed on Flight Day 2, but it failed to respond properly and had to be stowed for the remainder of the mission.

During STS-26, Discovery became the first spacecraft to fly in space equipped with a VCU (Voice Control Unit), a computer capable of recognising and responding to human speech. The VCU was created by SCI Systems in Huntsville, Alabama, and was based on technology licensed from the Votan company. This speech recognition system controlled the cameras and monitors that were used by the crew to monitor the Canadarm mechanical arm mounted in the cargo bay. Because of the experimental nature of speech recognition at the time, this system was not used for any critical operations. Initial problems almost sidelined the tests when the voice templates that were created prior to liftoff were found to have less than 60% recognition for one crew member and less than 40% recognition for another. This problem was corrected by retraining the templates. It was retested and found to be operational with a recognition success rate of over 96%. It was concluded that weightless conditions caused a fundamental change in human speech, making the templates created prior to liftoff virtually useless.

Besides conducting the mission's various experiments, crew members practiced suiting up in new partial-pressure "launch-and-entry" flight suits, and also practiced the unstowing and attaching of the new crew escape system. On October 2, 1988, the day before the mission ended, the five-man crew paid tribute to the seven crew members lost in the Challenger disaster.

Discovery landed on Runway 17, Edwards Air Force Base, California, at 12:37:11 p.m. EDT on October 3, 1988, after a mission duration of approximately 4 days, 1 hour, 0 minute, and 11 seconds. Capsule Communicator Blaine Hammond Jr. welcomed the crew, saying it was "a great ending to a new beginning".

Payloads and experiments

TDRS-C, which became TDRS-3 in orbit, and its attached Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), were deployed from Discovery's cargo bay six hours and 13 minutes into the flight. The first stage of the IUS placed TDRS-3 in a transfer orbit, and the second stage placed it in a geosynchronous orbit on September 30, 1988. TDRS-3 moved into position over the Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii at 171° west longitude. It joined TDRS-1 in tracking Earth-orbiting spacecraft; a sister satellite, TDRS-B, was lost in the Challenger accident. Also in the payload bay was the Orbiter Experiments Autonomous Supporting Instrumentation System (OASIS). OASIS recorded environmental data on the orbiter and the TDRS payload during various inflight phases.

All the mission's mid-deck experiments were deemed to have been performed successfully. However, there were some glitches with two of the five materials science experiments. In the Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiment, two of the 11 proteins processed – including an enzyme believed to be key to the replication of AIDS – did not produce crystals suitable for analysis. Also, there were some equipment problems with the Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF), an experiment to investigate the melting and solidification of various materials in zero-gravity.

The materials processing experiments included two Shuttle Student Involvement Projects, one on titanium grain formation and the other on controlling crystal growth with a membrane. Another materials science experiment, the Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids-2 (PVTOS-2), was a joint project of NASA's Office of Commercial Programs and the 3M company.

Three life sciences experiments were conducted, including one on the aggregation of red blood cells, intended to help determine if microgravity can play a beneficial role in clinical research and medical diagnostic tests. Two further experiments involved atmospheric sciences, while one was in communications research.

List of payloads

Primary payload

NASA's TDRS-C satellite, attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), became the second Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) deployed. After deployment, the IUS propelled the satellite into a geosynchronous orbit.

Secondary payloads

Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids (PVTOS-2)
Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)
Infrared Communications Flight Experiment (IRCFE)
Aggregation of Red Blood Cells (ARC)
Isoelectric Focusing Experiment (IFE)
Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE)
Phase Partitioning Experiment (PPE)
Earth-Limb Radiance Experiment (ELRAD)
Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF)
Two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments
Voice Control Unit test and evaluation (VCU)

Damage to thermal protection

Discovery suffered severe damage to its thermal protection tiles in the underwing area. Post-flight analysis showed that the impact of a 30 cm (12 in) long piece of cork insulation during ascent was the culprit. The origin of the debris was the forward field joint on the right-hand SRB. The damage was such that, during re-entry, the thermal protection tile eroded almost completely.^[2] A similar chain of events ultimately led to the loss of Columbia fifteen years later.

Wake-up calls

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Project Gemini, and first used music to awaken a flight crew during Apollo 15.^[3] Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.^[3] Kathryn D. Sullivan chose the wakeup music for STS-26, including a contribution from Robin Williams, who provided a pastiche of his Good Morning, Vietnam radio greeting.^[4]

Flight Day	Song	Artist/Composer
Day 2	"Gooooooood Morning Discovery!!"	Robin Williams
Day 3	"I Get Around" parody	Mike Cahill
Day 4	"Fun, Fun, Fun..." parody	Mike Cahill

Gallery

Discovery launches from Kennedy Space Center.
A view of the shuttle's cargo bay
The tilt table in its deploy position
The release of the TDRS
The Hawaiian Islands imaged from orbit.
Chad imaged from orbit.
Jebel Marra, Sudan, imaged from orbit.
Discovery landing at the end of STS-26.

Related Research Articles

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STS-31 was the 35th mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program. The primary purpose of this mission was the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) into low Earth orbit. The mission used the Space Shuttle Discovery, which lifted off from Launch Complex 39B on April 24, 1990, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

STS-8 was the eighth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. It launched on August 30, 1983, and landed on September 5, 1983, conducting the first night launch and night landing of the Space Shuttle program. It also carried the first African-American astronaut, Guion Bluford. The mission successfully achieved all of its planned research objectives, but was marred by the subsequent discovery that a solid-fuel rocket booster had almost malfunctioned catastrophically during the launch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-41-D</span> 1984 American crewed spaceflight and maiden flight of Space Shuttle Discovery

STS-41-D was the 12th flight of the NASA Space Shuttle program, and the first mission of Space Shuttle Discovery. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 30, 1984, and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 5, 1984. Three commercial communications satellites were deployed into orbit during the six-day mission, and a number of scientific experiments were conducted, including a prototype extendable solar array that would eventually form the basis of the main solar arrays on the International Space Station (ISS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-51-C</span> 1985 American crewed spaceflight for the Department of Defense

STS-51-C was the 15th flight of the NASA Space Shuttle program and the third flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. It launched on January 24, 1985, and made the fourth shuttle landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on January 27, 1985. STS-51-C was the first shuttle mission to deploy a dedicated United States Department of Defense (DoD) payload, and consequently many mission details remain classified.

STS-51-B was the 17th flight of the NASA Space Shuttle program and the seventh flight of Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch of Challenger on April 29, 1985, was delayed by 2 minutes and 18 seconds, due to a launch processing failure. Challenger was initially rolled out to the pad to launch on the STS-51-E mission. The shuttle was rolled back when a timing issue emerged with the TDRS-B satellite. When STS-51-E was canceled, Challenger was remanifested with the STS-51-B payloads. The shuttle landed successfully on May 6, 1985, after a week-long mission.

STS-61-B was NASA's 23rd Space Shuttle mission, and its second using Space Shuttle Atlantis. The shuttle was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 26, 1985. During STS-61-B, the shuttle crew deployed three communications satellites, and tested techniques of constructing structures in orbit. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, at 16:33:49 EST on December 3, 1985, after 6 days, 21 hours, 4 minutes, and 49 seconds in orbit.

STS-29 was the 28th NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Discovery inserted a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) into Earth orbit. It was the third shuttle mission following the Challenger disaster in 1986, and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on March 13, 1989. STS-29R was the eighth flight of Discovery and the 28th Space Shuttle mission overall; its planned predecessor, STS-28, was delayed until August 1989.

STS-34 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using Atlantis. It was the 31st shuttle mission overall, and the fifth flight for Atlantis. STS-34 launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 18, 1989, and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on October 23, 1989. During the mission, the Jupiter-bound Galileo probe was deployed into space.

STS-41 was the 36th Space Shuttle mission, and the eleventh mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery. The four-day mission had a primary objective of launching the Ulysses probe as part of the "International Solar Polar Mission" (ISPM).

STS-43, the ninth mission for Space Shuttle Atlantis, was a nine-day mission whose primary goal was launching the TDRS-E satellite (TDRS-5). The flight also tested an advanced heatpipe radiator for potential use on the then-future space station and conducted a variety of medical and materials science investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Lucid</span> American biochemist and astronaut (born 1943)

Shannon Wells Lucid is an American biochemist and retired NASA astronaut. She has flown in space five times, including a prolonged mission aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1996, and is the only American woman to have stayed on Mir. From 1996 to 2007, Lucid held the record for the longest duration spent in space by an American and by a woman. She was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in December 1996, making her the tenth person and the first woman to be accorded the honor.

James Frederick Buchli is a retired United States Marine aviator and former NASA astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard O. Covey</span> American astronaut

Richard Oswalt Covey is a retired United States Air Force officer, former NASA astronaut, and a member of the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Thagard</span> American astronaut, scientist, and Marine Corps officer

Norman Earl Thagard, M.D., is an American scientist and former U.S. Marine Corps officer and naval aviator and NASA astronaut. He is the first American to ride to space on board a Russian vehicle, and can be considered the first American cosmonaut. He did this on March 14, 1995, in the Soyuz TM-21 spacecraft for the Russian Mir-18 mission.

STS-70 was the 21st flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery, and the last of 7 shuttle missions to carry a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS). This was the first shuttle mission controlled from the new mission control center room at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David C. Hilmers</span>

David Carl Hilmers, M.D. is a former NASA astronaut who flew four Space Shuttle missions. He was born in Clinton, Iowa, but considers DeWitt, Iowa, to be his hometown. He has two grown sons. His recreational interests include playing the piano, gardening, electronics, spending time with his family, and all types of sports. His parents are deceased. With five academic degrees, he is the second most formally educated U.S. astronaut, behind Story Musgrave with six.

John Michael "Mike" Lounge was an American engineer, a United States Navy officer, a Vietnam War veteran, and a NASA astronaut. A veteran of three Space Shuttle flights, Lounge logged over 482 hours in space. He was a mission specialist on STS-51-I (1985) and STS-26 (1988) and was the flight engineer on STS-35 (1990).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-51-L</span> Failed 1986 American crewed spaceflight

STS-51-L was the 25th mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the final flight of Space Shuttle Challenger.

TDRS-B was an American communications satellite, of first generation, which was to have formed part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was destroyed in 1986 when the Space ShuttleChallenger disintegrated 73 seconds after launch.

References

↑ Jenkins, Dennis R. (2016). "Chapter 18 - Destiny Fulfilled - The Intended Purpose". Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon - 1972-2013. Vol. III: The Flight Campaign. Forest Lake, Minnesota: Specialty Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-1580072496.
↑ Young, John W.; Hansen, James R. (September 16, 2012). "Chapter 22: On a Wing and a Prayer". Forever Young: A Life of Adventure in Air and Space. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. p. 336. ISBN 978-0813042091.
1 2 Fries, Colin (March 13, 2015). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls" (PDF). History Division. NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
↑ Sullivan, Kathryn D. (November 5, 2019). Handprints on Hubble: An Astronaut's Story of Invention. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ISBN 978-0262043182.

External links

NASA mission summary Archived November 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
STS-26 Video Highlights Archived December 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Jenkins-1] Jenkins, Dennis R. (2016). "Chapter 18 - Destiny Fulfilled - The Intended Purpose". Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon - 1972-2013. Vol. III: The Flight Campaign. Forest Lake, Minnesota: Specialty Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-1580072496.

[Young-2] Young, John W.; Hansen, James R. (September 16, 2012). "Chapter 22: On a Wing and a Prayer". Forever Young: A Life of Adventure in Air and Space. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. p. 336. ISBN 978-0813042091.

[Wakeup_Calls-3] 1 2 Fries, Colin (March 13, 2015). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls" (PDF). History Division. NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

[Sullivan-4] Sullivan, Kathryn D. (November 5, 2019). Handprints on Hubble: An Astronaut's Story of Invention. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ISBN 978-0262043182.

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v t e Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103)
Completed flights	STS-41-D STS-51-A STS-51-C STS-51-D STS-51-G STS-51-I STS-26 STS-29 STS-33 STS-31 STS-41 STS-39 STS-48 STS-42 STS-53 STS-56 STS-51 STS-60 STS-64 STS-63 STS-70 STS-82 STS-85 STS-91 STS-95 STS-96 STS-103 STS-92 STS-102 STS-105 STS-114 STS-121 STS-116 STS-120 STS-124 STS-119 STS-128 STS-131 STS-133
Status	Retired
On display	Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington, D.C.
Related	Destiny in Space (1994 documentary)

v t e ← 1987 · Orbital launches in 1988 · 1989 →
January	Kosmos 1908 Kosmos 1909, Kosmos 1910, Kosmos 1911, Kosmos 1912, Kosmos 1913, Kosmos 1914 Gorizont No.25L Progress 34 Kosmos 1915 Meteor-2 No.20
February	USA-29 Kosmos 1916 USA-30 Kosmos 1919, Kosmos 1917, Kosmos 1918 Kosmos 1920 Kosmos 1921 Sakura 3a Kosmos 1922
March	Zhongxing-1 Kosmos 1923 Kosmos 1924, Kosmos 1925, Kosmos 1926, Kosmos 1927, Kosmos 1928, Kosmos 1929, Kosmos 1930, Kosmos 1931 Molniya-1 No.65 Spacenet 3R, Telecom 1C Kosmos 1932 Kosmos 1933 IRS-1A Molniya-1 No.64 Kosmos 1934 Progress 35 Kosmos 1935 San Marco 5 Kosmos 1936 Gorizont No.26L
April	Kosmos 1937 Kosmos 1938 Foton No.4L Kosmos 1939 Transit-O 23, Transit-O 32 Kosmos 1940 Kosmos 1941
May	Ekran No.31L Kosmos 1942 Progress 36 Kosmos 1943 Intelsat VA F-13 Kosmos 1944 Kosmos 1945 Kosmos 1946, Kosmos 1947, Kosmos 1948 Molniya-3 No.49 Kosmos 1949 Kosmos 1950 Kosmos 1951
June	Soyuz TM-5 Kosmos 1952 Kosmos 1953 Meteosat 3, PAS-1, OSCAR-13 Nova 2 Kosmos 1954 Kosmos 1955 Kosmos 1956
July	Okean-O1 No.5 Kosmos 1957 Fobos 1 Unnamed Fobos 2 SROSS-B Kosmos 1958 Progress 37 Kosmos 1959 INSAT-1C, ECS-5 Meteor-3 No.3 Resurs-F1 No.30 Kosmos 1960
August	Kosmos 1961 Fanhui Shi Weixing I-02 Kosmos 1962 Molniya-1 No.66 Kosmos 1963 Gorizont No.28L Kosmos 1964 Kosmos 1965 Transit-O 25, Transit-O 31 Soyuz TM-6 Kosmos 1966
September	USA-31 USA-32 Kosmos 1967 Fengyun I-01 GStar-3, SBS-5 Kosmos 1968 Progress 38 Kosmos 1969 Kosmos 1970, Kosmos 1971, Kosmos 1972 Sakura 3b Ofek-1 Kosmos 1973 NOAA-11 Molniya-3 No.51 STS-26 (TDRS-3)
October	Kosmos 1974 Kosmos 1975 Kosmos 1976 Gran' No.34L Kosmos 1977 Kosmos 1978 TDF 1
November	USA-33 Unnamed Buran 1K1 (37KB No.3770) Kosmos 1979 Kosmos 1980 Kosmos 1981 Soyuz TM-7 Kosmos 1982
December	STS-27 (USA-34) Kosmos 1983 Ekran-M No.12L Skynet 4B, Astra 1A Kosmos 1984 Zhongxing-2 Molniya-3 No.52 Kosmos 1985 Progress 39 Molniya-1 No.63 Kosmos 1986
Launches are separated by dots ( •), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Cubesats are smaller. Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).