STS-51-F

STS-51-F
	Experiments in Challenger's payload bay
Names	Space Transportation System-19; Spacelab 2
Mission type	Astronomical observations
Operator	NASA
COSPAR ID	1985-063A
SATCAT no.	15925
Mission duration	7 days, 22 hours, 45 minutes, 26 seconds (achieved)
Distance travelled	5,284,350 km (3,283,540 mi)
Orbits completed	127
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Challenger
Launch mass	114,693 kg (252,855 lb)
Landing mass	98,309 kg (216,734 lb)
Payload mass	16,309 kg (35,955 lb)
Crew
Crew size	7
Members	C. Gordon Fullerton ; Roy D. Bridges Jr. ; Karl G. Henize ; F. Story Musgrave ; Anthony W. England ; Loren W. Acton ; John-David F. Bartoe ;
Start of mission
Launch date	July 29, 1985, 21:00:00 UTC
Rocket	Space Shuttle Challenger
Launch site	Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A
Contractor	Rockwell International
End of mission
Landing date	August 6, 1985, 19:45:26 UTC
Landing site	Edwards Air Force Base,; Runway 23
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude	312 km (194 mi)
Apogee altitude	320 km (200 mi)
Inclination	49.49°
Period	90.90 minutes
Instruments
	Carbonated Beverage Dispenser Evaluation; Infrared telescope (IRT); Instrument Pointing System (IPS); Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP); Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment;
	; STS-51-F mission patch; ; Front row (seated): C. Gordon Fullerton, Roy D. Bridges Jr. ; Back row (standing): Anthony W. England, Karl G. Henize, F. Story Musgrave, Loren W. Acton, John-David F. Bartoe Space Shuttle program ← STS-51-G (18) STS-51-I (20) →

Last updated November 21, 2023

STS-51-F (also known as Spacelab 2) was the 19th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the eighth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 29, 1985, and landed eight days later on August 6, 1985.

While STS-51-F's primary payload was the Spacelab 2 laboratory module, the payload that received the most publicity was the Carbonated Beverage Dispenser Evaluation, which was an experiment in which both Coca-Cola and Pepsi tried to make their carbonated drinks available to astronauts.^[1] A helium-cooled infrared telescope (IRT) was also flown on this mission, and while it did have some problems, it observed 60% of the galactic plane in infrared light.^[2]^[3]

During launch, Challenger experienced multiple sensor failures in its Engine 1 Center SSME engine, which led to it shutting down and the shuttle had to perform an "Abort to Orbit" (ATO) emergency procedure. It is the only Shuttle mission to have carried out an abort after launching. As a result of the ATO, the mission was carried out at a slightly lower orbital altitude.

Crew


Position	Crew member
Commander	C. Gordon Fullerton Second and last spaceflight
Pilot	Roy D. Bridges Jr. Only spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1	Karl G. Henize Only spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2	F. Story Musgrave Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3	Anthony W. England Only spaceflight
Payload Specialist 1	Loren W. Acton Only spaceflight
Payload Specialist 2	John-David F. Bartoe Only spaceflight

Backup crew


Position	Astronaut
Payload Specialist 1	George W. Simon First spaceflight
Payload Specialist 2	Dianne K. Prinz First spaceflight

Crew seating arrangements

Seat^[4]	Launch	Landing	Seats 1–4 are on the Flight Deck. Seats 5–7 are on the Middeck.
S1	Fullerton	Fullerton
S2	Bridges	Bridges
S3	Henize	Henize
S4	Musgrave	Musgrave
S5	England	England
S6	Acton	Acton
S7	Bartoe	Bartoe

Crew notes

As with previous Spacelab missions, the crew was divided between two 12-hour shifts. Acton, Bridges and Henize made up the "Red Team" while Bartoe, England and Musgrave comprised the "Blue Team"; commander Fullerton could take either shift when needed.^[5]Challenger carried two Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) in the event of an emergency spacewalk, which would have been performed by England and Musgrave.^[5]

Launch

STS-51-F's first launch attempt on July 12, 1985, was halted with the countdown at T−3 seconds after main engine ignition, when a malfunction of the number two RS-25 coolant valve caused an automatic launch abort. Challenger launched successfully on its second attempt on July 29, 1985, at 17:00 p.m. EDT, after a delay of 1 hour 37 minutes due to a problem with the table maintenance block update uplink.

At 3 minutes 31 seconds into the ascent, one of the center engine's two high-pressure fuel turbopump turbine discharge temperature sensors failed. Two minutes and twelve seconds later, the second sensor failed, causing the shutdown of the center engine. This was the only in-flight RS-25 failure of the Space Shuttle program. Approximately 8 minutes into the flight, one of the same temperature sensors in the right engine failed, and the remaining right-engine temperature sensor displayed readings near the redline for engine shutdown. Booster Systems Engineer Jenny M. Howard acted quickly to recommend that the crew inhibit any further automatic RS-25 shutdowns based on readings from the remaining sensors,^[6] preventing the potential shutdown of a second engine and a possible abort mode that may have resulted in the loss of crew and vehicle (LOCV).^[7]

The failed RS-25 resulted in an Abort to Orbit (ATO) trajectory, whereby the shuttle achieved a lower-than-planned orbital altitude. The plan had been for a 385 km (239 mi) by 382 km (237 mi) orbit,^[8] but the mission was carried out at 265 km (165 mi) by 262 km (163 mi).^[9]

Attempt	Planned	Result	Turnaround	Reason	Decision point	Weather go (%)	Notes
1	12 Jul 1985, 3:30:00 pm	scrubbed	—	technical	12 Jul 1985, 3:29 pm (T-0:03)		Pad abort: malfunction in SSME #2 coolant valve shutdown of all three main engines^[10]^[11]
2	29 Jul 1985, 5:00:00 pm	success	17 days, 1 hour, 30 minutes		29 Jul 1985, 5:00 pm		Launched after 1 hour 37 minute delay to resolve issue with table maintenance block update uplink. At T+343 seconds, SSME #1 shut down leading to ATO (Abort to Orbit).^[9]

Mission summary

STS-51-F's primary payload was the laboratory module Spacelab 2. A special part of the modular Spacelab system, the "igloo", which was located at the head of a three-pallet train, provided on-site support to instruments mounted on pallets. The main mission objective was to verify performance of Spacelab systems, determine the interface capability of the orbiter, and measure the environment created by the spacecraft. Experiments covered life sciences, plasma physics, astronomy, high-energy astrophysics, solar physics, atmospheric physics and technology research. Despite mission replanning necessitated by Challenger's abort to orbit trajectory, the Spacelab mission was declared a success.

The flight marked the first time the European Space Agency (ESA) Instrument Pointing System (IPS) was tested in orbit. This unique pointing instrument was designed with an accuracy of one arcsecond. Initially, some problems were experienced when it was commanded to track the Sun, but a series of software fixes were made and the problem was corrected. In addition, Anthony W. England became the second amateur radio operator to transmit from space during the mission.

Spacelab Infrared Telescope

The Spacelab Infrared Telescope (IRT) was also flown on the mission.^[3] The IRT was a 15.2 cm (6.0 in) aperture helium-cooled infrared telescope, observing light between wavelengths of 1.7 to 118 μm.^[3] It was thought heat emissions from the Shuttle would corrupt long-wavelength data, however it still returned useful astronomical data.^[3] Another problem was that a piece of mylar insulation broke loose and floated in the line-of-sight of the telescope.^[3] IRT collected infrared data on 60% of the galactic plane.^[2] (see also List of largest infrared telescopes) A later space mission that experienced a stray light problem from debris was Gaia astrometry spacecraft launch in 2013 by the ESA - the source of the stray light was later identified as the fibers of the sunshield, protruding beyond the edges of the shield.^[12]

Other payloads

The Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP), which had been previously flown on STS-3, made its return on the mission, and was part of a set of plasma physics experiments designed to study the Earth's ionosphere. During the third day of the mission, it was grappled out of the payload bay by the Remote Manipulator System (Canadarm) and released for six hours.^[13] During this time, Challenger maneuvered around the PDP as part of a targeted proximity operations exercise. The PDP was successfully grappled by the Canadarm and returned to the payload bay at the beginning of the fourth day of the mission.^[13]

In a heavily publicized marketing experiment, astronauts aboard STS-51-F drank carbonated beverages from specially designed cans from Cola Wars competitors Coca-Cola and Pepsi.^[14] According to Acton, after Coke developed its experimental dispenser for an earlier shuttle flight, Pepsi insisted to American president Ronald Reagan that Coke should not be the first cola in space. The experiment was delayed until Pepsi could develop its own system, and the two companies' products were assigned to STS-51-F.^[15]

Blue Team tested Coke, and Red Team tested Pepsi. As part of the experiment, each team was photographed with the cola logo. Acton said that while the sophisticated Coke system "dispensed soda kind of like what we're used to drinking on Earth", the Pepsi can was a shaving cream can with the Pepsi logo on a paper wrapper, which "dispensed soda filled with bubbles" that was "not very drinkable".^[15] Acton said that when he gives speeches in schools, audiences are much more interested in hearing about the cola experiment than in solar physics.^[15] Post-flight, the astronauts revealed that they preferred Tang, in part because it could be mixed on-orbit with existing chilled-water supplies, whereas there was no dedicated refrigeration equipment on board to chill the cans, which also fizzed excessively in microgravity.

In an experiment during the mission, thruster rockets were fired at a point over Tasmania and also above Boston to create two "holes" – plasma depletion regions – in the ionosphere. A worldwide group of geophysicists collaborated with the observations made from Spacelab 2.^[16]

Landing

Challenger landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on August 6, 1985, at 12:45:26 p.m. PDT. Its rollout distance was 2,612 m (8,570 ft). The mission had been extended by 17 orbits for additional payload activities due to the Abort to Orbit. The orbiter arrived back at Kennedy Space Center on August 11, 1985.

Mission insignia

The mission insignia was designed by Houston, Texas artist Skip Bradley. Space Shuttle Challenger is depicted ascending toward the heavens in search of new knowledge in the field of solar and stellar astronomy, with its Spacelab 2 payload. The constellations Leo and Orion are shown in the positions they were in relative to the Sun during the flight. The nineteen stars indicate that the mission is the 19th shuttle flight.

Legacy

One of the purposes of the mission was to test how suitable the Shuttle was for conducting infrared observations, and the IRT was operated on this mission.^[17] However, the orbiter was found to have some draw-backs for infrared astronomy, and this led to later infrared telescopes being free-flying from the Shuttle orbiter.^[17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Shuttle</span> Partially reusable launch system and space plane

The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS), taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft where it was the only item funded for development.

Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) was a Space Shuttle orbiter manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. Named after the first American ship to circumnavigate the upper North American Pacific coast and the female personification of the United States, Columbia was the first of five Space Shuttle orbiters to fly in space, debuting the Space Shuttle launch vehicle on its maiden flight in April 1981. As only the second full-scale orbiter to be manufactured after the Approach and Landing Test vehicle Enterprise, Columbia retained unique features indicative of its experimental design compared to later orbiters, such as test instrumentation and distinctive black chines. In addition to a heavier fuselage and the retention of an internal airlock throughout its lifetime, these made Columbia the heaviest of the five spacefaring orbiters; around 1,000 kilograms heavier than Challenger and 3,600 kilograms heavier than Endeavour. Columbia also carried ejection seats based on those from the SR-71 during its first six flights until 1983, and from 1986 onwards carried an imaging pod on its vertical stabilizer.

The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), located in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. As the largest NASA center, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo program. Marshall has been the lead center for the Space Shuttle main propulsion and external tank; payloads and related crew training; International Space Station (ISS) design and assembly; computers, networks, and information management; and the Space Launch System. Located on the Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, MSFC is named in honor of General of the Army George C. Marshall.

Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, and other related hardware housed in the Shuttle's cargo bay. The components were arranged in various configurations to meet the needs of each spaceflight.

STS-9 was the ninth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the sixth mission of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Launched on 28 November 1983, the ten-day mission carried the first Spacelab laboratory module into orbit.

STS-93 in 1999 marked the 95th launch of the Space Shuttle, the 26th launch of Columbia, and the 21st night launch of a Space Shuttle. Eileen Collins became the first female shuttle Commander on this flight. Its primary payload was the Chandra X-ray Observatory. It would also be the last mission of Columbia until March 2002. During the interim, Columbia would be out of service for upgrading, and would not fly again until STS-109. The launch was originally scheduled for 20 July but the launch was aborted at T−7 seconds. The successful launch of the flight occurred 3 days later. The payload was also the heaviest payload ever carried by the Space Shuttle system, at over 22.7 tonnes.

<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 NASA's 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).

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-A was the 22nd mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program. It was a scientific Spacelab mission, funded and directed by West Germany – hence the non-NASA designation of D-1. STS-61-A was the ninth and last successful flight of Space Shuttle Challenger before the disaster. STS-61-A holds the current record for the largest crew—eight people—aboard any single spacecraft for the entire period from launch to landing.

STS-35 was the tenth flight of Space Shuttle Columbia, the 38th shuttle mission. It was devoted to astronomical observations with ASTRO-1, a Spacelab observatory consisting of four telescopes. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 2, 1990.

STS-37, the thirty-ninth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the eighth flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, was a six-day mission with the primary objective of launching the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), the second of the Great Observatories program which included the visible-spectrum Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) and the infrared Spitzer Space Telescope. The mission also featured two spacewalks, the first since 1985.

STS-42 was a NASA Space Shuttle Discovery mission with the Spacelab module. Liftoff was originally scheduled for 8:45 EST on January 22, 1992, but the launch was delayed due to weather constraints. Discovery successfully lifted off an hour later at 9:52:33 EST. The main goal of the mission was to study the effects of microgravity on a variety of organisms. The shuttle landed at 8:07:17 PST on January 30, 1992, on Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, California. STS-42 was the first of two flights in 1992 of Discovery, the second of which occurred during STS-53, which launched on December 2, 1992. The mission was also the last mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery to have a seven-member crew until STS-82, which was launched on February 11, 1997.

STS-45 was a 1992 NASA Space Shuttle mission using the Space ShuttleAtlantis. Its almost nine-day scientific mission was with a non-deployable payload of instruments. It was the 46th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th for Atlantis.

Richard Noel "Dick" Richards, , is a retired American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, chemical engineer, and a former NASA astronaut. He flew aboard four Space Shuttle missions in the 1980s and 1990s.

STS-55, or Deutschland 2 (D-2), was the 55th overall flight of the NASA Space Shuttle and the 14th flight of Shuttle Columbia. This flight was a multinational Spacelab flight involving 88 experiments from eleven different nations. The experiments ranged from biology sciences to simple Earth observations.

STS-66 was a Space Shuttle program mission that was flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. STS-66 launched on November 3, 1994, at 11:59:43.060 am EDT from Launch Pad 39-B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base on November 14, 1994, at 10:33:45 am EST.

STS-67 was a human spaceflight mission using Space ShuttleEndeavour that launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on March 2, 1995.

STS-78 was the fifth dedicated Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission for the Space Shuttle program, flown partly in preparation for the International Space Station project. The mission used the Space Shuttle Columbia, which lifted off successfully from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B on June 20, 1996. This marked the 78th flight of the Space Shuttle and 20th mission for Columbia.

STS-83 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission flown by Columbia. It was a science research mission that achieved orbit successfully, but the planned duration was a failure due to a technical problem with a fuel cell that resulted in the abort of the 15 day duration. Columbia returned to Earth just shy of four days. The mission was re-flown as STS-94 with the same crew later that year.

Richard Michael Linnehan is a United States Army veterinarian and a NASA astronaut.

References

↑ "9 Weird Things That Flew on NASA's Space Shuttles - Final Shuttle Missions and NASA's Space Shuttle Souvenirs - NASA Shuttle Program". Space.com. July 7, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
1 2 "Archived copy of Infrared Astronomy From Earth Orbit". Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
1 2 3 4 5 Kent, et al. – Galactic structure from the Spacelab infrared telescope (1992)
↑ "STS-51F". Spacefacts. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
1 2 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : "Space Shuttle Mission STS-51F Press Kit" (PDF). NASA. 1985. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
↑ NASA STS-51F space shuttle launch, SSME shutdown and mid-ascent Abort To Orbit (ATO) - July 29, 1985 , retrieved October 2, 2022
↑ This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain :Welch, Brian (August 9, 1985). "Limits to inhibit" (PDF). Space News Roundup. Houston, Texas: NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. pp. 1, 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
↑ This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain :"STS-51F Press Kit" (Press release). NASA. July 1985.
1 2 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain :Robert D. Legler; Floyd V. Bennett (September 2011). "Space Shuttle Missions Summary" (PDF). NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 6, 2021.
↑ This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : "STS-51F Launch attempt #1". NASA. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020.
↑ "Radio Coverage of STS-51F launch attempt 1". AP. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
↑ "STATUS OF THE GAIA STRAYLIGHT ANALYSIS AND MITIGATION ACTIONS". ESA. December 17, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
1 2 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : "STS-51F National Space Transportation System Mission Report". NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. September 1985. p. 2. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
↑ Pearlman, Robert (May 31, 2001). "A Brief History of Space Marketing". Space.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
1 2 3 "Loren Acton: The Coke and Pepsi Flight". Air & Space/Smithsonian . Smithsonian Institution. November 18, 2010. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022.
↑ "Elizabeth A. Essex-Cohen Ionospheric Physics Papers". 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
1 2 "The Space Review: From Skylab to Shuttle to the Smithsonian". thespacereview.com. October 16, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2022.

External links

NASA mission summary Archived May 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
Press Kit Archived February 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
STS-51F Video Highlights Archived September 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
Space Coke can Archived June 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
Carbonated Drinks in Space
YouTube: STS-51F launch, abort and landing
July 12 launch attempt
Space Shuttle Missions Summary Archived May 12, 2020, 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.

[1] "9 Weird Things That Flew on NASA's Space Shuttles - Final Shuttle Missions and NASA's Space Shuttle Souvenirs - NASA Shuttle Program". Space.com. July 7, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2022.

[ipac.caltech.edu-2] 1 2 "Archived copy of Infrared Astronomy From Earth Orbit". Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.

[kent-3] 1 2 3 4 5 Kent, et al. – Galactic structure from the Spacelab infrared telescope (1992)

[4] "STS-51F". Spacefacts. Retrieved February 26, 2014.

[presskit-5] 1 2 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : "Space Shuttle Mission STS-51F Press Kit" (PDF). NASA. 1985. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2014.

[6] NASA STS-51F space shuttle launch, SSME shutdown and mid-ascent Abort To Orbit (ATO) - July 29, 1985 , retrieved October 2, 2022

[7] This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain :Welch, Brian (August 9, 1985). "Limits to inhibit" (PDF). Space News Roundup. Houston, Texas: NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. pp. 1, 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2010.

[8] This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain :"STS-51F Press Kit" (Press release). NASA. July 1985.

[missions_summary-9] 1 2 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain :Robert D. Legler; Floyd V. Bennett (September 2011). "Space Shuttle Missions Summary" (PDF). NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 6, 2021.

[10] This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : "STS-51F Launch attempt #1". NASA. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020.

[11] "Radio Coverage of STS-51F launch attempt 1". AP. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.

[12] "STATUS OF THE GAIA STRAYLIGHT ANALYSIS AND MITIGATION ACTIONS". ESA. December 17, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2022.

[report-13] 1 2 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : "STS-51F National Space Transportation System Mission Report". NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. September 1985. p. 2. Retrieved March 1, 2014.

[14] Pearlman, Robert (May 31, 2001). "A Brief History of Space Marketing". Space.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2014.

[as20101118-15] 1 2 3 "Loren Acton: The Coke and Pepsi Flight". Air & Space/Smithsonian . Smithsonian Institution. November 18, 2010. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022.

[16] "Elizabeth A. Essex-Cohen Ionospheric Physics Papers". 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2022.

[:0-17] 1 2 "The Space Review: From Skylab to Shuttle to the Smithsonian". thespacereview.com. October 16, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

v t e Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099)
Flights	STS-6 STS-7 STS-8 STS-41-B STS-41-C STS-41-G STS-51-B STS-51-F STS-61-A STS-51-L
Status	Out of service - Challenger disaster (destroyed) - January 28, 1986 (STS-51-L)
Related	Rogers Commission STS-61-F STS-61-M Challenger flag The Dream Is Alive (1985 documentary) Challenger (1990 film) When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions (2008 documentary miniseries) The Challenger Disaster (2013 film) Challenger: The Final Flight (2020 documentary miniseries)

v t e ← 1984 · Orbital launches in 1985 · 1986 →
January	STS-51-C (USA-8)
February	USA-9 Arabsat-1A Brasilsat A1
March	Geosat Intelsat VA F-10
April	STS-51-D (Anik C1, Leasat 3) STS-51-B (Nusat)
May	GStar-1 Telecom 1B
June	Soyuz T-13 STS-51-G (Morelos 1, Arabsat-1B, Telstar 3D, SPARTAN-101) Progress 24 Intelsat VA F-11
July	Giotto Kosmos 1669 STS-51-F (PDP)
August	STS-51-I (Aussat A1, ASC-1, Leasat 4)
September	Spacenet 3 Soyuz T-14 Kosmos 1686 Intelsat VA F-12
October	STS-51-J (USA-11, USA-12) USA-10 STS-61-A (GLOMR)
November	STS-61-B (Morelos 2, Aussat A2, Satcom K2, OEX, EASE/ACCESS)
Unknown month	Sakigake Kosmos 1616 Kosmos 1617 Kosmos 1618 Kosmos 1619 Kosmos 1620 Kosmos 1621 Kosmos 1622 Molniya-3 No.36 Kosmos 1623 Kosmos 1624 Gorizont No.21L Kosmos 1625 Kosmos 1626 Kosmos 1627 Kosmos 1628 Meteor-2 No.13 Kosmos 1629 Kosmos 1630 Kosmos 1631 Kosmos 1632 Kosmos 1633 Kosmos 1634 Kosmos 1635 Kosmos 1636 Kosmos 1637 Kosmos 1638 Kosmos 1639 Kosmos 1640 Kosmos 1641 Kosmos 1642 Ekran No.28L Kosmos 1643 Kosmos 1644 Unnamed Kosmos 1645 Kosmos 1646 Kosmos 1647 Kosmos 1648 Prognoz 10 Kosmos 1649 Kosmos 1650 Kosmos 1651 Kosmos 1652 Kosmos 1653 Kosmos 1654 Molniya-3 No.39 Kosmos 1655 Kosmos 1656 Kosmos 1657 Kosmos 1658 Kosmos 1659 Kosmos 1660 Kosmos 1661 Kosmos 1662 Kosmos 1663 Unnamed Kosmos 1664 Kosmos 1665 Kosmos 1666 Kosmos 1667 Kosmos 1668 Molniya-3 No.37 Kosmos 1670 Kosmos 1671 Transit-O 24 Transit-O 30 Kosmos 1672 Kosmos 1672 Kosmos 1673 Kosmos 1674 Gran' No.26L Kosmos 1675 Kosmos 1676 Suisei Molniya-1 No.61 Kosmos 1677 Unnamed Kosmos 1678 Kosmos 1679 Kosmos 1680 Kosmos 1681 ECS-3 Kosmos 1682 Kosmos 1683 Kosmos 1684 Kosmos 1685 Kosmos 1687 Kosmos 1688 Kosmos 1689 Molniya-3 No.38 Kosmos 1690 Kosmos 1695 Kosmos 1692 Kosmos 1693 Kosmos 1694 Kosmos 1691 Kosmos 1696 Fanhui Shi Weixing 8 Kosmos 1697 Kosmos 1698 Molniya-1 No.73 Unnamed Meteor-3 No.2 Kosmos 1699 Kosmos 1700 Molniya-1 No.56 Kosmos 1701 Kosmos 1702 Gran' No.28L Kosmos 1703 Kosmos 1704 Kosmos 1705 Kosmos 1706 Kosmos 1707 USA-13 USA-14 Kosmos 1708 Kosmos 1709 Molniya-3 No.40 Kosmos 1710 Kosmos 1711 Kosmos 1712 Meteor-2 No.14 Kosmos 1713 Kosmos 1714
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( \| ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).