STS-51-C
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| Mission Insignia |
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| Mission Statistics |
| Mission: | STS-51-C |
| Shuttle: | Discovery |
| Launch Pad: | 39-A |
| Launch: | January 24, 1985, 2:50:00 p.m. EST |
| Landing: | January 27, 1985, 4:23:23 p.m. EST (027:21:23:23 GMT), Runway 15, Kennedy Space Center, Fla |
| Duration: | 3 days, 1 hour, 33 minutes, 23 seconds |
| Orbit Altitude: | 220nm |
| Orbit Inclination: | 28.5 degrees |
| Miles Traveled: | 1,250,000 |
| Crew photo |
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STS 51-C was the fifteenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the third flight of Discovery. It conducted the fourth landing at Kennedy Space Center.
Crew
Mission Parameters
Mission Highlights
First mission dedicated to Department of Defense. U.S. Air Force Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster deployed and met mission objectives. This missions accomplishments are Classified due to the nature of the work done.
According to Aviation Week, STS-51-C launched a secret, Magnum ELINT (ELectronic INTtelligence) gathering satellite into geo-synchronous orbit. An identical one was also launched by STS 33 and STS-38.
Also according to Aviation Week, the shuttle initially enters a 204 km x 519 km orbit at an inclination of 28.45 deg to the equator. It then executes three OMS (orbital manoeuvering system) burns, the last on orbit #4. The first burn is to
circularize the orbit at 519 km.
The satellite was deployed on the 7th orbit and then ignited its IUS rocket
at the ascending node of the 8th orbit, to place it in a geo-synchronous
transfer orbit.
The classified payload was deployed successfully and boosted into its
operating orbit by an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster according to
an Air Force announcement.
Mission Statement
Discovery was to make its third flight in January 1985 to conduct
the first mission totally dedicated to the Department of Defense.
The classified payload was deployed successfully and boosted into its
operating orbit by an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster according to
an Air Force announcement.
The launch occurred on Jan. 24, 1985, at 2:40 p.m. EST -- the first
of 10 Shuttle missions that year. It was originally scheduled for
Jan. 23, but was delayed because of freezing weather conditions.
Challenger had been scheduled for this flight, but Discovery was
substituted when thermal tile problems were encountered with
Challenger.
The 51-C included Thomas K. Mattingly, commander; Loren J. Shriver,
pilot; two mission specialists, James F. Buchli and Ellison S.
Onizuka; and Gary E. Payton, a payload specialist.
The mission lasted 3 days, 1 hour, 33 minutes. Discovery touched
down on Runway 15 at KSC on Jan. 27 at 4:23 p.m. EST.
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