Space Shuttle Challenger

Lee Gray

Shuttle Program: First flight 1983

Began to use the Flight Numbers STS (Space Transport System)

Challenger Began with STS 6-8 in 1983

Challenger Missions

1983 1984 1985 1986

STS-6 41B 51B 51L

STS-7 41C 51F

STS-8 41G 61A

Kennedy: Challenger is GO

STS-6 April 04, 1983 Deploy Tracking

and Data Recording System.

STS-7 June 18, 1983 Sally Ride (First

American Female Astronaut in Space)

Investigated “Rocket Sickness”

Student Experiment

STS-8 August 30, 1983 Guion Bluford

became first African-American to fly in space.

Installed Robotic Arm.

Lightning Strike to STS -8

STS-41B February 03, 1984 First untethered space

walks by McCandless and Stewart, using manned maneuvering unit.

WESTAR-VI and PALAPA-B2 satellites deployed.

Liftoff STS 41-B

STS 41-C April 13, 1984 First direct ascent

trajectory for Space Shuttle.

Using manned maneuvering unit, astronauts replaced altitude control system box in the Solar Max satellite while it remained in orbit.

Liftoff STS 41-C

STS 41-G October 05, 1984 First flight to include

two women, Ride and Sullivan.

Sullivan first American woman to walk in space.

First Night Liftoff STS 41-G

STS 51-B April 29, 1985 Primary payload

was Spacelab-3. First operational

flight for Spacelab orbital laboratory series developed by European Space Agency.

Liftoff STS 51-B

STS 51-F July 29, 1985 Primary payload was

Spacelab-2. Despite abort-to-orbit, which required mission replanning, mission declared success.

Special part of modular Spacelab system, the Igloo, located at head of three-pallet train.

Liftoff STS 51-F

STS 61-A October 30, 1985 Dedicated German

Spacelab (D-1) mission conducted in long module configuration, which featured Vestibular Sled designed to give scientists data on functional organization of human vestibule and orientation systems.

Liftoff STS 61-A

STS 51-L January 28, 1986 59.262 seconds into the

Mission, a flame was noted.

At this point in its trajectory, while traveling at a Mach number of 1.92 at an altitude of 46,000 feet, the Challenger was totally enveloped in the explosive burn. The explosion 73 seconds after liftoff claimed crew and vehicle.

STS 51-L Liftoff

Note Flame under Challenger

Memorial