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: 220 nautical miles (407 km)

Orbit Inclination: 28.5 degrees

Distance traveled: 1,250,000 miles (2,012,000 km)

Crew photo

Back row: L-R: Payton, Buchli, Onizuka
Front row L-R: Shriver, Mattingly

Previous mission:
STS-51-A Next mission:
STS-51-D


Mission insignia

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:	220 nautical miles (407 km)
Orbit Inclination:	28.5 degrees
Distance traveled:	1,250,000 miles (2,012,000 km)
Crew photo
Back row: L-R: Payton, Buchli, Onizuka Front row L-R: Shriver, Mattingly
Previous mission: STS-51-A	Next mission: STS-51-D

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.

Contents

1 Crew
2 Mission parameters
3 Mission highlights

3.1 Mission statement

4 See also
5 External links

Crew

Ken Mattingly (flew on Apollo 16, STS-4 & STS-51-C), Commander
Loren Shriver (flew on STS-51-C, STS-31 & STS-46), Pilot
Ellison S. Onizuka (flew on STS-51-C & STS-51-L), Mission Specialist 1
James Buchli (flew on STS-51-C, STS-61-A, STS-29 & STS-48), Mission Specialist 2
Gary Payton (flew on STS-51-C), Payload Specialist 1

Mission parameters

Mass:
*Payload: Magnum ELINT satellite ~ 3,000 kg
*Booster: IUS upper stage ~ 18,000 kg
Perigee: 332 km
Apogee: 341 km
Inclination: 28.4°
Period: 91.3 min

Mission highlights

First mission dedicated to Department of Defense. U.S. Air Force Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster deployed and met mission objectives. This mission's 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.

External links

[NASA mission summary]