STS 41-G (WOW!)

[backspace]

STS-41-G Nation: USA. Program: STS. Payload: Challenger F06 / ERBS / LFC / ORS. Mass: 10,643 kg. Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Spacecraft: Challenger. Agency: NASA JSC. Perigee: 350 km. Apogee: 390 km. Inclination: 51.7 deg. Period: 92.0 min. COSPAR: 1984-108A. USAF Sat Cat: 15353. Duration: 8.22 days. Decay Date: 13 October 1984. Flight Crew: Crippen, Garneau, Leestma, McBride, Ride, Scully-Power, Sullivan, Manned Flight: STS-41-G. <br />Manned seven crew. Deployed ERBS; performed high resolution Earth imagery. Payloads: Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) deployment, Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications (OSTA)-3 experiments, Large Format Camera (LFC). <b> First use of Orbital Refueling System (ORS) with extravehicular activity (EVA) astronauts, </b> IMAX camera. <b> In response to the American Strategic Defence Initiative and continued military use of the shuttle, the Soviet Union fired a 'warning shot' from the Terra-3 laser complex at Sary Shagan. The facility tracked Challenger with a low power laser on 10 October 1984. This caused malfunctions to on-board equipment and discomfort / temporary blinding of the crew, leading to a US diplomatic protest. </b> <br /><br /><br />Wow. I had no idea about this! Can anyone give me MORE information about this? A WARNING SHOT? Links? Stories? I bet SG could tell us a lot about this!<br /><br /><br />Plus, can someone give me a list of the DoD mission numbers? I think they're omitted from the astronautix site.<br />

 

[alexblackwell]

<i>Plus, can someone give me a list of the DoD mission numbers? I think they're omitted from the astronautix site.</i><br /><br />Uh, have you tried using Google? I found this page fairly quickly by simply searching on "Space," "Shuttle," "military," and "missions."

 

[backspace]

Heh, thanks Alex. I think my primary goal was to get someone to give me what they felt was "the best" or most comprehensive list / source. Appreciated.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Heck. This beats the 101 questions I've got on STS-93 coming soon!

 

[backspace]

That's funny... were you referring to the "anomalies" ? I found a couple reports in reference to that mission earlier today!:<br /><br />http://www.house.gov/science/gregory_092399.htm<br />http://spacelink.nasa.gov/NASA.Projects/Human.Exploration.and.Development.of.Space/Human.Space.Flight/Shuttle/Shuttle.Missions/Flight.095.STS-93/99-07-23.STS-93.Launch.Report<br />

 

[omegamogo]

I found some information about Terra-3 and the incident and a lot of info about STS-41-G. But I can't seem to find any info about what happened after the Laser incident. <br /><br />And this is a list of the Shuttle missions, but I think some of flight numbers are missing, not sure though.<br /><br />Date Mission Agency Vehicle Launch Site Landing Site Note<br />April 12, 1981 STS-1 NASA Columbia LC-39A Edwards AFB First reusable spacecraft flight<br />November 12, 1981 STS-2 NASA Columbia LC-39A Edwards AFB Truncated due to fuel cell problem<br />March 22, 1982 STS-3 NASA Columbia LC-39A White Sands Shuttle R&D flight<br />June 27, 1982 STS-4 NASA Columbia LC-39A Edwards AFB Last shuttle R&D flight<br />November 11, 1982 STS-5 NASA Columbia LC-39A Edwards AFB Multiple comsat launches<br />April 4, 1983 STS-6 NASA Challenger LC-39A Edwards AFB TDRS launch<br />June 18, 1983 STS-7 NASA Challenger LC-39A Edwards AFB Multiple comsat launches<br />August 30, 1983 STS-8 NASA Challenger LC-39A Edwards AFB Comsat launch<br />November 28, 1983 STS-9 NASA Columbia LC-39A Edwards AFB Spacelab mission<br />February 3, 1984 STS-41-B NASA Challenger LC-39A Kennedy Comsat launches, first untethered spacewalk<br />April 6, 1984 STS-41-C NASA Challenger LC-39A Edwards AFB Solar Max servicing, LDEF launch<br />August 30, 1984 STS-41-D NASA Discovery LC-39A Edwards AFB Multiple comsat launches<br />October 5, 1984 STS-41-G NASA Challenger LC-39A Kennedy Earth Radiation Budget Satellite launch<br />November 8, 1984 STS-51-A NASA Discovery LC-39A Kennedy Multiple comsat launches<br />January 25, 1985 STS-51-C NASA Discovery LC-39A Kennedy Magnum satellite launch<br />April 12, 1985

 

[arobie]

Thanks for the data. Cool.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">September 9, 1994 STS-64 NASA Discovery LC-39B Edwards AFB Multiple science experiments; SPARTAN <br /><br />September 7, 1995 STS-69 NASA Endeavour LC-39A Kennedy Wake Shield Facility, SPARTAN</font><br /><br />What is SPARTAN?

 

[omegamogo]

No problem .<br /><br />A search on Astronautix came up with this:<br /><br />The Spartan (Shuttle Point Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy) satellite was a reusable free-flying astronomical observatory which was deployed and then retrieved by the US Space Shuttle's Remote Manipulator System arm. The most often flow Spartan-201's main payload was the UVCS and WLC telescope package containing the SAO/Cambridge ultraviolet spectrometer and the HAO/Boulder white light coronagraph. Secondary equipment varied by mission - for example, the fifth flight had a target for the VGS laser, and sample plates to trap beryllium ions from the solar wind.<br /><br />Total Mass: 1,195 kg.<br />Spartan Chronology<br />17 June 1985 Spartan 1 Mass: 1,008 kg. Perigee: 359 km. Apogee: 395 km. Inclination: 28.5 deg.<br /><br />Released by STS 51G 6/20/85, retrieved 6/22/85.<br />08 April 1993 Spartan 201 Mass: 1,289 kg. Perigee: 291 km. Apogee: 298 km. Inclination: 57.0 deg.<br /><br />Studied solar corona and galaxy; deployed from STS-56 4/11/93; Shuttle Point Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy; retrieved 4/13/93.<br />09 September 1994 Spartan 201 Mass: 1,288 kg. Perigee: 252 km. Apogee: 265 km. Inclination: 57.0 deg.<br /><br />Deployed from STS-64 9/13/94; retrieved 9/15/94; solar studies.<br />03 February 1995 Spartan 204 Perigee: 388 km. Apogee: 389 km. Inclination: 51.7 deg.<br /><br />Retrievable payload to observe galactic dust in far UV; deployed from STS 63 2/7/95, retrieved 2/9/95.<br />07 September 1995 Spartan 201 Perigee: 368 km. Apogee: 376 km. Inclination: 28.5 deg.<br /><br />Released by STS-69 9/8/95; retrieved 9/10/95; examined solar corona.<br />19 May 1996 Spartan 207 Perigee: 278 km. Apogee: 288 km. Inclination: 39.0 deg.<br /><br />LEO. Deployed from STS 77 on 5/20/96; retrieved 5/21/96; deployed IAEsatellite during free flight.<br />19 November 1997 Spartan 201 Perigee: 278 km. Apogee: 284 km. Inclination: 28.5

 

[najab]

><i>What is SPARTAN?</i><p>SPARTAN was a gap-filler until the full-fledged Space Telescopes were launched. Think of SPARTAN as Hubble's mini-me.</p>

 

[backspace]

Maybe now that SG is back (briefly) he can shed a little light on this.<br /><br />Although, there is part of me that thinks I might have to file an FOIA request. I'd feel like a bit of a heel sending something like that to NASA though... It's like accusing your family of something... <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br /> I'm slightly surprised we were able to get as much info as we have! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />