STS-1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
| Mission Insignia | |
|---|---|
| Mission Statistics | |
| Mission: | STS-1 |
| Shuttle: | Columbia |
| Launch Pad: | 39A |
| Launch: | April 12, 1981 6:00:03 a.m. CST (12:00:03 UTC) |
| Landing: | April 14, 1981 12:20:57 p.m. CST (18:20:57 UTC) Edwards AFB, Runway 23 |
| Duration: | 2 days, 6 hours, 20 minutes, 53 seconds |
| Orbit Altitude: | 166 nautical miles (307 km) |
| Orbit Inclination: | 40.3 degrees |
| Orbits: | 36 |
| Distance Traveled: | 1,074,000 miles (1,728,000 km) |
| Crew photo | |
|
Crew members Robert L. Crippen and John W. Young pose in ejection escape suits (EES) with small model of space shuttle. | |
Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida to begin the first shuttle mission, STS-1. The primary mission objectives for STS-1 were to accomplish a safe ascent into orbit, check out all the systems on the space shuttle and to return to Earth for a safe landing at Edwards AFB in California. All of these objectives were met successfully.
The main payload carried on STS-1 was a Development Flight Instrumentation package, which contained sensors and measuring devices to record orbiter performance and the stresses that occurred during launch, ascent, orbital flight, descent and landing.
Postflight inspection of Columbia revealed that an overpressure wave, which occurred when the solid rocket boosters ignited, resulted in the loss of 16 heat shield tiles and damage to 148 others.
| Table of contents |
|
2 Mission insignia 3 Anniversary 4 External links |
Crew
- Commander: John W. Young
- Pilot: Robert Crippen
- Backup-Commander: Joe Engle
- Backup-Pilot: Richard Truly
Mission insignia
The art work for the official mission insignia was done by artist Robert McCall.
Anniversary
Yuri's Night is an international celebration held on April 12 every year to commemorate the first human in space and the first Space Shuttle launch.
External links
| Previous Mission: Apollo-Soyuz |
Space Shuttle program | Next Mission: STS-2 |