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Shuttle Landing
Credit: NASA. 24,373 bytes. 474 x 298 pixels. |
Manufacturer's Designation: OV-099. Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Manufacturer: Rockwell. Challenger, the second orbiter to become operational at Kennedy Space
Center, was named after an American Naval research vessel that sailed
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the 1870's. The Apollo 17 lunar
module also carried the name of Challenger.
 | Shuttle Orbiter - Shuttle Orbiter 2 view Credit: © Mark Wade. 4,696 bytes. 402 x 425 pixels. |
SpecificationCraft.Crew Size: 8. Design Life: 9 days. Orbital Storage: 30.00 days. Total Length: 37.2 m. Maximum Diameter: 23.8 m. Total Habitable Volume: 71.50 m3. Total Mass: 104,328 kg. Total Payload: 24,990 kg. Total Propellants: 21,600 kg. Total RCS Impulse: 954,000.00 kgf-sec. Primary Engine Thrust: 24,213 kgf. Main Engine Propellants: N2O4/MMH. Main Engine Isp: 316 sec. Total spacecraft delta v: 700 m/s. Electric system: 14.00 total average kW. Electric System: 3,100.00 total kWh. Electrical System: Fuel Cells.
- Module: Orbiter. Purpose: Manned space plane. Heat Shield Mass: 18,500 kg. Payload: 24,990 kg. Propellants: 21600 RCS Coarse No x Thrust: 38 x 395 kgf. RCS Fine No x Thrust: 6 x 11 kgf. RCS Propellants: N2O4/MMH. RCS Isp: 289 sec. RCS Total Impulse: 954,000.00 kgf-sec. Maneuver System Thrust: 24,213 kgf. Maneuver System Propellants: N2O4/MMH. Maneuver System Isp: 316 sec. Maneuver system delta v: 700 m/s. Electric system: 14.00 average kW. Electric System: 3,100.0 kWh. Electric system type: Fuel Cells.
 | Shuttle Orbiter - Shuttle Orbiter side view Credit: © Mark Wade. 1,859 bytes. 402 x 158 pixels. |
Challenger joined NASA fleet of reusable winged spaceships in July
1982. It flew nine successful Space Shuttle missions. On January 28,
1986, the Challenger and its seven-member crew were lost 73 seconds
after launch when a booster failure resulted in the breakup of the
vehicle.
Challenger started out as a high-fidelity structural test article
(STA-099). The airframe was completed by Rockwell and delivered to
Lockheed Plant 42 for structural testing on 02/04/78. The orbiter
structure had evolved under such weight-saving pressure that virtually
all components of the air frame were required to handle significant
structural stress. With such an optimized design, it was difficult to
acurately predict mechanical and thermal loading with the computer
software available at the time. The only safe approach was to submit
the structural test article to intensive testing and analysis. STA-099
underwent 11 months of intensive vibration testing in a 43 ton steel
rig built especially for the Space Shuttle Test Program. The rig
consisted of 256 hydraulic jacks, distributed over 836 load
application points. Under computer control, it was possible to
simulate the expected stress levels of launch, ascent, on-orbit,
reentry and landing. Three 1 million pound-force hydraulic cylinders
were used to simulate the thrust from the Space Shuttle Main Engines.
Heating and thermal simulations were also done.
 | STS-6 - Deployment of the TDRS by STS-6 Challenger Credit: NASA. 33,018 bytes. 420 x 437 pixels. |
Rockwell's original $2.6 billion contract had authorized the building
of a pair of static-test articles (MPTA-098 and STS-099 and two
initial flight-test vehicles (OV-101 and OV-102. A decision in 1978
not to modify Enterprise from her ALT configuration would have left
Columbia as the only operational orbiter vehicle so on 1/29/79 NASA
awarded Rockwell a supplemental contract to convert Challenger
(STA-099) from a test vehicle into a space-rated Orbiter (OV-099).
 | STS-7 - Air to air tracking views of the Challenger during launch of STS-7 mission Credit: NASA. 25,395 bytes. 370 x 427 pixels. |
STA-099 was returned to Rockwell on 11/7/79 and it's conversion into a
fully rated Orbiter Vehicle was started. This conversion, while easier
than it would have been to convert Enterprise, still involved a major
disassembly of the vehicle. Challenger had been built with a simulated
crew module and the forward fuselage halves had to be seperated to
gain access to the crew module. Additionally, the wings were modified
and reinforced to incorporate the results of structural testing and
two heads-up displays (HUD's) were installed in the cockpit. Empty
Weight was 155,400 lbs at rollout and 175,111 lbs with main engines
installed. This was about 2,889 pounds lighter than Columbia
 | STS-7 - Challenger's RMS arm grasps SPAS-01 during proximity operations Credit: NASA. 62,043 bytes. 487 x 401 pixels. |
Upgrades and Features
Two orbiters, Challenger and Discovery, were modified at KSC to enable
them to carry the Centaur upper stage in the payload bay. These
modifications included extra plumbing to load and vent Centaur's
cryogenic (L02/LH2) propellants (other IUS/PAM upper stages use solid
propellants), and controls on the aft flight deck for loading and
monitoring the Centaur stage. No Centaur flight was ever flown and
after the loss of Challenger it was decided that the risk was too
great to launch a shuttle with a fueled Centaur upper stage in the
payload bay.
 | STS-7 - Full view of Challenger in space taken by the SPAS satellite Credit: NASA. 50,372 bytes. 591 x 379 pixels. |
Construction Milestones (MPTA-098)
07/26/72 Contract Award
06/24/75 Start structural assembly of aft-fuselage
07/12/76 Start of Final Assembly
05/27/77 Completed Final Assembly
04/21/78 Flight Readiness Firing
Construction Milestones (STA-099)
07/26/72 Contract Award
11/21/75 Start structural assembly of Crew Module
06/14/76 Start structural assembly of aft-fuselage
03/16/77 Wings arrive at Palmdale from Grumman
09/30/77 Start of Final Assembly
02/10/78 Completed Final Assembly
02/14/78 Rollout from Palmdale
Construction Milestones (OV-099)
01/05/79 Contract Award
01/28/79 Start structural assembly of Crew Module
06/14/76 Start structural assembly of aft-fuselage
03/16/77 Wings arrive at Palmdale from Grumman
11/03/80 Start of Final Assembly
10/23/81 Completed Final Assembly
06/30/82 Rollout from Palmdale
07/01/82 Overland transport from Palmdale to Edwards
07/05/82 Delivery to Kennedy Space Center
12/19/82 Flight Readiness Firing
04/04/83 First Flight (STS-6)
 | STS-7 - Full views of Challenger in space taken by the SPAS satellite Credit: NASA. 59,606 bytes. 612 x 466 pixels. |
Challenger Chronology
10 February 1978
Complete final assembly, STA-099, Palmdale Program: STS.
14 February 1978
STA-099 on dock, Lockheed facility, Palmdale Program: STS.
21 June 1979
Start assembly crew module, Challenger (OV-099) Program: STS.
 | STS-7 - Full views of Challenger in space taken by the SPAS satellite Credit: NASA. 33,078 bytes. 600 x 436 pixels. |
06 August 1979
Complete limit test (STA-099) Program: STS. Complete limit test (STA-099), Lockheed facility, Palmdale
04 April 1983
STS-6 Program: STS. Flight Crew: Bobko, Musgrave, Peterson, Weitz. Manned flight: STS-6. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 21,305 kg. Perigee: 288 km. Apogee: 295 km. Inclination: 28.5 deg. Duration: 5.02 days.
 | STS-7 - STS-7 Challenger landing at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California Credit: NASA. 16,884 bytes. 418 x 265 pixels. |
Manned four crew. First flight of space shuttle Challenger; deployed TDRSS. Payloads: Deployment of Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-A with Inertial Upper Stage (lUS)-2, Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES), Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR), Night/Day Optical Survey of Lightning (NOSL) experiment, three getaway specials (GAS).
Additional Details: STS-6.
07 April 1983
EVA STS-6-1 Program: STS. Flight Crew: Musgrave, Peterson.
 | STS-41-C - Launch of the Shuttle Challenger during STS 41-C mission Credit: NASA. 16,333 bytes. 241 x 453 pixels. |
Tested EMU Manoeuvring Unit. Tested EVA emergency procedures.
18 June 1983
STS-7 Program: STS. Flight Crew: Crippen, Fabian, Hauck, Ride, Thagard. Manned flight: STS-7. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 16,839 kg. Perigee: 299 km. Apogee: 307 km. Inclination: 28.3 deg. Duration: 6.10 days.
 | STS-41-C - Shuttle Challenger atop NASA 905 approaches KSC runway Credit: NASA. 41,399 bytes. 603 x 402 pixels. |
Manned five crew. Deployed Anik C2, Palapa B1; deployed and retrieved SPAS platform. Payloads: Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications (OSTA)-2 experiments, deployment of PALAPA-B1 communications satellite for Indonesia with Payload Assist Module (PAM)-D and Telesat-F communications satellite for Canada with PAM-D, German Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS)-01, seven getaway specials (GAS), Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR), Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES).
Additional Details: STS-7.
 | STS-41-B - View of the Challenger from the fixed camera in McCandless's helmet Credit: NASA. 23,857 bytes. 334 x 420 pixels. |
30 August 1983
STS-8 Program: STS. Flight Crew: Bluford, Brandenstein, Gardner, Thornton Bill, Truly. Manned flight: STS-8. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 13,642 kg. Perigee: 306 km. Apogee: 313 km. Inclination: 28.5 deg. Duration: 6.05 days.
 | STS-41-B - View of the Challenger from the fixed camera in McCandless's helmet Credit: NASA. 14,133 bytes. 310 x 371 pixels. |
First night launch and night landing. Deployed Insat 1B. Payloads: Deployment of INSAT (lndia communica-tion satellite) with Payload Assist Module (PAM)-D, Payload Flight Test Article (PFTA)/ Payload Deployment Retrieval System (PDRS), Continuous Flow Electrophoresis (CFES), biomedical experiments. 250,000 express mail envelopes with special cachet for U.S. Postal Service were carried for a first-day cover.
Additional Details: STS-8.
 | STS-41-B - View of retrieval of foot restraint which strayed from Challenger Credit: NASA. 33,568 bytes. 482 x 463 pixels. |
03 February 1984
STS-41-B Program: STS. Flight Crew: Brand, Gibson, McCandless, McNair, Stewart. Manned flight: STS-41-B. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 15,362 kg. Perigee: 307 km. Apogee: 316 km. Inclination: 28.5 deg. Duration: 7.97 days.
 | STS-41-B - View of the Palapa-B and the Shuttle Challenger after deployment Credit: NASA. 16,508 bytes. 346 x 427 pixels. |
Manned five crew. Deployed Westar 6, Palapa B2; tested Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). Payloads: PALAPA-B2 (Indonesian communications satellite) with Payload Assist Module (PAM)-D and WESTAR (Western Union communications satellite)-Vl with PAM-D. Both satellites were deployed but the PAM-D in each satellite failed to ignite, leaving both satellites in earth orbit. Both satellites were retrieved and returned to earth for renovation on the STS-51-A mission. The manned maneuvering unit (MMU) was tested with extravehicular astronauts as free flyers without tethers as far as 98 m from the orbiter. Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS)-01 experiments, Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR), Isoelectric Focusing Experiment (lEF), Acoustic Containerless Experiment System (ACES), Cinema 360 cameras, five getaway specials (GAS), Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification (ACIP)/High Resolution Accelerom-eter Package (HIRAP).
Additional Details: STS-41-B.
 | STS-41-B - Views of the Challenger landing at Kennedy to end shuttle mission 41-B Credit: NASA. 24,695 bytes. 613 x 256 pixels. |
07 February 1984
EVA STS-10-1 Program: STS. Flight Crew: McCandless, Stewart. Tested MMU manoeuvring unit in free flight.
09 February 1984
EVA STS-10-2 Program: STS. Flight Crew: McCandless, Stewart.
 | STS-51-B - Spacelab D-1 being installed in the Challenger payload bay Credit: NASA. 62,893 bytes. 468 x 472 pixels. |
Tested MMU manoeuvring unit in free flight.
06 April 1984
STS-41-C Program: STS. Flight Crew: Crippen, Hart, Nelson, Scobee, van Hoften. Manned flight: STS-41-C. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 17,357 kg. Perigee: 222 km. Apogee: 468 km. Inclination: 28.5 deg. Duration: 6.99 days.
 | STS-51-B - Liftoff of shuttle Challenger and mission STS 51-B Credit: NASA. 27,879 bytes. 402 x 462 pixels. |
Manned five crew. First repair on orbit of a satellite, Solar Maximum Mission, by James van Hoften and George Nelson. Deployed LDEF. Payloads:Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) repair, manned maneuvering unit (MMU) satellite support, deployment of Long-Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) in earth orbit free drift. LDEF contained 57 experiments and weighed about 10,000 kg. Cinema 360 and IMAX 70-mm cameras.
Additional Details: STS-41-C.
 | STS-51-L - Liftoff of the Shuttle Challenger for STS 51-L mission Credit: NASA. 29,049 bytes. 404 x 463 pixels. |
08 April 1984
EVA STS-11-1 Program: STS. Flight Crew: Nelson, van Hoften. Attempted capture of Solar Max satellite.
11 April 1984
EVA STS-11-2 Program: STS. Flight Crew: Nelson, van Hoften.
 | STS-51-L - Liftoff of the Shuttle Challenger for STS 51-L mission Credit: NASA. 31,703 bytes. 584 x 474 pixels. |
Successfully captured and repaired Solar Max satellite.
01 July 1984
STS-41-E Program: STS. Flight Crew: Mattingly, Shriver, Onizuka, Buchli, Detroye. Planned Department of Defense shuttle mission. Cancelled due to IUS failure.
 | STS-51-L - Signs of black smoke during Liftoff of the Shuttle Challenger STS 51-L Credit: NASA. 56,293 bytes. 614 x 473 pixels. |
05 October 1984
STS-41-G Program: STS. Flight Crew: Crippen, Garneau, Leestma, McBride, Ride, Scully-Power, Sullivan. Manned flight: STS-41-G. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 10,643 kg. Perigee: 350 km. Apogee: 390 km. Inclination: 51.7 deg. Duration: 8.22 days.
 | STS-51-L - View of the SRB problems with Challenger after launch Credit: NASA. 14,478 bytes. 534 x 341 pixels. |
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). First use of Orbital Refueling System (ORS) with extravehicular activity (EVA) astronauts, IMAX camera. 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.
Additional Details: STS-41-G.
 | STS-51-L - View of the SRB problems with Challenger after launch Credit: NASA. 14,956 bytes. 530 x 377 pixels. |
11 October 1984
EVA STS-13-1 Program: STS. Flight Crew: Leestma, Sullivan. Simulated refuelling of satellite.
01 March 1985
STS-51-E Program: STS. Flight Crew: Bobko, Williams Donald, Seddon, Griggs, Hoffman, Baudry, Garn.
 | STS-51-L - Challenger SRB destruction after launch Credit: NASA. 22,261 bytes. 501 x 347 pixels. |
Planned TDRS/IUS deployment shuttle mission. Cancelled due to IUS failure.
29 April 1985
STS-51-B Program: STS. Flight Crew: Gregory, Lind, Overmyer, Thagard, Thornton Bill, van den Berg, Wang. Manned flight: STS-51-B. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 14,245 kg. Perigee: 346 km. Apogee: 353 km. Inclination: 57.0 deg. Duration: 7.01 days.
 | STS-51-L - View of the SRB problems with Challenger after launch Credit: NASA. 16,415 bytes. 448 x 439 pixels. |
Manned seven crew. Deployed Nusat; carried Spacelab 3. Payloads: Spacelab-3 experiments, habitable Spacelab and mission peculiar experiment support structure. The experiments represented a total of five different disciplines: materials processing in space, environmental observa-tions, life science, astrophysics, and technology experiments. Two getaway specials (GAS). The flight crew was split into gold and silver shifts working 12-hour days during the flight.
Additional Details: STS-51-B.
 | STS-51-L - View of the SRB problems with Challenger after launch Credit: NASA. 13,692 bytes. 427 x 374 pixels. |
01 July 1985
STS-51-DA Program: STS. Flight Crew: Shaw, O�Connor, Cleave, Spring. Planned TDRS/IUS deployment shuttle mission. Cancelled due to IUS failure.
29 July 1985
STS-51-F Program: STS. Flight Crew: Acton, Bartoe, Bridges, England, Fullerton, Henize, Musgrave. Manned flight: STS-51-F. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 15,603 kg. Perigee: 203 km. Apogee: 337 km. Inclination: 49.5 deg. Duration: 7.95 days.
 | STS-51-L - View of the SRB problems with Challenger after launch Credit: NASA. 24,896 bytes. 619 x 468 pixels. |
Manned seven crew. At 5 minutes, 45 seconds into ascent the number one engine shut down prematurely and an abort to orbit was declared. Despite the anomaly the mission continued. Launched PDP; carried Spacelab 2. Payloads: Spacelab-2 with 13 experiments, Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX), Protein Crystal Growth (PCG). The flight crew was divided into a red and blue team. Each team worked 12-hour shifts for 24-hour-a-day operation.
Additional Details: STS-51-F.
 | STS-51-L - Challenger accident after launch Credit: NASA. 26,205 bytes. 569 x 462 pixels. |
30 October 1985
STS-61-A Program: STS. Flight Crew: Bluford, Buchli, Dunbar, Furrer, Hartsfield, Messerschmid, Nagel, Ockels. Manned flight: STS-61-A. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Mass: 14,451 kg. Perigee: 319 km. Apogee: 331 km. Inclination: 57.0 deg. Duration: 7.03 days.
 | STS-51-L - Challenger accident after launch Credit: NASA. 27,288 bytes. 414 x 472 pixels. |
Manned eight crew. Launched GLOMR; carried Spacelab D1. Payloads: Spacelab D-1 with habitable module and 76 experiments. Six of the eight crew members were divided into a blue and red team working 12-hour shifts for 24-hour-a-day operation. The remaining two crew members were 'switch hitters.'.
Additional Details: STS-61-A.
28 January 1986
STS-51-L Program: STS. Flight Crew: Jarvis, McAuliffe, McNair, Onizuka, Resnik, Scobee, Smith. Manned flight: STS-51-L. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. FAILURE: Failure of O-rings on Solid Rocket Motor due to cold launch temperature led to burn through of external tank, explosion of vehicle 73 seconds after launch. Duration: 0.00 days.
 | STS-51-L - Challenger accident after launch Credit: NASA. 10,664 bytes. 383 x 366 pixels. |
Exploded 73 seconds after launch, all 7 crewmembers were killed; carried TDRSS satellite.
Additional Details: STS-51-L.
15 May 1986
STS-61-F Program: STS. Flight Crew: Hauck, Bridges, Lounge, Hilmers.
 | STS-51-L - Challenger accident after launch Credit: NASA. 19,150 bytes. 316 x 453 pixels. |
Planned shuttle mission for deployment of Ulysses spacecraft. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
22 July 1986
STS-61-M Program: STS. Flight Crew: Shriver, O�Connor, Lee, Ride, Fisher William, Wood Robert.
 | STS-61-A - Launch of the shuttle Challenger and begining of STS 61-A mission Credit: NASA. 20,712 bytes. 390 x 421 pixels. |
Planned TDRS/IUS deployment shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
27 September 1986
STS-61-I Program: STS. Flight Crew: Williams Donald, Smith, Dunbar, Carter, Bagian, Bhat.
 | STS-51-F - Launch of the STS 51-F Challenger Credit: NASA. 27,284 bytes. 401 x 443 pixels. |
Planned shuttle LDEF (Long Duration Exposure Facility) recovery mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
01 December 1986
STS-71-B Program: STS. Flight Crew: Jones Charles. Planned shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
01 March 1987
STS-71-E Program: STS. Flight Crew: Gaffney, Phillips.
 | STS-51-F - View of the Challenger's payload bay and the SOUP experiment Credit: NASA. 50,881 bytes. 478 x 469 pixels. |
Planned SLS-1 shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
01 February 1988
STS-81-G Program: STS. Flight Crew: Mohri, Mukai. Planned Spacelab-J shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
01 September 1988
STS-51-K Program: STS. Manned flight: STS-51-K. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle.
 | STS-51-F - Landing of the Shuttle Challenger at Edwards AFB and end of STS 51-F mission Credit: NASA. 17,445 bytes. 442 x 304 pixels. |
Planned Spacelab-D1 shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster. No crew selected; renamed STS-61A
Bibliography:- 7 - NASA Shuttle Mission Press Kits, NASA, 1981-present. HTML when accessed: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/presskit/presskit.htm
- 8 - NASA Shuttle-Mir Web, NASA, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://shuttle-mir.nasa.gov/ops/mir/
- 15 - NASA Space Shuttle Launches, Kennedy Space Center, NASA, 1996. HTML when accessed: http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/missions.html
- 44 - Jenkins, Dennis R,, Space Shuttle: The History of Developing the National Space Transportation System, Motorbooks International, ISBN 0-9633974-4-3, 1996.
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Last update 12 March 2001.
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