STS-6

Infobox Space mission
mission_name = STS-6
insignia = Sts-6-patch.png shuttle = Challenger
launch_pad = 39-A
launch = April 4, 1983, 18:30:00 UTC
landing = April 9, 1983, 18:53:42 UTC
Edwards Airforce Base
duration = 5d/00:23:42
altitude = 330 km
inclination = 28.5°
orbits = 81
distance = 3,370,437 km
crew_photo = Sts-6-crew.jpg
crew_caption = L-R Peterson, Weitz, Musgrave, Bobko
previous = STS-5
next = STS-7

STS-6 was a Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA using Space Shuttle "Challenger". Launched April 4, 1983, STS-6 was the sixth space shuttle mission and the first of the ten missions flown on "Challenger". The mission took off from Kennedy Space Center launch pad 39-A, and landed at Edwards Air Force Base.

Crew

Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.

*Paul J. Weitz (2) - Commander
*Karol J. Bobko (1) - Pilot
*Donald H. Peterson (1) - Mission Specialist
*F. Story Musgrave (1) - Mission Specialist

Mission parameters

*Mass:
**"Orbiter Liftoff:" 116,457 kg
**"Orbiter Landing:" 86,330 kg
**"Payload:" 21,305 kg
*Perigee: 288 km
*Apogee: 295 km
*Inclination: 28.5°
*Period: 90.4 min

pace walk

* " Musgrave and Peterson " - EVA 1
*EVA 1 Start: April 7, 1983, 21:05 UTC
*EVA 1 End: April 8, 01:15 UTC
*Duration: 4 hours, 10 minutes

Mission highlights

On April 4 1983 STS-6, the first "Challenger" mission, lifted off at 1:30 p.m. EST. It was the first use of a new lightweight external tank and lightweight SRB casings.

The mission originally had been scheduled for launch on January 30 1983. However, a hydrogen leak in one of the main engines was discovered. Later, after a flight readiness firing of the main engines on January 25 1983, fuel line cracks were found in the other two engines. A spare engine replaced the engine with the hydrogen leak and the other two engines were removed, repaired and reinstalled.

Meanwhile, as the engine repairs were underway, a severe storm caused contamination of the primary cargo for the mission, the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS), while it was in the Payload Changeout Room on the Rotating Service Structure at the launch pad. This meant the satellite had to be taken back to its checkout facility where it was cleaned and rechecked. The Payload Changeout Room and the payload bay also had to be cleaned.

STS-6 carried a crew of four -- Paul J. Weitz, commander; Karol J. Bobko, pilot; Donald H. Peterson and Story Musgrave, both mission specialists. Using new space suits designed specifically for the Space Shuttle, Peterson and Musgrave successfully accomplished the program's first extravehicular activity (EVA), performing various tests in the payload bay. Their space walk lasted for 4 hours, 17 minutes.

Although the 5,000-lb. TDRS was successfully deployed from the "Challenger", its two-stage booster rocket, the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), tumbled out of control, placing the satellite into a low elliptical orbit. Fortunately, the satellite contained extra propellant beyond what was needed for its attitude control system thrusters, and during the next several months the thrusters were fired at carefully planned intervals gradually moving TDRS-l into its geosynchronous operating orbit thus saving the $100-million satellite.

Other STS-6 cargo included three GAS canisters and continuation of the Monodisperse Latex Reactor and the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis experiments.

"Challenger" returned to Earth on April 9 1983 at 10:53 a.m. PST, landing on Runway 22 at Edwards AFB. It completed 80 orbits, traveling 2 million miles in 5 days, 23 minutes, 42 seconds. It was flown back to KSC on April 16 1983.

Mission insignia

The six white stars in the upper blue field of the mission patch tell the flight's numerical designation in the Space Transportation System's mission sequence.

ee also

* Space science
* Space shuttle
* Space Shuttle Challenger
* List of space shuttle missions
* List of human spaceflights chronologically

External links

* [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-6.html STS-6 Mission Data]
* [http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/chron/sts-6.htm STS-6 Mission Chronology]
* [http://www.nss.org/resources/library/shuttlevideos/shuttle06.htm STS-6 Video Highlights]