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STS-6
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Crew Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.
Mission parameters
Space walk
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.
Discussion
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Timeline
Encyclopedia
Crew Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.
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
Space 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.
See also
External links
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