Day 9: Challenger (STS-41-G) crew lands 1984

STS-41-G crew 

Front Row (L-R): Jon McBride, Sally Ride, Kathryn Sullivan, David Leestma

Back Row (L-R): Paul Scully-Power, Robert Crippen, Marc Garneau

On October 13, 1984, the Challenger (STS-41-G) crew woke up to OU's fight song Boomer Sooner and Rocket Man by Elton John.  I haven't figured out the connection between OU and the mission.  Rocket Man seems appropriate though.

They prepared for re-entry by closing the payload bay doors and fired the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engines over Australia.  Due to the shuttle's 57-degree inclination, their re-entry took them over the eastern United States, which was one of many firsts experienced during the mission.

Challenger touched down at 12:25pm at Kennedy Space Center.  They spent 8 days, 5 hours and 23 minutes in space, traveling almost 3.3M miles and completing 133 orbits.  

It was the first shuttle to: 

• carry a crew of seven
• carry two women into space
• involve a woman in an EVA (Sullivan)
• carry a Canadian into space (Garneau)
• carry an Australian-born person into space (Scully-Power)
• carry an astronaut with a beard into space (Scully-Power)
• fly over the eastern US during re-entry

The crew consisted of Commander Robert Crippen, pilot Jon McBride, Kathryn Sullivan, Sally Ride, David Leestma, Paul Scully-Power, and Marc Garneau.

Commander Robert Crippen became the first American to complete two space missions in the same calendar year.

Footage of the mission appeared in The Dream is Alive, an IMAX documentary film about NASA's Space Shuttle program.  

Challenger (STS-41-C) launched 1984

STS-41-C crew (L-R): Robert Crippen, Terry Hart, James van Hoften, George Nelson, Francis Scobee

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Challenger, launched April 6, 1984, was the fifth mission for this shuttle.  Its crew consisted of Commander Robert Crippen, Pilot Francis Scobee, Terry Hart, James van Hoften, and George Nelson.

The crew captured and repaired the Solar Maximum Mission Satellite and deployed the Long Duration Exposure Facility apparatus.

Astronauts Nelson and van Hoften conducted two EVAs for a total of 10 hours.

They returned to Earth April 13.

Challenger (STS-7) launched with first American female astronaut 1983

STS-7 crew (L-R):  Sally Ride, John Fabian, Robert Crippen, Norman Thagard, Fred Hauck

Mission patch

Challenger (STS-7) launched on June 18, 1983 carrying the first American first female astronaut, Sally Ride, into space.  The rest of the crew consisted of Commander Robert Crippen (only non-rookie on board), Pilot Fred Hauck, John Fabian and Norman Thagard. 

During the mission, the crew deployed several satellites and conducted a variety of experiments. 

They returned to Earth June 24 at Edwards Air Force base.

Happy birthday, astronaut Robert Crippen!

Robert "Bob" Crippen, born September 11, 1937, was aboard the first ever Space Shuttle flight, STS-1, on Columbia in April 1981.  He served as commander on 3 more missions, each on Challenger.  His second mission, with Sally Ride, was STS-7 in June 1983, during which satellites for Canada and Indonesia were released.

His third mission (STS-41-C) in April 1984 involved the first satellite repair operation, capturing, fixing and then releasing the Solar Maximum Mission satellite.

His final mission (STS-41-G) in October 1984 was the first 7-man crew.  He was scheduled to command STS-62-A but that mission was cancelled after the Challenger explosion.

He has been inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, but more importantly, he was voted one of 1981's sexiest men by Playgirl magazine!

First Canadian in space, eh! 1984

Bottom (L to R) Jon A. McBride, Pilot, Sally K. Ride, Kathryn D. Sullivan and David C. Leestma, Mission Specialists. Top (L-R) Paul D. Scully-Power (Australian), Payload Specialist; Robert L. Crippen, Commander, and Marc Garneau, Canadian Payload Specialist. 

When the Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41-G) launched on October 5, 1984, its crew contained the first Canadian astronaut, Marc Garneau.  It also contained the first Australian-born astronaut, Paul Scully-Power, who was the first bearded astronaut!  This was the first crew to include two women, and the first American woman EVA.

This was Challenger's sixth flight and the thirteenth of the Space Shuttle program.  Robert Crippen commanded the mission, which lasted a little over 8 days.  Challenger landed October 13.

First Space Shuttle Launched 1981!

The launch of the first space shuttle, Columbia (STS-1), took place April 12, 1981, with Commander John Young and Pilot Bob Crippen on board.  They orbited the earth 37 times in just over 2 days.  By coincidence, Columbia was launched on the 20th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic spaceflight in Vostok 1.