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Bobko Musgrave Peterson Weitz

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STS-6 Credit - NASA Media Gallery

4 April 1983 18:30 GMT. Landing Date: 1983-04-09 18:53:42. Flight Time: 5.02 days. Flight Up: STS-6. Flight Back: STS-6. Call Sign: Challenger. Crew: Bobko, Musgrave, Peterson, Weitz. Program: STS.

Of note: First flight of space shuttle Challenger. First space walk of Shuttle program

What went wrong: First use of the lightweight SRM case. When the SRMs were dismantled, blowholes through the putty in both nozzle joints were found. The O-rings were affected by heat, but were not eroded. 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).

Orbits of Earth: 80. Distance traveled: 3,370,437 km. Orbiter Liftoff Mass: 116,457 kg. Orbiter Mass at Landing: 86,330 kg. Payload to Orbit: 21,305 kg. Payload Returned: 4,275 kg. Landed at: Concrete runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Cali. Landing Speed: 352 kph. Touchdown miss distance: 617 m. Landing Rollout: 2,188 m. EVA: Story Musgrave and Donald Peterson, duration 3 hours and 54 minutes.

Mission Name: STS-6 (6)
CHALLENGER (1)
Pad 39-A (18)
6th Shuttle mission
1st Flight OV-099
1st Shuttle from MLP-2
1st Launch Light Weight External Tank

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

Milestones:
OPF - July 6, 1982
VAB - Nov. 23, 1982
PAD - Nov. 30, 1982

Payload:
TDRS-A,CFES(2),MLR/NOSL(1),GAS(x3)
Mission Objectives:

Launch:
April 4, 1983, 1:30:00 p.m. EST. Launch set for Jan. 20 postponed due to hydrogen leak into number one main engine aft compartment discovered during 20 second Flight Readiness Firing (FRF) Dec. 18, 1982. Cracks in number one main engine confirmed to be cause of leak during second FRF performed Jan. 25, 1983. All three main engines removed while Shuttle was on the pad and fuel line cracks repaired. Main engines two and three reinstalled following extensive failure analysis and testing. Number one main engine replaced. Additional delay caused by contamination to Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-1 (TDRS-1) during a severe storm. Launch on April 4 proceeded as scheduled. Launch Weight: 256,744 lbs.
Orbit:
Altitude: 178nm
Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Orbits: 81
Duration: 5 days, 2 hours, 14 minutes, 25 seconds
Distance: 2,094,293 miles

Hardware:
SRB: BI-006
SRM: 006LW(SPM)
ET : 8/LWT-1
MLP : 2
SSME-1: SN-2017
SSME-2: SN-2015
SSME-3: SN-2012

Landing:
April 9, 1983, 10:53:42 a.m. PST, Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance 7,180 feet, Rollout time 49 sec. Orbiter returned to KSC April 16, 1983. Landing Weight: 190,330 lbs.

Mission Highlights:
Primary payload was first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-1
(TDRS-1). Malfunction of Inertial Upper Stage booster resulted in
placement of spacecraft into improper but stable orbit. Additional
propellant aboard satellite used over next several months gradually
place TDRS-1 into properly circularized orbit. First space walk
of Shuttle program performed by Peterson and Musgrave, lasting
about four hours, 17 minutes. Other payloads: Continuous Flow
Electrophoresis System (CFES), Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR)
(MLR), Radiation Monitoring Experiment (RME). Night/Day Optical
Survey of Lightning (NOSL), and three Get Away Special canisters.
Mission used first lightweight external tank and lightweight
rocket booster casings.

• 1983 Apr 4 - STS-6  Crew: Bobko, Musgrave, Peterson, Weitz. Spacecraft: Challenger. Payload: Challenger F01 / TDRS 1 [IUS]. Mass: 21,305 kg (46,969 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Duration: 5.02 days. Perigee: 288 km (178 mi). Apogee: 295 km (183 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 90.40 min.

  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).

• 1983 Apr 7 - EVA STS-6-1  Crew: Musgrave, Peterson. EVA Type: Extra-Vehicular Activity. EVA Duration: 0.17 days. Spacecraft: Challenger.

  Tested EMU Manoeuvring Unit. Tested EVA emergency procedures.

• 1983 Apr 9 - Landing of STS-6 

  STS-6 landed at 18:53 GMT.

• JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Accessed at: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.

• Wilson, Keith T., Spaceflight, "EVA Log 1965-1997", 1998, Volume 40, page 85.

• NASA Report, Press Kit, . Accessed at: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/shuttle_pk/pk/Flight_006_STS-006_Press_Kit.pdf. -right click to download pdfs!

• NASA Report, Media Resouce Kit, . Accessed at: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/shuttle_pk/mrk/FLIGHT_006_STS-006_MRK.pdf. -right click to download pdfs!

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• USAF Satellite Database, USAF Institute of Technology, 1995. Accessed at: ftp://archive.afit.af.mil/pub/space/.

• Krebs, Gunter, Gunter's Space Page, University of Frankfurt, 1996. Accessed at: http://www.skyrocket.de/space.

• Furniss, Tim, Manned Spaceflight Log, Jane's, London, 1986. ISBN: 0710604025. Summary of all manned spaceflights up to 1986. Pre-Glasnost, so many 'war stories' of Soviet manned spaceflight are not included. More at amazon.com...

• NASA Shuttle Mission Press Kits, NASA, 1981-present. Accessed at: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/presskit/presskit.htm.