STS-51-J was

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's 21st

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mission and the maiden flight of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''. It launched from

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, on October 3, 1985, carrying a payload for the

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(DoD), and landed at

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, on October 7, 1985.

Crew

Backup crew

Crew seat assignments

Mission summary

STS-51-J launched on October 3, 1985, at 15:15:30

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(11:15:30 a.m. EDT), from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The launch was delayed by 22 minutes and 30 seconds due to a problem with a main engine

liquid hydrogen Liquid hydrogen () is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. Hydrogen is found naturally in the molecule, molecular H2 form. To exist as a liquid, H2 must be cooled below its critical point (thermodynamics), critical point of 33 Kelvins, ...

prevalve close remote power controller; the controller was showing a faulty "on" indication. The mission was the second shuttle flight totally dedicated to deploying a United States Department of Defense payload, after STS-51-C. Its cargo was classified, but it was reported that two
USA-11
an
USA-12
DSCS-III (

Defense Satellite Communications System The Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) is a United States Space Force satellite constellation that provides the United States with military communications to support globally distributed military users. Beginning in 2007, DSCS began ...

) satellites were launched into geostationary orbits by an

Inertial Upper Stage The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), originally designated the Interim Upper Stage, was a Multistage rocket, two-stage, Solid-propellant rocket, solid-fueled space launch system developed by Boeing for the United States Air Force beginning in 1976 for ...

(IUS). The DSCS satellites used

X-band The X band is the designation for a band of frequency, frequencies in the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of the X band is set at approximately 7.0� ...

frequencies (8/7

GHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or Cycle per second, cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in ter ...

). Each DSCS-III satellite had a design life of ten years, although several of the DSCS satellites have far exceeded their design life expectancy. The mission was deemed successful. After a flight lasting 4 days, 1 hour, 44 minutes and 38 seconds, ''Atlantis'' landed on Runway 23 at

at 17:00:08 UTC (13:00:08 EDT) on October 7, 1985. During STS-51-J, mission commander Bobko became the first astronaut to fly on three different shuttle orbiters, and the only astronaut to fly on the maiden voyages of two different orbiters.

Mission insignia

The 51-J mission insignia, designed by ''Atlantis''s first crew, pays tribute to the

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and the ideas it symbolizes, but also as not to emphasize the "classified" nature of the mission like the first one did. The historical gateway figure bears additional significance for astronauts Karol J. Bobko, mission commander; and Ronald J. Grabe, pilot, both

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natives.

Gallery

File:STS51J First Flight of Atlantis.jpg, Atlantis lifting off the pad.

References

External links

NASA mission summary
{{Orbital launches in 1985 Space Shuttle missions Edwards Air Force Base 1985 in spaceflight 1985 in the United States Spacecraft launched in 1985 Spacecraft which reentered in 1985 Department of Defense Space Shuttle missions October 1985