STS-39 (40)

DISCOVERY (12)

Pad 39-A (40)

40th Shuttle mission

12th Flight OV-103

7th Rollback

Diverted landing

7th KSC landing

Crew:

Michael L. Coats (3), Commander

L. Blaine Hammond, Jr.(1), Pilot

Guion S. Bluford Jr.(3), Mission Specialist 1

Gregory J. Harbaugh (1), Mission Specialist 2

Richard J. Hieb (1), Mission Specialist 3

Donald R. McMonagle (1), Mission Specialist 4

Charles L. Veach (1), Mission Specialist 5

Milestones:

Flow A:

OPF - Oct. 17,1990

VAB - Feb. 9,1991

PAD - Feb. 15, 1991

Flow B (rollback):

VAB - March 7,1991

OPF - March 15, 1991

VAB - March 25,1991

PAD - April 1, 1991

Payload:

DoD(8),AFP-675,IBSS,STP-01,MPEC

Mission Objectives:

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Launch:

April 28, 1991,7:33:14 a.m. EDT. Launch originally scheduled for March 9, but during processing work at Pad A, significant cracks found on all four lug hinges on the two external tank umbilical door drive mechanisms. NASA managers opted to roll back the vehicle to the VAB on March 7, and then to OPF for repair. Hinges replaced with units taken from orbiter COLUMBIA, and reinforced. Discovery returned to pad on April 1, and launch re-set for April 23. Mission again postponed when, during prelaunch external tank loading, a transducer on high-pressure oxidizer turbopump for main engine number three showed readings out of specification. Transducer and its cable harness were replaced and tested. Launch was rescheduled for April 28. Launch Weight: 247,373 lbs

Orbit:

Altitude: 140nm

Inclination: 57.0 degrees

Orbits: 134

Duration: 8 days, 7 hours, 22 minutes, 23 seconds.

Distance: 3,470,000 miles

Hardware:

SRB: BI-043

SRM: 360L015

ET : 46/LWT-39

MLP : 2

SSME-1: SN-2026

SSME-2: SN-2030

SSME-3: SN-2029

Landing:

May 6, 1991, 2:55:35 p.m. EDT, Runway 15, Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Rollout distance: 9,235 feet. Rollout time: 56 secs. Landing diverted to KSC because of unacceptably high winds at planned landing site, Edwards. Landing Weight: 211,512 lbs.

Mission Highlights:

Dedicated Department of Defense mission. Unclassified payload included Air Force Program-675 (AFP675); Infrared Background Signature Survey (IBSS) with Critical Ionization Velocity (CIV), Chemical Release Observation (CRO) and Shuttle Pallet Satellite-II (SPAS-II) experiments; and Space Test Payload-1 (STP-1). Classified payload consisted of Multi-Purpose Release Canister (MPEC). Also on board was Radiation Monitoring Equip- ment III (RME III) and Cloud Logic to Optimize Use of Defense Systems-IA (CLOUDS-I).

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