Challenger | space shuttle | Britannica (original) (raw)
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Brand
In Vance Brand …Brand was commander of the Challenger space shuttle (STS-41-B; February 3–11, 1984). Although this trip was plagued by several malfunctions and two communications satellites were misdirected, Bruce McCandless’s performance of the first space walk without a lifeline and the successful return of the shuttle to its home base were regarded… Read More
Challenger disaster
In Challenger disaster space shuttle orbiter Challenger, shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 28, 1986. The disaster claimed the lives of seven astronauts. Read More
McAuliffe
In Christa Corrigan McAuliffe …in the 1986 space shuttle Challenger disaster was deeply felt by the nation and had a strong effect on the U.S. space program. Read More
McCandless
In Bruce McCandless …specialist on STS-41-B aboard the Challenger space shuttle on February 3, 1984. During this flight, McCandless tested the MMU in space walks and thus became the first person to fly in space without being tethered to a spacecraft. He traveled 300 feet (90 metres) away from the shuttle. Astronaut Robert… Read More
In Story Musgrave …the maiden flight of the Challenger space shuttle, in April 1983. He then served as flight engineer on the crew of Spacelab-2 in July 1985, a mission that performed astronomical research. He was a mission specialist on STS-33 (November 1989), STS-44 (November 1991), and STS-80 (November–December 1996). His most important… Read More
Ockels
In Wubbo Ockels …flew into space aboard the Challenger space shuttle on October 30, 1985, as a payload specialist on STS-61A, a German D-1 Spacelab mission. With eight crew members, the mission was the largest to fly into space. The mission also was notable for being the first in which some mission operations… Read More
Ride
In Sally Ride …orbit aboard the shuttle orbiter Challenger. The shuttle mission lasted six days, during which time she helped deploy two communications satellites and carry out a variety of experiments. She served on a second space mission aboard Challenger in October 1984; the crew included another woman, Ride’s childhood friend Kathryn Sullivan,… Read More
space shuttle program
In space shuttle …first to fly in space), Challenger, Discovery, and _Atlantis_—was put into service. Read More
In space exploration: The space shuttle …four operational orbiters, named Columbia, Challenger, Atlantis, and Discovery, was built in order to allow multiple shuttle flights each year. Facilities in Florida originally constructed for the Apollo program were remodeled for shuttle use, and construction on a facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for launching the shuttle… Read More
Sullivan
In Kathryn Sullivan …was aboard the space shuttle Challenger on the STS-41G mission (October 5–13, 1984). Sullivan and mission specialist David Leetsma performed a 3.5-hour space walk in which they operated a system designed to show that satellites could be refueled in orbit. Read More
