Human Spaceflights

International Flight No. 80

STS-3

Columbia (3)

USA

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Launch, orbit and landing data

Launch date:  22.03.1982
Launch time:  16:00 UTC
Launch site:  Cape Canaveral (KSC)
Launch pad:  39-A
Altitude:  322 km
Inclination:  38,0°
Landing date:  30.03.1982
Landing time:  16:04 UTC
Landing site:  White Sands

walkout photo

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alternate crew photo

alternate crew photo

Crew

No.   Surname Given names Position Flight No. Duration Orbits
1  Lousma  Jack Robert  CDR 2 8d 00h 04m  130 
2  Fullerton  Charles Gordon  PLT 1 8d 00h 04m  130 

Crew seating arrangement

Launch
1  Lousma
2  Fullerton
Landing
1  Lousma
2  Fullerton

Backup Crew

No.   Surname Given names Position
1  Mattingly  Thomas Kenneth II "Ken"  CDR
2  Hartsfield  Henry Warren, Jr. "Hank"  PLT

Flight

Launch from Cape Canaveral (KSC); landing at White Sands, Runway 17, Northrup Strip. The launch was delayed one hour because of the failure of a heater on a nitrogen gas ground support line.

This mission was the third test flight of the Space Shuttle. For the first time, the External Tank was not varnished in white colour, as in the first two flights.

Payloads included the OSS-1 pallet in the cargo bay of the shuttle. OSS-1 obtained data on near Earth environment. Several other experiments (Monodisperse Latex Reactor, Heflex Bioengineering Test and more) were carried out.

The landing site changed to White Sands since the planned landing site at Edwards AFB flooded due to excessive rain. High winds at White Sands resulted in one day extension of the mission. STS-3 was the only shuttle mission to land at White Sands.

Photos / Drawings


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Last update on July 20, 2012.