Launch from Cape Canaveral (KSC); landing in Cape Canaveral (KSC).

Deploying of communications satellite Westar-VI (USA) and Palapa B2 (Indonesia) on flight day 1. Both satellites did reach only a radical low-Earth orbit because of a Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) malfunction. Both satellites were retrieved successfully during the mission STS-51A.

McCandless and Stewart tested in two EVAs on 07.02.1984 (5h 55m) and 09.02.1984 (6h 17m) the "Manned Maneuvering Unit" (MMU). It was the first untethered spacewalk, McCandless ventured out about 98 m from the orbiter. Testing procedures to retrieve and repair "Solar Maximum-Satellite" during next mission. Deploying of "balloon satellite" IRT (Integrated Rendezvous Target) failed due to internal failure. Experiments in Earth sciences, space technologies and navigation. First reflight of the West-German sponsored SPAS-1 pallet/satellite. First landing in Cape Canaveral (KSC).