Spaceflight mission report: STS-41B

Human Spaceflights

International Flight No. 92 STS-41B Challenger (4) USA
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Launch, orbit and landing data

Launch date:	03.02.1984
Launch time:	13:00 UTC
Launch site:	Cape Canaveral (KSC)
Launch pad:	39-A
Altitude:	350 km
Inclination:	28,5°
Landing date:	11.02.1984
Landing time:	12:15 UTC
Landing site:	Cape Canaveral (KSC)

walkout photo

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Crew

No.	Surname	Given names	Position	Flight No.	Duration	Orbits
1	Brand	Vance DeVoe	CDR	3	7d 23h 15m	128
2	Gibson	Robert Lee "Hoot"	PLT	1	7d 23h 15m	128
3	McCandless	Bruce II	MSP	1	7d 23h 15m	128
4	Stewart	Robert Lee	MSP	1	7d 23h 15m	128
5	McNair	Ronald Erwin	MSP	1	7d 23h 15m	128

Crew seating arrangement

Launch
1	Brand
2	Gibson
3	McNair
4	Stewart
5	McCandless

Landing
1	Brand
2	Gibson
3	McCandless
4	Stewart
5	McNair

Flight

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).