Human Spaceflights

International Flight No. 92

STS-41B

Challenger (4)

USA

Patch STS-41B Patch STS-41B EVA

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Patch STS-41B Hughes Patch STS-41B Westar VI
Patch STS-41B MMU

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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

STS-41B crew

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Crew

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

Crew seating arrangement

Launch
1  Brand
2  Gibson
3  McNair
4  Stewart
5  McCandless
Space Shuttle cockpit
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).

Photos / Drawings

Space Shuttle MMU
STS-41B on launch pad STS-41B launch

photo courtesy J.L. Pickering

 
STS-41B launch EVA
EVA McCandless Palapa B-2
STS-41B in orbit traditional in-flight photo STS-41B
STS-41B landing STS-41B landing

©      

Last update on November 21, 2011.

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