STS-51C

Discovery (3)

USA

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Launch, orbit and landing data

Launch date:	24.01.1985
Launch time:	19:50 UTC
Launch site:	Cape Canaveral (KSC)
Launch pad:	39-A
Altitude:	407 km
Inclination:	28,5°
Landing date:	27.01.1985
Landing time:	21:23 UTC
Landing site:	Cape Canaveral (KSC)

Crew

No.	Surname	Given names	Position	Flight No.	Duration	Orbits
1	Mattingly	Thomas Kenneth II "Ken"	CDR	3	3d 01h 33m	49
2	Shriver	Loren James	PLT	1	3d 01h 33m	49
3	Onizuka	Ellison Shoji	MSP	1	3d 01h 33m	49
4	Buchli	James Frederick	MSP	1	3d 01h 33m	49
5	Payton	Gary Eugene	MSE	1	3d 01h 33m	49

Crew seating arrangement

Launch
1	Mattingly
2	Shriver
3	Onizuka
4	Buchli
5	Payton

Landing
1	Mattingly
2	Shriver
3	Onizuka
4	Buchli
5	Payton

Backup Crew

No.		Surname	Given names	Position
5		Wright	Keith Charles	MSE

hi res version (585 KB)

Flight

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

The launch was scheduled for January 23, 1985 but was delayed because of freezing weather conditions. Orbiter Challenger had been scheduled for this flight, but Discovery was substituted when thermal tile problems were encountered with Challenger.

This was the first Shuttle mission dedicated to Department of Defense. The U.S. Air Force Inertial Upper Stage (IUS/ELINT) booster was deployed and met mission objectives. Gary Payton became the first military astronaut in space.

According to scientific papers, STS-51C launched a secret Magnum ELINT (ELectronic INTelligence) gathering satellite into a geosynchronous orbit.