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STS-61-C

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Mission insignia
File:61-c-patch.jpg
Mission statistics
Mission:STS-61-C
Shuttle:Columbia
Launch pad:39-A
Launch:January 12, 1986 6:55:00 a.m. EST
Landing site:Edwards AFB
Landing:January 18, 1986 5:58:51 a.m. PST
Duration:6 days, 2 hours
3 minutes, 51 seconds
Orbit altitude:212 nautical miles (393 km)
Orbit inclination:28.5 degrees
Distance traveled: 2,528,658 miles (4,069,481 km)
Crew photo
Back row L-R: Bill Nelson, Hawley, George Nelson, Front row L-R: Cenker, Bolden, Gibson, Chang-Diaz.
Back row L-R: Bill Nelson, Hawley, George Nelson,
Front row L-R: Cenker, Bolden, Gibson, Chang-Diaz

Crew

Mission parameters

Mission highlights

Mission 24 in the Space Shuttle program saw the orbiter Columbia returned to flight for the first time since the STS-9 mission in November 1983, after having undergone major modifications by Rockwell International in California.

The launch originally was scheduled for December 18, but the closeout of an aft orbiter compartment was delayed and the mission was rescheduled for the next day on December 19, the countdown was stopped at T-14 seconds because of an out-of-tolerance turbine reading on the right SRBs hydraulic system.

Another launch attempt on January 6, 1986, was terminated at T-31 seconds because a problem in a valve in the liquid oxygen system could not be fixed before the end of the launch window. Other launch attempts were made on January 7, scrubbed because of bad weather at contingency landing sites at Dakar, Senegal, and Morón, Spain; on January 9, delayed because of a problem with a main engine prevalve; and on January 10 because of heavy rain in the launch area.

The launch finally took place at 6:55 a.m. EST, on January 12 without further problems.

The primary objective of the mission was to deploy the Ku-1 communications satellite, second in a planned series of geosynchronous satellites owned and operated by RCA Americom. The deployment was successful and the satellite eventually became operational. The flight also carried a large number of small experiments, including 13 GAS canisters devoted to investigations involving the effect of microgravity on materials processing, seed germination, chemical reactions, egg hatching, astronomy and atmospheric physics. Other cargo included a Materials Science Laboratory-2 structure for experiments involving liquid bubble suspension by sound waves, melting and resolidification of metallic samples and containerless melting and solidification of electrically conductive specimens. Another small experiment carrier located in the payload bay was the Hitchiker G-1 (HHG-1) with three experiments to 1) study film particles in the orbiter environment, 2) test a new heat transfer system and 3) determine the effects of contamination and atomic oxygen on ultraviolet optics materials. There were also four in-cabin experiments, three of them part of the Shuttle Student Involvement Program.

Finally, an experiment called the Comet Halley Active Monitoring Program (CHAMP), consisting of a 35 mm camera to photograph Comet Halley through the aft flight deck overhead window, was not successful because of battery problems.

Not only was the STS 61-C mission difficult to get off the ground, it proved to be difficult getting it back to Earth. A landing attempt on January 16 was cancelled because of unfavorable weather at Edwards AFB. Continued bad weather forced another wave-off the following day, January 17. The flight was extended one more day to provide for a landing opportunity at KSC on the January 18 — this in order to avoid time lost in an Edwards AFB landing and turnaround. However, bad weather at the KSC landing site resulted in still another wave-off.

Columbia finally landed at Edwards AFB at 5:59 a.m. PST, on January 18. Mission elapsed time was 6 days, 2 hours, 3 minutes, 51 seconds.

After numerous delays Columbia returned to orbit on January 12, 1986. The primary mission was to deploy a geosynchronous KU-1 communications satellite for RCA Americom. A variety of other experiments were also performed successfully including some using the Materials Science Laboratory-2. This was the first flight utilizing NASA's Get Away Special canisters. The mission is perhaps most notable for carrying Representative Bill Nelson, one of only three sitting congressmen who have been in space (John Glenn and Jake Garn being the others).

Previous mission:
STS-61-B		 Space Shuttle program Next mission:
STS-51-L
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