STS-28
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STS-28 was the fourth shuttle mission dedicated to United States Department of Defense, and first flight of Columbia since mission STS-61-C. The details of the mission are classified.
| STS-28 | |||||
Mission insignia |
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| Mission statistics | |||||
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| Mission name | STS-28 | ||||
| Space Shuttle | Columbia | ||||
| Launch pad | 39-B | ||||
| Launch date | August 8, 1989, 8:37:00 a.m. EDT | ||||
| Landing | August 13, 1989, 6:37:08 a.m. PDT, EAFB, Runway 17 | ||||
| Mission duration | 5 days, 1 hour, 0 minutes, 8 seconds | ||||
| Orbital altitude | Classified (although based on distance traveled and number of orbits, this would be between 220 and 380 km) | ||||
| Orbital inclination | 57.0 degrees | ||||
| Distance traveled | 2,100,000 miles (3,400,000 km) | ||||
Crew photo
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Contents |
[edit] Crew
(total flights to date in parentheses)
- Brewster H. Shaw, Jr. (3), Commander
- Richard N. Richards (1), Pilot
- James C. Adamson (1), Mission Specialist 1
- David C. Leestma (2), Mission Specialist 2
- Mark N. Brown (1), Mission Specialist 3
[edit] Mission parameters
- Mass: 19,600? kg Payload Satellite Data System satellite?
- Perigee: 289 km
- Apogee: 306 km
- Inclination: 57.0°
- Period: 90.5 min
[edit] Mission highlights
Columbia deployed two satellites, 1989-061B (USA-40) and 1989-061C (USA-41). Early reports speculated that STS-28's primary payload was an Advanced KH-11 photo-reconnaissance satellite. Later reports and amateur satellite observations of the satellites suggest that USA-40 was a second-generation Satellite Data System relay like that launched on STS-53.[1]
The pioneering Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (OV-102), the first operational reusable spaceship in NASA's fleet, lifted off from Pad 39B, Launch Complex 39, KSC, on 8 August 1989. Liftoff time was 8:37 a.m. EDT. It was the 30th flight of the Space Shuttle, and the first flight of the refurbished Columbia since the 61-C mission on 12 January 1986. Landing was at Edwards AFB, CA, at 9:37 p.m. EDT. The mission lasted for 5 days and 1 hour.
During the flight, the crew shut down a thruster in the reaction control system (RCS) because of indications of a leak. Also, an RCS heater malfunctioned.
Post-flight analysis of STS-28 discovered unusual heating of the thermal protection system (TPS) during re-entry. A detailed report ([2] identified protruding gap filler as the likely cause. This filler material is the same material which was removed during a spacewalk on the STS-114 Return to Flight mission in 2005.
[edit] See also
- Space science
- Space shuttle
- List of space shuttle missions
- List of human spaceflights chronologically
[edit] External links
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