Crew:
    Brewster Shaw [2], Commander
    Bryan O'Connor [1], Pilot
    Mary Cleave [1], Mission Specialist
    Sherwood Spring [1], Mission Specialist
    Jerry Ross [1], Mission Specialist
    Rodolfo Neri Vela [1], Payload Specialist (Mexico)
    Charles Walker [3], Payload Specialist

Launch:
    Pad: 39-A [23]
    Date: 27 November 1985
    Time: 00:29:00 UTC

Orbit:
    Altitude: 225 nm
    Inclination: 28.5 degrees
    Orbits: 109
    Duration: 6 days, 21 hours, 4 minutes, 49 seconds
    Distance: 2,838,972 miles

Landing:
    Location: Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, CA [17]
    Date: 3 December 1985
    Time: 21:33:49 UTC
    Rollout: 1 minute, 18 seconds (3,224 meters, 10,759 feet)

Mission EVA's:
     1) On 29 November 1985 for 5 hours, 34 minutes
     2) On 1 December 1985 for 6 hours, 46 minutes
EVA's were performed by the following individuals:
    Jerry Ross
    Sherwood Spring

Highlights:
    Three communications satellites (including one for Australia and one for Mexico) were deployed. Spring and Ross performed two EVA's totalling over 12 hours.

    During the launch, erosion of an O-ring on one of the solid rocket boosters caused a blow-by of hot gases. NASA ignored the problem. The same problem two months later on 51-L would result in the loss of the shuttle Challenger and the death of seven astronauts.

Crew

Archived NASA mission page for 61-B

Page last modified: 08 April 2024 16:03:43.