STS-40
Spacelab Module LM1 in Columbia's payload bay, serving as the Spacelab Life Sciences laboratory | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-40 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1991-040A |
| SATCAT no. | 21399 |
| Mission duration | 9 days, 2 hours, 14 minutes, 20 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 6,083,223 km (3,779,940 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 146 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Columbia |
| Launch mass | 114,290 kg (251,970 lb) |
| Landing mass | 102,283 kg (225,495 lb) |
| Payload mass | 12,374 kg (27,280 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 7 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | June 5, 1991, 13:24:51 UTC (9:24:51 am EDT) |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39B |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | June 14, 1991, 15:39:11 UTC (8:39:11 am PDT) |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 22 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 287 km (178 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 296 km (184 mi) |
| Inclination | 39.02° |
| Period | 90.40 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| |
STS-40 mission patch Back row: O'Connor, Jernigan and Gutierrez Front row: Gaffney, Hughes-Fulford, Seddon and Bagian | |
STS-40, the eleventh launch of Space Shuttle Columbia, was a nine-day mission in June 1991. It carried the Spacelab module for Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1), the fifth Spacelab mission and the first dedicated solely to biology. STS-40 was the first spaceflight that included three women crew members.