STS-41-C
Mission Specialists George Nelson and James van Hoften repair the captured Solar Maximum Mission satellite on April 11, 1984 | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-41C STS-13 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Satellite deployment Satellite repair |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1984-034A |
| SATCAT no. | 14897 |
| Mission duration | 6 days, 23 hours, 40 minutes, 7 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 4,620,000 km (2,870,000 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 108 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Challenger |
| Launch mass | 115,328 kg (254,255 lb) |
| Landing mass | 89,346 kg (196,974 lb) |
| Payload mass | 15,345 kg (33,830 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 5 |
| Members | |
| EVAs | 2 |
| EVA duration |
|
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | April 6, 1984, 13:58:00 UTC (8:58 pm EST) |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | April 13, 1984, 13:38:07 UTC (5:38:07 am PST) |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 17 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 222 km (138 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 428 km (266 mi) |
| Inclination | 28.50° |
| Period | 91.40 minutes |
STS-41-C mission patch From left: Crippen, Hart, van Hoften, Nelson and Scobee | |
STS-41-C (formerly STS-13) was NASA's eleventh Space Shuttle mission, and the fifth mission of Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch, which took place on April 6, 1984, marked the first direct ascent trajectory for a Space Shuttle mission. During the mission, Challenger's crew captured and repaired the malfunctioning Solar Maximum Mission ("Solar Max") satellite, and deployed the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) experimental apparatus. STS-41-C was extended one day due to problems capturing the Solar Max satellite, and the landing on April 13, 1984, took place at Edwards Air Force Base, instead of at Kennedy Space Center as had been planned. The flight was originally numbered STS-13.