STS-9
View of Columbia's payload bay, showing Spacelab. | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-9 Spacelab 1 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Microgravity research |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1983-116A |
| SATCAT no. | 14523 |
| Mission duration | 10 days, 12 hours, 47 minutes, 24 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 6,913,504 km (4,295,852 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 167 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Columbia |
| Launch mass | 112,918 kg (248,942 lb) |
| Landing mass | 99,800 kg (220,000 lb) |
| Payload mass | 15,068 kg (33,219 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 6 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | November 28, 1983, 16:00:00 UTC (11:00 am EST) |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | December 8, 1983, 23:47:24 UTC (3:47:24 pm PST) |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 17 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 240 km (150 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 253 km (157 mi) |
| Inclination | 57.00°≠≈ |
| Period | 89.50 minutes |
STS-9 mission patch From left: Garriott, Lichtenberg, Shaw, Young, Merbold and Parker | |
STS-9 (also referred to Spacelab 1) was the ninth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the sixth mission of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Launched on November 28, 1983, the ten-day mission carried the first Spacelab laboratory module into orbit.
STS-9 was also the last time the original STS numbering system was used until STS-26, which was designated in the aftermath of the 1986 Challenger disaster of STS-51-L. Under the new system, STS-9 would have been designated as STS-41-A. STS-9's originally planned successor, STS-10, was canceled due to payload issues; it was instead followed by STS-41-B. After this mission, Columbia was taken out of service for renovations and did not fly again until STS-61-C in early January 1986.
STS-9 sent the first non-U.S. citizen into space on the Shuttle, Ulf Merbold, becoming the first ESA and first West German citizen to go into space.