 Launch ofDiscovery for aDepartment of Defense (DoD) mission | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-53 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | DoD satellite deployment |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1992-086A |
| SATCATno. | 22259 |
| Mission duration | 7 days, 7 hours, 19 minutes, 17 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 4,883,840 km (3,034,680 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 116 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Discovery |
| Launch mass | 110,655 kg (243,953 lb) |
| Landing mass | 87,565 kg (193,048 lb) |
| Payload mass | 11,860 kg (26,150 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 5 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | December 2, 1992, 13:24:00 (1992-12-02UTC13:24Z) UTC (8:24 am EST) |
| Launch site | Kennedy,LC-39A |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | December 9, 1992, 20:43:17 (1992-12-09UTC20:43:18Z) UTC (12:43:47 pm PST) |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 22 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 365 km (227 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 376 km (234 mi) |
| Inclination | 57.00° |
| Period | 92.00 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| |
 STS-53 mission patch  Back:Walker,Cabana andClifford Front:Bluford andVoss | |
STS-53 was aNASASpace ShuttleDiscovery mission in support of theUnited States Department of Defense (DoD). It was Discovery's 15th flight. The mission was launched on December 2, 1992, fromKennedy Space Center,Florida. This was also the last mission to have been operated viaMCR-2 in JSC. Afterwards the room was restored entirely to its Apollo era appearance.
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | David M. Walker Third spaceflight | |
| Pilot | Robert D. Cabana Second spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 1 | Guion Bluford Fourth and last spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 2 Flight Engineer | James S. Voss Second spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 3 | Michael R. Clifford First spaceflight | |
| Seat[1] | Launch | Landing |  Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck. Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walker | ||
| 2 | Cabana | ||
| 3 | Bluford | Clifford | |
| 4 | Voss | ||
| 5 | Clifford | Bluford | |
| 6 | Unused | ||
| 7 | Unused | ||
Discovery carried a classified primary payload (DOD-1) for the United States Department of Defense (DoD), two unclassified secondary payloads and nine unclassified middeck experiments.[2]
Discovery's primary payload,USA-89 (1992-086B) is also known as"DoD-1", and was the shuttle's last major payload for the Department of Defense. The satellite was the third launch of aSatellite Data System-2 (SDS 2-3)military communications satellite, afterUSA-40 onSTS-28 andSTS-38's deployment ofUSA-67.[2]
Secondary payloads contained in or attached toGet Away Special (GAS) hardware in the cargo bay included the Orbital Debris Radar Calibration Spheres (ODERACS) satellites and the combined Shuttle Glow Experiment/Cryogenic Heat Pipe Experiment (GCP).[2]
Middeck experiments included Microcapsules in Space (MIS-l); Space Tissue Loss (STL); Visual Function Tester (VFT-2); Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM); Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME-III); Fluid Acquisition and Resupply Experiment (FARE); Hand-held, Earth-oriented, Real-time, Cooperative, User-friendly, Location-targeting and Environmental System (HERCULES); Battlefield Laser Acquisition Sensor Test (BLAST); and the Cloud Logic to Optimize Use of Defense Systems (CLOUDS).[2]
The five sides representthe Pentagon, the Department of Defense headquarters. The five stars and three stripes of the insignia symbolize the flight's numerical designation in theSpace Transportation System's mission sequence.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Space ShuttleDiscovery (OV-103) | ||
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| Completed flights | .jpg) | |
| Status |
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| On display | ||
| Related |
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