STS-1

USA

Manned Flight nº: 80

Earth orbit Flight nº: 77

USA manned Flight nº: 32

Launch, orbit & landing data:

Designation 12399 / 81034A
Launch date - time 12 Apr 1981 - 12:00:00 UT
Launch site KSC, LC39A
Launch vehicle  Space Shuttle (#1)
Orbiter Columbia OV-102 (#1)
Primary payload DFI, ACIP
Mass (kg) 4909
Backup crew 
Earth orbit on :
   - Perigee x Apogee 240 x 251 km
   - Inclination 40.3°
   - Period 89.4 min
Landing date - time
(Touchdown)		 14 Apr 1981 - 18:20:52 UT
Rollout time 60 sec
Landing location Edwards AFB, Runway 23
Flight Duration (d:hr:min) 2d 06h 20m
Nbr orbits 36 (37? ref:#16)
Distance traveled 1,729,347 km

1e orbital test flight of the Space Shuttle; evaluate and verify of Shuttle hardware and software systems; John Young became the first astronaut, who performed five missions.
STS-1 was the first orbital flight by a winged piloted spaceship, the first spacecraft to return from orbit to land on a runway, the first flight test of the reuseable thermal tiles, the first piloted vehicle to make substantial aerodynamic maneuvers at velocities in excess of Mach 8, and the first piloted spaceship to be launched with the help of solid propellant rockets.

Flight Crew:

Nr. Surname Given name Job Duration
1  Young  John Watts  CDR 2d 06h 20m 53s 
2  Crippen  Robert Laurel  PLT 2d 06h 20m 53s 

Flight

STS-1 STS-1 - Detailed drawing of STS-1 Columbia - Credit: NASA.
Summary: First flight of Space Transportation System (aka Space Shuttle).. Payloads: Development Flight Instrumentation and Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package.

STS-1 STS-1 - STS 1 Shuttle Columbia firing main engines - Credit: NASA.
Orbiter Liftoff Mass: 99,453 kg. Orbiter Mass at Landing: 88,662 kg. Payload to Orbit: 4,909 kg. Payload Returned: 4,909 kg. Landed at: Runway 23 dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base, . Landing Speed: 339 kph. Touchdown miss distance: 1,844 m. Landing Rollout: 2,741 m.
STS-1 STS-1 - Launch view of the Columbia for the STS-1 mission, April 12, 1981 - Credit: NASA.
NASA Official Mission Narrative

1st Shuttle mission
1st Flight OV-102

STS-1 STS-1 - Launch view of the Columbia for the STS-1 mission, April 12, 1981 - Credit: NASA.
Crew:
John W. Young (5), Commander
Robert L. Crippen (1), Pilot Backup

Crew:
Joseph H. Engle (0), Commander
Richard H. Truly (0), Pilot

Milestones:
03/24/79 - Arrival from Dryden
03/25/79 - Move to OPF-1 (610 days)
11/24/80 - Move to VAB-3 (35 days)
12/29/80 - Move to PAD-39A (105 days)
02/20/81 - Flight Readiness Firing (FRF)
04/12/81 - Launch
04/14/81 - Landing
04/28/81 - Return to KSC (14 days)

STS-1 STS-1 - Tracking views from the IGOR Tracking camera of the STS-1 SRB separation - Credit: NASA.
Mission Objectives:
Demonstrate safe launch into orbit and safe return of the orbiter and crew. Verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle - orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank.
Payloads included the Developmental Flight Instrumentation (DFI) and the Aerodynamic Coefficient Identifications Package (ACIP) pallet containing equipment for recording temperatures, pressures and acceleration levels at various points on the vehicle.

STS-1 STS-1 - Tracking views from the IGOR Tracking camera of the STS-1 SRB separation - Credit: NASA.
Launch:
April 12, 1981, 7:00:03 a.m, EST. Launch April 10 postponed due to timing skew in orbiter's general purpose computer system. Backup flight software failed to synchronize with primary avionics software system. Countdown proceeded on schedule April 12. First 24 Shuttle liftoffs - STS-1 through 61-C - were from Pad 39-A. Launch Weight: 219,258 lbs.
Orbit:
Altitude: 166nm
Inclination: 40.3 degrees
Orbits: 37
Duration: 2 Days, 6 hours, 20 min, 53 seconds
Distance: 1,074,567 miles

STS-1STS-1 - Tracking views from the IGOR Tracking camera of the STS-1 SRB separation - Credit: NASA. 7,518 bytes. 301 x 301 pixels.
Hardware:
SRB: BI-001
SRM: 001SW(SPM)
ET : 2/SWT-1
MLP : 1
SSME-1: SN-2007
SSME-2: SN-2006
SSME-3: SN-2005

STS-1STS-1 - Selected frames of the SRB separation during STS-1 launch path - Credit: NASA. 14,850 bytes. 311 x 311 pixels.
Landing:
April 14, 1981, 10:20:57 a.m. PST, Runway 23, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 8,993 feet. Rollout time: 60 seconds. Orbiter returned to KSC April 28, 1981. Landing Weight: 194,184 lbs.

STS-1STS-1 - Selected frames of the SRB separation during STS-1 launch path - Credit: NASA. 14,267 bytes. 312 x 312 pixels.
Mission Highlights:
Primary mission objectives of the maiden flight were to check out the overall Shuttle system, accomplish a safe ascent into orbit and to return to Earth for a safe landing. All of these objectives were met successfully and the Shuttle's worthiness as a space vehicle was verified.
Major systems tested successfully on first flight of Space Trans- portation System. Orbiter sustained tile damage on launch and from overpressure wave created by solid rocket boosters. Sub sequent modifications to water sound suppression system eliminated problem. Sixteen tiles lost and 148 damaged.
The only payload carried on the mission was a Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) package which contained sensors and measuring devices to record orbiter performance and the stresses that occurred during launch, ascent, orbital flight, descent and landing.
Post-flight inspection of the Columbia revealed that an overpressure wave which occurred when the SRB ignited resulted in the loss of 16 heat shield tiles and damage to 148 others. In all other respects, however, Columbia came through the flight with flying colors, and it was to fly the next four Shuttle missions.
Columbia was returned to Kennedy Space Center from California on April 28 atop its 747 carrier aircraft.
STS-1 STS-1 - Selected frames of the SRB separation during STS-1 launch path - Credit: NASA.
STS-1 STS-1 - Selected frames of the SRB separation during STS-1 launch path - Credit: NASA.
STS-1 STS-1 - Inflight activites of Young and Crippen in the cockpit and middeck STS-1 - Credit: NASA.
STS-1 STS-1 - Inflight activites of Young and Crippen in the cockpit and middeck STS-1 - Credit: NASA.
STS-1 STS-1 - Inflight activites of Young and Crippen in the cockpit and middeck STS-1 - Credit: NASA.
STS-1 STS-1 - Yemen - Credit: NASA.


The Space Shuttle Columbia/STS-1 glides down over Rogers Dry Lake as it heads for a landing at Edwards Air Force Base. Credit: NASA

Approch

STS-1 touches down on lakebed runway 23. Credit: NASA

Tire tracks left in Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB show where the Space Shuttle Columbia/STS-1 successfully touched down - Credit: NASA.

External links:

Astrophilately covers:

Landing cancel Edwards.

Ref.: #1, #7(JR70), #8, #16, #127, #313, #314 - update: 21.05.21 Home