STS-33

USA

Manned Flight n°: 129

Earth orbit Flight n°: 126

USA manned Flight n°: 63

Launch, orbit & landing data:

Designation 20329 / 89090A
Launch date - time 23 Nov 1989 - 00:23:30 UT
Launch site KSC, LC39B
Launch vehicle  Space Shuttle
Orbiter Discovery OV-103 (#9)
Primary payload Magnum 2 (USA-48)
Mass (kg) 
Flight Crew Gregory, Blaha, Carter
Musgrave, Thornton
Call Sign 
Earth orbit on :
   - Perigee / Apogee  km
   - Inclination 28.45°
   - Period  min
Landing date - time 28 Nov 1989 - 00:30:16 UT
Landing location Edwards AFB, Runway 04
Flight Duration (d:hr:min) 5d 00h 06m
Nbr orbits 79

Crew

Nr. Surname Given name Job Duration
1  Gregory  Frederick Drew  CDR 5d 00h 06m 
2  Blaha  John Elmer  PLT 5d 00h 06m 
3  Musgrave  Franklin Story  MSP 5d 00h 06m 
4  Carter  Manley Lanier, Jr. "Sonny"  MSP 5d 00h 06m 
5  Thornton  Kathryn Cordell Ryan  MSP 5d 00h 06m 

David Griggs was replaced by Blaha John, after his airplane crash on 17 Jun 1989.

Mission details:

Launch from Cape Canaveral (KSC); landing on Edwards AFB; fifth mission dedicated to Department of Defense; deploying of reconnaissance satellite "Big Ear" (Magnum 2; USA-48); Gregory became first afro-american spacecraft commander.
Duration: 5.00 days.Payload: Discovery F09 / Magnum 2 [IUS]. Perigee: 207 km. Apogee: 214 km. Inclination: 28.5 deg. Period: 88.7 min.
STS-33 STS-33 - STS-33 crewmembers, wearing LESs, leave KSC O&C Bldg for launch pad - Credit: NASA.

Manned five crew. Deployed a classified payload. Orbits of Earth: 78. Distance traveled: 3,218,687 km. Landed at: Concrete runway 04 at Edwards Air Force Base, Cali. Landing Speed: 368 kph. Touchdown miss distance: 570.00 m. Landing Rollout: 2,366.00 m. Payloads: DoD Mission - third space shuttle night launch.

STS-33STS-33 - STS-33 Discovery, OV-103, early morning liftoff from KSC LC Pad 39B - Credit: NASA. 17,255 bytes. 416 x 416 pixels.
NASA Official Mission Narrative

Mission Name: STS-33 (32)
DISCOVERY (9)
Pad 39-B (13)
32nd Shuttle mission
9th Flight OV-103
3rd Night Launch (1st since return to flight)

STS-33STS-33 - Aerial view of STS-33 Discovery, OV-103, lifting off from KSC LC Pad 39B - Credit: NASA. 12,455 bytes. 342 x 342 pixels.
Crew:
Frederick D. Gregory (2), Commander
John E. Blaha (2), Pilot
F. Story Musgrave (3), Mission Specialist 1
Manley L Carter, Jr.(1), Mission Specialist 2
Kathryn C. Thornton (1), Mission Specialist 3

STS-33STS-33 - STS-33 MS Musgrave, wearing headset, poses on Discovery's, OV-103's, middeck - Credit: NASA.
Milestones:
OPF - Aug, 20,1989
VAB - Oct. 5. 1989
PAD - Oct. 27, 1989

Payload:
DoD(5)
Mission Objectives:

Launch:
November 22, 1989,7:23:30 p.m. EST. Launch set for Nov. 20 rescheduled to allow changeout of suspect integrated electronics assemblies on twin solid rocket boosters. Launch Weight: Classified.
Orbit:
Altitude: 302
Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Orbits: 79
Duration: 5 days, 0 hours, 6 minutes, 49 seconds.
Distance: 2,100,000 miles

STS-33STS-33 - STS-33 crewmembers on OV-103's aft flight deck photograph Earth observations - Credit: NASA.
Hardware:
SRB: BI-034
SRM: 360L007
ET : 38/LWT-31
MLP : 2
SSME-1: SN-2011
SSME-2: SN-2031
SSME-3: SN-2107

STS-33STS-33 - STS-33 MS Carter and MS Thornton display "Maggot on Board" sign and candy - Credit: NASA.
Landing:
November 27,1989,4:30:16 p.m. PST, Runway 4, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 7,764 feet. Rollout time: 46 seconds. Orbiter returned to KSC Dec. 4, 1989. Landing Weight: 194,282 lbs.

STS-33STS-33 - STS-33 Pilot Blaha with his hand on the RHC looks out aft flight deck window - Credit: NASA.
Mission Highlights:
Fifth mission dedicated to Department of Defense.
STS-33 STS-33 - STS-33 MS Thornton on Discovery's, OV-103's, aft flight deck - Credit: NASA.
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