STS-28

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  20164 / 89061A Launch date - time  08 Aug 1989 - 12:37:00 UT Launch site  KSC, LC39B Launch vehicle  Space Shuttle Orbiter  Columbia OV-102 (#8) Primary payload  USA-40 / USA-41 Mass (kg)   Flight Crew  Shaw, Richards, Adamson Leestma, Brown Call Sign   Earth orbit on :    - Perigee / Apogee   km    - Inclination  57.0°    - Period   min Landing date - time  13 Aug 1989 - 13:37:08 UT Landing location  Edwards AFB, Runway 17 Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  5d 01h 00m Nbr orbits  81

Crew

Mission details:

• OV-102 Columbia due to be rolled out to the pad on Jul 13, 1989 for mission STS-28.
• STS-28/OV-102 Columbia went into space at 1237 UT on Aug 8, 1989 into a 300km altitude orbit inclined at 57 degrees. All passes over the US are in daytime. Columbia was expected to deploy the KH-12 Ikon recon satellite on Aug 8/9.
• STS-28 landed at Edwards on Aug 13 after deploying a large satellite, probably the KH-12 recon satellite, and a small SDI tracking target.
• Fourth mission dedicated to Department of Defense; deploying military satellite KH-12 and Ferret; observation and photo-experiments for visibility of small structures on Earth surface.

STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, Pilot Richards adjusts LES before bailout exercises - Credit: NASA.

Manned five crew. Deployed 2 classified satellites. Landed at: Runway 17 dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base, . Landing Speed: 287 kph. Touchdown miss distance: 1,618.00 m. Landing Rollout: 1,833.00 m. Payloads: DoD Mission.

STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, lifts off from KSC Launch Complex (LC) Pad 39B - Credit: NASA.

Mission Name: STS-28 (30)
COLUMBIA (8)
Pad 39-B (11)
30th Shuttle mission
8th Flight OV-102

Crew:
Brewster H. Shaw, Jr. (3), Commander
Richard N. Richards (1), Pilot
James C. Adamson (1), Mission Specialist 1
David C. Leestma (2), Mission Specialist 2
Mark N. Brown (1), Mission Specialist 3

STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, Pilot Richards at forward flight deck pilots station - Credit: NASA. 61,628 bytes. 620 x 620 pixels.

Payload:
DoD(4)
Mission Objectives:

Launch:
August 8, 1989, 8:37:00 a.m. EDT. Liftoff occurred during classified launch window lying within launch period extending from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT, Aug. 8. Launch Weight: Classified.
Orbit:
Altitude: Classified
Inclination: 57.0 degrees
Orbits: 81
Duration: 5 days, 1 hour, 0 minutes, 8 seconds.
Distance: 2,100,000 miles (approx)

STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, MS Brown juggles food containers on middeck - Credit: NASA.

Landing:
August 13, 1989, 6:37:08 a.m. PDT, Runway 17, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 6,015 feet. Rollout time: 46 seconds. Orbiter returned to KSC Aug. 21, 1989. Landing Weight: 200,214 lbs.

STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, MS Brown uses ARRIFLEX camera on aft flight deck - Credit: NASA.

STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, landing at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) California - Credit: NASA.

STS-28 - STS-28 MS Adamson inspects Columbia′s, OV-102's, thermal protection system - Credit: NASA.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Houston.