STS-44 (44)

Atlantis (10)

Pad 39-A (43)

44th Shuttle mission

10th flight OV-104

Shortened mission

Diverted landing

Crew:

Frederick D. Gregory (3), Commander

Terence T. Henricks (1), Pilot

F. Story Musgrave (4), Mission Specialist

Mario Runco, Jr. (1), Mission Specialist

James S. Voss (1), Mission Specialist

Thomas J. Hennen (1), Payload Specialist

Milestones:

OPF - Aug. 12,1991

VAB - Oct. 18, 1991

PAD - Oct. 23,1991

Payload:

DSP, IOCM, MODE(2), AMOS(2), MMIS, CREAM, SAM, RME-III, VFT-1, UVPI, BFPT, EDOMP

Mission Objectives:

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Launch:

November 24, 1991, 6:44:00 p.m. EST. Launch set for Nov. 19 delayed due to malfunctioning redundant inertial measurement unit on inertial Upper Stage booster attached to Defense Support Program satellite. Unit replaced and tested. Launch reset for Nov. 24, delayed 13 minutes to allow an orbiting spacecraft to pass and to allow external tank liquid oxygen replenishment after minor repairs to valve in the liquid oxygen replenishment system in the mobile launcher platform. Launch Weight: 259,629 lbs.

Orbit:

Altitude: 197nm

Inclination: 28.5 degrees

Orbits: 110

Duration: 6 days, 22 hours, 50 minutes, 44 seconds.

Distance: 2,890,067 miles

Hardware:

SRB: BI-047

SRM: 360L/W019

ET : 53/LWT-46

MLP : 1

SSME-1: SN-2015

SSME-2: SN-2030

SSME-3: SN-2029

Landing:

December 1, 1991, 2:34:12 p.m. PST, Runway 5. Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 11,191 feet. Rollout time: 107 seconds. Landing originally scheduled for KSC on Dec. 4, but ten-day mission shortened and landing rescheduled following Nov. 30 on-orbit failure of one of three orbiter inertial measurement units. Lengthy rollout due to minimal braking for test. Orbiter returned to KSC on Dec. 8. Landing Weight: 193,825 lbs.

Mission Highlights:

Dedicated Department of Defense mission. Unclassified payload included Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite and attached Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), deployed on flight day one. Cargo bay and middeck payloads: Interim Operational Contamination Monitor(IOCM); Terra Scout; Military Man in Space (M88-1); Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS); Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM); Shuttle Activation Monitor (SAM); Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME III); Visual Function Tester-1 (VFT-1); Ultraviolet Plume Instrument (UVPI). Bioreactor Flow and Particle Trajectory experiment; and Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project, a series of investigations in support of Extended Duration Orbiter.

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