Feb 2 1984
From The Space Library
NASA announced the crew assignments for Space Shuttle flights 51-D, scheduled for launch in February 1985, and 61-D, set for January 1986. Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., would command 51-D. Shaw was pilot of the orbiter Columbia on STS-9, the first Spacelab mission flown in November and December 1983. His crew would consist of Bryan D. O'Connor as pilot and mission specialists Mary Cleave, Sherwood C. Spring, and Jerry L. Ross. Mission 51-D would be the 21st Space Shuttle flight and the 9th for the orbiter Challenger. The principal objectives of the six-day flight would be deployment of a SYNCOM communications satellite and retrieval of the free-flying Long Duration Exposure Facility.
John M. Fabian, an Air Force pilot with more than 3,500 hours of flying time, would fly as one of the pilots on 61-D. He flew as mission specialist on STS-7 in July 1983 and was scheduled for 51-A in October as a mission specialist. Flight 61-D mission specialists would be James P. Bagian, M.D., and Rhea Seddon, M.D., who is also scheduled to fly on mission 41-F in August. Mission 61-D would be the fourth Spacelab flight, focusing on experiments in life sciences during its seven days in space. It would be the ninth flight of the orbiter Columbia. A commander and another pilot for 61-D would be named at a later date. (NASA Release 84-11)
Donald J. Johnston, Canadian Minister of State for Science and Technology, announced that a Canadian would fly as a payload specialist on Space Shuttle mission 51-A, set for launch in October, in addition to two earlier Canadians already scheduled for Shuttle flights. NASA offered Canada the opportunity to fly a payload specialist in keeping with President Reagan's initiative to increase international cooperation. Shuttle flight 51-A would be a six-day flight, carrying Telesat Canada's ANIK C-1 satellite and a Getaway Special experiment designed by two Canadian high school students. The Canadian crew member and backup for the October flight would be announced in March. (NASA Release 84-12)
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