Nov 15 1990
From The Space Library
Space Shuttle Atlantis, flight STS-38, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a classified satellite, probably to be used for reconnaissance in the Persian Gulf region. The flight marked the last time a Shuttle would be assigned a secret and sole military payload because the Pentagon planned to use untended rockets for classified missions in the future. The satellite was deployed the following day.
Atlantis touched down at Cape Canaveral on November 20 after a continuation of high winds and rains had prevented landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California the day before. NASA preferred using the seven-mile runway at Edwards, as opposed to the three-mile strip at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which had not been used since 1985. Astronauts, however, said they felt no hesitation in using the Kennedy runway. This was only the sixth time the orbiter had used the runway and the first time since the Challenger accident. Two more military missions were planned for the Space Shuttle, but the payloads would be unclassified. (NY Times, Nov 16/90; Nov 21/90; W Post, Nov 16/90; Nov 21/90; NASA Anno)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
