STS-26

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STS-26
Organization NASA-Office of Space Flight (United States)
Mission type Human Crew
Launch date September 29, 1988 (1988-09-29)
Launch vehicle Space Shuttle
Launch site Cape Canaveral, United States
COSPAR ID 1988-091A
Experiments Here
Alternate Names 19547
Additional Information Here
Data Collection Here
Payload Mass Up 21082.0 kg


STS-26 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center utilizing the Shuttle vehicle Discovery. The primary objective of the mission was to deploy the TDRS-C, and to conduct seven mid-deck experiments that were part of NASA's microgravity science and applications program. This mission marked resumption of Shuttle flights after 1986 51-L accident. The primary payload, NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-3 (TDRS-3) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), became second TDRS deployed. After deployment, IUS propelled satellite to geosynchronous orbit. Secondary payloads: Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids (PVTOS); Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); Infrared Communications Flight Experiment (IRCFE); Aggregation of Red Blood Cells (ARC); Isoelectric Focusing Experiment (IFE); Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE); Phase Partitioning Experiment (PPE); Earth-Limb Radiance Experiment (ELRAD); Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF); and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments. Orbiter Experiments Autonomous Supporting Instrumentation System-1 (OASIS-1) recorded variety of environmental measurements during various inflight phases of orbiter. The Ku-band antenna in the payload bay was deployed; however, a dish antenna command and actual telemetry did not correspond. Also, the orbiter cabin Flash Evaporator System iced up, raising crew cabin temperature to mid-80s.


Mission patch: