STS-30
From The Space Library
 | |
| Organization | NASA-Office of Space Flight (United States) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth Science,Human Crew,Microgravity |
| Launch date | May 4, 1989 |
| Launch vehicle | Space Shuttle |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, United States |
| COSPAR ID | 1989-033A |
| Inclination | 28.85 degrees |
| Experiments | Here |
| Alternate Names | 19968 |
| Additional Information | Here |
| Data Collection | Here |
| Payload Mass Up | 20833 kg |
| Payload Mass Down | 3500.45 kg |
| Orbiter | Atlantis |
| Lift Off Mass | 2,057,920.91 kg |
| Orbiter Weight at Liftoff | 118,690.00 kg |
| Orbiter Weight at Landing | 87,481.36 kg |
| Landed | Concrete runway 22 at Edwards AFB, Calif. |
| Orbits of Earth | 64 |
| Orbital Altitude | 160 nautical miles (184 statute miles) |
Contents |
Crew
- Commander: David M. Walker
- Pilot: Ronald J. Grabe
- Mission Specialist 1: Norman E. Thagard
- Mission Specialist 2: Mary L. Cleave
- Mission Specialist 3: Mark C. Lee
Mission
STS 30 was the fourth flight of the Atlantic orbiter and the 29th shuttle mission. Its primary objective was the deployment of the Magellan spacecraft, which consisted of the orbiting satellite and a two-stage, solid propellant inertial upper stage (IUS). The IUS was ignited approximately 60 minutes after deployment from the shuttle, placing Magellan in a transfer orbit from Earth to Venus. The mission also had a number of middeck experiments. The Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA) examined the applications of floating zone processes and their effects on crystal quality by melting and recrystallizing a sample and imaging the results. The Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE) objectives were to observe and record the visual characteristics of large scale lightning as seen from space using the onboard cargo bay TV and 35 mm cameras and to develop a better understanding of this type of lightning. The primary objective of the Air Force Maui Optical Site Calibration (AMOS) was to use the orbiter during cooperative overflights of Maui to support the calibration of the AMOS groundbased sensors and to observe plume phenomena. The total duration of this shuttle flight was 4 days, 56 minutes, and 28 seconds for a total of 65 orbits.
Payload
Deploy IUS with Magellan spacecraft; Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA); Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE); Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment
Mission patch: 
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