STS-42

STS-42 was a NASA Space Shuttle Discovery mission with the Spacelab module. Liftoff was originally scheduled for 8:45 EST (13:45 UTC) on January 22, 1992, but the launch was delayed due to weather constraints. Discovery successfully lifted off an hour later at 9:52:33 EST (14:52:33 UTC). The main goal of the mission was to study the effects of microgravity on a variety of organisms. The shuttle landed at 8:07:17 PST (16:07:17 UTC) on January 30, 1992, on Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, California. STS-42 was the first of two flights in 1992 of Discovery, the second of which occurred during STS-53, which launched on December 2, 1992. The mission was also the last mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery to have a seven-member crew until STS-82, which was launched on February 11, 1997.

STS-42
Spacelab Module LM2 in Discovery's payload bay, serving as the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML).
NamesSpace Transportation System-42
Mission typeMicrogravity research
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID1992-002A
SATCAT no.21846
Mission duration8 days, 1 hour, 14 minutes, 44 seconds
Distance travelled4,701,140 km (2,921,150 mi)
Orbits completed129
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSpace Shuttle Discovery
Launch mass110,400 kg (243,400 lb)
Landing mass98,924 kg (218,090 lb)
Payload mass13,066 kg (28,806 lb)
Crew
Crew size7
Members
Start of mission
Launch dateJanuary 22, 1992, 14:52:33 UTC
RocketSpace Shuttle Discovery
Launch siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39A
ContractorRockwell International
End of mission
Landing dateJanuary 30, 1992, 16:07:17 UTC
Landing siteEdwards Air Force Base,
Runway 22
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude291 km (181 mi)
Apogee altitude307 km (191 mi)
Inclination57.00°
Period90.50 minutes

STS-42 mission patch

Stephen S. Oswald, Roberta Bondar, Norman Thagard, Ronald J. Grabe, David C. Hilmers, Ulf Merbold, William F. Readdy
 
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