STS-49

STS-49 was NASA's maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which launched on May 7, 1992. The primary goal of its nine-day mission was to retrieve an Intelsat VI satellite, Intelsat 603, which failed to leave Low Earth orbit two years before, attach it to a new upper stage, and relaunch it to its intended geosynchronous orbit. After several attempts, the capture was completed with the only three-person extravehicular activity (EVA) in space flight history. It would also stand until STS-102 in 2001 as the longest EVA ever undertaken.

STS-49
Hieb, Akers, and Thuot assist in capturing the Intelsat 603 satellite from its derelict orbit.
NamesSpace Transportation System-49
Mission typeIntelsat-603 satellite repair
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID1992-026A
SATCAT no.21963
Mission duration8 days, 21 hours, 17 minutes, 38 seconds
Distance travelled5,948,166 km (3,696,019 mi)
Orbits completed141
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSpace Shuttle Endeavour
Launch mass116,390 kg (256,600 lb)
Landing mass91,279 kg (201,236 lb)
Payload mass16,984 kg (37,443 lb)
Crew
Crew size7
Members
Start of mission
Launch dateMay 7, 1992, 23:40:00 UTC
RocketSpace Shuttle Endeavour
Launch siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39B
ContractorRockwell International
End of mission
Landing dateMay 16, 1992, 20:57:38 UTC
Landing siteEdwards Air Force Base,
Runway 22
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude268 km (167 mi)
Apogee altitude341 km (212 mi)
Inclination28.32°
Period90.60 minutes
Instruments

STS-49 mission patch

Thornton, Melnick, Thuot, Brandenstein, Chilton, Akers, Hieb
 
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