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Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
15:09:59
Thursday November 12, 1981
Watch Replay
Official Livestream
The first reuse of a crewed orbital spacecraft, and the first test of the Canadarm robotic arm; the test was truncated due to a fuel cell problem.
This mission tested the Shuttle Imaging Radar as part of the OSTA-1 payload, along with a wide range of other experiments including the Shuttle robotic arm, commonly known as Canadarm.[3] Other experiments or tests included the Shuttle Multispectral Infrared Radiometer, Feature Identification and Location Experiment, Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites, Ocean Color Experiment, Night/Day Optical Survey of Lightning, Heflex Bioengineering Test, and Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP).[3] One of the feats accomplished was various tests on the OMS including starting and restarting the rocket engines while in orbit and various adjustments to its orbit.
Low Earth Orbit
8,517 kilograms
Agency
NASAPrice
$450.00 million
Rocket
Height: 56.1m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 27,500 kg
GTO: 3,810 kg
Liftoff Thrust
30,250 Kilonewtons
Stages
2
Strap-ons
2
2nd
Mission
2nd
Mission of 1981
113th
Orbital launch attempt