STS-2
Sign in to saveSTS-2 was the second Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, and the second flight of the orbiter Columbia. The mission, crewed by Joe H. Engle and Richard H. Truly, launched on November 12, 1981, and landed two days later on November 14, 1981. STS-2 marked the first time that a crewed, reusable orbital vehicle returned to space. This mission tested the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR) as part of the OSTA-1 (Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications) payload, along with a wide range of other experiments including the Shuttle robotic arm, commonly known as Canadarm.
Key facts
- Spaceflight.name
- STS-2
- Spaceflight.image
- STS-2 Canadarm debut.jpg
- Spaceflight.image_caption
- Canadarm's in-flight test during STS-2
- Spaceflight.names_list
- Space Transportation System-2
- Spaceflight.mission_type
- Flight test
- Spaceflight.operator
- NASA
- Spaceflight.mission_duration
- Achieved: Planned: 5 days
- Spaceflight.orbits_completed
- 37
- Spaceflight.crew_size
- 2
- Spaceflight.launch_date
- UTC (10:10amEST)
- Spaceflight.launch_site
- Kennedy, LC-39A
- Spaceflight.launch_contractor
- Rockwell International
- Spaceflight.landing_date
- UTC (1:23:12pmPST)
- Spaceflight.landing_site
- Edwards, Runway23
- Spaceflight.orbit_reference
- Geocentric orbit
- Spaceflight.orbit_regime
- Low Earth orbit
- Spaceflight.orbit_inclination
- 38.03°
- Spaceflight.orbit_period
- 89.00 minutes
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Duration
- 195192
- Mass
- 8517
- Orbital period
- 89.0
- Image
- STS-2 Canadarm debut.jpg
Show 8 more facts
- Commons category
- STS-2
- UTC date of spacecraft launch
- 1981-11-12
- Commons gallery
- STS-2
- orbits completed
- 37
- UTC date of spacecraft landing
- 1981-11-14
- orbital inclination
- 38.0
- apoapsis
- 222
- periapsis
- 231
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~10 min read
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Crew
- Backup crew
- Support crew
- Crew seat assignments
- Mission summary
- Experiments or tests
- Mission insignia
- Wake-up calls
- Gallery
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
STS-2 was the second Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, and the second flight of the orbiter Columbia. The mission, crewed by Joe H. Engle and Richard H. Truly, launched on November 12, 1981, and landed two days later on November 14, 1981. STS-2 marked the first time that a crewed, reusable orbital vehicle returned to space. This mission tested the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR) as part of the OSTA-1 (Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications) payload, along with a wide range of other experiments including the Shuttle robotic arm, commonly known as Canadarm.
Other experiments or tests included 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). One of the feats accomplished was various tests on the Orbital Maneuvring System (OMS) including starting and restarting the engines while in orbit and various adjustments to its orbit. The OMS tests also helped adjust the Shuttle's orbit for use of the radar. During the mission, President Reagan called the crew of STS-2 from Mission Control Center in Houston.