#sts-21

"The three main engines of the Space Shuttle Atlantis are fired during a sucessful flight readiness test in preparation for the STS 51-J mission."

Date: September 12, 1985

"At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the new Space Shuttle, Atlantis, arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The shuttle is mounted atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Over the next seven months Atlantis will be prepared for its maiden voyage, STS-51-J. Atlantis, NASA's fourth space-rated shuttle, was named after the two-masted boat that served as the primary research vessel for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966. The boat had a 17-member crew and accommodated up to five scientists who worked in two onboard laboratories, examining water samples and marine life. Like its predecessors, Atlantis was constructed by Rockwell International in Palmdale, Calif. The spacecraft was transported over land from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base on April 3, 1985 for the cross-country ferry flight to Kennedy."

Date: April 13, 1985

"Wheels of the Space Shuttle Atlantis touch down on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base to mark successful completion of the STS-51-J mission."

"George W.S. Abbey, bottom right, greets the five members of the STS 51-J crew as they egress the Atlantis following the successful completion of a mission in Earth orbit. Astronaut Karol J. Bobko, who led the five down the steps, shakes hands with the JSC director of flight crew operations. He is followed (bottom to top) By Astronauts Ronald J. Grabe, pilot; David C. Hilmers and Robert L. Stewart, both mission specialists; and USAF Maj. William A. Pailes, payload specialist."

Date: October 7, 1985

source, source

Space Shuttle Atlantis (OV-104) lifts off during her maiden voyage, STS-51-J.

"Space Shuttle flight 51-J marks achievement of another important milestone for the Space Trans portation System (STS): completion of the United States manned launch vehicle fleet.

This twenty-first STS flight is the first mission for the Space Shuttle Atlantis, the fourth Space Shuttle orbiter. Atlantis joins Columbia, with six flights; Challenger, veteran of eight space missions; and Discovery, which has flown six times.

This four-orbiter fleet will serve as the primary launch system for United States spacecraft well into the next decade, when two dozen Space Shuttle flights will be flown each year. These vehicles will transport spacecraft for the first legs of journeys to explore Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and the previously unseen poles of the Sun. They will deploy scores of communications satellites, carry hundreds of scientific experiments, and serve as construction bases for the United States Space Station. Citizens of more than a dozen nations will fly in space on these four Space Shuttles.

Like its sister ships, Atlantis was assembled by Rockwell International in Palmdale, California, with components manufactured in 46 states.

Space Shuttle mission 51-J carries four crew members, half of whom are space flight veterans. Commander Karol Bobko was the pilot for STS-6, and commander for mission 51-D. Mission special- ist Robert Stewart also flew on flight 41-B. Pilot Ronald J. Grabe and mission specialist David Hilmers are space flight rookies.

A payload built for the United States Depart ment of Defense is flying on this first flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis."

Date: October 3, 1985

Enterprise (OV-101) saw her sister, Atlantis (OV-104) launch into space during her maiden voyage, STS-51-J. The prototype Space Shuttle and Saturn V rocket were on display near the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).

Date: October 3, 1985

"Liftoff of first flight of Atlantis and the STS 51-J mission. The view is from below the orbiter and shows its solid rocket boosters firing."

Date: October 3, 1985

NASA ID: 51J-S-003

"CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This orbiter tribute of space shuttle Atlantis, or OV-104, hangs in Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the lower-left corner, it features Atlantis soaring above Earth and threaded through the design are the mission patches for each of Atlantis’ flights. Atlantis' accomplishments include seven missions to the Russian space station Mir and several assembly, construction and resupply missions to the International Space Station. Atlantis also flew the last Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission on STS-125. In the tribute, the planet Venus represents the Magellan probe being deployed during STS-30, and Jupiter represents the Galileo probe being deployed during STS-34. The inset photos illustrate various aspects of shuttle processing as well as significant achievements, such as the glass cockpit and the first shuttle docking with Mir during STS-71. The inset photo in the upper-left corner shows a rainbow over Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A and shuttle Endeavour on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy. Endeavour was the assigned vehicle had Atlantis’ STS-125 mission needed rescue, and this was the last time both launch pads were occupied at the same time. The stars in the background represent the many people who have worked with Atlantis and their contributions to the vehicle’s success."

Date: July 29, 2010