#sts-27

Jerry Ross (born 20 January 1948) served on 7 Space Shuttle missions from 1985 - 2002, and spent almost 1400 hours in space, including 58 hours on EVAs (Extravehicular Activities).

Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-27, on it's way to space in the late 1980s. via /r/spaceporn https://ift.tt/36mgHhm

STS-27, Orbiter Atlantis, Liftoff by NASA on The Commons Via Flickr: Space Shuttle Atlantis takes flight on its STS-27 mission on December 2, 1988, 9:30 a.m. EST, utilizing 375,000 pounds thrust produced by its three main engines. The STS-27 was the third classified mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DoD). After completion of mission, Orbiter Atlantis landed December 6, 1988, 3:36 p.m. PST at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Image Number: 8898508 Date: December 2, 1988

It was the second flight after the Challenger disaster two years earlier, and Atlantis heat protection tiles were damaged during launch (about 90 seconds into liftoff) when the solid booster rocket hit the shuttle. Limited camera angles and poor camera resolution made it almost impossible to determine the extent of the damage. Once the shuttle landed on 9 December, however, it was revealed that more than 700 protection tiles were damaged, and one tile was missing altogether. Atlantis STS-27 was the most-damaged shuttle vehicle to successfully land (Columbia burned during re-entry due to missing tiles in 2003).

Astronaut Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, mission specialist, is able to handle a number of cameras with the aid of the microgravity in the shirt sleeve environment of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis.

STS-27, December 6, 1988 space shuttle Atlantis

Reading about STS-27 is terrifying. Jeez, look at the damage in that picture.