#sts-51c

"An unusual almost-straight-on view of the Space Shuttle Discovery as its main landing gear touches down on the Shuttle landing facility runway at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Aboard the spacecraft for the STS-51C mission were astronauts Thomas K. (Ken) Mattingly II, Loren J. Shriver, James F. Buchli and Ellison S. Onizuka of NASA; and payload specialist Gary E. Payton of the USAF."

Date: January 27, 1985

"Photograph of orbital sunrise from Space Shuttle Discovery during the third day of the STS-51-C mission. Discovery and her crew were around 333 kilometers above Earth's surface when this photograph was taken, during the mission's 22nd orbit."

Date: January 26, 1985

Date: January 24, 1985

Space Shuttle Discovery, mission STS-51-C, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on the first dedicated Department of Defense mission. Discovery landed at Kennedy on Jan. 27 following a successful three-day mission.

source

NASA ID: S85-26185, KSC-85PC-0056

"The crew assigned to the STS-51C mission included (kneeling in front left to right) Loren J. Schriver, pilot; and Thomas K. Mattingly II, commander [originally the Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 13 mission before being bumped off due to exposure to German measles]. Standing, left to right, are Gary E. Payton, payload specialist; and mission specialists James F. Buchli, and Ellison L. Onizuka."

After a delay due freezing temperatures, Space Shuttle Discovery was launched on January 24, 1985 at 2:50:00 pm (EST).

This mission was originally planned for Challenger. However, problems with Challenger’s thermal tiles forced a switch to Discovery.

The STS-51-C was the first mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD). Elements of the mission were kept secret. However, it was reported that a U.S. Air Force Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster successfully deployed a secret payload.

Mission duration: 3 days, 1 hour, 33 minutes, and 23 seconds from January 24-27, 1985.

NASA ID: 8552137, MSFC-8552138

"CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This orbiter tribute of space shuttle Discovery, or OV-103, hangs in Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery’s accomplishments include the first female shuttle pilot, Eileen Collins, on STS-63, John Glenn’s legendary return to space on STS-95, and the celebration of the 100th shuttle mission with STS-92. In addition, Discovery supported a number of Department of Defense programs, satellite deploy and repair missions and 13 International Space Station construction and operation flights. The tribute features Discovery demonstrating the rendezvous pitch maneuver on approach to the International Space Station during STS-114. Having accumulated the most space shuttle flights, Discovery’s 39 mission patches are shown circling the spacecraft. The background image was taken from the Hubble Space Telescope, which launched aboard Discovery on STS-31 and serviced by Discovery on STS-82 and STS-103. The American Flag and Bald Eagle represent Discovery’s two Return-to-Flight missions -- STS-26 and STS-114 -- and symbolize Discovery’s role in returning American astronauts to space. Five orbiter tributes are on display in the firing room, representing Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Endeavour and Discovery."

Date: July 29, 2010