STS-27Space Shuttle Atlantis / OV-104 Lockheed Space Operations Company Launch Status Success Fri ยท Dec 2nd, 1988 9:30 AM EST Watch Online Crew Mike Mullane Mission Specialist Status: Retired 9/10/1945 - Nationality: American Type: Government First Flight: 8/30/1984 Last Flight: 2/28/1990 Richard Michael "Mike" Mullane is an engineer and aircraft pilot, a retired USAF officer. and a former NASA astronaut. During his career, he flew as a mission specialist on STS-41-D, STS-27, and STS-36. Jerry L. Ross Mission Specialist Status: Retired 1/20/1948 - Nationality: American Type: Government First Flight: 11/27/1985 Last Flight: 4/8/2002 Jerry Lynn Ross is a retired United States Air Force officer and a former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions, making him the joint record holder for most spaceflights (a record he shares with Franklin Chang-Diaz). His papers, photographs and many personal items are in the Barron Hilton Flight and Space Exploration Archives at Purdue University. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame during ceremonies in May 2014. Ross is the author of Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA's Record-Setting Frequent Flyer (Purdue University Press, 2013) with John Norberg. In March 2014 it was announced "Spacewalker" will be available in a French translation through the specialist aerospace publisher Altipresse. Fellow astronaut Chris Hadfield describes Ross in his autobiography, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, as "the embodiment of the trustworthy, loyal, courteous and brave astronaut archetype." Robert L. Gibson Commander Status: Retired 10/30/1946 - Nationality: American Type: Government First Flight: 2/3/1984 Last Flight: 6/27/1995 Robert Lee "Hoot" Gibson is a former American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and a retired NASA astronaut, as well as a professional pilot who currently races regularly at the annual Reno Air Races. Guy Gardner Pilot Status: Retired 1/6/1948 - Nationality: American Type: Government First Flight: 12/2/1988 Last Flight: 12/2/1990 Guy Spence Gardner is a United States Air Force officer and a former astronaut. He holds the rank of Colonel. He flew as pilot on two Space Shuttle missions, STS-27 and STS-35. Gardner was also the 12th president of the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades. William Shepherd Mission Specialist Status: Retired 7/26/1949 - Nationality: American Type: Government First Flight: 12/2/1988 Last Flight: 10/31/2000 William McMichael "Bill" Shepherd is an American former Navy SEAL, aerospace, ocean, and mechanical engineer, and NASA astronaut who served as Commander of Expedition 1, the first crew on the International Space Station. He is also a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Mission STS-27 Type: Government/Top Secret STS-27 was the twenty-seventh and the third for Atlantis. It carried a classified payload for the Department of Defence. The heat shielding was substantially damaged during lift-off, impacting the right wing. The crew narrowly survived re-entry with a steal bar taking the brunt of the heat before beginning to burn through the aluminum structure. Location Launch Complex 39B Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA 185 rockets have launched from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA. Rocket Space Shuttle Atlantis OV-104 Length: 38.1 meters Diameter: 8.4 meters First Launch: October 3, 1985 Constructed in 1985, Atlantis was the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built. Its maiden flight was STS-51-J in October of 1985. Atlantis embarked on its 33rd and final mission, also the final mission of a space shuttle, STS-135, on 8 July 2011. The Space Shuttle Atlantis OV-104 rocket has been launched a total of 32 times with 32 successful and 0 failed launches. Agency Lockheed Space Operations Company Type: Commercial Abbreviation: LSOC Country: USA View Rocket Launch Schedule