STS-39Space Shuttle Discovery / OV-103 Lockheed Space Operations Company Launch Status Success Sun · Apr 28th, 1991 7:33 AM EDT Watch Online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRu8IVZXzCU Crew Guion Bluford Mission Specialist Status: Retired 11/22/1942 - Nationality: American Type: Government Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Guion Stewart Bluford Jr., Ph.D. is an American aerospace engineer, retired U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot, and former NASA astronaut, who was the first African American in space.[1] Before becoming an astronaut, he was an officer in the U.S. Air Force, where he remained while assigned to NASA, rising to the rank of Colonel. He participated in four Space Shuttle flights between 1983 and 1992. In 1983, as a member of the crew of the Orbiter Challenger on the mission STS-8, he became the first African American in space as well as the second person of African ancestry in space, after Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez. Michael Coats Commander Status: Retired 1/16/1946 - Nationality: American Type: Government Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Michael Lloyd Coats is a former NASA astronaut (three spaceflights), raised in Riverside, California. From December 2005 to December 2012, he served as Director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Lloyd Hammond Pilot Status: Retired 1/16/1952 - Nationality: American Type: Government Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lloyd Blaine Hammond Jr. is a Gulfstream test pilot, a former United States Air Force officer, and a former NASA astronaut. He flew on two Space Shuttle missions. Selected by NASA in May 1984, Hammond became an astronaut in June 1985 and qualified for assignment as a pilot/commander on Space Shuttle flight crews. Gregory Harbaugh Mission Specialist Status: Retired 4/15/1956 - Nationality: American Type: Government Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Gregory Jordan Harbaugh is a former NASA astronaut that spent 34 days in space through four Space Shuttle missions including the first . docking missions with the Russian Space Station Mir and the second Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Donald R. McMonagle Mission Specialist Status: Retired 5/14/1952 - Nationality: American Type: Government Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Donald Ray McMonagle is a former astronaut and a veteran of three shuttle flights. He became the Manager, Launch Integration, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 15, 1997. In this capacity he was responsible for final shuttle preparation, launch execution, and return of the orbiter to KSC following landings at any other location. He was chair of the Mission Management Team, and was the final authority for launch decision. Charles L. Veach Mission Specialist Status: Deceased 9/18/1944 - 10/3/1995 Nationality: American Type: Government Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Charles Lacy Veach was a USAF fighter pilot and NASA astronaut. Richard Hieb Mission Specialist Status: Retired 9/21/1955 - Nationality: American Type: Government Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Richard James Hieb is a former NASA astronaut and a veteran of three space shuttle missions. He was a mission specialist on STS-39 and STS-49, and was a payload commander on STS-65. Mission STS-39 Type: Government/Top Secret STS-39 was the twelfth mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery and its primary purpose was to conduct a variety of payload experiments for the Department of Defence. Location Launch Complex 39A Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA 182 launches have been at this location. Rocket Space Shuttle Discovery OV-103 Length: 38.1 meters Diameter: 8.4 meters First Launched: August 30, 1984 Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the orbiters from NASA’s Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully operational orbiters to be built. Its first mission, STS-41-D, flew from August 30 to September 5, 1984. Over 27 years of service it launched and landed 39 times, gathering more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. The Space Shuttle Discovery OV-103 rocket has been launched a total of 38 times with 38 successful and 0 failed launches. Agency Lockheed Space Operations Company Type: Commercial Abbreviation: LSOC Administration: Founded: Launchers: Spacecraft: Country: USA View Rocket Launch Schedule