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Lockheed Space Operations Company STS-41-D Space Shuttle Discovery / OV-103

Launch Status
Success

Rocket Launch Video Stream

Meet the Astronaut Crew

NASA Astronaut Henry 'Hank' Hartsfield, STS-41-D Commander

Henry 'Hank' Hartsfield

Astronaut details for Henry 'Hank' Hartsfield
Birthday11/21/1933
RoleCommander
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight06/27/1982
Last Flight10/30/1985

Henry Warren "Hank" Hartsfield Jr. was a United States Air Force officer and a USAF and NASA astronaut who logged over 480 hours in space....

NASA Astronaut Michael Coats, STS-41-D Pilot

Michael Coats

Astronaut details for Michael Coats
Birthday01/16/1946
RolePilot
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight08/30/1984
Last Flight04/28/1991

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...

NASA Astronaut Judith Resnik, STS-41-D Mission Specialist

Judith Resnik

Astronaut details for Judith Resnik
Birthday04/05/1949
RoleMission Specialist
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight08/30/1984
Last Flight01/28/1986

Judith Arlene Resnik was an American electrical engineer, software engineer, biomedical engineer, pilot and NASA astronaut, who died when the Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed...

NASA Astronaut Charles D. Walker, STS-41-D Payload Specialist

Charles D. Walker

Astronaut details for Charles D. Walker
Birthday08/29/1948
RolePayload Specialist
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight08/30/1984
Last Flight11/27/1985

Charles David "Charlie" Walker (born August 29, 1948) is an American engineer who flew on three Space Shuttle missions in 1984 and 1985 as a...

NASA Astronaut Mike Mullane, STS-41-D Mission Specialist

Mike Mullane

Astronaut details for Mike Mullane
Birthday09/10/1945
RoleMission Specialist
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight08/30/1984
Last Flight02/28/1990

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...

NASA Astronaut Steven Hawley, STS-41-D Mission Specialist

Steven Hawley

Astronaut details for Steven Hawley
Birthday12/12/1951
RoleMission Specialist
NationalityUnited States of America
First Flight08/30/1984
Last Flight07/23/1999

Steven Alan Hawley is a former NASA astronaut who flew on five U.S. Space Shuttle flights. He is professor of physics and astronomy and director...

About the STS-41-D Mission

Mission details for STS-41-D
TypeCommunications
OrbitLow Earth Orbit
Launch Cost$450,000,000

STS-41-D was the twelth flight of the Space Shuttle program and the maiden flight for Space Shuttle Discovery. It deployed three commercial 10 satellites during the six day mission along with a number of scientific experiments being conducted.

Launch Pad & Location

Launch Complex 39A

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Launch statistics for Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Launches224
Orbital Launch Attempts223
Total Launches283

The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of NASA's ten field centers. Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).

Find the best place to watch the launch from Florida

NASA Space Shuttle Rocket

The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS). Five complete Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles were built and flown on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011.

Rocket specifications for NASA Space Shuttle
Length56.1 m
Diameter8.0 m
Stages2
Launch Mass2,030.0 T
Takeoff Thrust28,200.0 kN
LEO Capacity27,500 kg
Launch Cost$450,000,000
Maiden Flight4/12/1981

Learn more about the NASA Space Shuttle Rocket

Mission Spacecraft

Space Shuttle Discovery

Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103) was the spacecraft used for this mission. It is a NASA Spaceplane designed for Carrying a crew of 7 astronauts along with cargo to Low Earth Orbit. and traveled to Low Earth Orbit.

Space Shuttle Discovery (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) 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. Discovery became the third operational orbiter to enter service, preceded by Columbia and Challenger. It embarked on its last mission, STS-133, on February 24, 2011 and touched down for the final time at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, having spent a cumulative total of almost a full year in space. Discovery performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions. It also carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. Discovery was the first operational shuttle to be retired, followed by Endeavour and then Atlantis. The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable LEO spacecraft system operated by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS), taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights in 1982. In addition to the prototype whose completion was cancelled, five complete Shuttle systems were built and used on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST); conducted science experiments in orbit; and participated in construction and servicing of the International Space Station. The Shuttle fleet's total mission time was 1322 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds. 14 days

Spacecraft details for Space Shuttle Discovery
TypeSpaceplane
AgencyNASA
Serial NumberOV-103
StatusRetired
DestinationLow Earth Orbit
Maiden Flight4/12/1981
Mission End9/5/1984
Flights39
Crew Capacity7
Human RatedYes
Height56.1 m
Diameter8.7 m
Payload Capacity27,500 kg

About Lockheed Space Operations Company

Launch statistics for Lockheed Space Operations Company
Total Launches65
Successful64
Failed1
Consecutive Success49

Learn more about Lockheed Space Operations Company

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-41-D launch scheduled?

The Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-41-D launch was scheduled for:
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Where can I watch the Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-41-D launch video?

You can watch the Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle launch video on this page. The official video includes full mission coverage with multiple camera angles, onboard views, and expert commentary covering pre-launch procedures, liftoff, stage separation, and payload deployment.

Where did the Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-41-D mission launch from?

The Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle rocket launched from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA. The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of NASA's ten field centers. Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).

What rocket was used for the STS-41-D mission?

The STS-41-D mission launched aboard a Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle rocket. The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS). Five complete Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles were built and flown on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. Detailed rocket specifications and performance data are available in the rocket details above.

What weather conditions could have delayed the Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-41-D launch?

The Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-41-D launch could have been delayed by various weather conditions including lightning within 10 nautical miles, high winds (especially upper-level winds), thick cloud layers, precipitation, and poor visibility. Weather must be favorable at the launch site, downrange landing zones, and abort landing sites.

How can I get updates if the Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle STS-41-D launch was delayed?

This page was updated in real-time with the latest Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle launch status, including any delays or scrubs for the STS-41-D mission. You can also check our space launch schedule for historical launch information. Our mobile app provides push notifications for instant alerts about launch status changes. Official Lockheed Space Operations Company live streams provided the most immediate range updates during the launch window.

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