STS-49

Crew

Daniel Brandenstein

Commander

Status: Retired
1/17/1943 -
Nationality: American
Type: Government
First Flight: 8/30/1983
Last Flight: 5/7/1992

Daniel Charles Brandenstein is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of United Space Alliance. He is a former Naval Aviator, test pilot and NASA astronaut, who flew four Space Shuttle missions.

Kathryn C. Thornton

Mission Specialist

Status: Retired
8/17/1952 -
Nationality: American
Type: Government
First Flight: 11/22/1989
Last Flight: 10/20/1995

Kathryn Ryan Cordell Thornton is an American scientist and a former NASA astronaut with over 975 hours in space, including 21 hours of extravehicular activity. She was the associate dean for graduate programs at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science, currently a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Pierre J. Thuot

Mission Specialist

Status: Retired
5/19/1955 -
Nationality: American
Type: Government
First Flight: 2/28/1990
Last Flight: 3/4/1994

Pierre Joseph Thuot is a retired United States Navy Captain and NASA astronaut. He went into space three times, spending over 650 hours in space, including over 15 hours in three space walks. He is a former U.S. record holder for time spent on one space walk, and participated in the first three-person space walk.

Bruce E. Melnick

Mission Specialist

Status: Retired
12/5/1949 -
Nationality: American
Type: Government
First Flight: 10/6/1990
Last Flight: 5/7/1992

Bruce Edward Melnick is a former American astronaut and retired United States Coast Guard officer. Following retirement from NASA and the Coast Guard, he entered the aerospace industry. He served as a Vice President with the Boeing Co.'s Integrated Defense Systems group, in charge of Boeing's Florida operations at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Melnick retired in 2008 and currently resides on Merritt Island, Florida.

Thomas Akers

Mission Specialist

Status: Retired
5/20/1951 -
Nationality: American
Type: Government
First Flight: 10/6/1990
Last Flight: 9/26/1996

Thomas Dale Akers is a former American astronaut in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

Richard Hieb

Mission Specialist

Status: Retired
9/21/1955 -
Nationality: American
Type: Government
First Flight: 4/28/1991
Last Flight: 7/8/1994

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.

Kevin P. Chilton

Pilot

Status: Retired
11/3/1954 -
Nationality: American
Type: Government
First Flight: 5/7/1992
Last Flight: 3/22/1996

Kevin Patrick "Chilli" Chilton is an American mechanical engineer, and former United States Air Force four-star General and test pilot. His last assignment was as Commander, U.S. Strategic Command from October 3, 2007 to January 28, 2011. Prior to his appointment to general officer ranks, Chilton spent 11 years of his military career as a NASA astronaut. He retired from the Air Force on February 1, 2011, after having achieved the highest rank of any military astronaut. On January 30, 2012, General Chilton was named to the board of directors of Orbital Sciences Corporation.

Mission

STS-49

Type: Communications

STS-49 was the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The primary goal of its nine-day mission was to retrieve an Intelsat VI satellite (Intelsat 603, which failed to leave low earth orbit two years before), attach it to a new upper stage, and relaunch it to its intended geosynchronous orbit. After several attempts, the capture was completed with a three-person extra-vehicular activity (EVA).

Location

Launch Complex 39B

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

185 rockets have launched from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.

Rocket

Space Shuttle Endeavour OV-105

Length: 38.1 meters
Diameter: 8.4 meters
First Launch: May 7, 1992

Space Shuttle Endeavour (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105) is a retired orbiter from NASA’s Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Shuttle built.
The United States Congress approved the construction of Endeavour in 1987 to replace Challenger, which was destroyed in 1986.
Structural spares built during the construction of Discovery and Atlantis were used in its assembly. NASA chose, on cost grounds, to build Endeavour from spares rather than refitting Enterprise or accepting a Rockwell International proposal to build two Shuttles for the price of one.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour OV-105 rocket has been launched a total of 25 times with 25 successful and 0 failed launches.

Agency

Lockheed Space Operations Company

Type: Commercial
Abbreviation: LSOC

Country: USA