NASA - STS-41Follow this link to skip to the main contentNASA - National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration› Follow this link to Login to MyNASALog In 
To MyNASA|› Sign UpHomeNewsNews & FeaturesRecovery InformationShuttle & 
  StationMoon & MarsSolar SystemUniverseAeronauticsEarthTechnologyNASA in Your 
  LifeNASA PeopleNASA HistoryMissionsMissionsMission CalendarLaunch 
ScheduleMultimediaMultimediaImagesVideoPodcastsNASA TVInteractive Features3D 
  ResourcesRSS 
  FeedsBlogsWorldbook@NASAConnectBlogsRSSTwitterFacebookYouTubeFlickriTunesMore 
  Social Media ...About NASAAbout NASAWhat NASA DoesRecovery InformationNASA 
  LeadershipCareers@NASANASA LocationsNASA CalendarBudget and 
  PerformanceReportsResearch OpportunitiesRequest a NASA SpeakerRequest a NASA 
  ExhibitNASA Home    >    Missions    >    Space Shuttle    >    Shuttle 
  Missions    >    Archives

    SendPrintFollow this link to Share This PageShare
MissionsMissions HighlightsCurrent MissionsCurrent Missions
    Space Shuttle
      Shuttle Missions
        Archives
      Behind the Scenes
      Launch & Landing
      Multimedia
      News & Media Resources
      Vehicle Structure

Past MissionsFuture MissionsLaunch ScheduleMission Calendar
People Who Read This Also Read...Space Shuttle
Mission ArchivesText SizeGrow Text SizeShrink Text Size
STS-41 Mission: Ulysses; SSBUV; ISAC
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B 
Launch Weight: 259,593 pounds
Launched: Oct. 6, 1990, 7:47:15 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Oct. 10, 1990, 6:57:19 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 196,869 pounds
Runway: 22 
Rollout Distance: 8,532 feet
Rollout Time: 49 seconds
Revolution: 66
Mission Duration: 4 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes, 4 seconds
Returned to KSC: Oct. 16, 1990
Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 1.7 million 

Crew Members

                    

Image above: STS-41 Crew photo with Commander Richard N. Richards, Pilot Robert 
D. Cabana, Mission Specialists William M. Shepherd, Bruce E. Melnick and Thomas 
D. Akers. Image Credit: NASA 

Mission Highlights

 The primary payload, ESA-built Ulysses spacecraft to explore polar regions of 
Sun, deployed. Two upper stages, Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) and a 
mission-specific Payload Assist Module-S (PAM-S), combined together for first 
time to send Ulysses toward out-of-ecliptic trajectory. Other payloads and 
experiments: Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) experiment; INTELSAT 
Solar Array Coupon (ISAC); Chromosome and Plant Cell Division Experiment 
(CHROMEX); Voice Command System (VCS); Solid Surface Combustion Experiment 
(SSCE), Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP); Physiological 
Systems Experiment (PSE); Radiation Monitoring Experiment III (RME III); Shuttle 
Student Involvement Program (SSIP) and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) 
experiment.

  NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center
  Related Sites
  > NASA's Orbiter Fleet
  > NASA's Launch Schedule
  > Shuttle Reference Manual
  > Shuttle Archives 
 › Back To Top NASA HomePage Last Updated: February 18, 2010 
Page Editor: Jeanne Ryba 
NASA Official: Brian DunbarBudgets, Strategic Plans and Accountability Reports
  Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to the No Fear Act
  Information-Dissemination Policies and Inventories
  Freedom of Information Act
  Privacy Policy & Important Notices
  NASA Advisory Council
  Inspector General Hotline
  Office of the Inspector General
  NASA Communications Policy
  Contact NASA
  Site Map
  USA.gov
  ExpectMore.gov
  Open Government at NASA
  Help and Preferences