NASA - STS-42Follow 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-42 Mission: IML-1 Space Shuttle: Discovery Launch Pad: 39A Launch Weight: 243,396 pounds Launched: January 22, 1992, 9:52:33 a.m. EST Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Landing: January 30, 1992, 8:07:17 a.m. PST Landing Weight: 1,218,016 pounds Runway: 22 Rollout Distance: 9,841 feet Rollout Time: 58 seconds Revolution: 129 Mission Duration: 8 days, 1 hour, 14 minutes, 44 seconds Returned to KSC: February 16, 1992 Orbit Altitude: 163 nautical miles Orbit Inclination: 57 degrees Miles Traveled: 2.9 million Crew Members Image above: STS-42 Crew photo with Commander Ronald J. Grabe, Pilot Stephen S. Oswald, Mission Specialists Norman E. Thagard, David C. Hilmers, William F. Readdy and Payload Specialists Roberta L. Bondar and Ulf D. Merbold. Image Credit: NASA Mission Highlights The primary payload was the International Microgravity Laboratory-1 (IML-1), making its first flight and using the pressurized Spacelab module. The International crew was divided into two teams for around-the-clock research on the human nervous system's adaptation to low gravity and the effects of microgravity on other life forms such as shrimp eggs, lentil seedlings, fruit fly eggs, and bacteria. Materials processing experiments were also conducted, including crystal growth from variety of substances such as enzymes, mercury iodide and a virus. On flight day six, mission managers concluded enough onboard consumables remained to extend the mission one day to continue science experiments. Secondary payloads were: 12 Get Away Special (GAS) canisters attached to a GAS Bridge Assembly in the cargo bay and containing a variety of U.S. and international experiments. In middeck: Gelation of Sols: Applied Microgravity Research-1 (GOSAMR-1); IMAX camera; Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP); Radiation Monitoring Experiment III (RME III); and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments. 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: March 31, 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