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ArchivesText SizeSTS-51I Mission: ASC-1/American Satellite Company, 
AUSSAT-1/Australian Communications Satellite, SYNCOM IV-4
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39A 
Launch Weight: 262,309 pounds
Launched: Aug. 27, 1985 at 6:58:01 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: Sept. 3, 1985 at 6:15:43 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 196,674 pounds
Runway: 23 
Rollout Distance: 6,100 feet
Rollout Time: 47 seconds
Revolution: 112
Mission Duration: 7 days, 2 hours, 17 minutes, 42 seconds
Returned to KSC: Sept. 8, 1985
Orbit Altitude: 242 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.9 million 

Crew Members

                    

Image above: STS-51I Crew photo with Commander Joe H. Engle, Pilot Richard O. 
Covey, and Mission Specialists James D. A. van Hoften, John M. Lounge and 
William F. Fisher. Image Credit: NASA 

Launch/Landing Highlights

 The launch scheduled for August 24 was scrubbed at T-5 minutes due to 
thunderstorms in the vicinity. The launch scheduled for August 25 was delayed 
when the orbiter's number five on-board general purpose computer failed. The 
launch on August 27 was delayed three minutes, one second due to a combination 
of weather and an unauthorized ship entering the restricted solid rocket booster 
recovery area.

The mission shortened one day when the AUSSAT sunshield hung up on remote 
manipulator system camera and AUSSAT had to be deployed before scheduled.

Mission Highlights

Three communications satellites were deployed: ASC-1, for American Satellite 
Company; AUSSAT-1, an Australian Communications Satellite; and SYNCOM IV-4, the 
Synchronous Communications Satellite. ASC-1 and AUSSAT-1 both attached to 
Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) motors. SYNCOM IV-4 (also known as LEASAT-4) 
failed to function after reaching the correct geosynchronous orbit. Fisher and 
van Hoften performed two extravehicular activities (EVAs) totaling 11 hours, 51 
minutes. Part of time spent retrieving, repairing and redeploying LEASAT-3, 
which had been deployed on Mission 51-D. Middeck Payload: Physical Vapor 
Transport Organic Solid Experiment (PVTOS).

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