Story Musgrave « AmericaSpace

Don Peterson, First Shuttle Spacewalker, Dies Aged 84

By Ben Evans, on May 28th, 2018

Don Peterson (right) eats and confers with Commander Paul “P.J.” Weitz during STS-6. Weitz died last year. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

Veteran astronaut Don Peterson, who flew aboard STS-6, the maiden voyage of orbiter Challenger, performed the first-ever spacewalk from the shuttle airlock and might—had the hands of fate turned differently—have […]

'Because I'm Scared to Death': 25 Years Since the Shortened Mission of STS-44 (Part 2)

By Ben Evans, on November 27th, 2016

Fred Gregory leads the STS-44 crew out of the Operations & Checkout (O&C) Building at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), 25 years ago, this week. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

Twenty-five years ago, this week, what should have been the third-longest space shuttle mission of its time—and the longest Department of Defense piloted […]

'Not a Dysfunctional Family': 25 Years Since the Shortened Mission of STS-44 (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on November 26th, 2016

The Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite, attached to is Boeing-built Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster, is deployed from Atlantis’ payload bay at the beginning of the STS-44 mission. Photo Credit: NASA

A quarter-century has now elapsed since a space shuttle mission was forced to come home early, having already lost its original commander and […]

A Flight of Changes: 20 Years Since the Record-Setting Mission of STS-80 (Part 2)

By Ben Evans, on November 20th, 2016

Upon touchdown on 7 December 1996, Columbia and her STS-80 crew set an empirical record for the longest single mission of the Space Shuttle Program. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

When the crew of STS-80—launched 20 years ago, this week—were assigned to their mission in January 1996, theirs was expected to be one […]

Three-Spacecraft Ballet: 20 Years Since the Record-Setting Mission of STS-80 (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on November 19th, 2016

Columbia roars to orbit on 19 November 1996, 20 years ago, today. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

Twenty years ago, today, on 19 November 1996, the longest space shuttle mission in history got underway with the spectacular liftoff of Columbia from Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. During almost […]

'Cola and Solar Wars': 30 Years Since the Unlucky Success of Mission 51F (Part 2)

By Ben Evans, on July 26th, 2015

The Instrument Pointing System (IPS) was flown for the first time on Mission 51F. It would later be reflown on a pair of dedicated astronomy missions in 1990 and 1995. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

Three decades have now passed since one of the most dramatic missions—and one of the most dramatic months—in […]

'Going to Spain': 30 Years Since the Unlucky Success of Mission 51F (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on July 25th, 2015

After one false start, Challenger roars into orbit on 29 July 1985, to begin the Spacelab-2 science mission. It would be one of the most dramatic near-misses in the 30-year shuttle program. Photo Credit: NASA

Thirty years ago, this week, one of the most significant Space Shuttle science missions ever undertaken hung—for the merest […]

Top Ten US EVA Missions of All Time: No. 3—’Repackage Our Margin’

By Ben Evans, on June 8th, 2015

Astronaut Story Musgrave is positioned to replace components at the end of Endeavour’s Remote Manipulator System (RMS) mechanical arm on STS-61 in December 1993. Photo Credit: NASA

More than two decades have passed since one of the most spectacular EVA missions in U.S. history: the long-awaited first servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). […]

In Their Own Words: Astronauts on 25 Years of Hubble (Part 2)

By Emily Carney, on April 24th, 2015

The Hubble Space Telescope appears to “fly” over Earth as it is photographed during STS-109. Photo Credit: NASA

Today marks 25 years since the launch of the STS-31 mission (Discovery), which lofted the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) into orbit. AmericaSpace continues its tribute to the service life and achievements of HST, which began yesterday […]

In Their Own Words: Astronauts on 25 Years of Hubble (Part 1)

By Emily Carney, on April 23rd, 2015

IMAX view of the release of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in April 1990. Photo Credit: NASA

While the astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Discovery may not have yet known it, April 24, 1990, was a watershed date not just in spaceflight history, but in human history: STS-31 launched from LC-39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space […]

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