STS-38

STS-38
Atlantis in orbit; in-flight photography of this Department of Defense support mission is limited
NamesSpace Transportation System-38
Mission typeDoD satellite deployment
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID1990-097A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.20935Edit this on Wikidata
Mission duration4 days, 21 hours, 54 minutes, 31 seconds
Distance travelled3,291,199 km (2,045,056 mi)
Orbits completed79
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSpace Shuttle Atlantis
Launch mass2,055,639 kg (4,531,908 lb)
Landing mass86,677 kg (191,090 lb)
Payload mass(Classified)
Crew
Crew size5
Members
Start of mission
Launch dateNovember 15, 1990, 23:48:15 (November 15, 1990, 23:48:15) UTC (6:48:15 pm EST)
Launch siteKennedy, LC-39A
ContractorRockwell International
End of mission
Landing dateNovember 20, 1990, 21:42:46 (November 20, 1990, 21:42:46) UTC (4:42:46 pm EST)
Landing siteKennedy, SLF Runway 33
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit[1]
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude260 km (160 mi)
Apogee altitude269 km (167 mi)
Inclination28.45°
Period89.79 minutes

STS-38 mission patch

Standing: Gemar, Springer and Meade
Seated: Culbertson and Covey
← STS-41 (36)
STS-35 (38) →

STS-38 was a Space Shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Atlantis. It was the 37th shuttle mission and carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It was the seventh flight for Atlantis and the seventh flight dedicated to the Department of Defense. The mission was a 4-day mission that traveled 3,291,199 km (2,045,056 mi) and completed 79 revolutions. Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility's runway 33. The launch was originally scheduled for July 1990 but was rescheduled due to a hydrogen leak found on Space Shuttle Columbia during the STS-35 countdown. During a rollback to the Orbiter Processing Facility Atlantis was damaged during a hail storm. The eventual launch date of November 15, 1990, was set due to a payload problem. The launch window was between 18:30 and 22:30 EST. The launch occurred at 18:48:13 EST. The mission ended with a landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility, marking the first time in five years that a mission returned to the Kennedy Space Center since STS-51-D. This also marked the first time Atlantis ended a mission at the Kennedy Space Center.

  1. ^ "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2013.