 TDRS-D being deployed on Flight Day 1 of the mission. | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-29 STS-29R |
|---|---|
| Mission type | TDRS-D deployment |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1989-021A |
| SATCAT no. | 19882 |
| Mission duration | 4 days, 23 hours, 38 minutes, 50 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 3,200,000 km (2,000,000 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 80 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Discovery |
| Launch mass | 116,281 kg (256,356 lb) |
| Landing mass | 88,353 kg (194,785 lb) |
| Payload mass | 17,280 kg (38,100 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 5 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | March 13, 1989, 14:57:00 UTC (9:57 am EST) |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39B |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | March 18, 1989, 14:35:50 UTC (6:35:50 am PST) |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 22 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 297 km (185 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 308 km (191 mi) |
| Inclination | 28.45° |
| Period | 90.60 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| |
 STS-29 mission patch  Back row: Bagian, Springer and Buchli Front row: Blaha and Coats | |
STS-29 was the 28th NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Discovery inserted a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) into Earth orbit.[1] It was the third shuttle mission following the Challenger disaster in 1986, and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on March 13, 1989.[2] STS-29R was the eighth flight of Discovery and the 28th Space Shuttle mission overall; its planned predecessor, STS-28, was delayed until August 1989.
The mission was technically designated STS-29R as the original STS-29 designator belonged to STS-61-A, the 22nd Space Shuttle mission. Official documentation and paperwork for that mission contained the designator STS-29 when it was allocated to Space Shuttle Columbia and later as STS-30 when allocated to Challenger. As STS-51-L was designated STS-33, future flights with the STS-26 through STS-33 designators would require the R in their documentation to avoid conflicts in tracking data from one mission to another.
- ^ "STS-29 Press Kit" (PDF). NASA. March 1989. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 6, 2021.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Dye, Lee (March 14, 1989). "Space Shuttle Launched, Puts Satellite in Orbit". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021.
