 Launch of Atlantis; in-flight photography on this Department of Defense (DoD) mission is limited. | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-36 STS-36 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | DoD satellite deployment |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1990-019A |
| SATCAT no. | 20512 |
| Mission duration | 4 days, 10 hours, 18 minutes, 22 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 2,957,913 km (1,837,962 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 72 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Atlantis |
| Launch mass | 2,044,469 kg (4,507,283 lb) |
| Landing mass | 84,912 kg (187,199 lb) |
| Payload mass | 19,600 kg (43,200 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 5 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | February 28, 1990, 07:50:22 UTC (2:50:22 am EST) |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | March 4, 1990, 18:08:44 UTC (10:08:44 am PST) |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 23 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 198 km (123 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 204 km (127 mi) |
| Inclination | 62° |
| Period | 88.5 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| In-flight Radiation Dose Distribution (IDRD) | |
 STS-36 mission patch  From left: Thuot, Casper, Creighton, Mullane and Hilmers | |
STS-36 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Atlantis carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) (believed to have been a Misty reconnaissance satellite) into orbit. STS-36 was the 34th shuttle mission overall, the sixth flight for Atlantis, and the fourth night launch of the shuttle program. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on February 28, 1990, and landed on March 4, 1990.