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Lockheed Space Operations CompanySpace ShuttleLaunch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
STS-26
Launched
September 29, 1988
Summary
STS-26 launched on a Lockheed Space Operations Company Space Shuttle from Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA on September 29, 1988. It was Lockheed Space Operations Company's 17th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 3,348th orbital launch attempt. It was the 26th Space Shuttle flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Discovery (STS-26R), one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 310 × 339 km orbit inclined 28.5°. 5 crew members flew: Frederick "Rick" Hauck, David Hilmers, Richard O. Covey, George Nelson and John M. Lounge. The spacecraft was Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103). 4 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Vehicle
- Space Shuttle · Lockheed Space Operations CompanySpace Shuttle
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 26th Space Shuttle flight · 1st this yearLockheed Space Operations Company's 17th launch1st this yearhumanity's 3,348th orbital launch attempt95th orbital launch attempt this year
Crew
Frederick "Rick" HauckCommander · NASA · age 47 · 3rd flight
David HilmersMission Specialist · NASA · age 38 · 2nd flight
Richard O. CoveyPilot · NASA · age 42 · 2nd flight
George NelsonMission Specialist · NASA · age 38 · 3rd flight
John M. LoungeMission Specialist · NASA · age 42 · 2nd flight
Spacecraft
Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103)
Space Shuttle Discovery (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of the orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully operational orbiters to be built. Its first mission, STS-41-D, flew from August 30 to September 5, 1984. Over 27 years of service it launched and landed 39 times, gathering more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. Discovery became the third operational orbiter to enter service, preceded by Columbia and Challenger. It embarked on its last mission, STS-133, on February 24, 2011 and touched down for the final time at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, having spent a cumulative total of almost a full year in space. Discovery performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions. It also carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. Discovery was the first operational shuttle to be retired, followed by Endeavour and then Atlantis.
- Destination: Low Earth Orbit
- Mission length: 4 days 1 hour
Space Shuttle Discovery successfully landed at Edwards Air Force Base after this mission.
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Discovery (STS-26R) · NORAD 19547 · 1988-091 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 4 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1988-091A
- Epoch
- 1988-09-30 00:22:30 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.84726768 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0021899
- Inclination
- 28.4692°
- Ascending node
- 72.1207°
- Arg. of perigee
- 191.5109°
- Mean anomaly
- 168.4872°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 6
- B*
- 0.000256
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
4 catalogued: 2 payloads, 2 components; 3 still in orbit
- Discovery (STS-26R) · NORAD 19547 · landed October 3, 1988
- TDRS 3 · NORAD 19548 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
STS-26 was the twenty-sixth space shuttle mission and the seventh flight of the orbiter Discovery. It was the return to flight mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. It was the first to have all of its crew members wear pressure suits for launch and landing since STS-4 and the first mission with bailout capability since STS-4. It was also the first all-veteran crew mission since Apollo-11 with all of its crew having flown at least on prior mission.
Pad
Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
7th launch from Launch Complex 39B, 1st this year · 43rd from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
59 launches from this pad · 283 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
about 3 years after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did STS-26 launch?
STS-26 launched on September 29, 1988. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch STS-26?
Coverage: Space Shuttle Discovery - STS-26 Launch (Extended and Remastered). Watch the replay
What rocket launched STS-26?
Space Shuttle, flown by Lockheed Space Operations Company. Space Shuttle spec sheet
Where did STS-26 launch from?
Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.
What orbit did STS-26 reach?
Discovery (STS-26R), one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 310 × 339 km orbit inclined 28.5°.
How many satellites did STS-26 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 1 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is STS-26 part of?
Space Shuttle. About Space Shuttle