STS-4: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

STS-4 was a space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Columbia, launched June 27, 1982. This was the fourth space shuttle mission, and was also the fourth mission for the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Crew

• Commander: Thomas K. Mattingly (2)
• Pilot: Henry W. Hartsfield (1)

• Mass:
  • Orbiter Liftoff: 109,616 kg
  • Orbiter Landing: 94,774 kg
  • Payload: 11,109 kg
• Perigee: 295 km
• Apogee: 302 km
• Inclination: 28.5°
• Period: 90.3 min

This mission marked the first time the Space Shuttle was launched precisely at its scheduled launch time. It also was the last research and development flight in the program. Liftoff took place on June 27, l982, at ll:00 a.m. EST, with Thomas K. Mattingly as commander, and Henry W. Hartsfield as pilot. Its cargo consisted of the first Getaway Special payloads which included nine scientific experiments provided by students from Utah State University, and a classified Air Force payload.

In the middeck, a Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System and the Monodisperse Latex Reactor were flown for the second time. The crew conducted a lightning survey with handheld cameras, and performed medical experiments on themselves for two student projects. They also operated the RMS with an instrument called the Induced Environment Contamination Monitor mounted on its end designed to obtain information on gases or particles being released by the orbiter in flight.

STS-4 was a planned 7-day mission and landing occurred on July 4, l982, at 9:10 a.m. PDT, on the 15,000 ft (4.6 km) concrete Runway 22 at Edwards AFB -- the first Shuttle landing on a concrete runway.

The flight lasted 7 days, 1 hour, 9 minutes, 40 seconds. Distance traveled was 2.9 million miles (4.7 million km) in 112 complete orbits. All mission objectives were achieved, although the two SRBs were lost when their main parachutes failed causing the empty casings to hit the water at high speeds and sink. The Columbia was returned to KSC on July 15.

• Space science
• Space shuttle
• List of space shuttle missions
• List of human spaceflights chronologically