STS-4

First Getaway Specials flown. Fourth space shuttle test flight.

NASA Official Mission Narrative

Mission Name: STS-4 (4)
COLUMBIA (4)
PAD 39-A (16)
4th Shuttle mission
4th Flight OV-102
3rd RMS Mission

Crew:
Thomas K. Mattingly (2), Commander
Henry W. Hartsfield (1), Jr., Pilot

Milestones:
OPF - April 7, 1982
VAB - May 19,1982
PAD - May 26, 1982

Payload:
DoD 82-1,CFES(1),CIRRIS,MLR(2),IECM,SSIP(x2),GAS (G-001),VPCF
Mission Objectives:

Launch:
June 27, 1982, 11:00:00 a.m. EDT. Launch proceeded as scheduled with no delays. Launch weight: 241,664 lbs.
Orbit:
Altitude: 197nm
Inclination: 28.5 degrees
Orbits: 113
Duration: Seven days, One hour, Nine minutes, 31 seconds.
Distance: 2,900,000 miles

Hardware:
SRB: BI-004
SRM: 004SW(SPM)
ET : 5/SWT-4
MLP: 1
SSME-1: SN-2007
SSME-2: SN-2006
SSME-3: SN-2005

Landing:
July 4,1982,9:09:31 a.m. PDT, Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Rollout distance: 9.878 feet. Rollout time: 64 seconds. First landing-on 15.000-foot-long concrete runway at Edwards. Orbiter returned to KSC July 15,1982. Landing Weight: 208,946 lbs

Mission Highlights:
Final Space Transportation System research and development flight. In addition to classified Department of Defense payload, cargo included first Get Away Specials, (G-001) which contained nine experiments from Utah State University; first commercial experiment involving Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES); Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR); Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM), which was deployed, and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments. Crew rock data for two medical experiments on themselves, operated remote manipulator arm to swing IECM around orbiter, and took photos of lightning activity in Earth's atmosphere. Two solid rocket booster casings lost when main parachutes failed and they impacted water and sank. Some rainwater penetrated protective coating of several tiles while orbiter on pad. On orbit, affected area turned toward sun and water vaporized, preventing further tile damage from freezing water.