STS-41D: Discovery's First Flight

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 10 seconds to liftoff. Key ascent milestones include main engine start at T minus 6.8 seconds, SRB separation, and main engine cutoff at T plus 13 seconds. Notably, the countdown experienced a delay of T0 at 56 seconds due to an out-of-tolerance measurement on an auxiliary power unit, which was anticipated and managed by the team.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 10 seconds to liftoff. Key ascent milestones include main engine start at T minus 6.8 seconds, SRB separation, and main engine cutoff at T plus 13 seconds. Notably, the countdown experienced a delay of T0 at 56 seconds due to an out-of-tolerance measurement on an auxiliary power unit, which was anticipated and managed by the team.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 3 hours to liftoff. Key ascent milestones include SRB ignition at T minus 6.8 seconds, liftoff, and main engine cutoff at T plus 13 seconds. Notably, this mission marks the first flight of the orbiter Discovery, with crew members including Commander Hank Hartsfield and Mission Specialist Judy Resnik, who will become America's second woman in space.

This highlights reel captures key moments from the STS-41D mission, including the liftoff of Discovery, marking its first flight, at T minus 9 minutes and 20 seconds. Notably, Judy Resnik becomes America's second woman in space, responsible for extending the solar array wing, which successfully deployed in 9 minutes and 19 seconds. The recording also features a conversation with Vice President George Bush, who congratulates the crew during their mission.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 10 seconds to the aborted liftoff. The countdown reached T minus 4 seconds before a premature cutoff occurred due to engine number one failing to start, leading to the launch being scrubbed. Notably, the crew, including Commander Hank Hartsfield and Mission Specialist Judy Resnik, was safely evacuated after the incident, which involved a brief hydrogen fire detected at the aft end of the shuttle.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 3 hours to liftoff. Key ascent milestones include SRB ignition at T minus 6.8 seconds, liftoff, and main engine cutoff at T plus 13 seconds. Notably, this mission marks the first flight of the orbiter Discovery, with crew members including Commander Hank Hartsfield and Mission Specialist Judy Resnik, who will become America's second woman in space.

Descriptive summary pending processing.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 10 minutes to the scrubbed liftoff originally scheduled for 8:43 AM. The countdown was halted at T minus 9 minutes due to a failure in the backup flight system computer, which could not transition into countdown configuration. Notably, this incident marked the first flight of the orbiter Discovery, with crew members including Commander Hank Hartsfield and Mission Specialist Judy Resnik, who was set to become America's second woman in space.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown leading to a scrubbed liftoff originally scheduled for 8:43 AM. The countdown was halted at T minus 9 minutes due to a failure in the backup flight system computer, which could not transition into countdown configuration. Notably, this incident marked the first flight of the orbiter Discovery, with crew members including Commander Hank Hartsfield and Mission Specialist Judy Resnik, who was set to become America's second woman in space.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 20 minutes to liftoff. Notably, the countdown experienced a hold at T minus 9 minutes due to a problem with the ground launch sequencer, which was resolved without affecting readiness. Key ascent milestones include SRB ignition at T minus 6.8 seconds, liftoff at 8:35 AM, and main engine cutoff at T plus 13 seconds.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 9 minutes to liftoff. Notably, the countdown was halted for 7 minutes due to a private aircraft entering the restricted area near the launch pad. Key ascent milestones include SRB ignition, liftoff at 8:42 AM, and successful SRB separation. This mission marks the first flight of the orbiter Discovery, carrying the heaviest shuttle payload ever.

This recording captures STS-41D's on-orbit activities, including the successful deployment of the Telstar 3 satellite, marking the first time a Shuttle has launched three satellites into orbit. Judith Resnik extended the solar array to its full height of 102 feet, conducting tests to assess its stability in space. Additionally, the crew dealt with an ice buildup issue that temporarily disabled the shuttle's toilet, requiring innovative solutions to manage the situation.

Landing coverage of STS-41D, featuring the successful touchdown of Discovery at Edwards Air Force Base at 9:38 Eastern Time. The crew, including Commander Hank Hartsfield and Mission Specialist Sally Ride, dealt with an oxygen leak prior to landing, which was resolved by switching to a backup system. The landing was notable for its clear weather conditions and the crew's smooth approach, culminating in a wheel stop at 6 days 57 minutes 7 seconds.

Descriptive summary pending processing.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 15 seconds to the aborted liftoff at T minus 4 seconds. The countdown was halted due to a failure in engine number one, leading to an abort by the onboard computers just before ignition. The launch team, including shuttle project engineer Gene Thomas, worked to safing vehicle systems after the incident, with no immediate indication of the cause for the cutoff.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus three hours to liftoff. Key ascent milestones include SRB ignition at T minus 6.8 seconds, liftoff, and main engine cutoff at T plus 8 minutes and 35 seconds. Notably, this mission marks the first flight of the orbiter Discovery, with crew members including Commander Hank Hartsfield and Mission Specialist Judy Resnik, who is set to become America's second woman in space.

This recording features the STS-41D post-mission press conference, where Commander Henry Hartsfield and crew discuss the successful deployment of the CENTCOM satellite, the first satellite designed specifically for shuttle deployment. They also address an in-flight maintenance task involving a failed forward display unit and the unexpected growth of an icicle on the wastewater dump port, which required careful management. Notably, the crew reflects on the mission's achievements, including the deployment of three satellites and the first commercial payload specialist, Charlie Walker.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 9 minutes to liftoff. Key ascent milestones include SRB ignition at T minus 6.8 seconds, liftoff, and main engine cutoff at T plus 8 minutes 35 seconds. Notably, the countdown was delayed at T minus 9 minutes due to unresolved issues with recorders, and the launch occurred successfully after a total of four attempts to launch Discovery.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 10 minutes to liftoff. Key ascent milestones include solid rocket booster ignition at T minus 6.8 seconds, liftoff at 8:45 AM, and main engine cutoff at T plus 13 seconds. Notably, the countdown experienced a hold at T minus 9 minutes due to a backup flight system computer failure, which was resolved before proceeding with the launch.

This status briefing addresses a serious hardware failure in the backup flight computer, which failed to synchronize with the primary system during the countdown at T minus nine minutes. Director Thomas E. Otzman explained that a change out of the faulty computer is necessary, with a potential delay of at least 24 hours anticipated. Weather officer Captain Art Thomas provided a pessimistic forecast regarding conditions for the next launch attempt, emphasizing concerns about a frontal system's movement.

This recording is the STS-41D pre-launch press conference, where Jesse W. Moore announces the decision to launch on August 24, 1984, retaining the original payloads including the CENTCOM satellite. Notably, he discusses the identified issue of a failed transistor in the general purpose computer and the engine anomaly experienced during testing, emphasizing the shuttle's safety features. The conference also addresses the implications of launching three insured satellites on one mission, highlighting concerns from the insurance community.

This recording is the STS-41D pre-launch press conference, where Jesse W. Moore discusses the potential shortening of the mission from seven days to six due to night landing conditions. He addresses a failed transistor in the general purpose computer that caused a delay, emphasizing the unexpected nature of the failure. The conference also covers the retrieval project preparations and the confidence in the shuttle's ability to deploy PAM payloads, despite uncertainties from customers.

This recording features the STS-41D pre-flight crew press conference, where Commander Henry Hartsfield introduces his crew and discusses the mission's notable firsts, including the inaugural flight of the orbiter Discovery and the first commercial pharmaceutical processing in space. Hartsfield highlights the unique Frisbee deployment technique for the SYNCOM satellite, which is designed specifically for shuttle deployment. Additionally, Charlie Walker outlines the objectives of the electrophoresis operations, emphasizing the mission's goal to produce pharmaceutical materials in microgravity.

This recording captures the launch coverage for STS-41D, detailing the terminal countdown from T minus 32 minutes to the scrubbed liftoff. The countdown was halted at T minus 9 minutes due to a failure in the backup flight system computer, which failed to synchronize with the primary system. Notably, the crew, including Commander Hank Hartsfield, concurred with the decision to scrub the launch for safety reasons.

This recording features the second crew pre-flight press conference for mission 41D, occurring 30 minutes before the crew's release. Commander Hartsfield discusses the addition of two new satellites, the shortening of the mission to six days due to weight constraints and lighting issues, and the emotional impact of the abort at T minus four seconds during the previous launch attempt. The crew also addresses changes in training and deployment procedures for the new payloads.

This recording captures the STS-41D post-mission press conference, where the crew discusses the successful deployment of the first flight of a new synchronous communication satellite using the Frisbee technique. Notably, Judy Resnik addresses her role as the second American woman in space and the crew's contingency plans for a potential spacewalk. Charlie Walker also highlights the proprietary nature of the pharmaceutical material being produced, emphasizing its significance for medical treatment.

This status briefing details the aftermath of the STS-41D scrub due to a failure in engine number three's main fuel valve, which did not open during the countdown. Director Thomas E. Utzman and manager Robert Lindstrom discussed the engine shutdown at T minus 4 seconds and the subsequent hydrogen fire that was extinguished after three attempts. Commander Henry Hartsfield noted the crew's calm response and confidence in the shuttle system's safety protocols, emphasizing that engine issues are better identified on the ground than in flight.

This recording is the STS-41D pre-flight crew press conference, where Commander Henry Hartsfield introduces his crew and discusses the mission's notable firsts, including the inaugural flight of the orbiter Discovery and the first commercial pharmaceutical processing in space. Hartsfield highlights the unique Frisbee deployment technique for the CENTCOM satellite, which is designed specifically for shuttle deployment. Additionally, Charlie Walker outlines the objectives of the electrophoresis operations, emphasizing the mission's goal to produce pharmaceutical materials in microgravity.

This status briefing addresses a serious hardware failure in the backup flight computer, which failed to synchronize with the primary system during the countdown at T minus nine minutes. Director Thomas E. Otzman explained that a change out of the faulty computer is necessary, with a potential delay of at least 24 hours anticipated. The crew's calm response was noted, with Commander Hartsfield emphasizing the importance of safety before flight.

This recording is the STS-41D press conference, where Jesse W. Moore announces the decision to launch on August 24, 1984, while retaining the original payloads including the CENTCOM satellite. He discusses the identified issue of a failed transistor in the general purpose computer and the engine anomaly experienced during testing, emphasizing the shuttle's safety features. Notably, he quotes the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel regarding the auto shutdown of Discovery's main engines during the launch sequence on June 26, 1984.

This recording is the STS-41D pre-launch press conference, where Jesse W. Moore discusses the potential shortening of the mission from seven days to six due to night landing conditions. He addresses a contaminant in a transistor that caused a delay, expressing surprise that it did not appear during pre-flight tests. The conference also covers the retrieval project preparations and the confidence in the shuttle's ability to deploy PAM payloads despite uncertainties from customers.