STS-43 was a Space Shuttle mission flown by Atlantis. It launched on August 2, 1991 and returned on August 11, 1991.
The spacearchive.ai STS-43 collection brings together 6 records from the mission, including launch coverage, mission commentary, and highlights reels.
These records document the mission in the words and images of the people who flew and supported it.
A working snapshot of what the collection holds today. The public catalog shows descriptive metadata; full media and transcripts are available through research access.
All records in this collection
This recording captures the pre-deployment activities for the inertial upper stage and tracking and data relay satellite during STS-43, specifically at a mission elapsed time of 2 hours and 39 minutes. Mission Specialist Shannon Lucid successfully completed the pre-deploy checkout, confirming the inertial upper stage was on internal power for 2 minutes and 42 seconds. Additionally, the crew addressed a payload data interleaver failure, ensuring a clear telemetry link was established before the scheduled deployment at 6 hours and 13 minutes.
Launch coverage for STS-43, capturing the countdown from T minus 1 hour 42 minutes to liftoff at 11:02 am. Key milestones include solid rocket booster separation at approximately 2 minutes and 10 seconds after liftoff, followed by main engine cutoff at 8 minutes and 28 seconds. The recording also notes a successful cabin leak check and the completion of alternate throttle eye load procedures during the countdown.
Launch coverage for STS-43, capturing the countdown from T minus 5 minutes to liftoff at 4:15 PM. Key milestones include the successful main engine start at T minus 6 seconds, liftoff with the roll program initiated, solid rocket booster separation at approximately 2 minutes, and main engine cutoff at 8 minutes 28 seconds. The recording also notes a clean separation from the external tank and a nominal ascent with no anomalies reported.
This highlights reel features live interviews with the Atlantis crew during their mission, showcasing Commander Baker's first spaceflight experience and Dr. Lucid's observations on Earth's haziness due to atmospheric conditions. The crew discusses the successful deployment of the TDRS satellite and the ongoing SSBUV experiment related to the ozone layer. Notably, Commander Blaha emphasizes the importance of the shuttle program and the need for a space station to enhance scientific research capabilities.
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