Challenger Shuttle Mission 7: STS-51-B

7th Challenger mission 17th Space shuttle mission

Mrs. Stark and Mrs. Mastin's classes learned about Challenger Shuttle's seventh mission.

Mrs. Mastin's Class Jasmine Baldwin, Auri Battle, Aharon Campsey, Thomas Dinca, Kyler Farley, Will Greene, Kaitlyn Holder, Katy Killmeyer, Michael Landry, Teiona Lee, Cooper Magonigal, Jaxon McMonigle, Noah Phillips, Sarah Reynolds, Gracelyn Varghese, Natalie Warnick, William Weir, Slade Williams, Cain Williams, Hannah Wingate, Nikki Xue	Mrs. Stark's Class Anonna Bhattacharjee, Kayla Biggs, Rhonda Boyett, William Hilt, Bryson Johns, Andrew Kim, Nathan Kingsbury, Brendan Martin, Dylan Murphy, Jonathan Norton, Mason Nungesser, Rose Ogles, Izabela Partan, Duncan Ross, Kamiya Scott, Jacob Short, Tucker Summers, Lake Treen, Brynna Turney, Walker Weir

Start of Mission: April 29, 1985, 12:02:18 pm, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

End of Mission: May 6, 1985, 9:11:04 am, Edwards Air Force Base, California

Mission duration: 7 days, 0 hours, 8 minutes, 46 seconds

Distance traveled: 2.9 million miles

Orbits of Earth: 111

Crew Size: 7

Commander: Robert F. Overmyer Pilot: Frederick D. Gregory Mission Specialist/Payload Commander: Don L. Link Mission Specialist 2: Normal E. Thagard Mission Specialist 3: William E. Thornton Payload Specialist 1: Lodewijk van den Berg Payload Specialist 2: Taylor G. Wang

Astronaut Bios: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/

Wake Up calls:

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, and first used music to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts’ families, and usually has a special meaning to the individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.

There were no wake up calls on this flight because there were two crews, each working 12 hours shifts, so there was somebody awake at all times.

Interesting Facts:

·         Spacelab: Multi-disciplinary research in microgravity

·         Crew worked around the clock in 12 hour shifts

·         Two squirrel monkeys and 24 rats were flown on this flight

Videos:

Launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUaSwvbvpU4

Launch and Landing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsfCZPI4jPo

Post Flight Presentation: http://www.nss.org/resources/library/shuttlevideos/shuttle17.htm