Columbia's Missions

Space shuttle Columbia had a long distinguished history with NASA, flying some of the most famous missions. But it also flew some of the least glamorous flights that barely got any attention outside of the space program. Because Columbia was the first shuttle it was extremely conservatively built, with heavier structures in some places. In addition it has much more instrumentation than the other shuttles, instrumentation which was used during the early test flights to evaluate the shuttle's performance. Data collected while Columbia was manufactured and during the test flights resulted in improvements to the later shuttles. They could be made lighter, and therefore could carry more payload into space. Typically Columbia could carry 5,000 pounds less than the other shuttles. So the rest of the fleet flew missions which required high performance like satellite deployments and flights to assemble the International Space Station.

STS-1
STS-2
STS-3
STS-4
STS-5
STS-9
STS-61-C

STS-28
STS-32
STS-35
STS-40
STS-50
STS-52
STS-55

STS-58
STS-62
STS-65
STS-73
STS-75
STS-78
STS-80

STS-83
STS-94
STS-87
STS-90
STS-93
STS-109
STS-107

STS-1

Crew:
John W. Young, Commander
Robert L. Crippen, Pilot

Launch:
April 12, 1981, 7:00:03 a.m. EST.

Payloads:
Development Flight Instrumentation

Landing:
April 14, 1981, 10:20:57 a.m. PST

STS-2

Crew:
Joseph H. Engle, Commander
Richard H. Truly, Pilot

Launch:
November 12, 1981, 10:09:59 a.m. EST.

Payloads:
Development Flight Instrumentation
Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-1 (OSTA-1)

Landing:
November 14, 1981, 1:23:11 p.m. PST

STS-3

Crew:
Jack R. Lousma, Commander
C. Gordon Fullerton, Pilot

Launch:
March 22, 1982, 11:00:00 a.m. EST

Payloads:
Development Flight Instrumentation
Office of Space Science-1 (OSS-1)

Landing:
March 30, 1982, 9:04:46 a.m. MST, Northrup Strip, White Sands, N.M.

STS-4

Crew:
Thomas K. Mattingly, Commander
Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr., Pilot

Launch:
June 27, 1982, 11:00:00 a.m. EDT.

Payloads:
DoD-1 CIRRIS (Cryogenic infrared Radiance Instrumentation for Shuttle)
Get Away Special canister

Landing:
July 4, 1982, 9:09:31 a.m. PDT

STS-5

Crew:
Vance D. Brand, Commander
Robert F. Overmyer, Pilot
Joseph P. Allen, Mission Specialist
William B. Lenoir, Mission Specialist

Launch:
November 11, 1982, 7:19:00 a.m. EST.

Payloads:
ANIK C-3 and SBS-C communications satellites.

Landing:
November 16, 1982, 6:33:26 a.m. PST

STS-9

Crew:
John W. Young, Commander
Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., Pilot
Owen K. Garriott, Mission Specialist
Robert A. R. Parker, Mission Specialist
Byron K. Lichtenberg, Payload Specialist
Ulf Merbold, Payload Specialist (European Space Agency - Germany)

Launch:
November 28, 1983, 11:00:00 a.m. EST

Payloads:
Spacelab-1

Landing:
December 8, 1983, 3:47:24 p.m. PST

61-C

Crew:
Robert L. Gibson, Commander
Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Pilot
Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Mission Specialist
Steven A. Hawley, Mission Specialist
George D. Nelson, Mission Specialist
Robert J. Cenker, Payload Specialist
Congressman Bill Nelson, Payload Specialist

Launch:
January 12, 1986, 6:55:00 a.m. EST.

Payloads:
RCA Satcom Ku-1 comsat
GAS bridge
Materials Science Laboratory-2 (MSL-2)
Hitchhiker G-1

Landing:
January 18, 1986, 5:58:51 a.m. PST

STS-28

Crew:
Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., Commander
Richard N. Richards, Pilot
David C. Leestma, Mission Specialist
James C. Adamson, Mission Specialist
Mark N. Brown, Mission Specialist

Launch:
August 8, 1989, 8:37:00 a.m. EDT

Payloads:
Satellite Data System (SDS 2-1) classified military relay satellite

Landing:
August 13, 1989, 6:37:08 a.m. PDT.

STS-32

Crew:
Daniel C. Brandenstein, Commander
James D. Wetherbee, Pilot
Bonnie J. Dunbar, Mission Specialist
Marsha S. Ivins, Mission Specialist
G. David Low, Mission Specialist

Launch:
January 9, 1990, 7:35:00 a.m. EST.

Payloads:
Syncom IV-5 Navy satellite
Retrieve Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF)

Landing:
January 20, 1990, 1:35:36 a.m. PST

STS-35

Crew:
Vance D. Brand, Commander
Guy S. Gardner, Pilot
Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Mission Specialist
John M. Lounge, Mission Specialist
Robert A. R. Parker, Mission Specialist
Ronald A. Parise, Payload Specialist
Samuel T. Durrance, Payload Specialist

Launch:
December 2, 1990, 1:49:01 a.m. EST

Payloads:
ASTRO-1 telescopes
BBXRT (Broad Band X-Ray Telescope)

Landing:
December 10, 1990, 9:54:09 p.m. PST

STS-40

Crew:
Bryan D. O'Connor, Commander
Sidney M. Gutierrez, Pilot
James P. Bagian, Mission Specialist
Tamara E. Jernigan, Mission Specialist
M. Rhea Seddon, Mission Specialist
F. Drew Gaffney, Payload Specialist
Millie Hughes-Fulford, Payload Specialist

Launch:
June 5, 1991, 9:24:51 a.m. EDT

Payloads:
Space Life Sciences (SLS-1) Spacelab

Landing:
June 14, 1991, 8:39:11 a.m. PDT

STS-50

Crew:
Richard N. Richards, Mission Commander
Kenneth D. Bowersox, Pilot
Bonnie J. Dunbar, Payload Commander
Carl J. Meade, Mission Specialist
Ellen S. Baker, Mission Specialist
Lawrence J. DeLucas, Payload Specialist
Eugene H. Trinh, Payload Specialist

Launch:
June 25, 1992, 12:12:23 p.m. EDT.

Payloads:
United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1)
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
July 9, 1992, 7:42:27 a.m. EDT

STS-52

Crew:
James D. Wetherbee, Commander
Michael A. Baker, Pilot
Charles Lacy Veach, Mission Specialist
Tamara E. Jernigan, Mission Specialist
William M. Shepherd, Mission Specialist
Steven A. MacLean, Payload Specialist - (Canadian Space Agency)

Launch:
October 22, 1992, 1:09:39 p.m. EDT.

Payloads:
Laser Geodynamic Satellite II (LAGEOS II)
U.S. Microgravity Payload-1 (USMP-1).

Landing:
November 1, 1992, 9:05:52 a.m. EST

STS-55

Crew:
Steven R. Nagel, Mission Commander
Terence T. Henricks, Pilot
Jerry L. Ross, Payload Commander
Charles J. Precourt, Mission Specialist
Bernard A. Harris, Jr., Mission Specialist
Ulrich Walter, Payload Specialist (Germany)
Hans William Schlegel, Payload Specialist (Germany)

Launch:
April 26, 1993, 10:50:00 a.m. EDT.

Payloads:
German Spacelab (D-2)

Landing:
May 6, 1993, 7:29:59 a.m. PDT.

STS-58

Crew:
John E. Blaha, Mission Commander
Richard A. Searfoss, Pilot
M. Rhea Seddon, Payload Commander
William S. McArthur Jr., Mission Specialist
David A. Wolf, Mission Specialist
Shannon W. Lucid, Mission Specialist
Martin J. Fettman, Payload Specialist

Launch:
October 18, 1993, 10:53:10 a.m. EDT.

Payloads:
Space Life Sciences (SLS-2) Spacelab
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
November 1, 1993, 7:05:42 a.m. PST

STS-62

Crew:
John H. Casper, Commander
Andrew M. Allen, Pilot
Charles D. Gemar, Mission Specialist
Marsha S. Ivins, Mission Specialist
Pierre J. Thuot, Mission Specialist

Launch:
March 4, 1994, 8:53:00 a.m. EST

Payloads:
U.S. Microgravity Payload-2 (USMP-2)
Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology-2 (OAST-2).

Landing:
March 18, 1994, 8:09:41 a.m. EST

STS-65

Crew:
Robert D. Cabana, Mission Commander
James D. Halsell Jr., Pilot
Richard J. Hieb, Payload Commander
Donald A. Thomas, Science Mission Specialist
Carl E. Walz, Mission Specialist
Leroy Chiao, Mission Specialist
Chiaki Mukai, Payload Specialist (National Space Development Agency of Japan - NASDA)

Launch:
July 8, 1994, 12:43:00 p.m. EDT.

Payloads:
International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) Spacelab
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
July 23, 1994, 6:38:01 a.m. EDT

STS-73

Crew:
Kenneth D. Bowersox, Mission Commander
Kent V. Rominger, Pilot
Kathryn C. Thornton, Payload Commander
Catherine G. Coleman, Science Mission Specialist
Michael E. Lopez-Alegria, Mission Specialist
Fred W. Leslie, Payload Specialist
Albert Sacco Jr., Payload Specialist

Launch:
Oct. 20, 1995, 9:53:00.069 a.m. EDT.

Payloads:
U.S. Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) Spacelab
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
Nov. 5, 1995, 6:45:21 a.m. EST.

STS-75

Crew:
Andrew M. Allen, Mission Commander
Scott J. "Doc" Horowitz, Pilot
Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Payload Commander
Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Mission Specialist
Maurizio Cheli, Mission Specialist (ESA - Italy)
Claude Nicollier, Mission Specialist (ESA - Switzerland)
Umberto Guidoni, Payload Specialist (Italian Space Agency - ASI)

Launch:
February 22, 1996, 3:18:00 p.m. EST.

Payloads:
U.S./Italian Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1R)
U.S. Microgravity Payload-3 (USMP-3)
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
March 9, 1996, 8:58:21 a.m. EST

STS-78

Crew:
Terence T. "Tom" Henricks, Mission Commander
Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot
Susan J. Helms, Payload Commander
Richard M. Linnehan, Mission Specialist
Charles E. Brady Jr., Mission Specialist
Jean-Jacques Favier, Payload Specialist (CNES - France)
Robert Brent Thirsk, Payload Specialist (Canadian Space Agency)

Launch:
June 20, 1996, 10:49:00 a.m. EDT

Payloads:
Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) Spacehab
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
July 7, 1996, 8:36:45 a.m. EDT

STS-80

Crew:
Kenneth D. Cockrell, Commander
Kent V. Rominger, Pilot
Tamara E. Jernigan, Mission Specialist
Thomas D. Jones, Mission Specialist
Story Musgrave, Mission Specialist

Launch:
November 19, 1996, 2:55:47 p.m. EST

Payloads:
Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (ORFEUS-SPAS II)
Wake Shield Facility-3 (WSF-3)
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
December 7, 1996, 6:49:05 a.m. EST,

STS-83

Crew:
James D. Halsell Jr., Commander
Susan L. Still, Pilot
Janice Voss, Payload Commander
Michael L. Gernhardt, Mission Specialist
Donald A. Thomas, Mission Specialist
Roger K. Crouch, Payload Specialist
Gregory T. Linteris, Payload Specialist

Launch:
April 4, 1997, 2:20:32 p.m. EST

Payloads:
Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) Spacelab
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
April 8, 1997, 2:33:11 p.m. EDT

STS-94

Launch:
July 1, 1997, 2:02:00 p.m. EDT

Payloads:
Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) Spacelab reflight
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
July 17, 1997, 6:46:34 a.m. EDT

STS-87

Crew:
Kevin R. Kregel, Commander
Steven W. Lindsey, Pilot
Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist
Takao Doi, Mission Specialist (National Space Development Agency of Japan - NASDA)
Winston E. Scott, Mission Specialist
Leonid K. Kadenyuk, Payload Specialist (NSAU, Ukrainian Space Agency)

Launch:
November 19, 1997, 2:46:00 p.m. EST.

Payloads:
U.S. Microgravity Payload (USMP-4)
SPARTAN-201-04
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
December 5, 1997, 7:20:04 a.m. EST.

STS-90

Crew:
Richard A. Searfoss, Commander
Scott D. Altman, Pilot
Richard M. Linnehan, Payload Commander and Mission Specialist
Dafydd "Dave" Rhys Williams, Mission Specialist (Canadian Space Agency)
Kathryn P. "Kay" Hire, Mission Specialist
Jay C. Buckey, Payload Specialist
James A. "Jim" Pawelczyk, Payload Specialist

Launch:
April 17, 1998, 2:19:00 p.m. EDT

Payloads:
Neurolab
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
May 3, 1998, 12:08:59 p.m. EDT

STS-93

Crew:
Eileen M. Collins, Commander
Jeffrey S. Ashby, Pilot
Steven A. Hawley, Mission Specialist
Catherine G. "Cady Coleman", Mission Specialist
Michel Tognini, Mission Specialist (CNES - France)

Launch:
July 23, 1999, at 12:31:00 a.m. EDT.

Payloads:
Chandra X-ray Observatory

Landing:
July 27, 1999 at 11:20:37 p.m. EDT.

STS-109

Crew:
Scott D. Altman, Commander
Duane G. Carey , Pilot
John M. Grunsfeld , Payload Commander
Nancy J. Currie, Mission Specialist
James H. Newman, Mission Specialist
Richard M. Linnehan, Mission Specialist
Michael J. Massimino, Mission Specialist

Launch:
March 1, 2002, 6:22 a.m. EST

Payloads:
Fourth Hubble Servicing Mission (SM 3B)

Landing:
Mar. 12, 2002, 4:32 a.m. EST

STS-107

Crew:
Rick D. Husband, Commander
Willie C. McCool, Pilot
Michael P. Anderson, Payload Commander
Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist
David M. Brown, Mission Specialist
Laurel B. Clark, Mission Specialist
Ilan Ramon, Payload Specialist (Israeli Space Agency)

Launch:
January 16, 2003, at 10:39:00 a.m. EST.

Payloads:
Spacehab Research Module
FREESTAR
Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet

Landing:
Planned for February 1, 2003, at 9:16:00 a.m. EST.

Back to Appendixes

Home