Space Shuttle Challenger
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Shuttle Orbiter Challenger (NASA Designation: OV-99) was a Space Shuttle orbiter. Challenger was the second shuttle orbiter to be placed into service (after Columbia) and was constructed using a body frame (STA-099) that had initially been produced for use as a test article. Its maiden voyage was on April 4, 1983, and made eight subsequent round trips to low earth orbit before it was destroyed during launch for its tenth mission, mission 51-L.
Challenger's rollout from Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Photo courtesy of NASA
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Challenger flew 10 flights, including its final fatal mission. It spent 69 days in space and made 987 orbits of Earth.
Flights
| Launch | Designation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 April 4 | STS-6 | Deployed TDRS-1.First spacewalk during a space shuttle mission. |
| 1983 June 18 | STS-7 | Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space.Deployed 2 communications satellites. |
| 1983 August 30 | STS-8 | Guion Bluford becomes first African-American in spaceFirst shuttle night launch and night landing. Deployed Insat-1B. |
| 1984 February 3 | STS-41-B | First untethered spacewalk.Deployed 2 communications satellites, unsuccessfully. |
| 1984 April 6 | STS-41-C | Solar Max service mission. |
| 1984 October 5 | STS-41-G | First mission to carry two women.Kathryn D. Sullivan becomes first American woman to make a spacewalk. Deployed Earth Radiation Budget Satellite. |
| 1985 April 29 | STS-51-B | Carried Spacelab-3 |
| 1985 July 29 | STS-51-F | Carried Spacelab-2 |
| 1985 October 30 | STS-61-A | Carried German Spacelab D-1 |
| 1986 January 28 | STS-51-L | Shuttle destroyed during launch and all seven astronauts on board killed. |
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