Three satellites were deployed on this mission, although one failed to function after reaching its proper orbit. Crew members performed a total of 11 hours, 27 minutes of extravehicular activity. A portion of that time was spent retrieving, repairing, and redeploying another malfunctioning satellite.!
Front row, left to right: Commander Joseph Engle, DOB: 8/26/32, Background: Col. USAF. Flew NASA flight tests; Commander on STS-2. Education: B.S. in aeronautical engineering.
Pilot Richard Covey, DOB: 8/1/46, Background: Col., USAF. Pilot on STS-26 and Commander of STS-38. Education: B.S. in engineering sciences; M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics.
Back row, left to right: Mission Specialist James van Hoften, DOB: 6/11/44, Background: Naval aviator and professor. Flew on 41-C. Education: B.S. in civil engineering; M.S. in hydraulic engineering; Ph.D. in fluid mechanics.
Mission Specialist John (Mike) Lounge, DOB: 6/28/46, Background: STS-26 and STS-35. Education: B.S. in physics and mathematics; M.S. in astrogeophysics.
Mission Specialist William Fisher, DOB: 4/1/46, Background: CAPCOM for STS-8 and STS-9 among other roles at NASA. Education: M.S. in engineering; doctorate in medicine.!
27 August 1985 6:58 a.m. EDT
Launch originally scheduled for 24 August was scrubbed at T-5 minutes due to thunderstorms and was rescheduled for 25 August, but was further delayed to the 27th due to an onboard computer failure. The final countdown was delayed 3 minutes due to weather and an unauthorized ship in the restricted SRB recovery area.!
3 September 1985 6:15 a.m. PDT
at Edwards AFB, CA
Mission Duration: 7 days, 2 hours, 17 minutes, 42 seconds. Completed 111 orbits. Mission shortened by one day due to early deployment of satellite.!
