Crewed spacecraftExpended
STS-30 flight stack
Mission-specific Space Shuttle flight stack
Vehicle and mission dossier
STS-30
STS-30 deployed Magellan and its Inertial Upper toward Venus, marking the first planetary spacecraft launched from a Space Shuttle and the first United States planetary launch since 1978. Atlantis's crew also conducted lightning, fluids, and optical-calibration experiments and replaced a failed general-purpose computer with an onboard spare for the first time.
Flight profile
- Launch
- May 4, 1989
- Landing
- May 8, 1989
- Mission duration
- 4d 00h 56m
Places and recovery
Vehicle record
- Orbiter
- Space Shuttle Atlantis
- Mission or test
- STS-30
- Configuration
- , external tank, two , and three main engines
- Status
- Mission hardware disposition recorded by component
- Mission type
- Satellite or observatory deployment and operations
- Crew and station travelers
- 5
- Program
- Space Shuttle
- Crew complement
- 5
- Outcome
- Completed
- Archive classification
- Human spaceflight
- Primary objective
- Space Shuttle Atlantis mission that deployed the Magellan spacecraft toward Venus.
Flight objectives
- Launch Atlantis and its crew safely into .
- Space Shuttle Atlantis mission that deployed the Magellan spacecraft toward Venus.
- Complete the mission's assigned payload, , research, deployment, servicing, or logistics work.
- Return Atlantis and the landing crew safely to Earth.
Flight timeline
- May 4, 1989LaunchAtlantis lifted off near the end of Magellan's planetary launch window.
- Six hours after launchMagellan deployedThe spacecraft and upper left Atlantis for a 15-month journey to Venus.
- On orbitComputer replacedThe crew exchanged a failed general-purpose computer for a flight spare, a Shuttle first.
- May 8, 1989LandingAtlantis landed at Edwards after completing the four-day deployment mission.
