{"id":140789,"date":"2022-06-28T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-480930"},"modified":"2023-07-26T16:39:10","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T20:39:10","slug":"40-years-ago-sts-4-columbias-final-orbital-flight-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-sts-4-columbias-final-orbital-flight-test\/","title":{"rendered":"40 Years Ago: STS-4, Columbia\u2019s Final Orbital Flight Test"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Space shuttle Columbia took to the skies on June 27, 1982, to begin its fourth trip into space. Astronauts Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly and Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield rode the reusable spacecraft on a pillar of fire from Launch Pad 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The STS-4 mission, the last of the program\u2019s four orbital flight tests, featured the first shuttle payload sponsored by the Department of Defense (DOD). Mattingly and Hartsfield continued engineering tests of the reusable spacecraft including characterizing its thermal properties and its contamination environment. At the end of the seven-day mission, they made the first shuttle landing on a concrete runway, arriving home to a presidential welcome and a Fourth of July celebration with three space shuttle orbiters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_crew\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_1_crew_s82-31207.jpg\" width=\"226\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_crew_patch\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_2_crew_patch_s82-29695.jpg\" width=\"342\" height=\"180\"><br>\n<em>Left: Official photo of the STS-4 crew of Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield, left, and<br>\nThomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly. Right: Official STS-4 crew patch.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The STS-3 mission concluded on March 20, 1982, when space shuttle Columbia landed at Northrup Strip at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Ground crews returned the orbiter to KSC and refurbished the vehicle for the upcoming STS-4 mission in what was then record time, rolling the stack out to Launch Pad 39A on May 26. The 90-hour countdown for STS-4, slightly longer than usual to accommodate loading of super-cold helium into the DOD\u2019s Cryogenic Infrared Radiance Instrumentation for Shuttle (CIRRIS) payload, commenced on June 23. Engineers and managers in Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center monitored the activities. Flying in from Houston\u2019s Ellington Air Force Base (AFB), Mattingly and Hartsfield touched down on KSC\u2019s Shuttle Landing Facility on June 25, their arrival diverted from nearby Patrick AFB and delayed 40 minutes due to local thunderstorms. To prepare for the launch two days later, they reviewed their mission plan and practiced landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft. On launch morning, they ate the traditional breakfast with mission managers, donned their launch and entry pressure suits, and rode the astronaut van to the launch pad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_astro_walkout_jun_27_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_3_astro_walkout_jun_27_1982.jpg\" width=\"209\" height=\"160\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_in_white_room_jun_27_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_4_in_white_room_jun_27_1982.jpg\" width=\"211\" height=\"160\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_lcc_during_countdown_jun_27_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_5_lcc_during_countdown_jun_27_1982.jpg\" width=\"212\" height=\"160\"><br>\n<em>Left: STS-4 astronauts Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly, left, and Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield<br>\ndepart crew quarters, accompanied by Director of Flight Operations George W.S. Abbey.<br>\nMiddle: In the White Room at Launch Pad 39A, Hartsfield, left, and Mattingly prepare<br>\nto board Columbia. Right: View of Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control<br>\nCenter during the STS-4 countdown.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At precisely 11 a.m. EDT on June 27, 1982, just three months after its previous launch, space shuttle Columbia lifted off from Launch Pad 39A, riding on the thrust of its two solid rocket boosters and its three main engines. As soon as the shuttle cleared the launch tower, control of the flight handed over to the Mission Control Center (MCC) at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. The Ivory Team of flight controllers led by ascent Flight Director <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/HollowayTW\/hollowaytw.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Thomas W. \u201cTommy\u201d Holloway<\/a> monitored Columbia\u2019s ascent, with capsule communicator (capcom) astronaut <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/griggs_s_david.pdf?emrc=4f6636\" rel=\"noopener\">S. David Griggs<\/a> relaying milestone events to Mattingly and Hartsfield aboard the shuttle. About two minutes after liftoff, the two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) exhausted their fuel and were jettisoned. Due to parachute malfunctions, both SRBs sustained heavy damage upon water impact and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Columbia continued its ascent on the power of its three main engines. Eight and a half minutes after liftoff, Columbia\u2019s main engines shut off on time and the large external tank was jettisoned. The space shuttle had reached space but had not yet achieved orbit.  Columbia\u2019s two Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engines fired twice to complete the task of placing the vehicle into a circular 150-mile-high orbit. Mission Control gave Mattingly and Hartsfield a \u201cgo\u201d to stay in orbit. The first major task involved opening the orbiter\u2019s payload bay doors to allow the radiators mounted inside them to cool the vehicle. They removed their launch and entry pressure suits and changed into more comfortable flight suits. Mattingly and Hartsfield had company in space, as they joined another crew already in orbit aboard the Soviet Salyut 7 space station \u2013 four Soviet cosmonauts and a visiting guest astronaut from France. The seven crew members tied the then-record for the most people in space at the same time, first set in 1969.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_launch\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_6_launch_s82-33288.jpg\" width=\"263\" height=\"200\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_launch_in_lcc\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_7_launch_in_lcc.jpg\" width=\"275\" height=\"200\"><br>\n<em>Left: Liftoff of STS-4 on Columbia\u2019s fourth trip into space. Right: In Firing<br>\nRoom 1 of the Launch Control Center at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in<br>\nFlorida, launch controllers watch the ascent of space shuttle Columbia<br>\nafter handing control of the mission over to the Mission Control<br>\nCenter at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_mcc_day_1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_8_mcc_day_1_s82-32880.jpg\" width=\"540\" height=\"231\"><br>\n<em>View in the Mission Control Center at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in<br>\nHouston during the first day of the STS-4 mission.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although many aspects of the mission remain classified due to the DOD payload aboard Columbia, NASA made public other portions of the flight. One of the first changes to the mission\u2019s timeline involved the thermal tests on the vehicle, in which the orbiter would spend several hours in various attitudes to measure the effects of extreme temperature on the spacecraft\u2019s structures. Because of severe thunderstorms at the pad the day prior to launch, mission managers requested that, instead of the planned attitude with the payload bay facing the Earth, Columbia be placed first in an attitude with its belly facing the Sun, to bake out any water remaining in the heat shield tiles in the event of a possible early reentry. Mattingly and Hartsfield reported that the CIRRIS instrument in the payload bay did not operate, setting off several days of trouble-shooting activities that unfortunately did not recover the experiment. Two additional OMS burns raised the orbit to a circular 185 miles. After a long day, Mattingly and Hartsfield settled down for their first night\u2019s sleep in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_hartsfield_in_sleep_restraint\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_9_hartsfield_in_sleep_restraint.jpg\" width=\"120\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_hartsfield_working_on_cfes_2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_10_hartsfield_working_on_cfes_2.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"inflt_nighttime_daytime_optical_survey_of_lightning_exp_mattingl\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_11_inflt_nighttime_daytime_optical_survey_of_lightning_exp_mattingly.jpg\" width=\"283\" height=\"180\"><br>\n<em>Left: STS-4 astronaut Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield demonstrates the sleeping bag on<br>\nColumbia\u2019s middeck. Middle: Hartsfield works on the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis<br>\nSystem experiment. Right: Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly conducts the Nighttime<br>\nDaytime Optical Survey of Lightning experiment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a short night\u2019s sleep, Mission Control woke the crew with the song \u201cUp, Up and Away (In My Beautiful Balloon)\u201d by The 5th Dimension. Mattingly and Hartsfield reported that the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System appeared to be operating well, as were other middeck experiments. The major activity of the day involved activating the Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS), or robotic arm, and use it to pick up the Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM) and move it around to different positions in the payload bay to sample any contaminants. The 850-pound IECM set a record as the heaviest object lifted by the RMS up to that time. The contamination study continued into the next day, with the experiment taking samples following the release of a mixture of hydrogen and neon gas while the orbiter changed its attitude. Hartsfield celebrated his 26th wedding anniversary, with his wife Judy sending him a recorded message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"mattingly_meal_prep\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_12_mattingly_meal_prep_s04-28-312.jpg\" width=\"263\" height=\"185\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_news\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_13_news-071714e-lg.jpg\" width=\"280\" height=\"185\"><br>\n<em>Left: Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly prepares a meal on Columbia\u2019s middeck.<br>\nRight: Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield practices donning the launch and<br>\nentry pressure suit in the middeck.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the mission\u2019s fifth day, with the orbiter in the belly-to-the-Sun orientation, Mattingly and Hartsfield practiced closing the payload bay doors that had been in shadow during this time. The cold had warped the doors sufficiently that the port side one did not close properly. With a change in attitude to warm the doors, they eventually closed and re-opened properly. The activity demonstrated the value of conducting the thermal tests on the vehicle. Later in the day, the astronauts performed another OMS burn to raise their orbit to 195 by 186 miles, the highest altitude achieved by the shuttle to that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"rms_grappling_iecm\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_14_rms_grappling_iecm_s04-37-670.jpg\" width=\"220\" height=\"220\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"mattingly_emu_test_in_airlock\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_15_mattingly_emu_test_in_airlock_2.jpg\" width=\"281\" height=\"220\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"hartsfield_reviews_tags_teleprinter_printout\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_16_168-26-243_hartsfield_reviews_tags_teleprinter_printout.jpg\" width=\"145\" height=\"220\"><br>\n<em>Left: <\/em><em>The shuttle\u2019s Remote Manipulator System holding the Induced Environment Contaminant<br>\nMonitor experiment above Columbia\u2019s payload bay. Middle: Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly tests the<br>\nspace shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit in Columbia\u2019s airlock, the first<br>\ninflight test of the suit designed for <\/em><em>spacewalking. Right: Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d<br>\nHartsfield holding the printout from the teletype machine outlining all the<br>\nchanges to the day\u2019s flight plan.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mission Control awakened the crew on flight day 6 with music from \u201cChariots of Fire.\u201d The main activity for the day involved Mattingly putting on an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), the suit designed for spacewalks, in Columbia\u2019s airlock. Although the STS-4 timeline did not include a spacewalk, Mattingly had trained on the ground for a contingency spacewalk, for example to manually close the payload bay doors if needed. With a spacewalk planned for STS-5, Mattingly believed testing the spacesuit on this flight seemed prudent. Although mission controllers had not rehearsed the activity before the flight, Mattingly completed the task successfully. Small burns on flight day 6 and 7 using the shuttle\u2019s Reaction Control System thrusters raised Columbia\u2019s orbit slightly, to 202 by 183 miles, to prepare for the deorbit burn and reentry on flight day 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"earth_obs_florida\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_17_earth_obs_florida.jpeg\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"earth_obs_thunderstorm_off_us_east_coast\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_18_earth_obs_thunderstorm_off_us_east_coast.jpg\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"earth_obs_sargasso_sea\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_19_earth_obs_sargasso_sea_s04-41-1206.jpg\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"earth_obs_strait_of_hormuz\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_20_earth_obs_strait_of_hormuz_s04-37-716.jpg\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\"><br>\n<em>Four of the Earth observation photographs taken by STS-4 astronauts Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly<br>\nand Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield \u2013 Florida including NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center, left, a<br>\nthunderstorm off the east coast of the United States, the Sargasso Sea,<br>\nand the Straits of Hormuz.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On their final day in orbit, as Mattingly and Hartsfield became the first Americans in space on the Fourth of July, Mission Control awakened them with the appropriately patriotic tune, \u201cThis is My Country.\u201d To begin their deorbit preparations, they closed Columbia\u2019s payload bay doors, donned their pressure suits, and oriented the vehicle with its OMS engines facing in the direction of travel. Entry Flight Director Harold M. Draughon gave them a \u201cgo\u201d for the deorbit burn, and they fired Columbia\u2019s OMS engines over the Indian Ocean for nearly three minutes to drop the spacecraft out of orbit. Twenty-seven minutes later, Columbia encountered the first tendrils of the Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere at an altitude of 400,000 feet. The heat of reentry caused a sheath of ionized plasma to form around the vehicle, blocking communications for 16 minutes. They crossed the California coast at an altitude of 112,000 feet, traveling at Mach 4. By the time they flew a circle over Edwards Air Force Base in California\u2019s Mojave Desert, they had dropped to 50,000 feet. Mattingly took over manual control at 2,500 feet and guided Columbia to a smooth landing on Runway 22, the first shuttle touchdown on a concrete runway. Columbia rolled to a stop, completing a mission of 7 days, 1 hour, and 10 minutes. \u201cWelcome back to Earth,\u201d capcom <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/ShawBH\/shawbh.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Brewster H. Shaw<\/a> radioed from Mission Control. \u201cThat looks like a beautiful vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_4_landing\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_21_landing_s82-33229.jpg\" width=\"212\" height=\"212\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"post_landing_w_reagans\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_22_post_landing_w_reagans_s82-33227.jpg\" width=\"212\" height=\"212\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"postlanding_inspection_w_reagan\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_23_postlanding_inspection_w_reagan_1.jpg\" width=\"224\" height=\"212\"><br>\n<em>Left: TOUCHDOWN! Columbia makes the first space shuttle landing on the concrete runway<br>\nat Edwards Air Force Base in California. Middle: President Ronald W. Reagan and<br>\nFirst Lady Nancy Reagan greet STS-4 astronauts Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly and<br>\nHenry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield following their landing. Right: Mattingly and<br>\nHartsfield take the Reagans on a postflight inspection tour of Columbia.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A crowd estimated at 525,000 had gathered in the viewing area of Edwards AFB. President Ronald W. Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan greeted Mattingly and Hartsfield on the runway as they walked down the stairs after exiting Columbia. They completed an abbreviated walkaround inspection of the orbiter, with the President and First Lady both touching the nose landing gear door of Columbia that had been in space an hour earlier. In Mission Control, flight controllers cheered and waved American flags following what Flight Director Draughon called \u201cone of the cleanest flights yet.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"mcc_landing_day\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_24_mcc_landing_day_s82-33222.jpg\" width=\"537\" height=\"290\"><br>\n<em>The Mission Control Center at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston<br>\nshortly after the STS-4 landing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"enterprise_wide_shot\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_25_enterprise_wide_shot_ec82-18992.jpg\" width=\"218\" height=\"176\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"enterprise_medium_shot\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_26_enterprise_medium_shot.png\" width=\"191\" height=\"175\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"crew_post_landing_w_reagan_edwards_jul_4_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_27_crew_post_landing_w_reagan_edwards_jul_4_1982.jpg\" width=\"238\" height=\"175\"><br>\n<em>Three views of the Fourth of July reception for the returning STS-4 crew of Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d<br>\nMattingly and Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield, held at NASA\u2019s Dryden (now Armstrong) Flight<br>\nResearch Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California and attended by President<br>\nRonald W. Reagan, First Lady Nancy Reagan, and NASA Administrator James M. Beggs,<br>\nwith space shuttle Enterprise as a backdrop.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About an hour later, with space shuttle Enterprise as a backdrop, NASA Administrator James M. Beggs introduced President Reagan who saluted Mattingly and Hartsfield, saying \u201cTK and Hank, you\u2019ve just given the American people a Fourth of July present to remember.\u201c Near the end of his speech, the President gave the go-ahead for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) with NASA\u2019s newest space shuttle, Challenger, perched on top to take off on the first leg of its journey to KSC. The SCA with Challenger made a pass over the assembly during Mattingly\u2019s speech, and made a second pass following Hartsfield\u2019s comments, dipping a wing in salute. Despite the desert heat, an estimated 45,000 people attended the ceremony in person while millions watched on television. For about two hours, Edwards AFB hosted three space shuttle orbiters, the first time ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"edwards_afb_r5_22\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_28_1982-07-04_edwards_afb_r5_22.jpg\" width=\"256\" height=\"171\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"challenger_on_sca_midair_jul_4_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_29_challenger_on_sca_midair_jul_4_1982_s82-33421.jpg\" width=\"172\" height=\"170\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"challenger_at_ellington_w_sts-4_crew_jul_4_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_30_challenger_at_ellington_w_sts-4_crew_jul_4_1982.jpg\" width=\"217\" height=\"170\"><br>\n<em>Left: Space shuttle Challenger departs Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California atop its<br>\nShuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). Middle: Challenger atop its SCA photographed in mid-air<br>\nfollowing departure from Edwards AFB. Right: STS-4 astronauts Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly<br>\nand Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield and a crowd of well-wishers greet Challenger atop<br>\nits SCA upon their arrival at Ellington AFB in Houston.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SCA\/Challenger duo headed east for their first stop at Ellington AFB in Houston, a few miles from JSC. Mattingly and Hartsfield, accompanied by their wives, boarded a Gulfstream jet. Aboard the speedier aircraft, they arrived at Ellington about 30 minutes ahead of Challenger. A crowd of several thousand well-wishers had gathered to welcome the STS-4 crew and the newest addition to the growing shuttle fleet. NASA Deputy Administrator Hans M. Mark introduced Mattingly and Hartsfield. The SCA landed during Mattingly\u2019s speech, the engine noise drowning out his comments. The ceremony paused as the jumbo jet carrying Challenger taxied to its overnight parking position. Following the ceremony, the crowd turned its attention to admiring the SCA and Challenger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"ellington_jul_4_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_31_ellington_jul_4_1982.jpg\" width=\"268\" height=\"201\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"challenger_at_ellington_jul_4_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_32_challenger_at_ellington_jul_4_1982.jpg\" width=\"270\" height=\"200\"><br>\n<em>Left: STS-4 astronaut Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly, right, addresses the crowd at<br>\nEllington Air Force Base in Houston, as fellow crew member Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d<br>\nHartsfield and NASA Deputy Administrator Hans M. Mark listen. Right: Space<br>\nshuttle Challenger atop its Shuttle Carrier Aircraft sits on an apron<br>\nat Ellington, during an overnight stop on its way to NASA\u2019s<br>\nKennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next morning, the SCA carrying Challenger took off from Ellington, arriving at KSC\u2019s SLF later that day. It taxied to the Mate Demate Device (MDD) where ground crews lifted the orbiter off the SCA. On July 6, workers towed Challenger to the nearby Orbiter Processing Facility to begin preparing it for its first mission, STS-6, then planned for January 1983.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"challenger_arr_ksc_jul_5_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_33_challenger_arr_ksc_jul_5_1982.jpg\" width=\"307\" height=\"185\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"columbia_return_to_ksc_jul_15_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_34_columbia_return_to_ksc_jul_15_1982.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"185\"><br>\n<em>Left: Space shuttle Challenger atop its Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) arrives<br>\nat NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on July 5, 1982.<br>\nRight: Space shuttle Columbia arrives back at KSC on July 15.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile at Dryden, ground crews towed Columbia from Runway 22 to that center\u2019s MDD for a postflight inspection, finding it in remarkably good shape. They mounted it on top of the SCA after it returned from delivering Challenger to KSC. The SCA\/Columbia duo departed Edwards AFB on July 14, and after a refueling stop at Dyess AFB in Texas, arrived at KSC to begin processing for its next mission, STS-5, planned for November 1982.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"postflight_crew_debrief_jul_7_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_35_postflight_crew_debrief_jul_7_1982.jpg\" width=\"275\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"postflight_crew_presser_jul_19_1982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_36_postflight_crew_presser_jul_19_1982.jpg\" width=\"231\" height=\"181\"><br>\n<em>Left: During a postflight debrief, STS-4 astronauts Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly<br>\nand Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield are joined by the four-man STS-5 crew<br>\nand NASA managers. Right: Mattingly, left, and Hartsfield during<br>\ntheir postflight crew press conference.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in Houston, Mattingly and Hartsfield returned to work for a series of debriefs with management and the four members of the STS-5 crew, eager to learn the lessons they learned on their test flight. On July 19, Mattingly and Hartsfield held a press conference during which they narrated a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NowISMHp824\" rel=\"noopener\">video<\/a> about their mission and answered reporters\u2019 questions. Of the space shuttle, Mattingly said, \u201cThis agency has put together one of the most spectacular pieces of machinery that you can ever imagine.\u201d Hartsfield agreed, saying, \u201cWe do have a reusable vehicle, a reliable vehicle, and a highly versatile vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>To be continued\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Space shuttle Columbia took to the skies on June 27, 1982, to begin its fourth trip into space. Astronauts Thomas K. \u201cTK\u201d Mattingly and Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield rode the reusable spacecraft on a pillar of fire from Launch Pad 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The STS-4 mission, the last of [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":149493,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2861,2671,2725,2999],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[12664,11995],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"40 Years Ago: STS-4, Columbia\u2019s Final Orbital Flight Test","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-sts-4-columbias-final-orbital-flight-test\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-sts-4-columbias-final-orbital-flight-test\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_1_crew_s82-31207.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_1_crew_s82-31207.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kelli Mars"}],"creator":["Kelli Mars"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Space Shuttle","STS-4","Johnson Space Center","NASA History"],"dateCreated":"2022-06-28T21:00:00Z","datePublished":"2022-06-28T21:00:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-26T20:39:10Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"40 Years Ago: STS-4, Columbia\u2019s Final Orbital Flight Test\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-sts-4-columbias-final-orbital-flight-test\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_1_crew_s82-31207.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2022-06-28T21:00:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Space Shuttle,STS-4,Johnson Space Center,NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Kelli Mars\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":14,"time_ago":"2 years","featured_image":{"id":149493,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sts_4_1_crew_s82-31207.jpg","title":"sts_4_1_crew_s82-31207","alt":"sts_4_crew","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140789"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140789"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":335678,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140789\/revisions\/335678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140789"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=140789"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=140789"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=140789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}