Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 1 

Original STS-1 press kit cover artwork 

This water color of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise by Nicholas Solovioff was done as part of NASA's art 

program through which nationally known artists are invited to document pictorially major NASA activities for an 

archival history of the exploration of space. 
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

SPACE SHUTTLE 

MISSION 

STS-1 

PRESS KIT 

APRIL 1981 

FIRST SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITAL FLIGHT TEST (OFT-1) 

FIRST FLIGHT OF COLUMBIA 
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STS-1 INSIGNIA 

S79-30685 -- This is the official insignia for the first space shuttle orbital flight test. The crew of the 102 Columbia 

on STS-1 will be Astronauts John W. Young, commander, and Robert L. Crippen, pilot. The art work was done by 

artist Robert McCall. 

The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as 

the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the form of illustrations by 

the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which we do not anticipate, it will be 

publicly announced. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 4 

RELEASE No: 81-39 March 18, 1981 

CONTENTS 

GENERAL RELEASE 5 

 

STS-1 OBJECTIVES: PROVING THE SYSTEM 7 

ORBITER EXPERIMENTS PROGRAM 7 

 ACIP-Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package 8 

 IRIS-Infrared Imagery of Shuttle 8 

 

LAUNCH PREPARATIONS, COUNTDOWN AND LIFTOFF 11 

 

PROFILE TO ORBIT 13 

SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH EVENTS 13 

FLIGHT PROFILE 14 

FLIGHT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 15 

LANDING AND POSTLANDING OPERATIONS 26 

SHUTTLE TRAJECTORY (FINAL) 27 

IF THINGS DON'T GO RIGHT (Contingencies) 33 

ORBITER COLUMBIA'S MAIDEN FLIGHT (Configuration) 36 

 Huntsville Operations Support Center 36 

SHUTTLE STANDARD OFT MENU 38 

SPACEFLIGHT TRACKING AND DATA NETWORK (STDN) 39 

 NASA Communications Network (NASCOM) 39 

 Network Systems Support 40 

 

PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION SCHEDULES 42 

STS-1 Television Schedule 42 

STS-1 Photography Schedule 42 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 44 

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT 48 

ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS 49 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 5 

RELEASE No: 81-39 March 18, 1981 

David Garrett 

Headquarters, Washington, D.C. 

(Phone: 202/755-3090) 

Dick Young 

Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 

(Phone: 305/867-2468) 

Terry White 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 

(Phone: 713/483-5111) 

COLUMBIA'S FIRST FLIGHT 

SHAKES DOWN SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 

The Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia, first in a planned fleet of spacecraft in the nation's Space Transportation 

System, will liftoff on its first orbital shakedown flight in April 1981. Launch will be no earlier than 45 minutes 

after sunrise from the NASA Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A. 

Crew for the first orbital flight will be John W. Young, commander, veteran of two Gemini and two Apollo space 

flights, and U.S. Navy Capt. Robert L. Crippen, pilot. Crippen has not flown in space. 

Columbia will have no payloads in the payload bay on this first orbital flight, but will carry instrumentation for 

measuring orbiter systems performance in space and during its glide through the atmosphere to a landing after 54 

1/2 hours. 

Extensive testing of orbiter systems, including the space radiators and other heat rejection systems, fills most of the 

STS-1 mission timeline. The clamshell-like doors on Columbia's 4.6 by 18-meter (15 by 60-foot) payload bay will 

be opened and closed twice during the flight for testing door actuators and latch mechanisms in the space 

environment. 

Other tests will measure performance of maneuvering and attitude thrusters, the Columbia's computer array and 

avionics "black boxes," and, during entry, silica-tile heatshield temperatures. 

The first of four engineering test flights, STS-1, will be launched into a 40.3 degree inclination orbit circularized 

first at 241 kilometers (130 nautical miles) and later boosted to 278 km (150 nm). Columbia will be used in these 

four test flights in proving the combined booster and orbiter combination before the Space Transportation System 

becomes operational with STS-5, now forecast for launch in September 1982. 

After "tower clear" the launch team in the Kennedy Space Center Firing Room will hand over STS-1 control to 

flight controllers in the Mission Control Center, Houston, for the remainder of the flight. 

Columbia's two orbital maneuvering system hypergolic engines will fire at approximately 53 1/2 hours over the 

Indian ocean to bring the spacecraft to a landing on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., an hour 

later. The approach to landing will cross the California coast near Big Sur at 42,670 m (140,000 ft.) altitude, pass 

over Bakersfield and Mojave, and end with a sweeping 225-degree left turn onto final approach. 
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Young and Crippen will land Columbia manually on this first test flight. A microwave landing system on the 

ground will be the primary landing aid in subsequent flights, with optional manual takeover. Kennedy landing teams 

will remove the flight crew and "safe" the orbiter after landing. 

The first three test flights land on Rogers Dry Lake, the fourth on the main runway at Edwards Air Force Base, and 

STS-5 will land on the 4,570-m (15,000-ft.) concrete Shuttle Landing Facility runway at Kennedy Space Center. 

STS-1 will be the first manned flight using solid rocket boosters. No previous U.S. space vehicle has been manned 

on its maiden flight. 

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.) 

Note: Technical descriptions of orbiter and booster structures and systems are in the Space Shuttle News Reference 

book mailed to correspondents accredited to cover STS-1. Mission press kits will contain information on payloads, 

timelines, flight crew and other details peculiar to each flight. 
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STS-1 OBJECTIVES: PROVING THE SYSTEM 

STS-1 and the three flights following are engineering test flights to prove out the Shuttle system in launch, orbital 

and landing operations. As the first manned orbital flight, STS-l's flight profile has been designed to minimize 

structural and operational loads on the spacecraft and its boosters. orbiter Columbia's cargo bay will be bare for this 

first test flight except for a data collection and recording package called developmental flight instrumentation (DPI) 

and an aerodynamic coefficient identification package (ACIP). 

The data collection package consists of three magnetic tape recorders, wideband frequency division multiplexers, a 

pulse code modulation master unit and signal conditioners. The recorders can record 28 tracks of wideband analog 

data on systems conditions and performance simultaneously. This package will be removed after STS-4 from 

Columbia's cargo bay, where it is mounted at fuselage station 1069. The aerodynamic package is described under 

the "orbital Experiments Program." 

A lengthy list of flight test objectives, detailed test objectives and two categories of supplementary objectives spell 

out what information is sought from STS-1, ranging from thermal responses to systems performance. 

The basic STS-1 flight objective is to demonstrate safe launch into orbit and return to landing of Columbia and its 

crew. Secondarily, the flight will verify the combined performance of the entire Shuttle vehicle -- orbiter, solid 

rocket boosters, external tank -- up through separation and retrieval of the spent solid rocket boosters. The flight 

will also gather data on the combined vehicle's aerodynamic and structural responses to the stress of launch. At 

mission end, similar data will be gathered on orbiter energy characteristics, such as crossrange steering capabilities, 

structural loads on entry, and performance of silica-tile thermal protection system. 

A major portion of the flight and detailed test objectives is aimed toward wringing out orbiter hardware systems and 

their operating computer software, and toward measuring the overall orbiter thermal response while in orbit with 

payload doors opened and closed. Still other test objectives evaluate orbiter's attitude and maneuvering thruster 

systems and the spacecraft's guidance and navigation system performance. 

ORBITER EXPERIMENTS PROGRAM 

A complete and accurate assessment of Shuttle performance during the launch, boost, orbit, atmospheric entry and 

landing phases of a mission requires precise data collection to document the Shuttle's response to these conditions. 

The office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, through its orbiter Experiments Program, is providing researchdedicated experiments on board the Shuttle orbiter to record specific, research-quality data. This data will be used to 

verify the accuracy of wind tunnel and other ground-based simulations made prior to flight; to verify ground-toflight extrapolation methods; and to verify theoretical computational methods. The data will also be useful to the 

office of Space Transportation Systems in their efforts to further certify the Shuttle and expand its operational 

envelope. 

The prime objective of the these experiments is to increase the technology reservoir for development of future (21st 

century) space transportation systems such as single-stage-to-orbit, heavylift launch vehicles and orbital transfer 

vehicles that could deploy and service large, automated, man-tended, multi-functional satellite platforms and a 

manned, permanent facility in Earth orbit. 

The orbiter Experiments Program experiments include: 

• ACIP - Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package; 

• SEADS - Shuttle Entry Air Data System; 
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• SUMS - Shuttle Upper Atmospheric Mass Spectrometer; 

• TFI - Technology Flight Instrumentation; 

• DATE - Dynamic, Acoustic and Thermal Environment Experiment; 

• IRIS - Infrared Imagery of Shuttle; 

• SILTS - Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature Sensing; 

• TGH - Tile Gap Heating Effects Experiment; 

• CSE - Catalytic Surface Effects. 

Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package and Infrared Imagery of Shuttle are the experiments which will 

obtain data during the STS-1 mission. 

ACIP - Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package 

The Shuttle orbiter presents an unprecedented and continuing opportunity to obtain full-scale flight data for an 

aircraft-type reentry vehicle throughout the complete aerodynamic regime. 

The primary objectives of ACIP are: 

• To collect aerodynamic data during the launch, entry and landing phases of the Shuttle; 

• To establish an extensive aerodynamic data base for verification of and correlation with ground-based test data, 

including assessments of the uncertainties in such data: 

• To provide flight dynamics data in support of other technology areas, such as aerothermal and structural 

dynamics. 

The Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package incorporates three triads of instruments: one of dual-range 

linear accelerometers; one of angular accelerometers; and one of rate gyros. Also included in this package are the 

power conditioner for the gyros, the power control systems and the housekeeping components. The package will be 

installed co-linearly with the geometric axes of the orbiter and post-installation measurements will be made to 

establish the position within 1O arc minutes. The instruments continuously sense the dynamic X, Y and Z attitudes 

and performance characteristics of the orbiter through these critical flight phases. In addition, the package receives 

orbiter control surface position data and converts these into higher orders of precision before recording them with 

the attitude data. Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package Principal Technologist is D. B. Howes, Johnson 

Space Center. 

IRIS - Infrared Imagery of Shuttle 

The objective is to obtain high-resolution infrared imagery of the orbiter lower (windward) and side surfaces during 

entry from which surface temperatures and hence aerodynamic heating may be inferred. The imagery will be 

obtained using a 91.5 centimeter (36-inch) telescope mounted in the NASA C-141 Gerald P. Kuiper Airborne 

observatory positioned appropriately at an altitude of 13,716 m (45,000 ft.) along the entry ground track of the 

orbiter. A single image will be obtained during each flight. 

The primary technology objective is to decrease the current level of uncertainty associated with various entry 

aerothermodynamic phenomena that affect the thermal protection system design. The phenomena include boundary 

layer transition, flow separation and reattachment, flow/surface interactions, and surface catalyses to flow 

chemistry. These data will provide for improved computational procedures and lead to 

the development of advanced thermal protection systems. 
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The Infrared Imagery of Shuttle system consists of the C-141 aircraft and its optical system, a 6-cm (2.36-in.) 

aperture acquisition telescope focal plane system with detector array, and a high-speed data handling and storage 

system. To conduct the observations, the aircraft will operate from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. The aircraft 

will be stationed along the orbiter entry ground track about one hour prior to reentry. As the orbiter passes through 

the field of view of the telescope, the orbiter windward or side surface will be observed by the detector system and 

the data recorded on tape. 

After the flight, these data will be supplemented by orbiter-derived data of velocity, altitude, angle-of-attack, yaw 

and roll conditions existing during the period of observation by the Infrared Imagery of Shuttle. 

Analysis of these data involves computer arrangement of data into a two-dimensional image format, radiometric 

analysis and detailed comparisons of the aerodynamic heating rates with analytical predictions and ground-based 

experimental data. Infrared Imagery of Shuttle Principal Technologist is B. L. Swenson, Ames Research Center. 
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LAUNCH PREPARATIONS, COUNTDOWN AND LIFTOFF 

Assembly of the Space Shuttle "stack" for the STS-1 mission began in December 1979, and January 1980, with the 

erection of the twin solid rocket boosters on a mobile launcher platform in the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle 

Assembly Building's High Bay 3. 

The Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia arrived at Kennedy Space Center from Dryden Flight Research Center in 

California aboard the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on March 24, 1979, and was immediately moved into the orbiter 

Processing Facility for systems checkout and the completion of installing its thermal protection system. 

The external tank arrived at Kennedy by barge from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La., in July 

1979, and underwent processing in the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4. 

The tank was mated with the solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform in early November 1980. 

The Columbia was moved from the orbiter Processing Facility on Nov. 24, 1980, to the adjacent Vehicle Assembly 

Building where it was mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters to complete the space vehicle for the 

STS-1 mission. 

The Shuttle Interface Test was conducted in the Vehicle Assembly Building in December to checkout the mechanical 

and electrical connections between the various elements and the functioning of onboard flight systems. 

The assembled Space Shuttle aboard its mobile launcher platform was moved the 5.6 km (3.5 mi.) from the Vehicle 

Assembly Building to Pad A on Dec. 29, 1980, to undergo final processing for launch. 

Pad/flight vehicle interfaces were validated during January and a further series of tests led to the wet (or fueled) 

Countdown Demonstration Test which culminated in the successful 20-second Flight Readiness Firing of Columbia's 

three main engines on Feb. 20, 1981. 

Upon the conclusion of the readiness firing, steps were taken to repair a small portion of the external tank's super light 

ablator insulation which became debonded during a tanking test of the orbiter's supercold liquid oxygen and liquid 

hydrogen propellants in January. 

Major tests conducted during March included the Launch Readiness Verification runs in which flight and landing 

events were simulated and a "dry" Countdown Demonstration Test. The latter test was a dress rehearsal for launch in 

which prime crew astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen went through a countdown and simulated liftoff. The dry 

demonstration test differed from the wet one in that the Shuttle's external tank was not loaded with the orbiter's liquid 

hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants and did not include a test firing of the orbiter's engines. 

The completion of the dry Countdown Demonstration Test and other major tests cleared the way for countdown and 

launch. 

The countdown for the STS-1 mission will be conducted in Firing Room 1 of the Complex 39 Launch Control Center 

by a government/industry launch team of about 200. 

The STS-1 pre-count will be picked up at the T-73-hour mark and includes a number of built-in holds. The hypergolic 

propellants for the orbiter's orbital maneuvering and reaction control systems were loaded aboard prior to the wet 

Countdown Demonstration Test/Flight Readiness Firing. They were not de-tanked after the test and it will not be 

necessary to service these systems during the countdown. 

The hydrazine-fueled auxiliary power units aboard Columbia and the solid rocket boosters' hydraulic power units will 

be serviced prior to the beginning of the STS-1 pre-count. 

Among the early pre-count activities are powering up the Shuttle vehicle, pressurizing the orbital Maneuvering 

System and Reaction Control System propellant tanks, software loading of the orbiter's general purpose computer's 

mass memory units, battery connections and range safety checks and servicing the fuel cells with liquid oxygen and 

liquid hydrogen. 
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Among the major functions in the launch countdown are: 

Count Time Functions 

 

T-15 hours Retract external tank intertank access arm. 

T-14 hrs Start retraction of rotating service structure. Task completed by T-12 

hours. 

T-8 hrs Lower vent hood (beanie cap) of external tank gaseous oxygen vent 

over nose cone of external tank. 

T-7 hrs Start clearing pad for countdown. Clearing completed by T-5 hours. 

T-5 hrs Begin countdown. 

T-4 hrs, 30 min Begin chilldown of liquid oxygen transfer system. 

 

T-4 hrs, 20 min Begin chilldown of liquid hydrogen transfer system. Begin liquid 

oxygen fill of external tank. 

 

T-4 hrs, 10 min Begin liquid hydrogen fill of external tank. 

 

T-2 hrs, 15 min Wake up flight crew. 

 

T-2 hrs, 4 min Two-hour built-in hold. External tank loading complete. External tank 

ice inspection and evaluation will be performed during this hold. Crew 

will also leave operations and Checkout Building for pad during hold. 

T-1 hr, 50 min Crew entry begins. 

T-1 hr, 25 min Crew entry complete. 

T-20 min 20-minute built-in hold. 

T-9 min 10-minute built-in hold. 

T-9 min Go for launch. Start launch processing system ground launch sequencer 

(automatic sequence). 

T-7 min, 5 sec Start orbiter access arm retraction (Fixed Service Structure). Retraction 

completed by T-4 min, 55 sec. 

T-5 min Start orbiter auxiliary power units. 

T-3 min, 45 sec Run orbiter aero surfaces profile. 

T-3 min, 30 sec orbiter placed on internal power. 

T-3 min, 10 sec Run gimbal slew profile, Space Shuttle main engines. 

T-2 min, 55 sec External tank liquid oxygen to flight pressure. 

T-2 min, 50 sec Start retraction of external tank gaseous oxygen vent arm. 

T-1 min, 57 sec External tank liquid hydrogen to flight pressure. 

T-25 sec Solid rocket booster hydraulic power units activated. orbiter onboard 

general purpose computer assumes control of terminal countdown. 

Ground launch sequencer remains on line supporting and monitoring 

launch commit criteria redlines. 

T-18 sec Verify solid rocket booster nozzle positions. 

T-11 sec Initiate pre-liftoff sound suppression system water. 

T-3.8 sec Main engine start sequence command. 

T+0.24 sec All engines at 90 percent thrust. 

T+2.88 sec External tank umbilical retracted. solid rocket boosters are ignited and 

holddown posts are released. Post-liftoff sound suppression water 

("rainbirds") initiated. 

T-0 LIFTOFF (Mission elapsed time begins with liftoff.) 
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PROFILE TO ORBIT 

STS-1 will be launched from Pad A at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 no earlier than the week of 

April 5, 1981. Launch windows open at local sunrise plus 45 minutes and are more than 6 hours in duration. 

Among the key considerations in establishing the launch windows are lighting conditions which will permit 

engineering photographic documentation at the launch site, provide adequate lighting for a landing at the Northrup 

Strip at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M., in the event of an Abort once Around, and provide for adequate 

lighting for a landing at the end of the nominal mission at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force 

Base, Calif. 

Windows for the week of April 5, which are about one minute earlier each day, are as follows: 

Window Open (EST) Duration 

(Hours) 

April 5 0653 6.5 

April 6 0652 6.6 

April 7 0651 6.6 

April 8 0650 6.6 

April 9 0649 6.6 

STS-1 will be launched on a relative flight azimuth varying from 58 to 66 degrees east of north between liftoff, 

solid rocket booster jettison and main engine cutoff. The orbit at Space Shuttle main engine cutoff will have a 

relative azimuth (heading) of 66 degrees east of north and be inclined 40.3 degrees to the equator. 

The table below illustrates the time, altitude, relative velocity and downrange distance for the major events in the 

flight ascent profile. The solid rocket boosters, jettisoned 2 minutes, 12 seconds, after liftoff will impact in the 

Atlantic ocean 5 minutes, 11 seconds, after separation at a downrange distance of approximately 256 km (160 mi.). 

The external tank, jettisoned 8 minutes, 51 seconds after liftoff, will be on a suborbital trajectory that results in an 

impact location in the Indian Ocean. 

SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH EVENTS 

Event 

Time 

(mm:ss) 

Alt 

(km) 

Alt 

(mi) 

Rel Vel 

(km/hr) 

Rel Vel 

(mph) 

Range 

(km) 

Range 

(mi) 

SSME - 00:03.46 0 0 0 0 0 0 

SSMEs at 90 percent thrust +00:00.24 0 0 0 0 0 0 

SRB ignition/holddown bolts triggered +00:02.64 0 0 0 0 0 0 

LIFTOFF (see note) +00:00.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Clear tower +00:06 106 a 347 b 120 75 0 0 

Begin pitchover +00:08 137 a 400 b 123 77 0 0 

SRB separation +02:12 49.7 30.8 4,625 2,891 48 30 

Main engine cutoff +08:32 118.5 73.6 26,715 16,697 1,363 852 

External tank jettisoned +08:51 118.7 74.2 26,710 16,694 1,472 920 

NOTE: Clock for Mission Elapsed Time reverts to 0 at liftoff. (a = Meters; b = Feet) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 14 

FLIGHT PROFILE 

During the second orbit Columbia's payload bay doors will be opened, and the space radiators will take over the job 

of dumping systems and metabolic heat into space. Except for lining up for an orbital Maneuvering System burn or 

inertial platform alignment, Columbia will spend most of its first flight with her topside and open payload bay doors 

facing Earth. Much of the engineering data expected from STS-1 are measurements of how well orbiter thermal 

loads are handled by the space radiators, flash evaporators and ammonia boiler heat rejection systems. 

Young and Crippen will remove their escape pressure suits three and a half hours after launch, and except for a suit 

donning/doffing checkout early in the second day of flight, will wear the two-piece flight coveralls until again 

donning pressure suits four hours before entry and landing. 

A carry-on food warmer will be used for the first several flights until the orbiter galley is installed. The STS-1 crew 

will sleep in their flight deck seats rather than in sleep restraints on the lower deck planned for later flights. Flight 

plan updates will be uplinked by Mission Control Center, Houston, to a teleprinter aboard Columbia. 

In addition to extensive orbiter systems tests and performance measurements planned for STS-1, Columbia's ability 

to hold attitude will be tested several times during the flight. Steady attitude control will be essential for operating 

many planned scientific experiments that require accurate pointing, and for future rendezvous with other space 

vehicles. 

Columbia's payload bay doors will be closed about four hours prior to landing. A 91-meter-per-second (299-feetper-second) orbital Maneuvering System retrograde deorbit burn at 2 days, 5 hours, 28 minutes over the Indian 

ocean will bring Columbia to a landing an hour later on the hard-packed sand of Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air 

Force Base, Calif. Columbia will touch down at 185 knots (213 mph) with a vertical sink rate of .23 m/s (2.4 fps). 

Young and Crippen will fly a manually-controlled landing. 

The following tables cover STS-1 flight events and maneuvers and the summary flight plan. 
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STS-1 FLIGHT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 

Event 

Mission Elapsed 

Time 

Hr:Min:Sec Comments 

 

SRB Ignition 0:00:00 

Liftoff 0:00:00.3 

Pitchover 0:00:08 

Max Q 0:00:53 

SRB Separation 0:02:12 

MECO 0:08:32 Orbit = 13/80 n. mi. 

ET Separation 0:08:50 

OMS-1 Ignition 0:10:32 Delta V=165 fps 

OMS-1 Cutoff 0:12:01 Orbit=130/57 n. mi. 

OMS-2 Ignition 0:44:00 Delta V-137 fps 

OMS-2 Cutoff 0:45:15 Orbit=130/130 n. mi. 

OMS-3 Ignition 6:20:41 Delta V-=36.5 fps 

OMS-3 Cutoff 6:21:20 Orbit=150/134 n. mi. 

OMS-4 Ignition 7:05:31 Delta V-37.5 fps 

OMS-4 Cutoff 7:06:11 Orbit=150/150 n. mi. 

Translation Maneuver Test: 

- No. 1 22:20:00 Orbit=150/150 

- No. 2 26:22:00 Orbit=150/150 

- No. 3 29:22:00 Orbit=150/150 

Deorbit Ignition 53:28:00 Delta V-299.0 fps 

Deorbit Cutoff 53:30:27 Orbit=149/2 n. mi. 

Entry Interface 53:56:02 

Initiate Terminal Area Energy Management 54:21:30 

Landing 54:27:43 
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LANDING AND POSTLANDING OPERATIONS 

Ground operations to prepare the Columbia for a ferry flight to Kennedy Space Center and launch on subsequent 

missions will begin immediately upon the spacecraft's rollout on the dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 

The Kennedy Space Center is responsible for ground operations and a recovery convoy will move in to begin 

preliminary securing and safing operations as soon as Columbia has come to a stop. Early tasks consist of 

establishment of ground communications, the connection and initiation of ground cooling and purge air flow, a 

post-landing inspection and safety verification and the connection of the ground tow vehicle to the orbiter. The 

flight crew will leave the vehicle and be replaced by a ground crew approximately 45 minutes after landing. 

The 18-unit ground convoy consists of the elements required to detect and disperse hazardous vapors, service 

Columbia's systems, transport and support ground personnel wearing protective garments, provide access to the 

crew compartment and transport the flight crew and ground crew which will replace them, and fire-fighting 

equipment. 

Post-landing operations will be performed in the following sequence: 

On the conclusion of orbiter rollout, the flight crew will safe the Columbia's orbital maneuvering and reaction 

control system prior to ground crew access. 

After this has been done, ground personnel wearing protective garments will move in next to the orbiter and use 

sensitive "sniffer" devices to verify the absence of explosive or toxic gases such as ammonia, hydrazine, 

monomethyl hydrazine or gaseous hydrogen. A mobile wind machine will be used to reduce the possibility that 

explosive or toxic gases exist in dangerous concentrations. 

Then access vehicles will be placed adjacent to the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen T-zero umbilicals on the aft 

end of the orbiter approximately 7 minutes after landing. 

Large transporters bearing purge and cooling ground support units will then be moved into place behind the orbiter 

and their lines connected with the appropriate T-zero umbilicals. 

The lines from the coolant transporter will be connected with the liquid hydrogen T-zero umbilical on the left side of the 

orbiter. once the connection has been made, Freon from this ground unit will begin flowing through the orbiter's 

cooling systems. 

The lines from the purge transporter will be connected with the liquid oxygen T-zero umbilical on the right side of 

the orbiter. This unit will supply air conditioning for temperature and humidity to the orbiter's payload bay and other 

cavities to remove any residual explosive or toxic fumes and provide a safe, clean and cool environment inside the 

vehicle. 

After a further assessment by a safety assessment team, the protective suit requirement will be removed and tow 

preparations and crew exchange activities will be initiated. The crew module hatch access vehicle will be then 

positioned adjacent to the crew hatch on the left side of the vehicle. 

Following the opening of the hatch, an activity expected to require 18 minutes, the flight and ground crews will be 

exchanged and the hatch will then be closed. After removing the hatch access vehicle, the tow of the orbiter to the 

NASA area at the Dryden Flight Research Center will begin. 

The elapsed time from the end of the rollout to the beginning of the tow is approximately one hour. 

The orbiter will be in the Dryden Center's facilities for a week to 10 days undergoing further system deservicing and 

ferry flight preparations for the journey back to the Kennedy Space Center. 

Nominal flight time for the Columbia aboard the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is two days. 

Columbia is due to arrive back at Kennedy from 10 days to two weeks after its touchdown in California from its 

first orbital mission. 
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SHUTTLE TRAJECTORY (FINAL) 

Location/Event Speed 

Altitude 

(feet) 

Time 

To 

Touchdown 

West edge of lake bed M1.2 53,000 270 sec 

East edge of lake bed M0.88 44,000 230 sec 

Abeam Boron, heading 330 degrees (turn final) 270 KEAS 

13,000 fpm descent rate 

20 degrees glide path 

18,500 110 sec 

Coming across U.S. 58 5-1/2 n mi on final 20 degrees glide path 10,000 76 sec 

Initiate preflare 1/3 n mi from edge of lake bed 280 KEAS 2,000 36 sec 

Gear Down command 270 KEAS 

5 degrees glide path 

250 19 sec 

Gear locked 230 KEAS 100 11 sec 

Touchdown 180 KEAS 0 0 sec 

M =Mach 

KEAS = Knots Equivalent Air Speed 
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IF THINGS DON'T GO RIGHT 

(Contingencies) 

STS-1 flight planners have attempted to anticipate any possible contingency that could happen during the flight -- 

from premature main engine shutdown to a sudden desert cloudburst making a wet lake of Rogers Dry Lake. 

"What ifs" have been a central part of each mission design from the outset of Project Mercury 20 years ago and 

continuing through Gemini, Apollo and Skylab. While there were no launch phase aborts in any of these programs, 

the cryogenic oxygen tank explosion aboard Apollo 13 and the ensuing use of the lunar module as a lifeboat, proved 

that contingency planning and training do pay off. 

The preferred type of launch abort for Shuttle launches is the abort-to-orbit (ATO) in which enough main engine 

and orbital maneuvering system engine energy is available to reach a 194-km (105-nm) orbit, but not enough to get 

the nominal 278-km (150-nm) orbit. An abort-to-orbit would be called for if one main engine should shut down 

before enough velocity is reached to yield a 278-km (150-nm) orbit. 

Slightly less available energy for orbit insertion because of an earlier failure of a single main engine would force an 

abort-once-around (AOA) situation in which Columbia would land near the end of one orbit at Northrup Strip on 

the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range, N.M. Abort-once-around would also be used for any time-critical 

orbiter systems failures requiring immediate deorbit and landing. Northrup Strip is also the backup landing site in 

case Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards is wet. 

Still earlier shutdown of a single main engine brings about the more critical return-to-launch-site (RTLS) abort. The 

vehicle would be turned around while thrusting and then glide back toward the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy 

Space Center. 

Once the decision to abort had been made, Columbia and the external tank would be flown in a pitch-around 

maneuver to heads-up and pointed back along the ground track to Cape Canaveral. The remaining two functioning 

main engines would cancel out the eastward velocity and accelerate the vehicle in a westward direction until enough 

velocity and distance is reached to glide along a normal entry trajectory to the Kennedy runway. orbiter systems 

failures during ascent could also force a return-to-launch-site abort. 

Loss of control or impending catastrophic failure during ascent, from clearing the launch pad service structure up to 

an altitude of 30,480 m (100,000 ft.), calls for crew ejection. Loss of two main engines prior to seven minutes of 

flight would also require crew ejection. 

Shuttle abort philosophy emphasizes safe return of the flight crew, the orbiter and its payloads to an intact landing at 

either the prime landing site at Edwards, the backup site at White Sands, or the contingency landing sites at Hickam 

Air Force Base, Hawaii; Rota, Spain; and Kadena Air Base, Ryukyu Islands. 

A situation such as a systems failure forcing landing on the first day of flight would mean landing at Edwards at the 

end of the fifth orbit 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 34 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 35 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 36 

ORBITER COLUMBIA'S MAIDEN FLIGHT 

(Configuration) 

When fully fitted out for operational flights (STS-5 and on), Columbia's middeck will house more creature comforts 

for the crew than the somewhat spartan accommodations of the first orbital test flight. For example, no sleeping 

bags have been stowed nor bunks installed aboard Columbia. Young and Crippen will sleep strapped into the flight 

deck ejection seats in their flight overalls. Sleep kits, with ear plugs and eye covers, have been provided for making 

the two sleep periods more comfortable. 

Columbia and the other orbiters joining the fleet will be fitted with airliner-type galleys for meal preparation. on this 

first flight, however, a carry-on electrical food warmer will heat meals stowed in middeck lockers. orbiters will not 

have freezers or refrigerators. 

Until ejection seats are removed from Columbia after STS-4, crews will wear modified USAF high-altitude pressure 

suits during launch and entry. Two-piece treated-cotton inflight coveralls will be worn during orbital flight. Shuttle 

spacesuits, or extravehicular mobility units (EMU), are aboard STS-1 for a contingency spacewalk. 

Should the need for a contingency spacewalk arise, such as failure of the mechanical actuators to close the payload 

bay doors, cabin pressure would be reduced from 14.5 pounds per square inch (21/79-percent oxygen/nitrogen mix) 

to 9 psi (28/72 percent oxygen/nitrogen). 

Crippen would go out through the airlock to manually close the payload bay doors after some 14 hours of prebreathing at the reduced pressure and at the higher oxygen level to purge suspended nitrogen from the blood stream. 

Lowering orbiter cabin pressure to 9 psi eliminates the need for Crippen to pre-breathe on an umbilical or on a 

portable oxygen system and thereby shortens an EVA "work day" by two hours. Moreover, the procedure also 

prebreathes Young, should he have to suit up and give Crippen a hand with the payload bay doors. 

As a hedge against the payload doors failure to open after Columbia is in orbit, additional potable water tanks have 

been loaded for the flash evaporators-. The flash evaporators transfer metabolic and systems heat from Freon loops 

to water when the payload doors are closed. Space radiators are attached to the inside of the payload bay doors for 

heat rejection when the doors are open. (See page 4-21 of the Space Shuttle News Reference.) 

If the payload bay doors fail to open during the second orbit, Columbia would be brought down to a landing at 

Edwards at the end of the fifth orbit. Failure of the payload bay doors to close would call for cabin depressurization 

to 9 psi and Crippen's spacewalk 14 hours later to unjam the doors. 

Except for developmental flight instrumentation and the aerodynamic coefficient identification package, Columbia's 

payload bay will be bare. 

Although Mission Control Center-Houston is described in the News Reference as it will be for STS mature 

operations, for orbital flight tests MCC-H will appear much the same as it did for Apollo and Skylab. The secondfloor Mission operations Control Room (MOCR) has been modified for early Space Shuttle flights. 

Huntsville Operations Support Center

During the STS-1 countdown, launch and powered flight toward orbit, design experts at the Marshall Space Flight 

Center, Huntsville, Ala., will monitor real-time data from the vehicle to provide a trouble shooting capability on 

Marshall-developed Shuttle hardware. Their purpose will be to assist in the early detection of potential problems 

and to help evaluate and solve them. This pool of propulsion system design experts, consisting of Marshall 

engineers, project management officials and contractor personnel, will be assembled at the Marshall Center's 

Huntsville operations Support Center. Marshall is responsible for development of the Space Shuttle main engines, 

external tank and solid rocket boosters. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 37 
Edited by Ric

SHUTTLE - STANDARD OFT MENU 

Meal Day 11, 5 Day 2, 6 Day 3,7 Day 4,8 A Peaches (T) Applesauce (T) Dried Peaches (IM) Dried Apricots  Beef Pattie (R) Dried Beef (NF) Sausage (R) Breakfast Roll  Scrambled Eggs (R) Granola (R) Scrambled Eggs (R) Granola w/Blue

 Bran Flakes (R) Breakfast Roll (I)(NF) Cornflakes (R) Vanilla Inst. Br Cocoa (B) Chocolate. Instant. 

Breakfast 

(B) Cocoa (B) Grapefruit Drin

 Orange Drink (B) Orange-Grapefruit 

Drink 

(B) Orange--Pineapple Drink (B) 

B Frankfurters (T) Corned Beef (T)(I) Ham (T) Ground Beef w Turkey Tetrazzini (R) Asparagus (R) Cheese Spread (T) Noodles & Chi Bread (2X) (I)(NF) Bread (2X) (I)(NF) Bread (2X) (I)(NF) Stewed Tomato Bananas (FD) Pears (T) Green Beans & Broccoli (R) Pears  Almond Crunch Bar (NF) Peanuts (NF) Crushed Pineapple (T) Almonds  Apple Drink (2X) (B) Lemonade (2X) (B) Shortbread Cookies (NF) Strawberry Dri Cashews (NF)  Tea w/Lemon & Sugar 

(2X) 

(B) 

C Shrimp Cocktail (R) Beef w/BBQ Sauce (T) Cream of Mushroom 

Soup 

(R) Tuna 

 Beef Steak (T)(I) Cauliflower w/ 

Cheese 

(R) Smoked Turkey (T)(IM) Macaroni & Ch

 Rice Pilaf (R) Green Beans w/ 

Mushrooms 

(R) Mixed Italian Vegetables (R) Peas w/Butter S

 Broccoli au Gratin (R) Lemon Pudding (T) Vanilla Pudding (T) Peach Ambrosi Fruit Cocktail (T) Pecan Cookies (NF) Strawberries (R) Chocolate Pudd

 Butterscotch Pudding (T) Cocoa (B) Tropical Punch (B) Lemonade  Grape Drink (B) 

Abbreviations

T = Thermostabilized I = Irradiated R= Rehydratable IM = Intermediate Moisture FD = Freeze-Dried NF = Natural Form 

1 NOTE: Day 1 (launch day) consists of Meal B and C only. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 39 

SPACEFLIGHT TRACKING AND DATA NETWORK (STDN) 

The Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network (STDN) is a highly complex NASA worldwide system that provides 

reliable, continuous and instantaneous communications with the Space Shuttle orbiter and crew. The network is 

maintained and operated by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 

The network for the Shuttle orbital Flight Test Program consists of 18 ground stations equipped with 4.26-, 9.14-, 

12.19 and 25.9-m (14-, 30-, 40- and 85-ft.) S-band antenna systems and C-band radar systems, the NASA 

Communications System (NASCoM) augmented by 15 Department of Defense geographical locations providing Cband support and one Defense 18.3 m (60-ft.) S-band antenna system. In addition, there are six major computing 

interfaces located at the Goddard Space Flight Center: Network Operations Control Center (NOCC at Goddard; 

Western Space and Missile Center, Vandenberg Air Force Base; Air Force Satellite Control Facility, Sunnyvale, 

Calif.; White Sands Missile Range, N.M.; and Eastern Space and Missile Center, Fla., providing real-time network 

computational support. 

The network has support agreements with the governments of Australia, Spain, Senegal, Botswana, Ecuador, Chile, 

United Kingdom and Bermuda to provide NASA tracking stations support to the Space Transportation System 

program. 

Should the Johnson Space Center Mission Control Center be seriously impaired for an extended time, the Network 

operations Control Center at Goddard becomes an emergency mission control center. 

The Merritt Island Florida S-band station provides the appropriate data to the Launch Control Center at Kennedy 

and the Mission Control Center at Johnson during prelaunch testing and the terminal countdown. During the first 

minutes of launch and during the ascent phase, the Merritt Island and Ponce de Leon, Fla., S-band and Bermuda Sband stations, as well as the C-band stations located at Bermuda; Wallops Island, Va.; Grand Bahamas; Grand Turk; 

Antigua; Cape Canaveral; and Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., will provide tracking data, both high speed and low 

speed, to the Kennedy and Johnson Control Centers. 

The Madrid, Spain; Indian Ocean Station Seychelles; Orroral and Yarragadee, Australia; and Guam stations provide 

critical support to the orbital maneuvering systems burns. During the orbital phase all the S-band and C-band 

stations that see the Space Shuttle orbiter at 30 degrees above the horizon will support and provide appropriate 

tracking, telemetry, air-ground and command support to the Johnson Mission Control Center though Goddard. 

During the nominal reentry and landing phase planned for Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the Goldstone and 

Buckhorn, Calif., S-band stations and C-band stations at the Pacific Missile Test Center, Vandenberg Air Force 

Base, Edwards Air Force Base and Dryden Flight Research Center will provide tracking, telemetry, command and 

air-ground support to the orbiter and send appropriate data to the Johnson and Kennedy Control Centers. 

NASA Communications Network (NASCOM) 

The tracking network is linked together by the NASA Communications Network from which all information flows 

to and from Mission Control Center, Johnson. 

The communications network consists of more than 2 million circuit miles of diversely routed communications 

channels. It uses domestic and international communications satellites, submarine cable and terrestrial landlines and 

microwave radio systems to interconnect the myriad of tracking stations, launch and orbital control centers and 

other supporting locations. 

The hub of the communications network is the main switching center at Goddard. From Goddard, personnel direct 

overall network operation including those at supporting NASCOM switching centers in Madrid, Spain; Canberra, 

Australia; and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Additionally, support activities are provided by Air Force 

communications centers at Cape Canaveral, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 40 

A key change in the communications network has been implementation of two simultaneous air-ground S-band 

voice circuits in addition to UHF radio capability. In previous Apollo missions only one S-band circuit was 

provided. Telemetry data circuitry from tracking stations was increased in size to handle 128,000 bits per second 

(128 kilobits per second) in real time versus the 14-21 kbps in previous programs. Correspondingly, the command 

data circuit to a station was increased from 7.2 kbps to a 56 kbps capability. 

During previous manned program support, use of communications satellites was limited to those connecting the 

United States with foreign locations (Intelsat system). Since then, domestic communications satellites have become 

available and they now play a key role in extending voice, data and television signals from key locations and 

stations in the United States. Additionally, they provide for extending data between Goddard and foreign locations 

as well as between Goddard and Johnson. 

Network Systems Support 

At fraction-of-a-second intervals, the network's data processing systems, with Johnson's Mission Control Center as 

the focal point, "talk" to each other or to the spacecraft. 

High-speed computers at the remote site relay commands at a 56-kilobit data rate on such matters as control of cabin 

pressure, orbital guidance commands or "go/no-go" indications to perform certain functions. In addition, they 

provide digital voice uplink and downlink from the stations to the orbiter. 

The command and air-ground voice is mixed together at the remote station and uplinked to the orbiter at a 72- or 

32-kilobit rate. 

Such uplink information is communicated at a rate of about 4,800 bps. Communication between remote ground 

sites, via high-speed communications links, occurs at the same rate on a 56-kilobit line. Houston reads information, 

two channels at a time, from these ground sites at 1,544,000 bps. 

For downlink data, sensors built into the spacecraft continually sample cabin temperature, pressure and physical 

information on the astronauts such as heartbeat and respiration. These data are transmitted to the ground stations at 

96, 128 or 192 kilobits. 

At Mission Control Center, the computers: 

• Detect and select changes or deviations, compare with their stored programs and indicate the problem areas or 

pertinent data to the flight controllers; 

• Provide displays to mission personnel; 

• Assemble output data in proper formats; 

• Log data on magnetic tape for reply for the flight controllers. 

Real time orbital television will be received by the Merritt Island, Fla.; Madrid, Spain; Orroral, Australia; and 

Goldstone, Calif., stations and transmitted to the Mission Control Center, Houston via the Goddard Space Flight 

Center. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 41 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 42 

PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION SCHEDULES 

Except where noted as VTR (video tape recorder), television from Columbia during STS-1 will be fed live to the 

tracking stations being overflown at the time. Two closed-circuit color television cameras in the spacecraft cabin 

will be managed from Mission Control by ground commands once the cameras are activated by the crew. There are 

no plans to "dump" scenes from 30-minute VTR cassettes recorded when Columbia is not in view of a tracking 

station. 

STS-1 Television Schedule 

Mission Elapsed Time 

Day/Hours:Minutes Subject 

00/01:25 - 02:25 Payload bay door latch tests, door tests and radiator 

deploy tests during first payload bay door operations (VTR) 

00/01:36 - 01:56 Payload bay door opening and closing 

00/09:20 - 09:25 Young reports status of flight 

01/01:00 - 01:20 Checkout television system with artificial lighting (VTR) 

01/00:01 - 00:23 Flight control system checkout, forward flight deck 

01/ 01:29 - 01:41 MCC remotely operates payload bay television 

01/10:49 - 10:54 Crippen replaces carbon dioxide absorber on middeck 

02/01:31 - 01:41 MCC remotely operates payload bay television 

02/02:32 - 03:03 Payload bay door closed for deorbit 

Young and Crippen will document the flight in 16 mm motion picture, and 35 mm and 70 mm still picture formats. 

In addition to photo targets of opportunity, the crew will photograph the following subjects during the flight: 

Photography Schedule 

Day/Hr:Min Camera Subject 

00/00:00:30 16 mm Launch 

00/01:45 70 mm Payload bay 

00/12:05 16 mm Replacement of carbon dioxide absorber on middeck 

01/08:31 35 mm Food warmer activation and food preparation on middeck 

01/09:00 16 mm Out-the-window view of Earth limb while Young checks out reaction control 

thrusters 

01/09:00 70 mm Out-the-window view of Earth limb 

01/09:08 35 mm Cockpit operations during reaction control system tests 

01/11:18 35 mm Forward flight deck during automatic maneuver for inertial measurement 

unit alignment 

01/12:30 16 mm Personal hygiene on middeck 

25,900 m 

 (85,000 ft.) 

16 mm Landing 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 43 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 44 

STS-1 CREWMEMBERS 

S79-31775 -- Official portrait of STS-1 crewmembers John W. Young (commander), left, and Robert L. Crippen 

(pilot) posing in ejection escape suits (EES) with a model of the space shuttle. 

No copyright is asserted for this photograph. If a recognizable person appears in the photo, use for commercial 

purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be used to state or imply the endorsement by NASA 

or by any NASA employee of a commercial product, process or service, or used in any other manner that might 

mislead. Accordingly, it is requested that if this photograph is used in advertising and other commercial promotion, 

layout and copy be submitted to NASA prior to release. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 45 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

NAME: John W. Young, STS-1 Commander 

BIRTHPLACE AND DATE: Born in San Francisco, Calif., on Sept. 24, 1930. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. William 

H. Young, reside in Orlando, Fla. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Brown hair; green eyes; height: 5 ft., 9 in.: weight: 165 lb. 

EDUCATION: Graduated from Orlando High School, Fla.; received a bachelor's degree in aeronautical 

engineering with highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1952. 

MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Susy Feldman of St. Louis, Mo. 

CHILDREN: Sandy, April 30, 1957; and John, Jan. 17, 1959. 

RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: Running. 

ORGANIZATIONS: Fellow of the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and the Society of Experimental Test 

Pilots (SETP); and associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). 

SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, two NASA Exceptional Service 

Medals, the Johnson Space Center Certificate of Commendation (1970) and Special Achievement Award (1978), 

the Navy Astronaut Wings, the SETP Iven C. Kincheloe Award (1972), the AAS Flight Achievement Award 

(1972), the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award (1973). 

EXPERIENCE: Upon graduation from Georgia Tech, Young entered the U.S. Navy. After serving on a West 

Coast destroyer for one year, he was sent to flight training in props, jets and helicopters. He was then assigned to 

Fighter Squadron 103 for four years flying "Cougars" and "Crusaders." 

After test pilot training at the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in 1959, he was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center for 

three years. His-test projects included evaluations of the Crusader and "Phantom” fighter weapons systems. In 1962, 

he set world time-to-climb records to 3,000- and 25,000-meter altitudes in the Phantom. Prior to reporting to NASA, 

he was maintenance officer of Phantom Fighter Squadron 143. Young retired from the Navy in September 1976, 

after completing almost 25 years of active military service, at the rank of Captain. 

He has logged more than 8,000 hours flying time, including 533 hours and 33 minutes in four space flights. 

NASA EXPERIENCE: Young was selected as an astronaut by NASA in September 1962. 

He served as pilot with command pilot Gus Grissom on the first manned Gemini flight on March 23, 1965, a threeorbit mission, during which the crew accomplished the first manned spacecraft orbital trajectory modifications and 

lifting reentry. 

On July 18, 1966, Young was the command pilot on the Gemini 10 mission, with Michael Collins as pilot. They 

rendezvoused and docked with the Agena target vehicle, then, by igniting the Agena main engine, propelled the 

docked combination to a record-setting altitude of 475 miles. Then a second rendezvous was performed on another 

Agena which had been placed in orbit three months earlier, and while Young flew formation beside the Agena, 

Collins did an extravehicular activity to recover a micrometeorite detector from the Agena. 

He was the command module pilot for Apollo 10, May 18-26, 1969, the lunar orbital qualification test of the Apollo 

lunar module with Thomas P. Stafford, spacecraft commander, and Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot. Apollo 10 

verified the performance of the docked spacecraft configuration during translunar coast and lunar orbit insertion, 

and verified lunar orbital performance during lunar module separation and descent to within 8 nautical miles of the 

lunar surface, and lunar rendezvous. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 46 

His fourth space flight was as spacecraft commander of Apollo 16, April 16-27, 1972, with Thomas K. Mattingly II, 

command module pilot, and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. The Apollo 16 lunar mission inspected, 

surveyed and sampled materials and investigated surface features in the lunar highlands. Young and Duke spent 

over 71 hours on the Cayley Plains at Descartes. They logged 20 hours in extravehicular activities activating 

scientific equipment, collecting about 200 pounds of rock and soil samples and driving the lunar rover for 27 km on 

the rugged lunar terrain. on the way back to Earth, Apollo 16 accomplished an Apollo transearth coast 

extravehicular activity of more than one hour duration when Mattingly retrieved the scientific film cassettes from 

the scientific instruments compartment of the command and service module. 

Young was also backup pilot of Gemini 6, backup command module pilot of Apollo 7 and backup spacecraft 

commander for Apollo 13 and 17. 

In January 1973, he was assigned responsibility for the Space Shuttle Branch of the Astronaut office which 

provided operational and engineering astronaut support for the Space Shuttle Program. 

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT: Young was named Chief of the Astronaut office in January 1975. In this assignment, 

he is responsible for the coordination, scheduling and control of astronaut activities. In March 1978, he was 

assigned as spacecraft commander of the Space Shuttle's first orbital flight test with Robert L. Crippen as Pilot. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 47 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

NAME: Robert L. Crippen (Captain, USN), pilot. 

BIRTHPLACE AND DATE: Born in Beaumont, Texas, on Sept. 11, 1937. He grew up in Porter, Texas, where his 

mother, Mrs. Herbert W. Crippen, now resides. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Brown hair; brown eyes; height: 5 ft. 10 in.: weight: 160 lb. 

EDUCATION: Graduated from New Caney High School, Texas; received a bachelor's degree in aerospace 

engineering from the University of Texas in 1960. 

MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Virginia E. Hill. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James D. Hill, reside in 

Corpus Christi, Texas. 

CHILDREN: Ellen Marie, June 14, 1962; Susan Lynn, Dec. 24, 1964; Linda Ruth, May 10, 1967. 

SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the Johnson Space Center Group 

Achievement Award (1972). 

EXPERIENCE: Crippen received his commission through the Navy's Aviation officer Program at Pensacola, Fla., 

which he entered after graduation from the University of Texas. He continued his flight training at Whiting Field, 

Fla., and went from there to Chase Field in Beeville, Texas, where he received his wings. 

From June 1962 to November 1964, he was assigned to Fleet Squadron VA-72 -- completing two-and-one-half 

years of duty as an attack pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS INDEPENDENCE. He later attended the U.S. Air 

Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and, upon graduation, remained there as 

an instructor until his selection in October 1966 to the USAF Manned orbiting Laboratory Program. Crippen was 

among the second group of aerospace research pilots to be assigned to the MOL Program. 

He has logged more than 4,275 hours flying time, which include more than 4,090 hours in jet aircraft. 

NASA EXPERIENCE: Crippen became a NASA astronaut in September 1969. He was a crew member on the 

highly successful Skylab Medical Experiments Altitude Test (SMEAT) -- a 56-day simulation of the Skylab 

mission, enabling crewmen to collect medical experiments baseline data and evaluate equipment, operations and 

procedures. 

Crippen was a member of the astronaut support crew for the Skylab 2, 3 and 4 missions, and he served in this same 

capacity for the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission which was completed successfully in July 1975. 

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT: Crippen has been designated pilot for one of the four two-man crews selected to fly 

Space Shuttle orbital flight tests and, with John W. Young, will fly STS-1 in 1981. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 48 

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT 

NASA Headquarters 

Dr. Alan Lovelace Acting Administrator 

John F. Yardley Associate Administrator for Space Transportation Systems 

L. Michael Weeks Associate Administrator for Space Transportation Systems 

David R. Braunstein Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Transportation Systems (Management) 

Daniel M. Germany Director, Orbiter Programs 

Walter F. Dankoff Director, Engine Programs 

Edward P. Andrews Director, Ground Systems and Flight Test 

LeRoy E. Day Director, Systems Engineering and Integration 

Frank Van Rensselear Director, Expendable Equipment 

Johnson Space Center 

Christopher C. Kraft Director 

Robert F. Thompson Manager, Space Shuttle Program 

Donald K. "Deke" Slayton Manager, Orbital Flight Test 

Aaron Cohen Manager, Space Shuttle Orbiter Project Office 

George W. S. Abbey Director of Flight Operations 

Maxime A. Faget Director of Engineering and Development 

Lynwood C. Dunseith Director of Data Systems and Analysis 

Kennedy Space Center 

Richard G. Smith Director 

Gerald D. Griffin Deputy Director 

Raymond L. Clark Associate Director for STS Development 

Dr. Robert H. Gray Manager, Shuttle Projects Office 

George F. Page Director, Shuttle Operations 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

Dr. William R. Lucas Director 

Thomas J. Lee Deputy Director 

Robert E. Lindstrom Manager, MSFC Shuttle Projects Office 

James E. Kingsbury Director, Science and Engineering Directorate 

James B. Odom Manager, External Tank Project 

George B. Hardy Manager, Solid Rocket Booster Project 

James R. Thompson Jr. Manager, Space Shuttle Main Engine Project 

James M. Sisson Manager, Engineering and Major Test Management office 

Dryden Flight Research Center 

Isaac T. Gillam IV Director 

Robert F. Johannes Deputy Director 

John A. Manke Chief of Flight Operations 

Mel Burke Shuttle Project Manager 

Goddard Space Flight Center 

A. Thomas Young Director 

Dr. John H. McElroy Deputy Director 

Richard S. Sade Director of Networks Directorate Space Tracking and Data Network 

Walter LaFleur Deputy Director of Networks Directorate (STDN) 

William B. Dickinson Division Chief, NASA Communications Network 

Donald D. Wilson Assistant Chief, NASA Communications Network 

Daniel Spintman Chief, Network Operations 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 49 

ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS 

AA Accelerometer Assembly, Angular Accelerometer 

A/A Air-to-Air 

ACCEL Accelerometer 

ACCU Audio Center Control Unit 

ACIP Aerodynamic Coefficients Identification Package 

ACN Ascension Island (STDN site) 

ADI Attitude Directional Indicator 

AGO Santiago, Chile (STDN site) 

ANG Angle 

ANT Antenna 

AOA Abort Once Around 

AOS Acquisition of Signal 

APU Auxiliary Power Unit 

ATO Abort to orbit 

AUD Audio 

AUTO Automatic 

BDA Bermuda Island (STDN site) 

BOT Botswana (STDN site) 

BRT Bright 

BUC Buckhorn, Calif. (STDN site) 

CAL Calibration 

CAMR Camera 

CCTV Close Circuit Television 

CCU Crewman Communications Umbilical 

CDR Commander 

CNSL Console 

CNTLR Controller 

C/O Checkout 

COAS Crewman optical Alignment Sight 

CONT Continuous 

CRT Cathode Ray Tube 

CRT Center 

C/W Caution and Warning 

DAP Digital Auto Pilot 

DB Deadband 

DFI Development Flight Instrumentation 

DISC Discrete 

DKR Dakar, Senegal (STDN site) 

DTO Detailed Test objective 

ECLS Environmental Control Life Support 

ESW Edwards AFB, Calif. (Deorbit optional site) 

EES Emergency Ejection Suits 

EET Entry Elapsed Time 

EI Entry/Interface 

ET External Tank 

FCS Flight Control System 

FDF Flight Data File 

FM Frequency Modulation 

FRD Flight Requirements Document 

FSO Functional Supplementary Objective 

FTO Functional Test Objective 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 50 

ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS (continued) 

GDS Goldstone, Calif. (STDN site, 1st antenna) 

GDX Goldstone, Calif. (STDN site, 2nd antenna) 

GLRS Glareshield 

GMT Greenwich Mean Time 

GNC Guidance Navigation and Control 

GPC General Purpose Computer 

GWM Guam Island, U.S. (STDN site) 

HAW Hawaii (Kauai, STDN site) 

HIC Hickam AFB, Hawaii (Deorbit optional site) 

HTR Heater 

IECM Induced Environmental Contamination Monitor 

IMU Inertial Measurement Unit 

INRTL Inertial 

IOS Indian Ocean Station (STDN site) 

ITS Interim Teleprinter System 

KAD Kadena AB, Ryukyu Islands (Deorbit optional site) 

KSC Kennedy Space Center, Fla. (Deorbit optional site) 

L Left 

LH2 Liquid Hydrogen 

LON Longitude 

LOS Loss of Signal 

LOX Liquid Oxygen 

LTG Lighting 

LVLH Local Vertical Local Horizontal 

MAD Madrid, Spain (STDN site, 1st antenna) 

MAN Manual 

MAX Madrid, Spain (STDN site, 2nd antenna) 

MECO Main Engine Cutoff 

MET Mission Elapsed Time 

MIL Merritt Island, Fla. (STDN site, 1st antenna) 

MLX Merritt Island, Fla. (STDN site, 2nd antenna) 

MNVR Maneuver 

NOR Northrup FLT Strip, N.M. (Deorbit optional site) 

NOZ Nozzle 

O2 Oxygen 

OF Operational Flight Instrumentation 

OI Operational Instrumentation 

OMS Orbital Maneuvering System 

OPR Operator 

OPS Operations, Operational Sequence 

ORB Orbiter 

ORR Orroral Valley, Australia (STDN site) 

OVHD Overhead 

PA Power Amplifier 

PCM Pulse-Code Modulation 

PL Payload 

PLBD Payload Bay Doors 

PLT Pilot 

PM Phase Modulation 

PMC Private Medical Communication 

PRO Proceed 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 51 

ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS (continued) 

PNL Panel 

POS Position 

PTC Passive Thermal Control 

PWR Power 

QTY Quantity 

QUI Quito, Ecuador (STDN site) 

R Right 

RCDR Recorder 

RCS Reaction Control System 

REF Reference 

REFSMMAT Reference Stable Member Matrix 

RELMAT Relative Matrix 

RGA Rate Gyro Assembly 

ROS Regulated Oxygen System 

ROT Rota, Spain (Deorbit optional site); Rotation 

RT Rotation Discrete Rate 

SA South Atlantic Anomaly 

SEL Select 

SEP Separation 

SGLS Space Ground Link System 

SPKR Speaker 

SPLY Supply 

SV State Vector 

SYS Systems 

TB Talkback 

TDRS Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 

TK Tank 

T/L Timeline 

TRKR Tracker 

TUL Tula Peak, N.M. (STDN site) 

TV Television 

UHF Ultra High Frequency 

VAC Vacuum 

VLV Valve 

VTR Video Tape Recorder 

WCS Waste Collection System 

WIN Yarragadee, Australia (STDN site) 

WMC Waste Management Compartment 

XFER Transfer 

X-POP X Body Axis Perpendicular to orbit Plane 

Y-POP Y Body Axis Perpendicular to orbit Plane 

-ZLV -Z Local Vertical (-Z body axis towards Earth)