STS-51-J

STS-51-J

DSCS-III satellites in Atlantis' payload bay
Names	Space Transportation System-21
Mission type	Satellite deployment
Operator	NASA / U.S. DoD
COSPAR ID	1985-092A
SATCAT no.	16115
Mission duration	4 days, 1 hour, 44 minutes, 38 seconds (achieved)
Distance travelled	2,707,948 km (1,682,641 mi)
Orbits completed	64
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Atlantis
Launch mass	N/A
Landing mass	86,400 kg (190,500 lb)
Payload mass	19,968 kg (44,022 lb)
Crew
Crew size	5
Members	Karol J. Bobko Ronald J. Grabe David C. Hilmers Robert L. Stewart William A. Pailes
Start of mission
Launch date	October 3, 1985, 15:15:30 UTC
Rocket	Space Shuttle Atlantis
Launch site	Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A
Contractor	Rockwell International
End of mission
Landing date	October 7, 1985, 17:00:08 UTC
Landing site	Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 23
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude	475 km (295 mi)
Apogee altitude	484 km (301 mi)
Inclination	28.50°
Period	94.20 minutes
STS-51-J mission patch Back row: David C. Hilmers, William A. Pailes Seated: Robert L. Stewart, Karol J. Bobko, Ronald J. Grabe Space Shuttle program ← STS-51-I (20) STS-61-A (22) →

STS-51-J was NASA's 21st Space Shuttle mission and the first flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 3, 1985, carrying a payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on October 7, 1985.