STS-9

Mission Insignia
Mission Statistics
Mission:	STS-9
Shuttle:	Columbia
Launch Pad:	39A
Launch:	November 28, 1983 16:00:00 UTC
Landing:	December 12, 1983 23:47:23 UTC Edwards AFB, California, Runway 17
Duration:	10 days, 7 hours, 47 minutes, 24 seconds
Orbit Altitude:	155 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination:	57.0 degrees
Orbits:	167
Miles Traveled:	4,295,853 miles

STS-9 (Spacelab 1) was a United States Space Shuttle mission, the 6th mission of the Columbia orbiter.

Table of contents

1 Crew 2 Mission objective 3 Mission insignia 4 External links

Crew

• Commander: John W. Young
• Pilot: Brewster H. Shaw
• Mission Specialist 1: Owen K. Garriott
• Mission Specialist 2: Robert A. Parker
• Payload Specialist 1: Ulf Merbold
• Payload Specialist 2: Byron K. Lichtenberg
• Alternate Payload Specialist: Wubbo Ockels (not flown)
• Alternate Payload Specialist: Michael Lampton (not flown)

Mission objective

The payload for this mission was the first flight of the Spacelab module. It contained 73 separate investigations carried out in astronomy and physics, atmospheric physics, Earth observations, life sciences, materials sciences, space plasma physics and technology.

It was the first space shuttle flight with 6 astronauts, and it also was the first flight of an international astronaut on an American spaceflight. Ulf Merbold was the first West German astronaut.

Mission insignia

The major Spacelab 1 is depicted in the cargo bay of the Columbia. The nine stars and the path of the orbiter tell the flight's numerical designation in the Space Transportation System's mission sequence.

External links

• NASA PAO page about STS-9

Previous Mission: STS-8

Space Shuttle program

Next Mission: STS-41-B