STS-42

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STS-42

Mission insignia
Mission statistics
Mission name:	STS-42
Shuttle:	Discovery
Launch pad:	39-A
Launch:	Jan 22, 1992, 9:52:33 a.m. EST
Landing:	Jan 30, 1992, 8:07:17 a.m. PST Runway 22, Edwards AFB, Calif
Duration:	8 days, 1 hour, 14 minutes, 44 seconds.
Orbit altitude:	163 nautical miles (302 km)
Orbit inclination:	57.0 degrees
Distance traveled:	2,921,153 miles (4,701,140 km)
Crew photo
Navigation
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Contents 1 Crew 2 Mission parameters 3 Mission highlights 4 Trivia 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Crew

• Ronald J. Grabe (flew on STS-51-J, STS-30, STS-42 & STS-57), Commander
• Stephen S. Oswald (flew on STS-42, STS-56 & STS-67), Pilot
• Norman E. Thagard (flew on STS-7, STS-51-B, STS-30, STS-42 & Mir EO-18), Mission Specialist 1
• David C. Hilmers (flew on STS-51-J, STS-26, STS-36 & STS-42), Mission Specialist 2
• William F. Readdy (flew on STS-42, STS-51 & STS-79), Mission Specialist 3
• Roberta L. Bondar (flew on STS-42), Payload Specialist 1 (Canada)
• Ulf Merbold (flew on STS-9, STS-42 & Euromir 94), Payload Specialist 2 (ESA Germany)

[edit] Mission parameters

• Mass:
  • Orbiter landing with payload: 98,545 kg
  • Payload: 13,066 kg
• Perigee: 291 km
• Apogee: 307 km
• Inclination: 57.0°
• Period: 90.5 min

[edit] Mission highlights

Launch: January 22, 1992, 9:52:33 a.m. EST. Launch delayed one hour due to weather constraints. Launch Weight: 243,396 lb (110.403 Mg).

Carried into orbit the International Microgravity Laboratory-1 (IML-1), a pressurized manned Spacelab module, to explore in depth the complex effects of weightlessness on living organisms and materials processing. The international crew, divided into Red and Blue teams, conducted experiments on the human nervous system's adaptation to low gravity and the effects of microgravity on other life forms such as shrimp eggs, lentil seedlings, fruit fly eggs and bacteria. Low gravity materials processing experiments included crystal growth from a variety of substances such as enzymes, mercury iodine and a virus. Other payloads included 10 Get Away Special (GAS) canisters, a number of middeck payloads and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiments. Middeck payloads included Gelation of SOLS: Applied microgravity research (GOSAMR), Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP) and the Radiation Monitoring Experiment (RME-III).

Landing: January 30, 1992, 8:07:17 a.m. PST, Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, CA., Rollout distance: 9,811 feet. Mission extended one day for continued scientific experimentation. Orbiter returned to KSC on February 16, 1992. Landing Weight: 218,016 lb (98.890 Mg).

[edit] Trivia

During the STS-42 mission, Super Bowl XXVI was played in Minneapolis, MN between the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills. The pregame show included a live downlink from Discovery, where three of the crew demonstrated that a traditional pregame coin toss would not work in space. Their solution was to do a 'human coin toss'. Crew member Roberta Bondar was used as the 'coin' as she curled into a ball and was slowly spun and pushed toward the ceiling. Whatever end of her body touched the ceiling first would be 'heads' or 'tails'. In this case, her rear touched the ceiling first which was considered to be a call of 'tails'.

[edit] See also

• Space science
• Space shuttle
• List of space shuttle missions
• List of human spaceflights chronologically

[edit] External links

• NASA mission summary