Space Shuttle Discovery Lifts Off
- Space Shuttle Discovery launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1985, at 8:59 a.m. ET, marking its 51-D mission.
- The seven-member crew of STS-51D was the 16th flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle program and Discovery’s fourth flight.
- Discovery carried out 39 missions, including deploying and repairing the Hubble Space Telescope and 13 flights to the International Space Station.
- The shuttle made history with its first docking at the International Space Station in 1999.
- After retiring, Discovery resides at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.
The space shuttle Discovery launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, heading through Atlantic skies toward its 51-D mission. The seven-member crew lifted off at 8:59 a.m. ET, April 12, 1985.
NASA
The launch of space shuttle Discovery is captured in this April 12, 1985, photo. This mission, STS-51D, was the 16th flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle program, and Discovery’s fourth flight.
Discovery carried out 39 missions, more than any other space shuttle. Its missions included deploying and repairing the Hubble Space Telescope and 13 flights to the International Space Station – including the very first docking in 1999. The retired shuttle now resides at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.
Learn more about NASA’s Space Shuttle Program.
Image credit: NASA
Q. When did the space shuttle Discovery launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center?
A. The space shuttle Discovery launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1985.
Q. What was the name of the mission that the space shuttle Discovery was on?
A. The space shuttle Discovery was on the STS-51D mission.
Q. How many missions did the space shuttle Discovery carry out?
A. The space shuttle Discovery carried out 39 missions.
Q. What notable achievement did the space shuttle Discovery accomplish during its missions?
A. The space shuttle Discovery deployed and repaired the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as docked at the International Space Station for the first time in 1999.
Q. How many flights to the International Space Station did the space shuttle Discovery make?
A. The space shuttle Discovery made 13 flights to the International Space Station.
Q. Where does the retired space shuttle Discovery now reside?
A. The retired space shuttle Discovery resides at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.
Q. What was the significance of the space shuttle Discovery’s fourth flight?
A. The space shuttle Discovery’s fourth flight marked its 16th overall mission as part of NASA’s Space Shuttle program.
Q. When did the space shuttle Discovery make its first docking at the International Space Station?
A. The space shuttle Discovery made its first docking at the International Space Station in 1999.
Q. What was the name of the astronaut crew that launched on the STS-51D mission?
A. Unfortunately, the text does not provide information about the specific names of the astronauts on the STS-51D mission.
Q. How many members were in the crew that launched on the STS-51D mission?
A. The crew that launched on the STS-51D mission consisted of seven members.