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STS-3

COSPAR ID	1982-022A
SATCAT no.	13106
End of mission

STS-3 was the third space shuttle mission, and was the third mission for the Space Shuttle Columbia. It was the first launch with an unpainted external tank, and the only landing so far at the White Sands Space Harbor near Las Cruces, New Mexico.

• Mass:
  • Orbiter Liftoff: 106,782 kilograms (235,414 lb)
  • Orbiter Landing: 93,924 kilograms (207,067 lb)
  • OSS Payload: 10,301 kilograms (22,710 lb)
• Perigee: 150 mi (241 kilometres (150 mi))
• Apogee: 155 mi (249 kilometres (155 mi))
• Inclination: 38.0°
• Period: 89.4 min

Columbia was launched on its third flight at 11:00 a.m. EST, on 22 March 1982, the planned launch date.^[1] The launch was delayed 1 hour because of the failure of a heater on a nitrogen gas ground support line. Columbia had spent only 70 days in the Orbiter Processing Facility—a record checkout time. The two-man crew included Jack R. Lousma, commander, and Charles G. Fullerton, pilot.

Major objectives of the flight were to continue testing the Remote Manipulator System Canadarm, and to carry out extensive thermal testing of the Columbia by exposing its tail, nose and top to the Sun for varying periods of time.

In addition, in its payload bay, Columbia again carried the DFI package, and OSS-l—named for the NASA Office of Space Science and Applications—which consisted of a number of instruments mounted on a Spacelab pallet to obtain data on the near-Earth environment and the extent of contamination caused by the orbiter itself. A test canister for the Small Self-Contained Payload program—also known as the Getaway Special (GAS) -- was mounted on a side of the payload bay.

For the first time a number of experiments were carried in the mid-deck lockers. These included a Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System experiment to study separation of biological components and a Mono-disperse Latex Reactor experiment to produce uniform micrometre sized latex particles. The first Shuttle Student Involvement Project (SSIP) -- the study of insect motion—also was carried in a mid-deck locker.

During the flight, both crew members experienced some space sickness, the toilet malfunctioned, one Auxiliary Power Unit overheated (but worked properly during descent), and three communications links were lost on March 26.

STS-3 was planned as a 7 day flight. However, it was extended an extra day because of high winds at the backup landing site, Northrop Strip, White Sands, New Mexico, since the planned landing site at Edwards Air Force Base had flooded due to excessive rain. A large-scale equipment movement from Edwards AFB to White Sands was undertaken during the mission to ensure that a landing could be fully supported.

Touchdown finally took place at 9:05 a.m. MST, 30 March 1982, at Northrop Strip (later renamed White Sands Space Harbor). STS-3 was the only shuttle mission to land at White Sands Missile Range and with Autoland function. The landing demonstrated that the Shuttle could land in the desert, but sand damaged the orbiter. The landing was also one of the more dramatic of the program, with the landing gear deploying at 50 feet, locked 2 seconds before touch down and also when the nose was raised again right before nose-gear touchdown.^[2]

Columbia made 130 orbits and traveled 3,300,000 miles (5,300,000 km), during its 8 day, 4 minute, 45 second flight. A total of 36 tiles were lost and 19 were damaged. It was returned to KSC on 6 April 1982.

This was the last mission for which NASA named a backup crew.

"Just as the Columbia, we think, represents man's finest aspirations in the field of science and technology, so too does the struggle of the Afghan people represent man's highest aspirations for freedom... I am dedicating, on behalf of the American people, the March 22nd launch of the Columbia to the people of Afghanistan." -- President Ronald W. Reagan

The Space Shuttle is shown emerging from a star, representing the brightness of space exploration. The orbiter is seen grabbing a PDP with Canadarm and is shown with many experiments in the payload bay. The black represents the time this mission was flown in. The star represents the bright future ahead for the Space Shuttle. The three large orange triangular points of the mission patch tell the flight's numerical designation in the Space Transportation System's mission sequence. The crew names are situated in the patch properly for the control of their spacecraft, Columbia.

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, which was first used to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15.^[3] Each track is specially chosen, often by their families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.^[3]

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

• STS-3 Shuttle Mission
• STS-3 Mission Chronology
• STS-3 Video Highlights
• Video of STS-3 landing at White Sands