Space Shuttle Program

STS-51

Name: STS-51
Start: 1993-09-12
End: 1993-09-22
Location: Launch and Landing Facility

Vehicle: Space Shuttle System | Launch Site: Launch and Landing Facility

Mission Overview

STS-51 was flown by the orbiter Challenger. The mission ended in tragedy, bringing lessons in safety management, crew isolation, and systems validation. STS-51 remains a milestone in the history of reusable spaceflight systems.

Flight Crew & Officers

Frank L. Culbertson

Crew Member Civilian

James H. Newman

Crew Member Civilian

Daniel W. Bursch

Crew Member Civilian

William F. Readdy

Crew Member Civilian

Carl E. Walz

Crew Member Civilian

Multimedia Gallery

Official NASA historical record photography for STS-51.

Launch Date	1993-09-12
Landing Date	1993-09-22
Duration	11 days
Launch Vehicle	Space Shuttle System
Launch Site	Launch and Landing Facility
Spacecraft Mass	115,000 kg
Orbit Type	Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Mission Status	Failure