STS-61-E

STS-61-E was a NASA Space Shuttle mission planned to launch on 6 March 1986 using Columbia.Columbia was to carry the ASTRO-1 observatory, which would be used to make astronomical observations including observations of Halley's Comet.ASTRO-1 consisted of three ultraviolet telescopes mounted on two Spacelab pallets, controlled by the Instrument Pointing System (IPS) which was first tested on STS-51-F.[1] After the Challenger disaster, the flight was remanifested as STS-35 and several crew members were replaced.Both Richards and Leestma were reassigned to STS-28 while McBride left NASA in 1989.Vance D. Brand replaced McBride as the commander while Guy S. Gardner and John M. Lounge replaced Richards and Leestma, respectively.
Space Transportation SystemComet of HalleySpace ShuttleColumbiaJon A. McBrideRichard N. RichardsJeffrey A. HoffmanDavid C. LeestmaRobert A. ParkerSamuel T. DurranceRonald A. PariseSpace Shuttle ColumbiaKennedy Space CenterLC-39BRockwell InternationalGeocentric orbitLow Earth orbitPerigee altitudeApogee altitudeInclinationPeriodSpace Shuttle programSTS-51-LSTS-26STS-61-FChallenger disasterPositionastronomical observationsHalley's Cometultraviolet telescopesSpacelab palletsSTS-51-FSTS-35STS-28Vance D. BrandGuy S. GardnerJohn M. LoungeCanceled Space Shuttle missionsSTS-61-CSTS-32STS-40STS-50STS-52STS-55STS-58STS-62STS-65STS-73STS-75STS-78STS-80STS-83STS-94STS-87STS-90STS-93STS-109STS-107Columbia disaster (destroyed)Columbia Accident Investigation BoardSTS-61-HSTS-144Columbia Memorial Space CenterColumbia Hills (Mars)CountdownHail ColumbiaU.S. Space Shuttle missions(crews)Approach and Landing TestsSTS-41-BSTS-41-CSTS-41-DSTS-41-GSTS-51-ASTS-51-CSTS-51-DSTS-51-BSTS-51-GSTS-51-ISTS-51-JSTS-61-ASTS-61-BSTS-27STS-29STS-30STS-34STS-33STS-36STS-31STS-41STS-38STS-37STS-39STS-43STS-48STS-44STS-42STS-45STS-49STS-46STS-47STS-53STS-54STS-56STS-57STS-51STS-61STS-60STS-59STS-64STS-68STS-66STS-63STS-67STS-71STS-70STS-69STS-74STS-72STS-76STS-77STS-79STS-81STS-82STS-84STS-85STS-86STS-89STS-91STS-95STS-88STS-96STS-103STS-99STS-101STS-106STS-92STS-97STS-98STS-102STS-100STS-104STS-105STS-108STS-110STS-111STS-112STS-113STS-114STS-121STS-115STS-116STS-117STS-118STS-120STS-122STS-123STS-124STS-126STS-119STS-125STS-127STS-128STS-129STS-130STS-131STS-132STS-133STS-134STS-135CancelledSTS-41-FSTS-61-GSTS-62-ASTS-61-MSTS-61-JSTS-3xxSTS-400OthersOrbitersAtlantisChallengerdisasterreportinvestigationDiscoveryEndeavourEnterprise