Budget of NASA, Year by Year [1980-1989]

From 1980 to 1989, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) experienced one of its most eventful and transformative decades. During these years, NASA’s budget reflected the agency’s evolving priorities and the challenges it faced. This era was defined by significant milestones, including the launch and regular missions of the Space Shuttle program, which revolutionized space transportation. However, it was also marked by the tragic Challenger disaster in 1986. Through highs and lows, NASA’s funding patterns during this decade provide insights into the U.S. government’s commitment to space exploration and its response to unforeseen events. This article will detail the year-by-year budget of NASA throughout the 1980s, juxtaposed against the backdrop of its achievements and challenges.

Main Article: The budget of NASA from 1958 to 2024 [year by year]

The budget of NASA from 1980 to 1989 [year by year]

The numbers in square brackets [] are the budget of NASA adjusted for inflation (2023 equivalent).

1980: $4.959 billion [$18.338 billion]

The budget of NASA is 0.84% of the 1980 Fed Budget

Major achievements:

• January 17: A military communications satellite launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral using an Atlas-Centaur rocket.
• February 14: The Solar Maximum Mission (SMM or SolarMax) was launched. It was a NASA satellite designed to investigate solar phenomena, especially solar flares. Launched during a period of heightened solar activity, the mission aimed to enhance our understanding of the Sun’s energy output and its relation to Earth. Notably, in 1984, the Space Shuttle Challenger captured and repaired the SMM after onboard equipment failures, the first-ever in-space satellite repair. Following repairs, SMM continued its observations until 1989, providing invaluable data on solar processes.
• June 16: NASA reported that its five-year-old Landsat 2 spacecraft, after nearly six months of inaction, was restored to service through “intensive efforts” by engineers at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).
• November 12: Voyager 1 performed a Saturn flyby, flying within 64,200 kilometers (40,000 miles) of the cloud tops of the ringed planet.
• November 15: SBS 1, a geostationary communications satellite designed and manufactured by Hughes (now Boeing) was launched.

1981: $5.537 billion [$18.557 billion]

The budget of NASA is 0.82% of the 1981 Fed Budget

Major achievements:

• February 21: Comstar-D, the last of a series of four domestic communications satellites was launched. It was renamed Comstar 4 in orbit.
• April 12: NASA launched the first Space Shuttle mission, STS-1 (Space Transportation System-1), into space. The first reusable orbiter, Space Shuttle Columbia orbited Earth 37 times on its maiden voyage and returned on April 14, 1981, 54.5 hours after its launch. The orbiter carried two astronauts: mission commander John W. Young (September 24, 1930 – January 5, 2018) and pilot Robert L. Crippen (born September 11, 1937).
• May 15: NASA launched the U.S. Navy’s improved Transit navigational satellite Nova 1.
• May 22: GOES-5, known as GOES-E before becoming operational was launched as part of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system. It was used for weather forecasting in the United States.
• May 23: Intelsat V2, the world’s largest telecommunications satellite to date, was launched.
• August 3: Dynamics Explorer A and B were launched. Their purpose was to investigate the interactions between plasmas in the magnetosphere and those in the ionosphere. DE-1, orbiting at higher altitudes, focused on the magnetosphere and its boundaries. DE-2, with a lower orbit, studied the ionosphere and auroras. Together, their complementary orbits and instrumentation provided a holistic view of the Earth’s space environment, leading to valuable insights into space physics. The mission was terminated on February 28, 991.
• August 26: Voyager 2 performed a Saturn flyby with the closest approach at 161,000 km (100,000 miles) from the center of the mass of Saturn.
• September 24: SBS-B was launched. Owned by Satellite Business Systems, Inc. (a consortium of IBM, Comsat General, and Aetna Insurance Company), the communications satellite was called SBS 2 in orbit. It would be the first to offer routine commercial service in the K-band, 12-14 GHz.
• November 12: STS-2, the second Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, and the second flight of the orbiter Columbia was launched. The mission, crewed by Joe H. Engle (born August 26, 1932) and Richard H. Truly (November 12, 1937 – February 27, 2024), landed two days later on November 14, 1981. STS-2 marked the first time that a crewed, reusable orbital vehicle returned to space.
• November 20: Satcom 3R communications satellite was launched.
• December 15: NASA launched Intelsat 5-C F3. It would later become the primary Atlantic communications satellite, replacing Intelsat 5-C F1. The two-ton F3, capable of 12,000 simultaneous telephone conversations plus two international color television channels, was the third of the 5 and 5A series of 15 communications satellites planned by INTELSAT to handle international communications, such as telephone, telegrams, telex, data, and television.

1982: $6.155 billion [$19.433 billion]

The budget of NASA is 0.83% of the 1982 Fed Budget

Major achievements:

• January 15: NASA launched RCA-C from the Eastern Space and Missile Center (ESMC). Called Satcom 4 in orbit, the 2,385-pound (1,082 kg) satellite with a 10-year design life carried 24 transponders, each able to handle an FM/color television transmission.
• February 26: Westar 4, the first of a series of second-generation 24-transponder domestic commercial communications was launched.
• March 4: Intelsat 5-F4 for the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) was launched. This fourth of the Intelsat 5 series built by Ford Aerospace had a capacity of 12,000 voice circuits plus two television channels.
• March 22: STS-3, the third Space Shuttle mission, and also the third mission for the Space Shuttle Columbia was launched. The mission was crewed by astronauts Jack Lousma (born February 29, 1936) and C. Gordon Fullerton (October 11, 1936 – August 21, 2013). Its primary objective was to further test equipment on board the shuttle and to gather data for the improvement of future flights. Unique to this mission, STS-3 landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, the only Shuttle flight to do so, due to flooding conditions at the primary landing site, due to flooding at its originally planned landing site, Edwards Air Force Base, on March 30. During the 8-day mission, a variety of experiments were conducted, and the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System (RMS), or robotic arm, was tested extensively. STS-3 was another successful step in demonstrating the shuttle’s capabilities and promise for routine space travel.
• June 9: Westar 5 was launched.
• June 27: STS-4, the fourth NASA Space Shuttle mission, and also the fourth for Space Shuttle Columbia was launched. Crewed by Ken Mattingly (March 17, 1936 – October 31, 2023) and Henry Hartsfield (21 November 1933 – 17 July 2014), the mission marked the final test flight for the shuttle program before the fleet was officially deemed operational. During the 7-day mission, the crew conducted various scientific experiments and military payload tests. One notable experiment was the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System, aimed at separating biological materials in microgravity. Additionally, STS-4 tested the shuttle’s heat shield and thermal protection systems. Columbia landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base on July 4, 1982, turning the shuttle’s return into an Independence Day spectacle.
• July 16: Landsat 4, the fourth satellite of the Landsat program was launched, with the primary goal of providing a global archive of satellite imagery.
• August 26: NASA launched Canada’s Telesat-G.
• September 28: Intelsat 5-F4 was launched.
• October 27: RCA-E (RCA-Sutcom 5), the first of a series of second-generation domestic communications satellites made by RCA Astro-Electronics was launched.
• October 30: Two military communications satellites for the U.S. Air Force were launched.
• November 11: STS-5, the fifth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the fifth flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia was launched. It was crewed by Vance D. Brand (commander, born May 9, 1931), Robert F. Overmyer (pilot, July 14, 1936 – March 22, 1996), Joseph P. Allen (mission specialist, born June 27, 1937), and William B. Lenoir (mission specialist, March 14, 1939 – August 26, 2010), this mission notably marked the shuttle program’s transition from a test phase to operational status. STS-5 was the first mission to deploy commercial satellites, launching two communications satellites, SBS-3 and Anik C3, into geostationary orbit using the Payload Assist Module (PAM-D) boosters. While the primary objectives were successful, planned spacewalk activities were canceled due to issues with the spacesuits. If performed, it would be the first spacewalk of the Space Shuttle program. Columbia landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base on November 16, 1982.

1983: $6.853 billion [$20.964 billion]

The budget of NASA is 0.85% of the 1983 Fed Budget

Major achievements:

• January 25: Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) was launched. It was the first space telescope designed to study the sky using infrared light. Earth’s atmosphere blocks many infrared wavelengths, rendering them unobservable from the ground. The mission revealed a universe abundant in infrared-emitting sources, detecting around 350,000 such sources and increasing cataloged astronomical entities by approximately 70%. Notable discoveries by IRAS include six new comets and evidence of potential planetary systems around the stars Vega and Fomalhaut. Its capability to penetrate dust and gas with infrared light allowed deeper insights into the Milky Way’s core than prior observatories. Serving as a foundation for future infrared space missions, IRAS was a collaborative effort involving NASA, the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes, and the UK’s Science and Engineering Research Council.
• March 28: NOAA-E was launched (called NOAA-8 in orbit). It was the first of the Advanced TIROS-N series of satellites. Its design provided an economical and stable Sun-synchronous platform for advanced operational instruments to measure the atmosphere of Earth, its surface, and cloud cover, and the near-space environment.
• April 4-9: STS-6 mission. It was the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger, which launched on April 4, 1983. Crewed by Paul J. Weitz (July 25, 1932 – October 22, 2017, commander), Karol J. Bobko (December 23, 1937 – August 17, 2023, Pilot), F. Story Musgrave (born August 19, 1935, Mission Specialist), and Donald H. Peterson (October 22, 1933 – May 27, 2018, Mission Specialist), this mission marked several significant achievements in the Space Shuttle program. The primary goal was to deploy the first of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS-A, later named TDRS-1), which would be crucial for continuous communication with spacecraft in low Earth orbit. Additionally, STS-6 featured the first spacewalk of the shuttle era. Astronauts Donald H. Peterson and Story Musgrave performed the extravehicular activity (EVA) to test out new spacesuits and shuttle-based EVA procedures. The shuttle safely landed on April 9, 1983, at Edwards Air Force Base, successfully completing a critical mission for NASA and further establishing the shuttle’s role in space exploration and satellite deployment.

• April 11: RCA-F was launched (called Satcom 1R in orbit). For 10 years it would provide commercial and official voice, digital, and video communications between Alaska and the continental United States. , the 3-axis stabilized craft weighed nearly 600 kilograms (1,320 pounds) and carried 24 solid-state transponders. It would replace the first of RCA’s domestic communications satellites, RCA Satcom 1 launched December 12, 1975, which had served for seven years. Satcom 1R joined five previous RCA communications satellites to provide television, voice, and high-speed data transmission to all 50 states and Puerto Rico. More than 4,000 Earth stations had direct access to these spacecraft.
• April 28: GOES-F was launched (renamed GOES-6 in orbit). Operational until May 12, 1992, it was used for weather forecasting in the United States.
• May 19: Intelsat V F-6, later named Intelsat 506 was launched. was part of an advanced series of satellites designed to provide greater telecommunications capacity for INTELSAT’s global network. The satellite remained operational until July 1998.
• May 26: NASA launched the European Space Agency‘s European X-ray Observatory Satellite (EXOSAT), originally named HELOS. Designed to study cosmic X-ray sources from 0.04 to 80 Kev, the spacecraft carried four instruments: two imaging telescopes, a large-area proportional counter array, and a gas-scintillation spectrometer. Over its three-year operational span, EXOSAT identified X-ray pulsars, enhanced the accuracy of X-ray source positions, and explored X-ray variability. Its contributions were foundational for subsequent advanced X-ray observatories.
• June 13: Pioneer 10 crossed the orbit of Neptune on the way out of the solar system.
• June 18-26: The STS-7 mission, the seventh NASA Space Shuttle mission, and the second flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger was performed. A significant highlight of this mission was that it carried Sally Ride, America’s first woman astronaut, to space. The crew consisted of five members: Commander Robert L. Crippen (born September 11, 1937), Pilot Frederick H. Hauck (born April 11, 1941), and Mission Specialists John M. Lounge (born January 28, 1939), Norman E. Thagard (born July 3, 1943), and Sally K. Ride (May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012). During STS-7, the Challenger’s crew deployed two satellites: ANIK C-2 for Canada and PALAPA-B1 for Indonesia. They also conducted the first Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS-01) experiment, which tested the feasibility of remote satellite operations from the shuttle’s cargo bay. Additionally, the crew performed various experiments in material sciences, Earth observations, and life sciences. Upon completion, STS-7 safely landed at Edwards Air Force Base on June 24, 1983. This mission marked a significant milestone for women in space and broadened NASA’s crew diversity.
• June 27: HiLat (U.S. Air Force satellite P83-1) was launched.
• June 28: Galaxy 1, the first in a line of Galaxy communications satellites by Hughes Communications was launched. It helped fill a hole in satellite broadcasting bandwidth created by the loss of RCA’s Satcom 3 in 1979.
• July 28: NASA launched Telestar 3A for the American Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (AT&T). It A was the first of a new series of three domestic communications satellites offering AT&T long-line customers television, phone, and data service over the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. It had 24 transponders and 6 spares, each able to relay a color television signal at 60 million bits per second or up to 3,900 two-way phone calls.
• August 30 – September 5: STS-8 mission. It was the eighth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Launched on August 30, 1983, it holds the distinction of being the first shuttle mission to launch and land at night. Under the command of Richard H. Truly (November 12, 1937 – February 27, 2024), the crew included Pilot Daniel C. Brandenstein (born January 17, 1943) and Mission Specialists Dale A. Gardner (November 8, 1948 – February 19, 2014), Guion S. Bluford (born November 22, 1942), and William E. Thornton (April 14, 1929 – January 11, 2021). Guion Bluford’s presence on the mission was historically significant as he became the first African-American astronaut to travel to space. During the mission, the crew deployed the INSAT-1B satellite for India and conducted various experiments. The mission successfully concluded when Challenger landed at Edwards Air Force Base on September 5, 1983. STS-8 was a pivotal mission, marking progress in both night-time shuttle operations and representation in space exploration.
• September 8: NASA launched RCA-G, the third in a series of high-traffic capacity communications satellites, for RCA Americom. It would join four other communications satellites in orbit (RCA-C through RCA-F) to provide a five-satellite RCA network providing coverage to all 50 states. More than 4,000 ground stations had direct access to these communications satellites, which all carried 28 completely solid-state C-band amplifiers in a configuration that gave 24 operating channels for television, voice, and high-speed data transmission.
• September 22: Galaxy 2 was launched. The second of 3 satellites for Hughes to relay television, voice, data, and FAX for U.S. business customers, the spacecraft carried 24 transponders and 6 spares, 12 of these already sold to MCI and another to be used by IBM. The Galaxy satellites were designed to take full advantage of the concept of private ownership.
• November 28-December 8: STS-9 (also referred to as Spacelab 1), the ninth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the sixth mission of the Space Shuttle Columbia was performed. This mission was notable for carrying the first Spacelab module, a European-built laboratory, that allows astronauts to conduct scientific experiments in a controlled environment within the shuttle’s cargo bay. Under the command of John W. Young (September 24, 1930 – January 5, 2018) and Pilot Brewster H. Shaw (born May 16, 1945), the diverse six-member crew included Owen K. Garriott (November 22, 1930 – April 15, 2019), Robert A. R. Parker (born December 14, 1936), Byron K. Lichtenberg (Byron K. Lichtenberg), and Ulf Merbold from Germany (born June 20, 1941, the first ESA astronaut in space). Over the ten-day mission, the crew worked in shifts around the clock, undertaking a variety of experiments in fields like astronomy, biology, and physics.

1984: $7.055 billion [$20.690 billion]

The budget of NASA is 0.83% of the 1984 Fed Budget

Space Shuttle mission naming

NASA changed its Space Shuttle mission naming convention after STS-9 due to concerns about the potential confusion in case of an emergency or the misinterpretation of mission numbers. Initially, Shuttle missions were named using sequential numbers, like STS-1, STS-2, and so on.

However, starting with what would have logically been “STS-10,” NASA adopted a new system wherein the mission name consisted of “STS-” followed by a combination of numbers and letters. In this system, the number immediately after “STS-” was the fiscal year for which the mission had been budgeted (in this case, 1984 was fiscal year 4), and the following character was a letter indicating the planned launch site and sequence for that year.

Thus, “STS-41-B”, for example, was the second mission planned for launch in fiscal year 1984 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This naming convention, though initially seeming more complex, aimed to provide more information about the mission’s context and scheduling.

While NASA had adopted the new naming convention that led to missions such as STS-41-B, there was initially an STS-41-A planned. However, the sequencing and scheduling of Shuttle missions changed as circumstances evolved, like technical issues, delays, or payload readiness.

STS-41-A was originally designated for a mission that got rescheduled. The next mission in line, which had been named STS-41-B, retained its name instead of adopting the STS-41-A designation, even though it effectively became the first mission under that naming system for the fiscal year. As a result, there appears to be a gap in the sequence, but it’s merely a quirk of the naming convention and mission scheduling. STS-41-B went ahead as scheduled, without there being an actual STS-41-A mission before it.

After the Challenger disaster, NASA returned to using a sequential numbering system, with the number counting from the beginning of the STS program.

Major achievements:

• February 3-11: STS-41-B, the 10th Space Shuttle mission and the 4th flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. It marked the first time that the shuttle returned to the Kennedy Space Center for its landing, instead of the usual Edwards Air Force Base. The mission was crewed by Vance D. Brand (Commander, born May 9, 1931), Robert L. Gibson (Pilot, born October 30, 1946), Bruce McCandless II (Mission Specialist, June 8, 1937 – December 21, 2017), (Mission Specialist, ), Robert L. Stewart (Mission Specialist, born August 13, 1942), and (Mission Specialist, October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986). This mission was notable for several key achievements: astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart performed the first untethered spacewalks using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), allowing them to move freely in space without any physical connection to the shuttle. With a distance of 98 meters (320 feet) from the space shuttle, McCandless II broke the untethered spacewalking record, which still stands. However, the mission faced challenges when it attempted, but failed, to deploy the Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) satellite correctly. Despite the satellite issue, STS-41-B was deemed a success, paving the way for future advancements in human spaceflight.
• April 6-13: STS-41-C, the 11th Space Shuttle mission and the 5th flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. The mission was crewed by Robert Crippen (Commander, born September 11, 1937), Francis R. ‘Dick’ Scobee (Pilot, May 19, 1939 – January 28, 1986), Terry Hart (Mission Specialist, born October 27, 1946), James van Hoften (Mission Specialist, born June 11, 1944), and George Nelson (Mission Specialist, born July 13, 1950). A key objective of this mission was the repair of the Solar Maximum Mission satellite (SolarMax), an important satellite designed to study the Sun. Astronauts James van Hoften and George Nelson performed spacewalks to capture and repair SolarMax, showcasing the potential for in-space satellite servicing. The mission also deployed the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), a passive satellite containing multiple experimental trays that would be retrieved years later to study the effects of the space environment. Another notable aspect was the first direct ascent trajectory for the Shuttle, reaching its final orbit directly without an OMS-2 burn. Though the crew encountered difficulties, particularly in capturing SolarMax, the mission was ultimately successful, highlighting the Shuttle’s capability for intricate in-orbit operations and satellite servicing.
• August 30 – September 5: STS-41-D, the 12th flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle program, and the first mission of Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission was crewed by Henry W. Hartsfield Jr. (Commander, 21 November 1933 – 17 July 2014), Michael L. Coats (Pilot, born January 16, 1946), Richard M. Mullane (Mission Specialist, born September 10, 1945), Steven A. Hawley (Mission Specialist, born December 12, 1951), Judith A. Resnik (Mission Specialist, April 5, 1949 – January 28, 1986), and Charles D. Walker (Payload Specialist, born August 29, 1948). This mission was notable for several significant events. It marked the deployment of three commercial communications satellites: SBS-D, SYNCOM IV-2 (also known as LEASAT2), and TELSTAR 3C. Additionally, the mission carried the OAST-1 solar array wing, a 102-foot structure that was unfurled in space to demonstrate new technologies for collecting solar energy. This experiment was crucial in showcasing potential methods for large space structures and energy capture.

• September 21: Galaxy 3 (the third of 3 satellites for Hughes Communications, Inc.) was launched.
• October 5-13: STS-41-G, the 13th flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle program and the 6th flight of Space Shuttle Challenger. It was the first shuttle mission to carry a crew of seven, including the first crew with two women (Sally K. Ride and Kathryn D. Sullivan), the first American Extravehicular activity (EVA) involving a woman (Sullivan), the first Australian-born person to journey into space as well as the first astronaut with a beard (Paul D. Scully-Power) and the first Canadian astronaut (Marc Garneau). The mission’s primary objectives included the deployment of the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (the first of three planned satellites designed to measure the amount of energy received from the Sun and reradiated into space), conducting experiments, and demonstrating potential satellite refueling with an automated tool. The seven crewmembers were:
  1. Robert L. Crippen (Commander, born September 11, 1937)
  2. Jon A. McBride (Pilot, born August 14, 1943)
  3. Kathryn D. Sullivan (Mission Specialist, born October 3, 1951)
  4. Sally K. Ride (Mission Specialist, May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012)
  5. David C. Leestma (Mission Specialist, born May 6, 1949)
  6. Paul D. Scully-Power (Payload Specialist, born May 28, 1944)
  7. Marc Garneau, CSA (Payload Specialist, born February 23, 1949)
• November 8-16: STS-51-A, the 14th flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle program, and the second flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission had a dual purpose: to deploy two communication satellites (the Canadian Anik D2 and Syncom IV-1) and to retrieve two malfunctioning satellites from orbit, making it one of NASA’s early “rescue” missions. The two satellites, Westar 6 and Palapa B2 had been improperly placed in orbit during the STS-41-B earlier this year failures in their kick motors. Utilizing the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) and training in techniques of satellite capture, astronauts Joseph P. Allen and Dale A. Gardner successfully secured both satellites and secured them in Discovery’s payload bay for return to Earth. This mission marked one of the first times satellites were retrieved and returned from space. The crewmembers were:
  1. Frederick H. Hauck (Commander, born April 11, 1941)
  2. David M. Walker (Pilot, May 20, 1944 – April 23, 2001)
  3. Joseph P. Allen (Mission Specialist, born June 27, 1937)
  4. Anna Lee Fisher (Mission Specialist, born August 24, 1949)
  5. Dale A. Gardner (Mission Specialist, November 8, 1948 – February 19, 2014)
• December 12: NOAA-F was launched (called NOAA-9 in orbit). The 3,775-pound (1,712 kg) satellite also carried a Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System (SARSAT). NOAA satellites collected meteorological readings and transmitted the data directly to users around the world for local weather analysis and forecasting. Information from the satellites was also used for hurricane tracking and warnings, agriculture, commercial fishing, forestry, maritime, and other industries. NOAA-9 was the latest in a series of RCA-built TIROS weather satellites dating back nearly 25 years to TIROS-1, launched on April 1, 1960. NOAA-9 remained operational until February 13, 1998.

1985: $7.251 billion [$20.542 billion]

The budget of NASA is 0.77% of the 1985 Fed Budget

Major achievements:

• January 24-27: STS-51-C, the 15th mission in NASA’s Space Shuttle program and the 3rd flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Launched on January 24, 1985, it was a classified mission for the United States Department of Defense, making many details of the mission still classified to this day. The flight marked the first time that a shuttle mission had a completely classified payload and mission objectives. While exact details remain classified, the mission’s primary payload is believed to have been a reconnaissance satellite. The crewmembers were:
  1. Thomas K. Mattingly II (Commander, March 17, 1936 – October 31, 2023)
  2. Loren J. Shriver (Pilot, born September 23, 1944)
  3. Ellison S. Onizuka (Mission Specialist, June 24, 1946 – January 28, 1986)
  4. James F. Buchli (Mission Specialist, born June 20, 1945)
  5. Gary E. Payton, MSE (Payload Specialist, born June 20, 1948)
• March 12: GEOSAT (GEOdetic SATellite) was launched. It was a U.S. Navy Earth observation satellite with the primary objective of mapping the Earth’s gravity field. Initially, its mission and data were classified for naval operations but were later released for scientific research. The satellite orbited at an altitude of about 800 km and provided valuable data that helped improve our understanding of ocean circulation, tides, and Earth’s gravitational anomalies. GEOSAT’s mission was groundbreaking in the area of geodesy and oceanography. The satellite was deactivated in 1990.
• March 22: Intelsat-5A 10 was launched.
• April 12-19: STS-51-D, the 16th flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle program, and the 4th flight of Space Shuttle Discovery was performed. The mission had a dual focus: deploying two communications satellites and performing various scientific experiments. Telesat-I (Anik C1) was successfully deployed, but, Syncom IV-3 failed to reach its intended orbit due to a malfunction in its kick motor. An unscheduled spacewalk was conducted to try to correct the issue, but the attempts were unsuccessful. The satellite was subsequently retrieved, repaired, and successfully redeployed during the STS-51-I mission later that year. The crewmembers were:
  1. Karol J. Bobko (Commander, December 23, 1937 – August 17, 2023)
  2. Donald E. Williams (Pilot, February 13, 1942 – February 23, 2016)
  3. Rhea Seddon (Mission Specialist, born November 8, 1947)
  4. S. David Griggs (Mission Specialist, September 7, 1939 – June 17, 1989)
  5. Jeffrey A. Hoffman (Mission Specialist, born November 2, 1944)
  6. Charles D. Walker (Payload Specialist, born August 29, 1948)
  7. Jake Garn (Payload Specialist, born October 12, 1932)
• April 29 – May 6: STS-51-B, the 17th flight of the NASA Space Shuttle program and the 7th flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger was performed. the mission was primarily focused on scientific research and was the second flight dedicated to the Spacelab laboratory module. The mission carried out a variety of experiments in fields such as microgravity research, materials science, Earth observation, and life sciences. Notably, STS-51-B marked the first time that living organisms were flown in a controlled environment aboard the Space Shuttle, including monkeys and 24 rodents, to study the effects of space travel on biological systems. Despite facing some issues with thermal conditions within the Spacelab, the mission was considered successful. The crewmembers were:
  1. Robert F. Overmyer (Commander, July 14, 1936 – March 22, 1996)
  2. Frederick D. Gregory (Pilot, born January 7, 1941)
  3. Don L. Lind (Mission Specialist, May 18, 1930 – August 30, 2022)
  4. Norman E. Thagard (Mission Specialist, born July 3, 1943)
  5. William E. Thornton (Mission Specialist, April 14, 1929 – January 11, 2021)
  6. Lodewijk van den Berg (Payload Specialist, March 24, 1932 – October 16, 2022)
  7. Taylor G. Wang (Payload Specialist, born June 16, 1940)
• June 17-24: STS-51-G, the 18th flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle program, and the 5th flight of Space Shuttle Discovery was performed. Sultan bin Salman Al Saud from Saudi Arabia was on board as a payload specialist; Al Saud became the first Arab, the first Muslim, and the first member of a royal family to fly into space. It was also the first Space Shuttle mission that flew without at least one astronaut from the pre-Shuttle era among its crew. Discovery carried three communications satellites as its primary cargo. These were Arabsat-1B (Arab Satellite Communications Organization); Morelos-1 (Mexico); and Telstar-303 (AT&T Corporation); all three were successfully deployed. The crewmembers were:
  1. Daniel C. Brandenstein (Commander, born January 17, 1943)
  2. John O. Creighton (Pilot, born April 28, 1943)
  3. John M. Fabian (Mission Specialist, born January 28, 1939)
  4. Steven R. Nagel (Mission Specialist, October 27, 1946 – August 21, 2014)
  5. Shannon W. Lucid (Mission Specialist, born January 14, 1943)
  6. Patrick Baudry (CNES – National Centre for Space Studies, The Franch Space Agency) (Payload Specialist, born March 6, 1946)
  7. Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud (RSAF, Royal Saudi Air Force) (Payload Specialist, born 27 June 1956)
• June 30: Intelsat-5A 11 was launched.
• July 29 – August 6: STS-51-F (also known as Spacelab 2), the 19th flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle program and the 8th flight of Space Shuttle Challenger was performed. While STS-51-F’s primary payload was the Spacelab 2 laboratory module, the payload that received the most publicity was the Carbonated Beverage Dispenser Evaluation, which was an experiment in which both Coca-Cola and Pepsi tried to make their carbonated drinks available to astronauts. A helium-cooled infrared telescope (IRT) was also flown on this mission, and while it did have some problems, it observed 60% of the galactic plane in infrared light. The crewmembers were:
  1. C. Gordon Fullerton (Commander, October 11, 1936 – August 21, 2013)
  2. Roy D. Bridges Jr (Pilot, born July 19, 1943)
  3. Karl G. Henize (Mission Specialist, October 17, 1926 – October 5, 1993)
  4. F. Story Musgrave (Mission Specialist, born August 19, 1935)
  5. Anthony W. England (Mission Specialist, born May 15, 1942)
  6. Loren W. Acton (Payload Specialist, born 7 March 1936)
  7. John-David F. Bartoe (Payload Specialist, born November 17, 1944)
• August 27 – September 3: STS-51-I, the 20th mission of NASA’s Space Shuttle program and the 6th flight of Space Shuttle Discovery was performed. During the mission, Discovery deployed three communications satellites into orbit. The crewmembers were:
  1. Joe H. Engle (Commander, born August 26, 1932)
  2. Richard O. Covey (Pilot, born August 1, 1946)
  3. James D. A. van Hoften (Mission Specialist, born June 11, 1944)
  4. John M. Lounge (Mission Specialist, June 28, 1946 – March 1, 2011)
  5. William F. Fisher (Mission Specialist, born April 1, 1946)
• September 28: Intelsat-5A 12 was launched.
• October 3-7: STS-51-J, NASA’s 21st Space Shuttle mission and the first flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis was performed. This mission had a unique objective: to deploy the Department of Defense’s (DOD) classified payload. It marked the first dedicated shuttle flight for the DOD and was shrouded in secrecy. The crewmembers were:
  1. Karol J. Bobko (Commander, December 23, 1937 – August 17, 2023)
  2. Ronald J. Grabe (Pilot, born June 13, 1945)
  3. David C. Hilmers (Mission Specialist, born January 28, 1950)
  4. Robert L. Stewart (Mission Specialist, born August 13, 1942)
  5. William A. Pailes (Payload Specialist, born June 26, 1952)
• October 30 – November 6: STS-61-A (also known as Spacelab D-1), the 22nd mission of NASA’s Space Shuttle program and the 9th and last successful flight of Space Shuttle Challenger before the disaster was performed. It was a scientific Spacelab mission that was funded and directed by West Germany, hence the non-NASA designation of D-1 (for Deutschland-1). The mission carried the NASA/European Space Agency (ESA) Spacelab module into orbit with 76 scientific experiments on board and was declared a success. The crewmembers were:
  1. Henry W. Hartsfield Jr (Commander, 21 November 1933 – 17 July 2014)
  2. Steven R. Nagel (Pilot, October 27, 1946 – August 21, 2014)
  3. Bonnie J. Dunbar (RMS Specialist, born March 3, 1949)
  4. James Buchli (Flight Engineer, born June 20, 1945)
  5. Guion Bluford ([Science] Mission Specialist, born November 22, 1942)
  6. Reinhard Furrer (German Aerospace Center) (Payload Specialist, 25 November 1940 – 9 September 1995)
  7. Wubbo Ockels (European Space Agency) (Payload Specialist, 28 March 1946 – 18 May 2014)