On October 16, 1983, NASA's newest space shuttle, Discovery, made its public debut during a rollout ceremony at its manufacturing facility in Palmdale, California. After three years of construction, Discovery joined NASA's fleet alongside space-worthy orbiters Columbia and Challenger, as well as the atmospheric test vehicle Enterprise. The event, attended by NASA officials and other dignitaries, also featured the astronauts assigned to Discovery’s first mission, STS-41D, then scheduled for June 1984. Over its 26-year career, Discovery completed 39 missions—more than any other shuttle—flying every type of mission envisioned for the space shuttle program. Today, it is on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum at the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
Construction and Rollout
NASA announced the names of its first four space-worthy orbiters—Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis—on January 25, 1979. Like its predecessors, Discovery was named after historic vessels of exploration, including Captain James Cook’s HMS Discovery and Henry Hudson’s Discovery. The contract to build Discovery was awarded to Rockwell International on January 29, and construction began in June 1980, with completion in February 1983. Weighing 6,870 pounds less than Columbia, Discovery incorporated several design improvements, including more extensive use of thermal protection blankets instead of tiles.
Following the completion of system tests, Discovery was officially unveiled on October 16, 1983, at Rockwell International’s Palmdale facility. Hundreds of employees and visitors attended the event, along with NASA officials and five of the six astronauts assigned to STS-41D: Commander Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield, Pilot Michael L. Coats, and Mission Specialists Richard M. “Mike” Mullane, Steven A. Hawley, and Judith A. Resnik. Payload Specialist Charles D. Walker was unable to attend.
Overland and Ferry Transport
After the rollout ceremony, Discovery was transported 36 miles overland to NASA’s Dryden (now Armstrong) Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California, a journey that took about 10 hours. There, workers mounted Discovery atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) for its ferry flight.
- November 6, 1983: Discovery made a stop at Vandenberg Air Force Base, where engineers tested the Orbiter Lifting Fixture, a scaled-down version of the Mate-Demate Device (MDD) intended for military shuttle launches from Vandenberg. These plans were later abandoned following the Challenger accident.
- November 8, 1983: The SCA transported Discovery to Carswell Air Force Base near Fort Worth, Texas, for an overnight refueling stop.
- November 9, 1983: Discovery arrived at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.
- November 10, 1983: The orbiter was towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) for receiving inspections.
Following initial inspections, Discovery was moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on December 9 for temporary storage, then returned to the OPF on January 10, 1984, to begin preparations for its first flight.
Preparation for First Flight – STS-41D
On May 12, 1984, workers transferred Discovery to the VAB, where it was mated with an External Tank and twin Solid Rocket Boosters. The fully assembled shuttle stack rolled out to Launch Pad 39A on May 19, ahead of its planned June 25 launch.
- June 2: NASA conducted a 20-second Flight Readiness Firing of Discovery’s three main engines.
- June 14: The STS-41D crew participated in a countdown demonstration test.
- June 25: A launch attempt was aborted at T-minus 9 minutes due to a failure in Discovery’s backup General Purpose Computer.
- June 26: A second attempt was aborted 4 seconds before liftoff after two of Discovery’s main engines ignited, leading to tense moments in the crew cabin. Crew member Steven A. Hawley lightened the mood, joking, “Gee, I thought we’d be a little higher when the engines shut off.”
The launch abort caused a hydrogen fire at the launch pad, triggering the fire suppression system, forcing the crew to evacuate under a deluge of water. The incident required engineers to replace the center main engine, delaying the mission further. NASA managers then reshuffled payloads and schedules, requiring Discovery to be returned to the OPF for modifications.
After restacking in the VAB, Discovery rolled back to Launch Pad 39A on August 9 for a new launch attempt. Following a one-day delay due to hardware issues, Discovery finally launched on August 30, 1984, marking its first journey into space.
Discovery’s Legacy
Over the course of its 39 missions, Discovery flew nearly every type of space shuttle mission:
- Satellite deployments and retrievals (government and commercial)
- Scientific observatory servicing, including the Hubble Space Telescope
- Russian Mir space station resupply
- International Space Station assembly and maintenance
- Return to flight missions after both the Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003) disasters
Discovery’s final mission, STS-133, launched in February 2011. The following year, it was permanently placed on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center, where it remains a testament to NASA’s shuttle program and space exploration history.
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