Space Shuttle Challenger - Sts - 41C Crew Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

The crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger's STS-41C mission, which launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 6, 1984, is composed of five NASA astronauts. This mission, the fifth flight of Challenger and the 11th flight of the Space Shuttle program, is noteworthy for including the first-ever on-orbit satellite repair.

Francis R. Scobee served as the mission's commander. Born on May 19, 1939, in Cle Elum, Washington, Scobee was an experienced pilot and astronaut. Prior to STS-41C, he had flown as a pilot on the STS-41C mission in 1984. Tragically, Scobee lost his life in the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986. Serving as the pilot was Robert L. Crippen, born on September 11, 1937, in Beaumont, Texas. An accomplished astronaut, Crippen had been the pilot on the first Space Shuttle mission, STS-1, in 1981. The mission specialists for STS-41C were Terry J. Hart, James D. van Hoften, and George D. Nelson. Hart, born on October 27, 1946, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an engineer and experienced pilot. Van Hoften, born on June 11, 1944, in Fresno, California, was an engineer and a civil servant before joining NASA. Nelson, born on July 13, 1950, in Charles City, Iowa, was an astronomer by training.

The primary objectives of the STS-41C mission were the deployment of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and the repair of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite. The latter was particularly historic, as astronauts Nelson and van Hoften performed the first on-orbit repair of a satellite, replacing faulty components of the SMM. After a successful mission, the Challenger returned to Earth, landing at Edwards Air Force Base on April 13, 1984.