physics

STS-51-J

STS-51-J is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand STS-51-J rather than just read about it. In short: STS-51-J was NASA's 21st Space Shuttle mission and the maiden flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 3, 1985, carrying a payload for the U.S.

Key takeaways

STS-51-J belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect STS-51-J to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of STS-51-J from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

STS-51-J was NASA's 21st Space Shuttle mission and the maiden flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 3, 1985, carrying a payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on October 7, 1985.

Crew

Backup crew

Crew seat assignments

Mission summary STS-51-J launched on October 3, 1985, at 15:15:30 UTC (11:15:30 a.m. EDT), from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The launch was delayed by 22 minutes and 30 seconds due to a problem with a main engine liquid hydrogen prevalve close remote power controller; the controller was showing a faulty "on" indication. The mission was the second shuttle flight totally dedicated to deploying a United States Department of Defense payload, after STS-51-C. Its cargo was classified, but it was reported that two (USA-11 and USA-12) DSCS-III (Defense Satellite Communications System) satellites were launched into geostationary orbits by an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS). The DSCS satellites used X-band frequencies (8/7 GHz). Each DSCS-III satellite had a design life of ten years, although several of the DSCS satellites have far exceeded their design life expectancy. The mission was deemed successful. After a flight lasting 4 days, 1 hour, 44 minutes and 38 seconds, Atlantis landed on Runway 23 at Edwards Air Force Base at 17:00:08 UTC (13:00:08 EDT) on October 7, 1985. During STS-51-J, mission commander Bobko became the first astronaut to fly on three different shuttle orbiters, and the only astronaut to fly on the maiden voyages of two different orbiters.

Mission insignia The 51-J mission insignia, designed by Atlantis's first crew, pays tribute to the Statue of Liberty and the ideas it symbolizes, but also as not to emphasize the "classified" nature of the mission like the first one did. The historical gateway figure bears additional significance for astronauts Karol J. Bobko, mission commander; and Ronald J. Grabe, pilot, both New York City natives.

Gallery

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with STS-51-J

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what STS-51-J claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to STS-51-J before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about STS-51-J ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of STS-51-J

In research: STS-51-J appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses STS-51-J in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: STS-51-J is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1985 in spaceflight, 1985 in the United States, Department of Defense Space Shuttle missions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for STS-51-J outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study STS-51-J in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what STS-51-J means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain STS-51-J out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is STS-51-J in simple terms?

STS-51-J was NASA's 21st Space Shuttle mission and the maiden flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 3, 1985, carrying a payload for the U.S.

Why does STS-51-J matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study STS-51-J?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on STS-51-J.