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 Atlantis in orbit; in-flight photography of this Department of Defense support mission is limited | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-38 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | DoD satellite deployment |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1990-097A |
| SATCAT no. | 20935 |
| Mission duration | 4 days, 21 hours, 54 minutes, 31 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 3,291,199 km (2,045,056 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 79 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Atlantis |
| Launch mass | 2,055,639 kg (4,531,908 lb) |
| Landing mass | 86,677 kg (191,090 lb) |
| Payload mass | (Classified) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 5 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | November 15, 1990, 23:48:15 UTC (6:48:15 pm EST) |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| Contractor | Rockwell International |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | November 20, 1990, 21:42:46 UTC (4:42:46 pm EST) |
| Landing site | Kennedy, SLF Runway 33 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[1] |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 260 km (160 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 269 km (167 mi) |
| Inclination | 28.45° |
| Period | 89.79 minutes |
 STS-38 mission patch  Standing: Gemar, Springer and Meade Seated: Culbertson and Covey | |
STS-38 was a Space Shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Atlantis. It was the 37th shuttle mission and carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It was the seventh flight for Atlantis and the seventh flight dedicated to the Department of Defense. The mission was a 4-day mission that traveled 3,291,199 km (2,045,056 mi) and completed 79 revolutions. Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility's runway 33. The launch was originally scheduled for July 1990 but was rescheduled due to a hydrogen leak found on Space Shuttle Columbia during the STS-35 countdown. During a rollback to the Orbiter Processing Facility Atlantis was damaged during a hail storm. The eventual launch date of November 15, 1990, was set due to a payload problem. The launch window was between 18:30 and 22:30 EST. The launch occurred at 18:48:13 EST. The mission ended with a landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility, marking the first time in five years that a mission returned to the Kennedy Space Center since STS-51-D. This also marked the first time Atlantis ended a mission at the Kennedy Space Center.
- ^ "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2013.