When Was the Space Shuttle Discovery Built?

Are you interested in astronomy and NASA, and do you want to know when was the Space Shuttle Discovery built? The Discovery is one of three operational orbiters that are currently used by the Space Shuttle fleet as of 2010. It is currently the oldest orbiter that is still being used by the Space Shuttle fleet. Yet, what is the history behind the orbiter, and when was the Space Shuttle Discovery built?

The Discovery was primarily named after one of the first British ships of exploration, the HMS Discovery. The HMS Discovery commanded by Captain James Cook during his final voyage, between 1776 and 1779.

However, there were a number of additional ships with the name of Discovery that the shuttle was also a reference to. Some of these ships include the RRS Discovery, the Henry Hudson Discovery, and the Discovery expedition. The shuttle’s name was a reference and tribute to some of the great explorations of the sea.

When Was the Space Shuttle Discovery Built?

So, when was the Space Shuttle Discovery built? Construction on the ship began prior to 1984, and the ship flew its first mission in 1984. Specifically, the first mission was on August 20, 1984.

The mission lasted six days, and returned on September 5, 1984. The destination of the first flight was STS-41-D. The purpose of the initial flight was the launch of two communication satellites. One of these satellites was the LEASAT F2. Its next flight was shortly after, on November 8, 1984.

The destination of that flight was to STS-51-A, and the Discovery launched two communication satellites, and rescued two satellites. Since the first flight of the Discovery was successful, the second flight was longer. It was for seven days, twenty-three hours, forty-four minutes, and fifty-six seconds.

Further Discovery Explorations

In 1986, the Discovery was chosen as the return to flight orbiter after the 1986 Challenger disaster. The 1986 Challenger disaster was the twenty-fifth flight of the Space Shuttle program, and it was the first flight on which a citizen was aboard. Unfortunately, the mission ended in a tragedy.

Seventy-three seconds after the shuttle lifted off, the spacecraft exploded. The disaster was due to a failure of an O-ring seal on the Challenger’s right Solid Rocket Booster. All seven crew members on board the flight died. After the tragedy, NASA did not launch another orbiter for several years.

The Discovery was the first orbiter that returned to flight, partially because NASA felt confident after the shuttle’s previously successful flights. This flight began on September 29, 1988 and lasted four days, and a little over one hour.

Launching TDRS and the Hubble Telescope

The next flight for the Discovery occurred on March 13, 1989 and the purpose was to launch TDRS. The flight only lasted four days, and a little over twenty-three hours. In 1990, the Space Shuttle Discovery was chosen to launch the Hubble Space Telescope.

The Hubble Space Telescope is one of the largest and most versatile telescopes in the world. One of the major advantages of the telescope is its ability to take quite sharp pictures without needing background light. Thus, the Discovery was chosen to launch this crucial piece of technology.

Discovery Flights

To date, the Discovery has completed thirty-eight flights. It has also completed over five thousand orbits, and has spent a total of three hundred and twenty-two days in orbit. In 2005, the Discovery was again used as the return to flight orbiter following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003. The space shuttle fell apart while re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. The space shuttle fell apart over Texas and Louisiana, and unfortunately all seven crew members on board died.

A little longer than two years following the disaster, the Space Shuttle Discovery performed the first return to flight orbit. This took place on July 26, 2005. The flight lasted thirteen days, and a little over twenty-one hours. The Discovery was also chosen for the second return to flight orbit.